Author Meredith Appleyard is one of my go=to authors as one is never disappointed in the story that shines from the pages, and All About Ella is no different.
Review copy received from the Publisher via Netgaley

This is the first book to mark off of my backlist reads for 2023, I wish I'd read it back when I got it because it was so good that it's kept me up late reading it for the past few nights.

All About Ella does what Meredith Appleyard is so good at and gives us characters we grow to love, people, places and circumstances we can relate to and shows how complicated relationships can be.

Ella was an incredibly strong character, from the moment I was introduced to her I knew I was going to love her. I was angry for the way her family treated her, especially her awful daughter-in-law, what a piece of work she was, I was hoping karma would throw something terrible at her, but alas...
As I learned more about Ella and her late husband Sam's life and the way he treated her and the children, I was awed by Ella's way of looking at things, I liked that she was able to look back and see how things weren't so great, but still, be positive about it all too. Sometimes it isn't until we lose someone that we really take a look at who they were.

All of Ella's children were extremely selfish individuals whose pretence at looking out for Ella was only driven by their own desire for her money. I'm sure this happens a lot more in real life than we can imagine, why shouldn't older people make their own choices and spend their money the way they wish, they shouldn't need to put their life on hold just so as their children will have something to inherit.

Meredith does a wonderful job of describing the town of Cutlers Bay, I've only been to Streaky Bay which is further along the coast than where Cutlers Bay is supposed to be based (I think), but I could imagine myself there and I could imagine the house that Ella fell in love with, I think I would like it there myself. I loved meeting the whole cast of characters from Cutlers Bay they rounded out the small-town feel beautifully.

What Ella finds when she runs away from her family is more than she could have imagined, she finds herself, she says something in the book about this and I felt for Ella, that it had taken her until she was 70 and had lost her husband to really find out who she was and how much she was capable of. Sam had pretty much ruled her life from the moment they got married and then her children had tried to do the same, running away saved her and allowed her to finally live life on her own terms.

Angie was another wonderful character that I grew to love, I felt a lot of compassion for her nomadic way of life, one she'd chosen not so much because she liked to travel and keep moving but because she was afraid to let herself get close to other people. Her family life was dysfunctional at best and her mother was certainly not the mother she (or anyone) needed. At 40 she knows nothing but this way of life, but meeting Ella turns her life on its head and starts her on her own journey of discovery.

Zach came a long way from the taciturn police officer who first met Ella and Angie and wanted them both to leave his town ASAP. Ella really was the catalyst for lots of changes in Angie and Zach, and even in Claire who had become lonely in her older age living by herself.

One of the things that Ella and Angie learn is that family doesn't need to be blood-related and that sometimes our found families can be more important to us than those we call relatives. This was a beautifully written story about connecting with others and finding the things that make up happy in life and standing our ground against the people who say we can't have them.

Loved 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.

All About Ella by Australian author Meredith Appleyard is a beautifully written story about seventy-year-old Ella whom I warmed to straight away unlike some of her family members who I took a disliking to in a big way.

I’ve read a few books with older characters in them and I find them so enjoyable and interesting and this book was no exception. Ella was a strong and independent character and even though she had lost her husband, she knew what she wanted and there was no way known she was going to be told what to do by her family. A delightful book to read which I have no hesitation in recommending to anyone who is looking for their next book to read. With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy to read and review.

‘I ran a comb through my hair. Who was that old woman in the mirror, scowling back at me? Whoever she was, she was in dire need of a hairdresser. And look at all those wrinkles. There hadn’t been nearly as many a year ago.’

All About Ella is a brilliant book … gosh I enjoyed it! Meredith is part of a group of authors writing tales that involve our aging population and I salute her for shining the spotlight on this undervalued age group. It’s not overly dramatic but packs a punch where it counts with real events and reactions that highlight the vulnerability of the aging and the greed of some families.

‘What was it I’d hoped for from my eldest son? Acknowledgement that he respected his mother’s right to make decisions about her own life? Some kind of sign that he understood why I might need time to get used to life without a husband and a home? Anything that might have indicated I hadn’t become invisible to my family. That I hadn’t passed my use-by date and become nothing more than a hindrance to them.’

Told from the points of view of three characters - Ella, Angie and Zach - Meredith covers all thoughts and angles seamlessly. You cannot help but admire Ella’s strength of character yet still her need of support and encouragement to stand strong in the face of adversity. Angie and Zach, whilst providing support to Ella, face their own journey and add a real depth to the story as people in their forties and the challenges that come with that age bracket. The town of Cutler’s Bay is a place I’d want to visit as the people exemplify that family do not have to be related - they are the people who are there when you need them most.

