Although this book is extremely popular, I started reading it without the slightest idea of its plotline. And I’m okay with that, it was a lovely surprise.

The general gist is that Mercy (yeah, I’m not completely sold on that name) has a no good terrible very bad day and, on impulse, buys a run down van and takes off on a road trip from Adelaide to Darwin. For those non-Aussies, this is straight up through the centre of Australia, a lot of heat, a lot of flies, a lot of dust, and a lot of kilometres (about 3000). One would usually prepare for such a trip, so Mercy stumbles from one mishap to another. Along the way though, she also finds a lot of beautiful.

This is another book which portrays mental health issues in a respectful manner. Lock’s timing for gradually revealing the events of why Mercy has had a breakdown was impeccable. Although Mercy’s triggers were shocking, they were also very realistic.

I’ve never been particularly tempted to tackle the Adelaide to Darwin trip (mainly due to the aforementioned heat, flies and dust) but, I will admit, Lock almost made me want to fuel up and head off tomorrow myself. It’s pretty obvious Lock has travelled along the road herself, maybe even in a little Daihatsu Hijet.

As the title suggests, this is a beautiful book. 5 out of 5

I really enjoyed this book. Even though it took me some time to get through it (due to unprecedented crazy work schedule because of COVID demands, plus study), this book was a delightful escape. I really loved that it was set in Australia and Mercy, the delightfully frustrating main character, despite her idiosyncrasies, was so likeable and weirdly relatable because the author did such a good job with the character development. I don’t like comparing books, but I must say if you liked ‘ Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine’, you will adore this book. I enjoyed immersing myself in Mercy’s impromptu road trip adventures so much that I have booked a road trip from Melbourne to Cairns. I don’t have a Wasabi sausage dog, so am taking my partner which means there’ll be no Andy’s, but hopefully plenty of Berts to meet along the way. Fingers crossed my partner doesn’t become a Eugene throughout this adventure! How cool is it that a book can reignite a passion for travel. I highly recommend this read and can’t thank the publisher enough for this ARC in return for my honest review.

Mercy's house has burnt to the ground. But that's not her biggest problem.

This is the first time she has left her house in two years.

This book gave me Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine vibes. A brilliant story about grief, fear, change and anxiety.

And how sometimes running away from your problems is the best thing you can do.

4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Special thanks to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A fun and easy read that made me want to go on a road trip and have an adventure, however there wasn’t much to the plot, it ended pretty much the way it began. I enjoyed the intricacies of the main character's problems and issues, her journey of overcoming them, and the good-looking fellow traveller.

A moving story, that manages to be both joyful and life affirming while also dealing with some pretty heavy subjects (Anxiety,trauma, mental illnesses). Mercy was believable and relatable, and I loved watching her slowly confront her fears and come into the world again, after hiding away from it for so long. I’ve a,ways been a sucker for a travel book, and this was a particularly delightful one. I could visualise Mercy’s journey thanks to the authors writing. I highly recommend this book.

I found this book to be very good. It had me hooked from the beginning.. Was a great read. It would definitely be a book I would recommend.

I may be a year late to the party, only now getting a chance to read Kim Lock’s breakout novel. But, I can certainly attest to why The Other Side of Beautiful earned spots on many readers’ Best Books of 2021 lists.

Who doesn’t love a fish-out-of-water story? Or a warm-hearted road trip to redemption with a gorgeous sausage dog as a sidekick? Yes, at first it seems Lock has simply selected her ingredients wisely. But then you come to realise it is the remarkable depth and raw authenticity she has achieved in lead Mercy Blain’s characterisation that elevate this novel to something truly special.

In a refreshing twist to the fish-out-of-water lead character trope, Mercy Blain is acutely aware of how her strange behaviour and at times dishevelled appearance will be judged by others. She knows from personal experience that beauty is often only skin-deep. She owns her flaws – people can like it or lump it. And, I think it is this attitude that gives readers genuine permission to laugh at some of the wonderful visual comedy and farcical situations she finds herself in along her journey. Continue reading: at Booklover Book Reviews website: https://www.bookloverbookreviews.com/2022/07/the-other-side-of-beautiful-kim-lock-review.html

A great story that I really enjoyed. After something horrific happened at work, Mercy has hidden herself away from the world for two years and rarely left home. Then her house is destroyed in a fire and rather than stay with her ex husband and his new partner, she decides to travel to Darwin. Along the way, Mercy meets new people, rediscovers herself and learns to face her fears. Brilliant read.

Sorry, I was 100% sure I had come in to review this so not sure what happened there.

