The Missing Letters of Mrs. Bright by Beth Miller is one of many books have been written recently about individuals at certain junctures of life deciding a change in needed. My reaction to these books has varied depending on the development of the main characters and depending on the authentic feeling of the emotions and relationships. For me, this one does not hit that note, and I don't necessarily want to follow along on Mrs. Bright journey to discover herself.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2020/05/the-missing-letters-of-mrs-bright.html

Reviewed for NetGalley.

One day, after 29 years of marriage, when letters from Bear (Ursula) stopped coming since the past 6 months, Kay decided to walk out of her marriage with Richard.
She decides to go to Sydney to meet Bear and find out about her silence.

It was hard not having a single proper reason and justification to leave your marriage of 29 years. None of the little reasons on its own was enough for someone to consider leaving a marriage. None of them on its own looked anything at all. It was the cumulative effect that did it for her.
It’s about feeling that you need to spend your time in a different was from now on.
Life is finite – there is not unlimited time to do everything one wants to do.

This book is a journey. It tells the story of Mrs Kay Bright, her daughter Stella, her friend Rose along with the letters to and from her other friend Ursula (Bear), who stays in Australia. The story unfolds with glimpses into their present and past and in forms of letters between Kay and Bear.

The female friendships are just wonderful and portrayed in a very warm manner. The writing too was easy to read.
Secrets are slowly revealed and handled with sensitivity. Kay manages to refurbish her life bit-by-bit and finds happiness in her decisions.
Overall, a sweet and heart-warming read filled with strength and bittersweet moments of friendship and family.

4/5 for me

3★
“I’d had a safety net my whole life; first with my parents, then for almost thirty years with Richard. Safe, knowable, no surprises. I wanted to try whatever life I had left without that net. Close my eyes and take a leap of faith.”

Kay has had enough. Enough of curtailed or cancelled holidays because she and Richard are always needed at the shop. He’s just opened his fourth one and reckons he’s going to read books. But of course, she is always needed for something, so she’s going to pack her bag and go – somewhere, somehow. Get out of England, anyway.

It’s all very amicable and civilised and almost pleasant. He says ok – take a little break and come back. She’s adamant she’s striking out on her own. Their two kids have grown and left home and she’s fed up. No fights or anything, just fed up.

“‘I’m such an idiot. You’ve been so distant lately, I assumed it was something to do with the menopause.’

‘I haven’t started the menopause, Richard.’

‘Who is he, then? Do I know him? Christ!’ He banged his hand on the table.”

He knows her so well, doesn’t he? Mid-life crisis? Could be. She does have a favourite bolt-hole in Wales. A delightful little cottage. She has friends, good friends. And everyone shares many mugs of tea.

The main ones are the the two friends from her childood, Rose, (in love again) and “Bear”, (who now lives in Australia). Kay and Bear had a pact to write letters every other month, and many chapters are introduced with a letter, working their way back in time, so that bit by bit, events are revealed.

I have a kind of saying about situations where someone complains that “if it hadn’t been for you (or some misfortune), I could have been the world’s greatest opera singer.” I don’t know where the opera singer came from – perhaps someone else’s phrase overheard in my childhood. In many ways, this is one of those books. Unfulfilled dreams, opportunities lost, paths not taken.

I’m sure there’s a market for this, and it may be a very popular book. I would never call it Literary Fiction (or not unputdownable, for that matter). I imagine many will classify it as Chick-Lit or Women’s Fiction (whatever that’s supposed to be). There are plenty of popular novels that don’t push my buttons, but likewise, there are plenty of intellectually challenging, literary prize-winners that leave me cold. So what’s a reader to do? Just keep on reading everything, of course!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the review copy from which I’ve quoted.

What happens when the last child leaves home and a wife and mother who has lived her life for everyone else finally has time to think about what she might want to do? Kay has reached that point in her life and she decides to leave.
I like the way Beth Miller develops the story, taking us from a place of chaos when Kay departs to a place where all involved have settled into their new roles.
This books is both thought provoking and pure escapism. Most of us won't up and go the way Kay did, but most women (and I guess some men!) will be able to relate to her.

The Missing Letters of Mrs Bright is an enjoyable read, best suited for women with grown children.
I look forward to more by this author!

I received a complimentary advanced reader's copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed the idea of this book and found it was really easy to get into and follow. The suspense was really well developed and I would recommend this book to friends my only cristism is that I didn’t warm to the main character

An absolutely brilliant WHAT IF story. No matter how long you have been married, or lived in one house, you will have those WHAT IF days. What if I had turned right instead of left. What if I had taken the hard road instead of the easy one? Kay Bright decides one day to find out what she could have done if she had only made different decisions. The stories she finds and the people she meets along that different road are entertaining and surprising. What her family learns as she finds her new path will leave you sorry the book ends.