‘I’m entitled to the future I want, not the one you think I should have.’

I just love how this book makes you think, forces you to examine the value we place on our aging population - giving them the support to make their own choices with family to support and not dominate. It really is about acknowledging the pursuit of purpose and living a meaningful life at any age. Meredith places Seniors at the forefront of this novel and mixes in family greed against independent living. She really highlights these issues and the challenges that face our older population.

‘On reflection, my life today bore little resemblance to the life I’d been living a year ago. Most of what I’d known about myself no longer applied. I was single, a widow, and without a home to call my own. On top of that, my children were behaving as if I’d become nothing more than a nuisance, getting in the way of them having what they’d decided was rightfully theirs.’

Only recently I read an article about older divorced/single women and the plight of finding themselves homeless at a time of their life when such things should not ideally be an issue. Meredith has written a truly wonderful tale full of lovely characters who speak to the reader as their issues are real and relatable. The reflections on life, relationships and friendship are something I highly recommend people to read about.

‘I’ve decided the reason these memories pop up is to remind us that we have had lives that were worth living. When you get old, younger people treat you as if you’ve always been old. That you haven’t had a life. That you weren’t young once.’






This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Ella is 70, recently widowed and living with her eldest son and his family after her children all agreed she should sell the family home. Sick of being treated like a child and having the feeling she her children are just concerned about their inheritance, she ups and leaves and ends up in the small town of Cutler's Bay where she crosses paths with the local police officer as well as Angie, a young woman trying to find where she fits in. Much to her family's disgust, Ella settles into Cutler's Bay and quickly becomes friends with many of the locals and gets her life back.A beautiful story about finding yourself, the importance of friends and standing up for what you believe in. A brilliant read.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

I haven't read any other Meredith Appleyard books but I will be after the one.

Ella is a 70 year old woman who has been recently widowed after spending 50 years married to Sam. They have 3 children, Anthony, Julian and Olivia who decide Ella needs to make some changes in her life.

I loved watching Ella grow and her relationships with the people of Cutlers Bay. Angie and Zach are both broken people who meet through Ella. Add in Claire, Toby and Henry and this book is full of interesting, delightful characters!

Ella's family are horrible, except for her grandson, Stefan. As the story develops, little secrets from Ella's and Sam's marriage are revealed giving insight into the current family dynamics.

A mature, measured and page-turning story, All About Ella is not only thoroughly entertaining, but also eye-opening. While this is fiction, Ella’s situation after her husband’s death is nothing new. Her greedy, entitled children and manipulative daughter-in-law are the stuff of nightmares, yet all too often we hear of similar situations in the news. This gripping story deals superbly with death and loss, grief and dysfunctional family relationships.
Ella enters the story as a woman still reeling from the death of her husband Sam six months earlier. Forced by her children to sell her beloved home and move into her older son’s guest room it is clear that she is both lonely and very unhappy with her situation. I cheered when she decided she’d had enough, hastily packed her bag and took off on what turned out to be the opportunity she needed to analyse her situation, learn to live as a single woman and develop into the wonderful, self-sufficient woman she is at the end of the book.
Ella’s grandson Julian, Cutler’s Bay Police Sergeant Zach Cooper, and the nomadic Angie Daniels are all well-rounded secondary characters and the various other residents of Cutler’s Bay make an excellent supporting cast. This book was not only easy to read but also uplifting, while Ella’s successful reinvention of herself was nothing short of inspirational.

All About Ella was a lovely surprise of a read. Right from the start I was on team Ella. She'd gone through a really hard time, nursing her dying husband, having the family house sold from under her and then hustled to live with her son and daughter in law.

Ella is very realistic and in lots of ways, ordinary. But she is so likeable and I was wishing for her the very best. It was a delight to see her finding her feet and then standing firmly on them.

I loved the sound of the old house she lives in and the Australian small town feel. The house had not been lived in and felt really unsuitable but it made Ella's heart sing and through many ups and downs she achieved so much.

Angie adds to the story with her wandering, unsettled heart. She has had a difficult family upbringing which is at the root of her wandering. The relationship that builds between Ella and Angie warmed my heart. As well Ella has a great relationship with her grandson Stefan, another element I enjoyed. 

The local community is rich in ordinary warm hearted people going about their lives, doing their best and looking out for each other. 

