Missy Carmichael is suffering the ravages of old age. She lives alone in a house full of reminders -- of her ancestors, of her husband, of her son who now lives in Australia with her only grandson, of her estranged daughter. Her life is quiet and lonely until she meets Angela.

This is a lovely story; one that could have been depressing or sickeningly predictable & sappy, but instead is filled with wonderful characters and humor, pathos, and surprises. Morrey writes with feeling and adds unusual details that add to the depth and emotion of the story. Something as simple as and attic filled with handmade clothing from the 20s, or tiny details about coping with suddenly being in charge of a young child or a dog after years of living alone. There are lots of people populating Missy's neighborhood and each one is distinct and endearing (or annoying). I was completely enthralled with Missy's life and the lives of those around her. Loved this book!

Terrific story, characters and writing.  Missy Carmichael is a lonely 79 year old woman, a curmudgeonly character, who doesn't care much for interactions with other people. When she's at her lowest she is befriended by two women she meets in the park, and their forceful and friendly personalities bring something out in her self that she never knew existed. 
She has friends, and a dog, and a better relationship with her daughter. She is enjoying life despite herself.

I really loved this story. It just makes you feel good after having read it.

The Love Story of Missy Carmichael by Beth Morrey

I loved this book for its quirky 79 yo character - always makes me wonder how it would be like when you are older, spouse has passed away and her children have their own lives, and life choices causing her children to become estranged from her. I enjoy this debut novel where no matter how old you are, it is never too late to still make changes and see the arc and change in the characters - it is a story full of hope and love. This endearing and heart felt story with interesting and quirky characters was such an amazing read for me. Many days after, I am still emotional about this story I absolutely enjoyed. I highly recommend this book.

Written in the vein of ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE and ALL ADULTS HERE, Beth Morrey’s THE LOVE STORY OF MISSY CARMICHAEL is both a love song to growing old and a quiet, introspective look into the stories we tell ourselves.

For the first time in 79 years, Millicent “Missy” Carmichael is entirely alone. Her beloved husband, Leo, has died; her son, Alistair, has left England for a new life in Australia with her only grandson; and she is estranged from her daughter, Melanie. Cooped up in her big, empty house, Missy has settled into a quiet but lonely routine. She drinks wine, wanders the corners of her home, and dwells on her regrets. Every day she tries to find something new to do and email her son about, but she’s quickly running out of ideas. Finally, the town announces that they will be electrocuting the fish in a local park’s pond to transfer them to a new pond, and Missy sees her opportunity for something really big to share with Alistair. Expecting a quirky story about shocked fish, she heads to the park and finds so much more.

There, Missy comes across a frazzled, red-headed woman named Angela and her young son, Otis. Angela is brassy and bold, and though she is initially critical of her parenting, Missy finds herself longing to be introduced to the two, dreaming of her own grandson whom she misses immensely. When the time comes for the big electrocution, Missy faints and finds herself being prodded awake by Sylvie, the first stranger she has spoken to in weeks. Naturally, Angela and Sylvie are acquainted, and though Missy is desperate for friendship, she declines their invite for coffee, worried that she will be seen as an intruder...or, even worse, a lonely old woman with no other plans.

As the weeks without Leo draw on, Missy finds herself crossing paths with Angela and Sylvie again and again, and soon catches herself sitting at the cafe longer than usual, or parking herself on a park bench, hoping to run into one or both of them. With time, she strikes up a careful friendship with them, drawing her out of her self-imposed exile. Before she knows it, she is heavily entwined in their lives, and even finds herself caring for Angela’s friend’s dog, opening her home and heart to more than just her new furry friend. As she learns more about the warm, comforting Sylvie, and the brash journalist Angela, Missy starts to realize that there is life in widowhood, but only she can give herself the permission to live it.

