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...

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for allowing me to read the e-ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.  At the start of the story, Missy Carmichael is a proud, depressed, lonely 79-year-old English woman who was a hard character to love at first because she was so closed to the world around her. She'd become untethered due to losing her husband Leo, and being estranged from her daughter Melanie and living far away from her son Alistair in Australia.  In a bit-too-convenient turn of events, Missy becomes the fosterer/parent of a loveable dog named Bob and is included in a small circle of good friends who begin to draw her out of her self-imposed, hermit-like life.  As Missy learns to really live, she becomes invested in her friends' lives and chooses to reintegrate herself into the lives of her loved ones. At about the three-quarters point of the novel, when Missy decides to open herself to love, I began to love her, too.  

With aging parents of my own, author Beth Morrey's book was a good reminder to value my relationship with them and to remain present in their lives.

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.

As we are going through vast changes everyday, I am finding reading very difficult right now. I have turned to Audiobooks, but am still reading the galleys that I am so very happy to receive. I am very much on the fence on this one. There were some highs and lows with the story.

We meet Missy, a seventy-nine year old widow who has had satisfying life. She was married to Leo, raised two kids, and was a librarian. As this book starts we are in current times and things are not going so well. She is estranged from her daughter and her son has moved far away. Throughout this book Missy reflects on her life. Dating, meeting and falling in love with her husband. And of course having her children and all the ups and downs.

This book is about reflection as Missy heads into the twilight of her life. The book adds the humor and love of a dog that Missy begrudgingly agrees to foster. If you ask me Bob is the highlight of this book and the love that Missy yearned for.

Here is where I have major qualms, I wish publishers would stop comparing books to other books that we hold so dear to theheart. When I saw for fans of A Man Called Ove and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine I thought yes. However, I find these books don’t live up to those standards I have set so high. I think we would be much better going in blind.

This is book is perfectly line, it was just missing that sparkle I so wanted.

Thank you NetGalley and G.P. Putnam for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This story takes a little while to get into. It takes the reader awhile to get invested in the characters. However, I felt like this was perfectly fine because it felt like the exact way it was meant to unfold. So often we don't stop to listen to each other's stories and especially characters (people) like Missy, who are older and alone. Missy represents those that are often just passed over in real life. If you can take a break from your busy lives I encourage you to  invest in this book, in Missy's story, and you will end up feeling for her and care about her story.

I am so glad I had a chance to read this book! 
This story focused on Missy Carmichael; a mother and wife. Her 2 children are adults with their own lives and all we know is her husband is gone. Missy is very isolated in her life. Her son and his wife and son live in Australia and she rarely gets to see them. And her daughter lives a few hours away, but after an argument the year before they haven't talked since.
After making friends with people in the park one day her isolated life begins to fill again. Soon she even finds herself with a dog, which is a big turning point for her. Her new companion, Bob; is not something she wanted, but she agreed to take her in to help Angela, a single mom who was helping a friend leave a bad situation. 
As many dog owners know, having a dog is like a best friend you can confide in and they love you even with all of your faults. This bond is just what Missy needed. She opens up about her life and her relationship with her husband and her children and through this emotional novel you realize that she needed this relationship to find happiness again. Through the next couple years, Missy is able to build friendship, find happiness in her life, and work on her relationships with her adult children.
The writing was well done and the story was very sweet, there were times I wish there was more buildup with her relationship with Angela and Sylvie, it seemed very sudden and pushed fast to get the rest of the story. Overall I enjoyed the book and the ending, although heartbreaking and emotional, was beautiful!!
Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the opportunity to read this arc for an honest review!

The Love Story of Missy Carmichael by Beth Morrey was a treasure of a book. It was heartwarming as well as heartbreaking. I love when a story makes the reader laugh and cry. 

This novel is the story of Missy Carmichael, her past, her present, and everything in between. It is a story about one woman’s life’s journey, and how friendship gave Missy Carmichael a new outlook on life. 

Missy Carmichael is lonely. Her children are grown; her husband is no longer with her. She lives in a large home, but she is scraping by. But, when all hope seems lost, one day can change everything, and it did for Missy Carmichael. With a cast of charming, quirky characters, an adorable little boy named Otis and a lovable, unforgettable dog named Bob, Missy Carmichael transformed her life. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read. Highly recommended.

One of our greatest gifts is HOPE, for with it, all things are possible. Without it, nothing is possible.  

Millicent Carmichael is 79, living a life alone...no friends, no husband, no family...rattling around in a sad dilapidated old house without hope, living with the memories that shaped her life.  So begins The Love Story of MIssy Carmichael.  This lovely story weaves its way back and forth through Missy's history towing the reader along a meandering river of memories filled with regret about the things she could have or should have done, until two women and a bouncy, enthusiastic dog enter her life.  

This book began with a sense of utter hopelessness and ends with joy.  Let me close with this quote,
 "H.O.P.E. - Hold on Pain ends."

As she has grown older and suffered more and more losses in her life, Missy's world has become quite small - she has no friends, is estranged from her daughter and her son lives overseas.  When taking her daily constitutional she falls, two women rush to help her, to her everlasting embarrassment, but the door which has been so firmly slammed just has just cracked open a bit.  With each passing week, Missy's life becomes more.
A life lesson for all who shut themselves in because ' no one cares'.  Sometimes one has to talk to strangers  and put one"s self out there in order for those strangers to become friends and people who at least care.

This is one of the few books that I tried and couldn't finish.  It is rare that I DNF a book.  

I think the story was just ok, I just couldn't get interested in Missy Carmichael and its hard for me to continue reading when I can't get into a main character.