The book makes us examine what we value when it comes to allowing older people to make their own choices and live their lives as they see fit, and that families don't need to step in unless its in the really best interests of the elder. Purpose and meaning in life is important at any age.

A delightful winner of a book and my word the cover is perfect.

Ella Sinclair is seventy, her husband has recently passed way and she has three adult children Anthony, Julian and Olivia. When Sam died, Ella was exhausted and upset and her children decided she should sell the family home. Ella wasn’t thinking clearly, her family pushed her into selling her house and now she’s having doubts about signing the paperwork for the granny flat Anthony has planned to build in his backyard. Losing your spouse after fifty years is extremely traumatic, Anthony isn’t very sympathetic towards his mum’s feelings and wants to keep his wife happy. Ella’s upset, she leaves Adelaide, travels to the Yorke Peninsula and to a little coastal town called Cutlers Bay.

Zach Cooper is Cutlers Bay's policeman, he receives a call about a missing older lady and he locates Ella. She assure him she’s perfectly fine, having a break from her family, and taking a short holiday. Anthony isn’t happy, he demands Ella returns home, he thinks the local policeman should make her and he forgets she’s an adult.

Angie Daniels is forty, she moves around a lot and doesn’t stay in one place for long. While driving through South Australia, she decides to visit the Yorke Peninsula, the beaches are beautiful and it has lots of places to explore. She arrives in Cutlers Bay, she meets Ella and they become friends.

Ella notices a rundown house on Clifftop Drive in Cutlers Bay and she decides to buy it. The house has been empty for a couple of years, it needs to be cleaned and Angie offers to help Ella make it livable. Zach's worried about Ella living in a remote area, she's only known Angie for a few weeks and is she too trusting?

All About Ella is a story about growing older, having older parents and control. For the first time in years Ella’s independent, she’s tired of being a doormat, she wants to make her own decisions and Ella should be able to. Ella rediscovers herself, she makes friends in the seaside community and she has a purpose for getting up in the morning. I love Meredith Appleyard’s books, included in her stories are so many interesting little details, the topics she chooses are relevant and set in familiar South Australia places.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review and five big stars from me. I have shared my review on Goodreads, Twitter, Amazon Australia, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, my Facebook page and my blog.

EXCERPT: I couldn't blame him for taking off. He was fourteen, and avoiding showdowns with his volatile mother would be high on his list of priorities. For a second I was tempted to follow. But I was seventy, not fourteen, and I'd be blowed if I'd let my only daughter-in-law get the better of me.

I ran a comb through my hair. Who was that old woman in the mirror, scowling back at me? Whoever she was, she was in dire need of a hairdresser. And look at all those wrinkles. There hadn't been nearly as many a year ago.

I smoothed on my favourite lipstick, rolling my lips together with a smacking sound. Better to face the enemy with war paint on. Nevertheless, flitted about in my stomach. I perched on the side of the bed to wait. And wait. The waiting was always the worst.

ABOUT 'ALL ABOUT ELLA': At 70, and widowed, Ella is about to find out that blood is not always thicker than water. A wise and warm-hearted story about aging, family and community for readers of Tricia Stringer and Liz Byrski.

At 70, Ella's world is upended, leaving her at odds with her three adult children, whose attention is fixed more firmly on her money than her ongoing welfare. After an argument with her son Anthony, she flees his Adelaide home for Cutlers Bay, a seaside town on the Yorke Peninsula. There she befriends Angie, a 40-year-old drifter, and becomes an irritant to local cop Zach. He's keen to shift Ella off his turf, because Anthony phones daily, demanding his mother be sent home. And besides, Zach just doesn't trust Angie.

Ella warms to Cutlers Bay, and it warms to her. In a defiant act of self-determination, she buys an entirely unsuitable house on the outskirts of town, and Angie agrees to help make it habitable. Zach is drawn to the house on the clifftop, and finds himself revising his earlier opinions of Ella, and Angie.

MY THOUGHTS: All About Ella is a warm and engaging book about the vulnerability of aging and the greed of families. It is also a book about friendship, loyalty and learning to stand your ground.

I am always excited when I see that Meredith Appleyard has a new book out. She writes about very real situations using realistic and relatable characters, ones that you could move right in with, or live next door to.

Ella's husband of fifty years has died. Quickly the children organize the sale of the family home and move Ella in with her eldest son, Anthony, and his wife and family saying that they will use her money to build a 'granny flat' onto their house for her. But as the months roll on, there's no building, not even a plan to be seen. You can see where this is going, can't you . . .