Alternating between Missy’s forays into friendship and her early life with Leo, Morrey tells us the story of how Missy first fell in love and began cultivating her life with her late husband. Paired together, these timelines draw a portrait of a timid, insecure woman who is certain only of her morals. As she begins to fall for and share her life with Leo, an outspoken and acclaimed historian, she struggles to find an avenue for her own goals, often drowning in the tasks of motherhood and childcare. At the same time, her dealings with Sylvie and Angela reveal a woman who, while quietly disapproving, is a bit of a pushover. Luckily for her, her eagerness to please results in her agreeing to some incredible and deeply necessary strides in character development. Along the way, we learn that Missy has been hiding a few secrets that paint her in a not-so-favorable light --- most notably a big, dark one that has left her estranged from Melanie.

As with Eleanor Oliphant, readers will find that Missy Carmichael is not the warm, instantly relatable main character they might expect from a book with “love story” in the title. She is intensely judgmental, but Morrey writes her with such sophistication and careful pacing that it is clear that her judgments come more from insecurity than maliciousness. In this way, Missy represents the worst in all of us --- and displays it with the comfort and openness that could only come from an elderly character who already has lost all she holds dear. Where Morrey shines is in her slow, measured reveal of Missy’s past and how it has molded her.

When writing an older character, an author must always be careful to highlight both the protagonist’s growth and his or her journey so far. Morrey does both here --- and she does it impossibly well. Even at 79, Missy experiences tremendous growth and Morrey develops her fully, satisfyingly and just plain beautifully. Though somewhat unlikable at the start, she is so fully rendered and expertly drawn that even her flaws become endearing (and did I mention there’s a dog?).

Heartwarming, poignant and raw, THE LOVE STORY OF MISSY CARMICHAEL is the perfect book for anyone ready for a change, for hope, or for a solid love story rooted in something more.

This was just an okay read for me. I had high hopes going in and I love the cover art but it wasn’t a memorable read.

Delightful is the best one-word description would give to The Love Story of Missy Carmichael. Nothing is more inspiring than reading about an elderly woman who finding herself at long last. And even better, it’s when a dog enters her life that the tables start turning and the domino effect begins.

There seems to be a new trend of books that star a cantankerous older person and how they find their way to happiness. With so many books out like this, the plot needs to be quite different with the ability to suck you in form the start. I started this on audio and ended by reading it. There’s something fun about listening and reading the same book because the character’s voices, cadence and tone stay in my head.

This story is a slow burn and learning to sympathize with Missy took some time. Once you understand her back story, how she grew up, the ins and outs of her marriage and her relationships with her children, you’ll see her through a new lens. The supporting characters were all unique and for the most part believable. I loved Bob, the dog, and sweet Otis, the young boy.

Overall, it was an easy, enjoyable read.

Interesting book about an older woman as she comes to terms with the loss of her husband.  She finds a renewed purpose in her life and starts reconciliation with her estranged family.

I enjoyed this book. It was a pleasant break from the current world turmoil. If there were a genre called Cup of Cocoa this would be included. A book about people opening up and helping each other is a comfort and delight. The story is not cloying, the people are realistic and the story unwinds in a satisfying manner.

This was overall an enjoyable read. The last 25 pages or so are page turners, the rest, not as much. I felt that I kept putting this down and then saying "oh, I have to finish this novel before moving on" many times, but the end kept me interested.

I loved this book!  It was so heartfelt and made me cry while I was reading.  I loved the character of Missy. I am a fan of books that feature older main characters.  This book was touching and I really didn't want it to end.  I can't wait to read more from Beth Morrey.

This story was a very sweet and nice but it didn't really have anything too interesting or even exciting in it. I wouldn't say it was bland per se but it was just... I don't know. Nothing special in my eyes.

I really enjoyed the writing, the author seemed to have a great way of putting words to paper. But holy geez the pacing in this story was s l o w. SO SLOW. I had to skim a lot and even with the skimming I could keep up with what was going on. On top of that, there was a lot of jumping and hopping around. When that happens it makes it a very inconsistent read. The Love Story of Missy Carmichael was definitely a book where I wish I could have beta read it LOL!

Saying that this story is comparable to Eleanor Oliphant is such a stretch in my opinion. This story doesn't come close to Eleanor's. Eleanor was an incredibly likable and complex character that had the best quirks but Missy was just an okay character for me. She won't be one that I remember like I do Eleanor. While the writing and the characters were good, the story was just meh. It was slow and tedious and at times seems very inconsistent.