What a beautiful book this is. I enjoyed it so much, and was sorry when it had to end. I found myself savouring it, keeping it as a treat to return to at the end of the day.

It’s just got absolutely everything: it’s funny, it’s heartwarming, the pace is perfect, the characters are like good friends. The imagery and descriptions are so real that you are transported to the places in the book. It’s just perfect.

It’s told from both Kay’s, and her daughter Stella’s, points of view. I really enjoyed this, they both have a marvellous sense of humour, and also, I was so interested in the way they were both affected by Kay’s decision.

There are some other wonderful characters in this book; Kay’s friends, Ursula and Rose, her very prickly and prim and proper mother-in-law, Alice, and Piet and Newland, who Stella encounters.

It’s a book to put a smile on your face, but also to have you in tears, and it’s thought provoking as well as being a joy to read. I can hardly recommend it highly enough.

I love discovering new authors and I was so pleased to find Beth Miller's new book The Missing Letters of Mrs Bright to read.

The Missing Letters of Mrs Bright is an absolutely wonderfully beautiful uplifting story centering around a lady called Kay who after nearly thirty years of marriage, decides that she wants more from her life, and wants to explore a new future and see what else the world has to offer her. Kay goes on an amazing journey of self-discovery and set out to conquer what she wants out of life. Every day is a new day and Kay wants to seize every moment she can because as she later finds out sadly, life is short and we are only here once. A superb book which brought moments of sadness but lots of fun and laughter too. Beth Miller is a very talented author. I loved her writing style and the depth given to all the characters. As a stationery addict myself, I loved the stationery shop elements!

Take a chance in life, to the unknown. You never know what is around the corner. Life is precious and Kay certainly is making the most of every minute. Highly recommended, a thoroughly lovely lovely read.

The Missing Letters of Mrs Bright by Beth Miller....I liked this book. I have never read any of Miller's work before but the cover caught my eye so I thought I would check it out. It was so much fun. A coming of age story for a middle age woman! I can relate to that in some ways. The story follows Kay, who has faithfully exchanged letters with her friend Bear for over two decades. When Bear suddenly stops writing, Kay has to take a look at her life...not just her letters, but her entire life. What ensues is her attempt at getting her life back. She leaves her husband of twenty nine years. She quits her job. She goes to Australia to see Bear. She goes to Venice. She makes changes one at a time as she tries to figure out who she is, with the help of her friends and her children. A delightful story that will make you laugh out loud and cry some tears too, both happy and sad. I thought it was very well written, very genuine, and very personal. I would definitely recommend this book.
I received a free copy of this story from NetGalley for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy of The Missing Letters of Mrs. Bright by Beth Miller. I found this to be a delightful story based on Kay, who always does the right thing and hits a wall in life. Her days are filled with taking care of everyone but herself. Beth Miller, has me rooting for Kay from the beginning. I love the use of the letters between Kay and Ursula over the years. To me this story hit home a bit. Life is ever changing, even though we don’t feel like we are changing with it. This was a four star read for me and I would recommend it to my friends and followers on Bookstagram.

This is an engaging story about a woman looking to find more meaning in her life after she leaves her husband after nearly thirty years of marriage. I enjoyed the characters and their relationships. The characters are flawed but we can root for them as they struggle to find their places in the world. I

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved this story and how honest it felt. It explores love in many different forms: romance, friendship, lust, familial; and treats each with tender care.

A story about seizing the day. Realising that it's never too late and to grab life by the horns.

Kay walks out on her husband after 29 years of marriage. Not because she was miserable or abused in any "usual" way but because nothing ever happened.
Kay has been writing to her old school friend Bear ever since Bear emigrated to Australia with her family when she was 15 but Kay hasn't heard from Bear for a couple of months now.

This is a book full of fantastic characters who really do come alive.

Very much enjoyed.

This was an enjoyable heartwarming tale which kept me engaged throughout. I loved the somewhat quirky characters and the relationships. The writing was very thought provoking.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book is about Kay whose been married. 29 years and decides she wants to leave her husband he’s not done anything wrong she decides it’s happened over time . She ups and leaves and goes to stay in a house owned by a friend . Also Kay is worried about her friend in Australia . They have wrote to each other every other month but Bear ( Ursula) has missed a few so she decides to spread her wings and go and explore . First she will go to Australia to see her friend then Venice. While in Australia she gets bear to go with her to Venice..
This book is about friendship and the feelings between mother & daughter.
A brilliant read. Loved it
Thanks NetGalley

“Life is a strange and complicated journey that does not follow a straight path.”

