Millicent "MIssy" Carmichael is 79 years old. She lives in her large family house in London alone, now that her husband is gone.
She is estranged from her daughter Melanie, who lives with her wife a few hours away.
Beloved son Alistair lives in Australia with his wife and son Arthur.
Missy is very lonely and depressed and more than a bit cantankerous. Trying to keep busy, she heads to an event at the park where they electrocute fish so they relocate them. She meets Sylvie and Angela and her young son Otis, who reminds her of her grandson.
Angela has a friend who escapes from an abusive husband, but can't take her dog Bob with them. She asks Missy to care for the dog until they can reunite.
At first Missy refuses, she doesn't want a dog. But she relents and ends up loving her new companion.
The story alternates between the present and past as we learn more about MIssy's life and what happened to her husband Leo.
This was a poignant, heartbreaking and beautiful story about friendship, love and aging.
A touching and enchanting debut novel.
Thank you Penguin Group Putnam for the e-ARC via NetGalley.

Many thanks to Netgalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the chance to read this novel.

These types of character-driven novels are my absolute favorites. This was like a mix of A Man Called Ove and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, which was right up my alley. I adore curmudgeonly characters who struggle to find their place among others in this world because I find them relatable. When I came across this title, I knew it would be something similar to these favorites and I couldn't wait to dive in.

I absolutely loved watching the evolution of Missy's character as the story drew on. It was great to see how her opinions on certain matters changed from that of a grumpy and lonely old lady to a woman with a new lease on life. This novel proved that it's never too late to make changes in one's life. I loved the overall hopeful message and feelings this story provoked, along with the nuggets of wisdom Beth Morrey conveyed through Missy.

"It's hard to accept, when you have children, that your time isn't your own anymore -- it belongs to them, every precious second."

Unfortunately, I struggled with the organization of the story. I'm not sure if it was due to me reading an unfinished ARC or if my feelings would have been the same if I had read the published edition, but the time jumps weren't always clear. I struggled keeping up with where the story was going and where the past ended and the present started at times. This made the story drag a bit for me. Especially in the middle of the story, I was quite bored but decided to keep reading because I was attached to the dog in the storyline. Nonetheless, The Love Story of Missy Carmichael was heartwarming enough to get me through the slower parts.

Missy Carmichael is an old lady who has lost her husband, her son and his family live very far away, she had a major fight with her daughter and Missy apparently has no friends. Of course, she feels sorry for herself. I felt sorry for her too, but eventually she leaves her home and starts meeting people and things start to blossom for her. The characters in this book are far from perfect which makes them more likable and their interactions are well written and interesting. Where this book falls down a little is the several places where Missy is reminiscing about her life when she was younger. Sometimes it is not readily apparent that this is what is happening even though these reminisces are vital to understanding why Missy is the way she is. The story progresses rapidly to the end and some very surprising revelations. Thank you NetGalley for the early copy of this book to review.

This is a rather sweet novel - and one that it is easy to draw comparisons to other big hits like Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and A Man Called One. The titular characters is 78 at the opening and quite lonely. Her beloved son and grandson live in Australia and she is mostly estranged from her daughter, her husband is gone and Missy was never one much for friends. A chance encounter at the park suddenly brings her neighbors into her life - and when she agrees to temporarily look after a dog, her heart and world opens up.

Missy's story, both her past and her present unfold into a rather heartwarming story that touches on darker moments, too. I am sure that an audio version would be particularly lovely, too. And while I never quite connected to Missy quite as deeply as I wanted to, I did enjoy her story. There are some plot points that are more predictable than others, but there are plenty of shocks, too. The middle does sag a bit, but after it picks back up in the end, I really did enjoy it and I imagine that a stellar audio performance would have made me really love it!

The characters are wonderful and the story really drew me in. What a joy to go along on the journey with Missy to her new life with friends and family from her previous loneliness. I had an inkling of a few of the things revealed at the end but they were still a surprise. Because of some parallels to my own life right now, there were a few things that definitely had me reaching for the Kleenix.

Overall, just an excellent book. This would be great for book clubs and discussions.

Oh my gosh, this book was absolutely adorable and beautiful. The Love Story of Missy Carmichael by Beth Morrey is a sweet, heartwarming book of forgiveness that captivates you from the start.

Missy Carmichael is a lonely old woman, about to turn 80, who normally keeps to herself but decides to make an effort to get out of her house more and enjoy the company of others. All of the characters in the book are absolutely adorable and delightful. They each elicit strong emotions in Missy’s path to forgiveness, redemption, and growth. It is a beautifully written book that had me crying at several points.

This was a wonderful book that shows us it’s never too late to fall in love.

Don't look here for a bodice riper, but it is truly a story about finding love whether that's with a estranged daughter, a family around the corner, or a four legged nuisance that gets dumped at your door. Beth Morrey has created masterful portrait of someone who is isolated, desperate, painfully self conscious, and lacking the usual skills needed to breech the divide between human beings. Thankfully, a small accident during a fish stunning in the park brings her into contact with three outgoing people and their dogs, a bunch who just don't understand the idea of staying away. This is a funny, poignant, and ultimately uplifting story. Highly recommended!