A Quirky novel that had Promise but didn’t Quite Deliver.

Missy Carmichael is a 79 year old woman whose life is not a happy one.  Taking care of her husband who has dementia has taken quite the toll on her.   Happiness doesn’t seem attainable for Missy until she meets some new friends, and a sweet canine companion named Bob, all of whom make her believe in the power of friendship.  

Though this was a sweet novel, it didn’t quite warm my heart the way I had hope when I read the premise.    This might simply be the case of my being the wrong reader for this novel, as others really loved this novel.  

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam - GP Putnam and Sons for the arc.

3.5*
A heartwarming story of loneliness and new found friendships when you least expect it but need it the most.  

Though contemporary fiction is not my favorite genre.  The premise caught my attention and the author wove a storyline that kept me engaged throughout.

You will smiling through your tears, so keep  your tissues close by.  Perhaps it’s just the timing of the read.  But it may have been a bit too heavy a read for me personally.  There are many fabulous five star reviews to be found.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for an ARC to read and review

I enjoyed reading this one. I found it to be a cute story that was well written. I had a hard time putting it down. I recommend it to others.

You know how sometimes publishers or advertisers start a book synopsis by saying "If you loved ____ book, then you'll really love this one?" or this books is for "Fans of ___." This is the first time I read one of those and thought to myself OMG I loved ___ book, so I'll love this one. But I think that doomed this not to be a five star review right from the beginning. I kept waiting for the book to get as good as that one and it just didn't.

That being said, it was a good story. It follows Missy, who is living on her own in a big house after the kids have grown up and is learning to be happy again. It was a bit sadder/more depressing in the early parts of the book and the ending was a bit abrupt for me. I wanted to know what happened after that last page. Overall a good read. Probably really a 3.5/5 start for me. Maybe could have been a 4 if I hadn't set my expectations so high so early.

Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the early copy to review.

I am a sucker for any book with a band of quirky characters. I love how often quirky characters remind me of myself and Missy Carmichael is no exception. There were numerous times throughout the book that I saw myself in Missy. At times I found that hard to process but I digress. 

I was not familiar with Beth Morrey and was impressed this is her first novel. But this book has made my all-time-favorite list of books. Get your tissues out because you will need them. My daughter was sitting next to me as I was reading and as tears were streaming down my face. She patted my arm and said "they aren't real, mom." but to me, Missy, Bobby, Angela, Otis and the others had become real. These characters took up residence in my heart and mind. 

I know this book has been compared to Ove and Eleanor while some may find this off-putting and others a plus, I think all should start this book with an open mind and sit back and wait for these characters to weasel their way in to your heart. 

I will definitely be looking for more books by Morrey.

On paper this should have been a new favorite- a British coming of old story with a found family, eccentric characters and a dog. I think it's unfair to compare it to A Man Called Ove and Eleanor Oliphant because it can set some pretty high expectations. The story kept me interested until the mid-way part when it started to drag a bit. For me, I could have used a little more humor and a little less woe. All that aside, this was a valiant debut and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Having started this book with no expectations I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.  It took me a while to get into this book and I certainly had little sympathy in the beginning for Missy. But then I kept reading!

At the beginning of the book, Missy is 79 years old, her husband has passed, her son and family live in Australia and she is on bad terms with her daughter. She is sad, lonely and not coping well. There are flashbacks of a young Missy and the high profile life she had with her college professor husband. There are also hints of a terrible secret that Missy has been burdened with throughout her life.

Not quite like Eleanor Oliphant, but still heartwarming.

I thought the story dragged for me and the time jumps got confusing at time.  I did enjoy how Missy adapted to her life with Bob and all the people that came to her aid when she needed it the most. Would recommend this story to readers in the 50+ age range.

I connected with Missy. Although not quite as old as she is, even with a husband who is dealing with dementia, loneliness is too easy to find. I so enjoyed the variety of people who came into her life and brightened her days.