The Missing Letters of Mrs Bright is the fourth novel by British author, Beth Miller. When fifty-one-year-old Kayla Bright tells her husband of twenty-nine years that she is leaving him, Richard is bewildered. Their adult children, Edward and Stella, and Richard’s mother, Alice are similarly puzzled. But after a few days retreat in Wales, Kay is off to Australia, saying only that she no longer loves Richard and hasn’t been happy. In Sydney, she’ll visit her friend, Bear, whose last three (unfailingly regular) letters have been conspicuous by their absence.

Stella Bright has not long settled into a share house in Romford, Essex with Gabby and Piet, and works in Gabby’s catering business, Yummi Scrummi Authentic Sri Lankan Street Food. When Richard rings in tears to tell her Kay has left him, what can she do but go down and be there for him, run the shop in her mother’s absence, and hope it will be very temporary? Her brother, Edward isn’t stepping up. Stella’s boyfriend Theo offers (rather too readily?) to stand in at Yummi Scrummi for her.

As Stella comes to terms with her parents’ separation, she finds her own life subject to a major upheaval. It’s clear Richard is not yet convinced that Kay won’t return, but Alice surprises everyone by stepping into the breach in their stationery business. Meanwhile, Kay discovers that her Australian friend has a strong and unexpected opinion about her marital troubles, and her perspective is perhaps one worth considering.

Miller’s characters are wonderfully real, with both flaws and redeeming qualities. Their dialogue is witty and clever, and often laugh-out-loud funny (although some readers may take exception to their generous use of expletives). As well as examining a marriage from which the romance has departed, Miller touches on the hurdles that single life presents for the unwary, such as loneliness and facing illness unaided, on top of the pragmatic issues of earning a living and finding a place to live. The effect of parental separation on adult children also features. Very entertaining!
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Bookouture

This was unexpectedly heartbreaking, touching and gives you a new perspective about relationships! I loved the writing style. It was easy to read and there were parts where I laughed out loud. I really enjoyed reading Stellas character the most as she is trying to figure out what she truly wants to do with her life. While Stella is figuring her life so is her mom. I loved the trips to I talk and Venice.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me a copy in exchange for a honest review,

A story about of love, friendship and seizing the day. The reminder of the importance of good friends and family, to live in the present, and not to put off all the things you think can wait until tomorrow because life is short. This was balanced with the reminder of responsibilities and being considerate to those you love. An easy to read holiday type read.

My Review
I must admit this is the first review I have written in quite some time. But what a book to review for my first this year! I loved it, it is a book about self-discovery, knowing your worth and what you mean to others. This is my also the first book I have read in 2020 and this has really set the bar high for what the year needs to bring.
Kay Bright, is a wonderful character and I love her, I’d love to be her! Just get up and go travelling one day whilst you still can. Why the hell not, is what I say!?
Kay’s daughter Stella, she was such a character, I’m not really one for glittery and girly, but I loved Stella’s nickname that was given to her by her parents. Let me say she really did not deserve what happened to her, but she rose above and beyond and I was quite proud of her.
The guys are just amazing, bar one… you’ll find out who that is 😉 I’m so pleased Kay’s husband managed to find companionship, even though it was so soon after the break-up.
Obviously I don’t want to give too much away as it would be so much better to read it. But this really is a beautiful read. I can’t stress enough how much you need to read this. I’m definitely going to keep an eye pout for more Beth Miller in the future

The day that Kay walked out on her husband after 29 years, wasn't because anything happened, it was more because nothing ever happened. Life was just one safe day after another of doing the same thing every day. They never went anywhere but something had changed.
Kay and her old school friend Bear had written to each other as regular as clockwork after Bear had gone to Australia with her family at 15. But for a couple of months, there had been nothing. Kay found a list among the letters that she had written years ago. 'Things to do before I am 30' but she had only done one of those, she had a baby. Now in her fifties, she was going to rewrite her list and live some.
Although this is a sort of journey of discovery for Kay everyone seemed to make it their tragedy. Her husband was hopeless, her daughter a hilarious pessimist and son was laying low. Mostly the story follows Kay and her daughter Stella as they both have major changes going on in their lives.
Kay conquers mountains, travels to the other side of the world and finds that you have to live for today because tomorrow may never come. I loved Stella from the first page she materialised on she just made me laugh so much. It isn't a book about losing love it is a book about embracing and appreciating living in the moment and looking back with a fuzzy feeling for what you have had. Beautiful characters, wonderful friends and new beginnings.
I wish to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.