Missy Carmichael feels as if she’s been set adrift on an endless ocean. After the loss of her beloved husband Leo, she can’t seem to find a reason to venture out of her sprawling old home. Her children rarely visit and all that she truly has after seventy-nine years of life is crippling regret.

She never ventures far from home. Preferring to rattle around her house alone. But one rainy afternoon, a visit to a local park changes her life completely.

“One minute you’re gliding along, not a care in the world, and the next a huge prod appears and knocks you for six, and then everything is different and you’re gasping with the shock of it. And there’s no triumph in survival, because you’re just swimming round and round endlessly in a new lake, mouthing pointlessly. I’d rather someone put me out of my misery. Ashes to ashes. The breathlessness, back. Plash, whoosh, thud. I could look the other way, then it would go away. Don’t think, don’t think. Thud, thud, thud. I clutched the railings, trying to ignore the looming branches above, but my skin prickled around the edges, flared, and I felt myself fall amidst reaching hands and faraway shouts as the blackness took over…”

An eclectic group of characters come crashing into her world – A single mum named Angela and her precocious young son Otis, Sylvie with her fabulous flair and an adorable dog named Bobby.

Together, they fill Missy’s days with friendship and love. And it’s that love that gives her the strength to mend the wounds of the past.

“Did I have much to offer? Six months ago I’d have said I had very little, but lately I’d felt a sense of optimism creeping up on me—the idea that there were things to look forward to, that I had options, was a heady feeling. Yet I worried my newfound zest was a flimsy thing, as brittle and crumbly as Otis’s cheese straws. Would Leo have been proud? He would probably have grumbled about me being out all the time—he liked having me around, even when he was closeted in his study. He used to say he could feel my presence in the house even if he couldn’t see or hear me, and that it was comforting. I felt the same. But he wasn’t around anymore, and I had to live with that.”

The Love Story of Missy Carmichael is a poignant journey from loneliness to light. Beth Morrey starts with a somber landscape and then makes it shine. As the bond between each of the characters grows, so does Missy’s universe. But it was her devotion to both the young Otis and Bobby that moved me in unexpected ways.

Love, family and friendship are tested and then strengthened. And on every page the ageless power of the soul sings loud and clear..

The Love Story of Missy Carmichael is out today! Last week after seeing this everywhere I had to try to get a copy. Thank you @netgalley and @putnambooks for allowing me to read an early copy of this wonderful novel. I'm totally smitten.

Missy Carmichael is a lonely old grandma. She has sort of an Ove vibe about her. Her son has taken her grandson worlds away, she has no relationship with her daughter, and so she spends her days sipping sherry, sitting in her empty home and waits for what? The last thing she expects is for strangers, and a borrowed dog named Bob to come into her life changing everything.

The love Missy finds isn't so much a romance story. It's a mother's love. A friend's love. A grandmother's love. A dog owner's love. It's proof that even at seventy nine there is always room for more. I laughed, I cried. I can already feel myself going through character withdrawals. This was a total bookstagram made me do it situation, and I'm glad it did. .

At the beginning of Beth Morrey's The Love Story of Missy Carmichael, we meet seventy-nine-year-old Missy. She carries a lifetime of memories and regrets but now has very little human contact. Her husband is gone, she isn't speaking to her daughter, and her beloved son and grandson live in Australia, far from her London home.
When Missy reluctantly agrees to care for a dog, Bob, her world suddenly becomes brighter. I have to be honest, Missy was a hard character to love. She is very set in her ways, and whenever something good happens, she just waits for the other shoe to drop. As the story progressed, the author fleshes out the events that shaped Missy's life, and I started to care more about her. It's a slow burn of a story, and it wasn't until I read about a quarter of the book, that I realized that Missy, Bob, her new friends, and family had started to pull me in. It was heartbreaking in ways I didn't expect, and quite a bit happened that I certainly never saw coming. By the time I reached the final page, I found myself wishing that I could spend a little more time with Missy. I think this would make a great choice for a book club and I will be looking to see what the author writes in the future.

Thank you #Netgalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review. This is a story of a curmudgeonly old lady who finds her friends and a new outlook on life with the help of a dog. A sweet story! Peppered throughout the book are memories that formed who Missy is today. Getting to know all the town characters who live around the small town square reminded me a bit of Gilmore girls, For fans of a man called Ove, only this time from a woman’s perspective.

If you enjoyed A Man Called Ove, this is the perfect book for you. Missy's life has beaten her down all 78 years she's been around. She's alone in a large house, children grown, grandchild living abroad, and spouse gone; with no job and no purpose in life, Missy doesn't feel like she's got anything going for her or anything to offer. Then a chance meeting with a neighbor lady and her young son change everything.