This was a heartfelt read that really pulls at your heartstrings. I adored the way this dealt with anxiety and enjoyed following Mercy as she rediscovers who she is in the wake of her house catching on fire. The Australian backdrop was great, the characters we meet along the way were fantastic and in the end, Mercy's story is completely moving.

The Other Side of Beautiful was such a lovely treat to read. It really felt like you were on the road trip with Mercy and experiencing all the emotions and sights alongside her. Kim Lock certainly painted the picture for you! Andrew was a dream!

Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For most people seeing flames billowing out of their house and having emergency services surrounding their house would be shocking and most upsetting, but it seems Mercy Blain had bigger problems. This was the first time Mercy had been outside her home in almost two years and she was terrified.

It didn’t take long to work out the cause of the fire was the electric toaster on the kitchen bench. Flames caught what appears to have been a hanging towel on the overhead cabinets which then got into the roof cavity. All Mercy wanted to know was when she could return to her home, but she was told because half the walls were missing and had caved in it was unfit for habitation.

Staying in a spare room of her ex-husband's house, Mercy had no idea what she and her dachshund dog, Wasabi would do next as they were homeless. What she decides to do next takes the reader on a journey unlike any other. Aussie author Kim Lock has written a beautiful story which I thoroughly enjoyed. With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review. Highly recommended.

The character development in this was a delight to read, and even if the plot moved a little slower than I'd have liked, the characters kept me interested all the way through..

The Other Side of Beautiful is an adventurous and heartwarming novel that follows Mercy as she spontaneously travels from Adelaide to Darwin in an old campervan alongside her sausage dog, Wasabi.

We meet Mercy after her house burns down - the same house she hasn't left for two years due to panic attacks and anxiety. While the book takes place over a period of fewer than two weeks, Mercy truly transforms on the open road and reading (slash listening) to her outback adventures was very entertaining.

Along the way she finds cremated remains in her campervan, meets jovial grey nomads and a charming Scot, and learns to forgive herself. You won't be able to stop yourself from cheering her on as she takes small steps and big leaps to reclaim her life.

In The Other Side of Beautiful, Lock has crafted a well-rounded novel. While it's fun and funny at times, it's not without its tender and heartbreaking moments. So if you want to escape to outback Australia for a transformative journey alongside Mercy and Wasabi, I recommend checking out The Other Side of Beautiful. The audiobook narration was also fantastic 👏🏻.

Overall this was a cheerful and uplifting read!
Lock’s own experience of anxiety is portrayed through Mercy, our protagonist and narrator. Her struggle to complete day to day tasks and her fear talking to strangers are overwhelming at the book’s opening. But over the course of the novel, we see Mercy grow, slowly turning towards her anxiety and grief. She makes some heartwarming friendships, with the kindness of strangers a beautiful part of this story. The novel was packed with humour and I loved Andy’s Scottish accent in the audiobook! Narration was great 👌🏽

It was a bit predictable and cheesy but it was a great balance with some heavier books I was reading in parallel. It felt safe, warm and cosy! A lovely summer, feel good read ☀️ I felt a similar sense of joy for Mercy’s growth as I felt for Eleanor Oliphant’s journey and can see ahh the comparison has been between the two books.

Author: #kimlock
Publisher: @harlequinaus
#TheOtherSideOfBeautiful

Mercy Blain Agoraphobic, hasn't left her home in 2 years until one night she has no choice when it burns down.Thats when 36yr old Mercy buys a run down van and with her dog Wasabi sets off with no place in mind.

This book not only takes you on a journey from South Australia to Darwin, but of self discovery and how to live, not just exist, with anxiety.

From doing everyday chores like buying a loaf of bread to driving solo from one end of the continent to another, follow Mercy as she rides the waves of panic and the "what ifs", two little words that paralyze anxiety sufferers.

From someone who has battled with GAD for over 20 years and quite sometime back also didn't leave the house I understand what the author was portraying and it was done very well.

Heartfelt, funny and memorable. You'll fall in love with Mercy, you'll admire her strength and her ability to change her mindset.

A heartwarming tale about pushing through discomfort and finding yourself in the middle of this big island. I adored this book. Mercy’s spiritual and physical journeys were inspiring, and delightful to be a part of (at least it felt that way!). I loved Wasabi too, adorbs! I know it has been compared to Elinor Oliphant, but in my opinion this book was far, far superior. It was an uplifting and satisfying read, and I highly recommend to anyone who is looking for a good, solid story that they can fall in love with.
(Thank you to HQ & Netgalley for the ARC! And thank you to Kim for writing such a wonderful book.)