Ella has the daughter-in-law from hell. Volatile doesn't even begin to describe Kirsten, who throws tantrums and issues ultimatums. Husband Anthony is well under her thumb, his mantra being 'anything for a quiet life.' Ella's other two children are no help either, not living close, and being fed misinformation from Anthony and Kirsten. Is it any wonder Ella leaves home? And so her adventures begin . . .

I was rooting for Ella all the way through. She is a delightful character, one who has devoted her life to husband and family, and is now bewildered that they have turned on her. Though they term it 'as knowing what's best' for her. I did wonder about a few of her rather rash decisions early on, but eventually she has the chance to review them, and fine tune them.

Along the way she picks up some staunch supporters and new friends. Angie is forty, footloose and fancy free, or rootless, depending on your point of view. Not everyone is convinced that she is trying to help Ella. Some are worried that she is only there to see what she can get from the old lady. One of them is Zach, local copper in Cutlers Bay where Ella finds herself and decides to put down roots for a while. Zach has had his heart broken and doesn't trust women generally, never mind these blow ins. And Ella is just trouble from the moment she arrives . . .

There are plenty of other interesting characters too: Leon, the local publican; Claire, the 80 year old ex-community nurse; Henry, Zach's father; and Ruth, who owns the cafe to name a few.

The story is told from the points of view of Ella, Angie, and Zach, giving a balanced and diverse overview. I loved this story set in a small rural South Australian coastal town. I loved the characters Meredith has peopled her story with. I love her attention to detail, and that she addresses the topic of aging independently in a forthright and honest manner.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

#AllAboutElla #NetGalley

I: #meredithappleyard @harlequinaus

T: #MeredithAppleyard @HarlequinAUS

#australianfiction #contemporaryfiction #familydrama #romance #sliceoflife

THE AUTHOR: Meredith Appleyard lives in the Clare Valley wine-growing region of South Australia, two hours north of Adelaide. As a registered nurse and midwife, she has worked in a wide range of country health practice settings, including the Royal Flying Doctor Service. She has done agency nursing in London and volunteer work in Vietnam. After her first manuscript was rejected, she joined a writers' group, attended workshops and successfully completed an Advanced Diploma of Arts in Professional Writing with the Adelaide College of the Arts. And she kept working. When she isn't writing, Meredith is reading, helping organise the annual Clare Writers' Festival, or at home with her husband and her border collie, Daisy.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harlequin Australia, HQ and MIRA via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of All About Ella by Meredith Appleyard for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

‘Most of us have a story. The older you are, the longer and more complicated those stories become.’

At 70 and recently widowed, Ella’s world is turned upside down. Her three adult children: Anthony, Julian and Olivia convince her to sell the family home, and then to move into Anthony’s Adelaide home with his family while a granny flat is built in Anthony’s backyard. This would be fine it if was what Ella wanted, but she is not sure. Her hesitation results in an argument with Anthony and she leaves for Cutlers Bay, a seaside town on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula. Ella has friends at a farm nearby but had forgotten they were away for a holiday. She travels to nearby Rocky Point where she is found by local policeman, Zach Cooper. Anthony has reported Ella missing, and while Zach confirms to Anthony that she is safe, she decides to stay in Cutlers Bay at the local hotel overnight.

Angie Daniels, 40, is on the move from Cairns to Perth. She’s not seen her mother for 5 years, and while she wants to see her, she is no hurry. Angie decides to check out the Yorke Peninsula on the way. When she decides to check into the local hotel for the night, she finds herself helping Zach with Ella.

Ella likes Cutlers Bay and she and Angie become friendly. Angie stays longer than she had intended, while Ella starts to think about establishing a home there.

This is such a delightful story. Ella, Zach, and Angie are wonderfully depicted characters, each with their own history and issues to face. Ella decides to buy a house on the outskirts of town: a house which others think is unsuitable and which her children think is evidence that Ella is no longer competent to manage her own affairs. Ella is at the centre of this novel, but Angie and Zach are also important. This is a novel about growing older, about finding your own independence after a long marriage, and about standing up for yourself. It is also a novel about learning to trust others, and commitment. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

‘It was time to make new memories.’

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

This is such a beautiful story so beautifully written it is heart-breaking and heart-warming at the same time, the emotions flow from the pages and the characters, such a lovely setting a small seaside town of Cutlers Bay on the York Peninsula in South Australia. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Ella and Angie as I am sure any reader will.