This book had me laughing, it had me crying, and it was absolutely just the sort of feel-good book I needed to read right now with everything else going on in the world. While it was a little slow to start, and I had trouble finding anything likeable about Missy, as we learned more about her past, I grew to like her more. I appreciated seeing the growth in her character as the book progressed. Some people might think that it was too contrived, the way that everything played out, but sometimes that is exactly what you're looking for in a book. You wanted to root for Missy and allow the underdog to finish first.

The Love Story of Missy Carmichael follows Missy at two times - present day and decades before as she grows and navigates her life. Isolated, closed off to others, she feels alone. As the story unfolds, you understand more about how Missy came to present day, and how it's never too late to learn about yourself and to take some risks - that vulnerability can lead to what you may not expect!

It has a slow start but is a pleasureable read - as Beth Morrey brings the characters to life, you empathize with some and go along for the eventful ride.

Thank you to Netgalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

#lovestoryofmissycarmichael #netgalley #gpputnamssons #ARCreview

For readers who fell in love with A Man Called Ove, the Love Story of Missy Carmichael is a new book for your reading pleasure. Millicent "Missy" Carmichael has never felt her worth and we see why as her life, past and present, unfolds. Through wonderful characters she meets Missy starts to let others in and is able to see how much better life can be when shared with others. It's been a long time since I cried over a book...

It took me a little while to get into this book. That changed as the book progressed and we get to know more about Missy and what she has gone through. As events take over and her situation changes as chapters continue we learn about her past and by the end I was a mess. I finished this book through tears. It was beautiful but heartbreaking. The ending truly wrecked me. I can’t believe this was a debut novel and I can’t wait to see what else this author writes! I’m here for it!

I enjoy books that are multi-generational. Not just within a family but friendships as well. This is the story of 79 year old Missy Carmichael. She's alone being estranged from her daughter and son. One day while at the local park she meets 2 women who invite her for coffee. Before she realizes what's happened she is friends with Rachel, Angela and Otis. They even convince her to babysit a dog. A wonderful fiction true to life current day story set in London with lots of of reminisces of Missy's nearly 80 year life. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Missy Carmichael is 78 years old and alone when she impulsively opts to watch fish being stunned so that they can be moved to another pond. Best decision she could have made because she meets Angela and her son Otis and her world opens up. This might, if you read the promotional material, seem like something you've read before but it's not. THere's a depth here that I appreciated as well as a strong beating heart- Morrey clearly likes her characters (and she's a great storyteller). Missy is a Cambridge grad who married Leo, who grew into a famous biographer while she stayed home with Melanie and Alasdair. Leo's gone now and so are the grown children. How she comes to reconcile with Mel (as well as the reasons for their estrangement) is so nicely done and all the secrets won't be revealed til near the end. Angela's request that Missy foster Bob (later Bobby) the dog starts off as an imposition and turns into a love story in itself. Missy makes a family, even though she doesn't realize it, with Otis, Angela, Sylvie, and other others and, by the time her 80th rolls around, she's in a better place. No spoilers but this did bring me to tears at one point. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. I thorougjly enjoyed this- it was a hopeful panacea for the current times.

Missy is an older woman who does not like to inconvenience others. She does not want to impose on her busy children, even though she misses them dearly. She lives a lonely life and has trouble clinging to a purpose in life. She erroneously assumes that her presence is always an inconvenience. As she meets new friends, she begins to come out of shell more and more, embracing all that life still has to offer an old lady like her. The book vacillates between present-day and various time points that were pivotal moments in Missy's life.

Missy reminded me of Ona Vitkus from The One-in-a-Million Boy. Both women are stubborn, generous, and desiring to find more genuine connections during this last act of their lives. There is a pronounced sense of place, with many references to British landmarks and culture that I am not familiar with, but it did add a sense of charm. This is a quiet novel, with very unassuming and quirky characters. But these characters have a tendency of tugging on your heartstrings in the most unexpected ways. I was a fan of the writing style and although there were points in the middle of the book that dragged on longer than necessary, this was a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin/Putnam for this Advanced Reader Copy.

I loved this book. Finally, an author who understands the older generation. Particularly, at this time of social isolation, it becomes even more important to recognize the effects of loneliness. It's a story of looking back but also about pressing forward and embracing new people and experiences into one's life. Looking forward to more from this author.

When we first meet Missy, she’s age 79, her son and his family is in Australia, she’s estranged from her daughter, and her husband is gone. She’s cranky, depressed, and lonely. She’s not very sympathetic in the beginning, but as more of her past is revealed, and she lets a few quirky people into her present along with a lovable dog, she grows on you, as she herself evolves and allows people into her life. Eventually, you discover what happened with her daughter, and there’s a twist at the end. It was a charming debut, and a great reminder that you are never too old to change and build a new life. Thank you to the Putnam Books and NetGalley for an advanced e-copy in exchange for an honest review.