The Other Side of Beautiful is an emotional story and found it extremely hard to put down. At times it’s funny, serious, depressing, romance and nerve racking story that it’s impossible to guess what could be occurring next. Mercy finding her house burnt down, and a personal issues, broken down and being house bound for the past two years, she found herself staying at her ex-husband’s place and beginning to feel that she’s a burden. Emotionally at rock bottom, anxious, depressed and not entirely herself, she finds herself a proud owner of a rundown campervan. The book I recommend for anyone who likes to read stories about romance, adventure and how someone can overcome black clouds to bright skies. An enjoyable book which helped me to see the brighter side of life.

#TheOtherSideofBeautiful #NetGalley.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harlequin Australia via NetGalley for my honest review of the book the other side of beautiful. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own thoughts, feelings and viewpoints of the book.

Review run date was set for 07 July2021 for Netgalley, unfortunately life stood at a standstill and my health became an emotional roller coaster so here I am today 20 October 2021 review posted on my WordPress blog, Facebook blog, Instagram, LinkedIn, Amazon.com.au, goodreads, along with the non-linked retail online stores that sell the book is at:

My WordPress blog link is http://bluefalkon95adorationofallgenres.wordpress.com I have 27 followers
My Facebook reader blog page link, is https://www.facebook.com/BlueFalkon95-Readers-blog-104660277776984 I have 27 followers
My Amazon link is: Sorry I do not have any followers, I have a reviewer ranking #10,871

It was nice to go on a journey with the main character as she found what she had within herself. It was a nice reminder that the strangers we meet along the way can often have a big impact on us. It was also a thoughtful and compassionate representation of anxiety and mental illness.

This was good to read. Misfits always seem to win out in novels-not so much in real life. Thank you.

‘How did she know? Could the woman tell, just by looking at her, that Mercy was crowded by everything? That everything - the whole world - had piled on top of her and she couldn’t breathe anymore?’

This is a brilliant story, I loved everything about it and wish I could place a copy in the hands of everyone I meet. There is sure to be something that speaks to each of you in these pages as Kim has crafted such an emotion filled story that it makes putting this book down very hard. To take this journey - literally and figuratively - to the other side (Adelaide to Darwin … south to north of Australia) with Mercy, is everything one imagines it could be and more.

‘Flicking on the indicator to turn right felt portentous, loaded. It felt as though she was signalling not just her intention to turn the vehicle, but admitting she was slicing open the future of her whole life. A future she had never considered.’

There are many themes that are present in this tale. Right at the forefront is panic attacks and anxiety. Then there is grief … for people, for the past and even the present. There is the theme of relationships … those just forming and those that have gone past their expiry date. Kim shines a light on the role of the media/social media in casting opinions and sensationalising issues with little consideration to those directly impacted. Then there is the theme of self esteem, evolvement and discovery. Gosh! I could go on and on! LOVE LOVE LOVE!

‘… she could find somewhere in that great in-between, that place of nuance and clarity and balance. That place where she could do her best, do what she needed to do, and not let the fear of pain and hurt, all the infinite what ifs, crowd her mind until she could do nothing…’

Now let’s talk about my little lockdown heart (which can’t venture 5km from home in any direction!) was totally immersed in the Australian Outback journey and I wish to thank Kim from the bottom of my wanderlust heart for the incredible picture painted with words of this special location. What a backdrop for this tale. I will be one of those intrepid nomads as soon as allowed and probably a Grey Nomad by the time I get there. So for now I basked in hitching my figurative caravan along with all the other vehicles to set out and see more of this great country of Australia.

‘Silence. It was a kind of unimaginable silence—no road noise, no humming radios or electronics, not even a dog barking. Stars stretched an infinite glinting banner. A slight breeze came up but it made no sound; there were no trees to catch it, make it whistle.’

Lastly, I acknowledge Kim for writing such a profound piece of literature that had me highlighting madly. It was true, authentic and relatable. Poured from her own nervous breakdown (no longer called such, but yes it is very much a breaking of sorts) she brings to life the tale of Mercy and there is much to relate to through both feelings and experiences. You will laugh, you will cry …. so go on! Lose yourself in these pages, cheer for Mercy, bask in a Red Centre sunset, share a wine with some amazing characters and make the journey to the other side, the beautiful other side.

‘For almost three thousand kilometres, this little van had carried her across the country, trying its best to get her to the other side … Mercy looked out the window. ‘Be here now,’ she said. Wherever you ARE.’




This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.