Ella is seventy years old and has just lost her husband after fifty years of marriage, her world has been turned upside down as she knew it, when her three children step in and start to reorganise her life getting her to sell her house and move in with her eldest son Anthony and his family. Things don’t go to plan and Ella argues with Anthony and takes off on her own and finds herself in the town of Cutlers Bay, here she meets up with Angie who is forty and moves around a lot and an instant friendship happens, she also meets the local cop Zach, he has his own thoughts about Ella and Angie especially when Ella’s son keeps ringing him.

Angie roams a lot never settling in one place for too long, she appears happy this way, but this time she is aiming to get to Perth and look up her mother, but meeting Ella in her time of need keeps her in Cutlers Bay longer than she meant to stay and when Ella decides on buying a house Angie agrees to help her and their friendship grows even more. Angie picks up some shifts at the pub and finds herself getting closer to Zach and for the first time taking off again doesn’t seem to be calling to her like before but she must find her mother.

When Ella’s son Anthony puts a spanner in the works about the house Ella wants to buy she shows her strength and shows them that just because you are getting older it doesn’t mean that you can’t think for yourself and with the friends that Ella has made she stands up to her family and I could do nothing but cheer her on.

This is a fabulous story that I loved from start to finish, I loved how Ella stood her ground when her family decided that they could use the money more than she could and that she wanted a life that she planned and would make her happy helped along with the wonderful new friends she has made Angie, Claire, Zach and so many others from the town she shows that family doesn’t have to be blood related. This is a story that I highly recommend, truly it is a must read it shows when push comes to shove how strong you can be with the help of friends.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for my copy to read and review.

“‘I’m entitled to the future I want, not the one you think I should have.”

All About Ella is the sixth novel by Australian author, Meredith Appleyard. Ella Sinclair has had a terrible year: nursing her husband to an early grave; coerced by her children into selling the family home; relegated to the spare room at her son’s house; regularly chastised by her daughter-in-law, like a disobedient child, for any perceived transgression; the only consolation is her proximity to her grandchildren, especially fourteen-year-old Stefan, intelligent and easy-going with a quirky sense of humour.

A shouting match over the financing of the proposed granny flat is the final straw: Ella sneaks out and drives from Adelaide over to Cutlers Bay on the Yorke Peninsula: she needs some breathing space and time to not think about anything. A day later, feeling a little shaky from a rough night and too little to eat, she is approached on Rocky Point by Sergeant Zach Cooper, who advises her to ring her son: she has been reported missing.

“What was it I’d hoped for from my eldest son? Acknowledgement that he respected his mother’s right to make decisions about her own life? Some kind of sign that he understood why I might need time to get used to life without a husband and a home? Anything that might have indicated I hadn’t become invisible to my family. That I hadn’t passed my use-by date and become nothing more than a hindrance to them.”

After things didn’t work out in Cairns, Angie Daniels is on the road again, all her worldly goods contained in her trusty Subaru, destination Perth, and the mother she has not seen for five years. But no rush. A left turn has her checking out the scenic Yorke Peninsula, Rocky Point Beach and Cutlers Bay. Rather than spend another night in her car, Angie opts for the Cutlers Bay pub, where she finds herself assisting the rather dishy local cop with a distressed older lady.

It’s an unlikely trio, and they don’t get off to the best of starts: Zach would like to see Ella return to her family, and is unsure if Angie’s apparent good intentions towards Ella are genuine; Ella is definitely not ready to face her family, and finds Angie good company; Angie is ready to help Ella out, but won’t be sticking around long enough to make real friends; she never does.

Appleyard gives the reader appealing characters who are all the more believable for their flaws and foibles. As their backstories are revealed, and life throws them challenges, it’s easy to invest in them and hope for their happiness. Appleyard easily captures the country town vibe and the support characters are well-drawn: Stefan is a delight, and likely to be a favourite. And in Kirsten, the daughter-in-law, she gives the reader someone to happily despise.

Ageism in its many and varied incarnations is examined here with sensitivity and humour: there are laugh-out-loud moments, but also some jaw-dropping ones. There are many insightful observations and wise words: “When you get old, younger people treat you as if you’ve always been old. That you haven’t had a life. That you weren’t young once.” “We’re not old. We’re just lucky enough to have had more birthdays than some.”

And Angie explains her nomadic nature: “a place to start would be that an emotionally dysfunctional childhood results in an emotionally dysfunctional adult” While some aspects of the plot may be predictable, there are plenty of twists and wrinkles before a very satisfactory conclusion: Ella finally says “I could sit and brood and say woe is me, but I’ve decided I will live the life I have left to the full” and has everyone cheering her on. A delightful, thought-provoking and heart-warming read that will resonate with many.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harlequin

Seventy-year-old Ella Sinclair had recently lost her husband Sam after fifty years of marriage. The last few weeks had been hard, and she was struggling. But living with her eldest son, Anthony, his wife Kirsten and two teenage children was not the answer as Ella and Kirsten would never get along. When Anthony informed her she needed to give him control over the money from the sale of her and Sam’s house, it was the final straw. With her suitcase in her car, she left Anthony’s home and drove to Cutlers Bay where her good friends Yvonne and Frank lived. Just a few hours from Adelaide on the Yorke Peninsula, Ella was emotionally exhausted when she arrived – to make it worse, her friends weren’t home. What would she do now?

Forty-year-old Angie was driving to Perth from Cairns, and on the way she stopped off in Cutlers Bay to pick up some work. She wasn’t in any hurry and her independent nature saw her enjoying her life – most of the time. When Angie and Ella became friends, Ella gradually adjusted herself to the situation she was in, while Anthony continued to phone, driving the local cop, Zach, mad. When Ella made a decision, which she didn’t think was rash, she’d put a deposit on an old home overlooking the ocean at the end of a dead-end road. It was in desperate need of repair, but it was what Anthony did next that shattered her spirit. Would Ella have to return to Adelaide with her tail between her legs?

All About Ella is another brilliant novel by Aussie author Meredith Appleyard which I loved. An excellent plot which saw a woman who was determined to have her own life, and her family equally determined she wouldn’t. It also shows how people who aren’t related – Angie, Zach, Claire, Leon, Ruth, Gabby – are sometimes more family than the real family. Love and loyalty, trust and compassion – All About Ella is a remarkable, heartwarming novel which I recommend highly. I’ve loved all Ms Appleyard’s books, and this one is no exception!

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

I simply couldn’t stop reading this book, the storyline is superb! Meredith never fails to deliver with a fantastic warm easy read.
Ella picks herself up after the death of her husband and plans on living life to the fullest, her children are less than supportive! Ella runs away and finds the only family she needs, a wonderful group of friends that connect perfectly!
The characters are relatable and it’s a pleasure to join Ella on her life changing journey with Angie, Zack, Claire in her newly adopted seaside town!

Very well done Meredith Appleyard, a delightful well written book, definitely one to cherish!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was very impressed with the way this book dealt with issues like aging and family breakdowns. There were no silly, over the top dramatics, just events happening and being dealt with in real ways.

I enjoyed the main characters especially Ella herself. At seventy years of age she has lost her husband of fifty years, and, in her distressed state, she lets her life be taken over by her adult children. At a certain point though she begins to fight back, and it is very rewarding to see her begin to win her battles to be an independent woman.

The story is told from the points of view of three characters, Ella and two people she meets who help her out and become friends. The author manages this well and keeps the book rolling along as she hops from one POV to another. The whole book just sped past and I finished it in pretty much one sitting.

I enjoyed it very much indeed and recommend it to anyone who enjoys a family drama, with some romance, set in a rural Australian town.

A heart warming novel about being older but family not believing that your capable of making decisions (or maybe they just want the money!)
The synopsis of this novel says is so well, so I’m not even going to try and put it in my own words..
The characters were well portrayed and very relatable and like most small country towns, I love the small town essence the author puts into her books.
Just a really enjoyable novel about moving on and finding life on your own terms. Very satisfying.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read

I loved this book as it really does deal with the problems many older people have to deal with when their children become more interested in their own profits than in spending time with family.

This is a wonderful story of being able to take control of your life even in your later years, it shows the strength and resilience we all have in us. I love the friendships that are made, the way you can choose your friends but not your family and the way Ella becomes independent and happy in her new surroundings.

The three main characters being Ella herself, Angie and Zach all bring personality and warmth to the story. This is a book that is easy to read, and as the blurb says, it is a story not only about aging but about community and chosen family, about trust and loyalty, and about standing up for yourself.

Loved it and highly recommend it.

I love the trend toward writing about older characters, and though I'm not in the main character's age group, my mother is, and this story was heartwarming and definitely one I want to buy for my mum to read. Plus, I can relate to the other characters, and imagining Ella's life. The characters are richly portrayed and the story is fascinating. This is a great book I definitely recommend!

Thanks NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.