What a lovely feel good book, I thoroughly loved it!

Violet returns to her hometown to care for her estranged mother, she’s adamant she will sell the house and put her mum in a home as quickly as possible and then return to her life.
But the village welcomes her with open arms and slowly she realises that she had been living her life in isolation when there are some wonderful people out there that just want to be your friends.

A stunning, happy read, thank you to NetGalley and HQ for letting me review this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A heart warming book, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Violet finds herself having to return to the village she grew up in after a 14 year absence to care for her mum. Violet is convinced that the whole village dislikes her and relationships are fraught with her mother due to something that happened many years ago. However, Violet isn’t expecting to find friendships, let alone learn to love herself. The cast of characters are all beautifully crafted, each with their own individual quirks, and each very real and likeable. This book is one of those books that you can’t help keeping picking up and you find yourself thinking just one more chapter. A lovely story of family, friendships, love and community that leaves you with a warm smile. I definitely recommend and will be reading more by Jessica Ryn.
Thanks to NetGalley and HQ Stories for the ARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Imperfect Art of Caring, it was such a heart warming story. Filled with quirky characters and charm.

I loved the storyline in this book and felt there were lots of likeable characters.
Its a heart warming story about friendship, humanity and loving yourself.
It was a quick read for me but an enjoyable one.
Thanks to the author and publisher for this ARC in return for an honest review.

A lovely easy read - Violet returns home to be a carer for her mum and to also sell the family home - she hasn't been back for years after a terrible accident happened which affected her family and the community that she feels responsible for. She doesn't expect to make new friends or feel like she could be useful and is surprised by how much she enjoys helping and feeling needed. Its a lovely heart-warming story

After leaving home at 18, Violet has learned to keep everyone at a distance, believing herself to be 'Bad News' to whomever gets close to her. When she's forced to return home to look after her estranged mother, she finds that being a carer isn't easy. She's finally forced to turn to others for help and learns that perhaps running from her past isn't the answer.

I absolutely adored this book and will be buying a physical copy as soon as the paperback is available so I can reread it as often as possible. Violet is a compelling and sympathetic main character from page one. Plaugued by her past and believing she isn't worthy of anything, I found myself relating very heavily to her internal struggles. She carries a lot of guilt, not all of it necessary, and opts to run and hide from it rather than face it. When she is called home to care for her mother, she finds Glenys to be rather hostile, partly due to her condition and mental illness but also due to Violet having disappeared for over a decade. The relationship between mother and daughter is facsinating and the way they slowly come back together after so many years is beautiful.

An aspect I wasn't expecting was Tammy. I didn't realise this would be a duel perspective book but I was pleasantly surpised. Tammy has learning difficulties and has been sheltered by her mother for her whole life, having never learned the basics of looking after herself. Her mother recently passed away leaving Tammy utterly alone in the world and I think this is what draws her and Violet together. They are both lost souls desperate to connect to someone. Violet brings Tammy under her wing and teaches her the way of the world while also learning herself that true friendship is worth fighting for. Tammy and the other side characters show Violet that a problem shared is a problem halved and she starts to accept that no matter her burdens and her past, being kind and supportive reaps its own reward.

I think, perhaps, there were some elements that were unnecessary such as Tammy's father and the romance with Adam but none of these things took away from the message of the importance of connection. This book showed me the hardships of being a carer and teaches us that we are not alone. In a world where people are more lonely than ever, The Imperfect Art of Caring shows us that the help is always there, we just have to let ourselves ask for it and this lesson is applicable to so many situations and people, not just carers.

I honestly couldn't recommend this book more. It's a beautiful story that touched me very deeply.

Such a heartwarming and feel good story! I highly recommend this book. I ended up listening to the audiobook and loved it. Full of lovely characters and a strong community feel.

The title of this one really drew me in from the moment I saw it. I used to be an administrator in a care home and saw how hard carers work on a daily basis. This was a little different as it was based on carers who looked after their family members, but the same applies.

To say the title drew me in, I really struggled to get into The Imperfect Art of Caring. It really was a slow burner. At first I wasn’t sure I was going to like Violet, though we had things in common (mainly our love for reading). It was the way she was with Tammy which made me warm to her.

I enjoyed the dual POV between Violet and Tammy and I did like some of the characters. Though I liked the characters, I felt that there were too many characters and not enough backstory. I was also disappointed that there wasn’t much interaction between Violet and her sister, after her sister left her in the lurch.

Though there were some things I didn’t like about this book, I did enjoy the book on the whole and therefore have rated it 3 ⭐️.

Violet left home at 18, after her role in a tragedy became too much to bear. But now she has to return, to care for her mother, struggling with a mental illness. Initially only planning to stay until she can sell the house and get her mother into care, Violet finds herself supporting other carers in the village. Can she and her mother find their peace?

The Imperfect Art of Caring is an interesting story. At times the dialogue was a little clunky, but as a means of highlighting the often difficult role of a carer, it’s second to none! In many ways, Violet is a complex character, running away from problems, but gradually she grows into the role and becomes a force to be reckoned with. At the same time, her renewed relationship with Adam is a delight, but fraught with misunderstandings and guilt.

Overall an enjoyable read,

Such a beautiful book. Being an unpaid career for my mum the plot touched a nerve for me. Beautifully told with relatable characters. A true feel-good story.

A charming story about caring, friendship and forgiveness. This is a really warming and uplifting book. It reminds us how much joy there is to be had from caring for others. I really enjoyed this author's style and will look out for more of their books.

An interesting insight into the life of full time carers. Alongside this thread there was a story of loss, friendship & great community spirit.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book & will definitely look for more books by this author

Violet, is forced to move back home to care for the mother she’s not spoken to for 14 years, bringing her face to face with the people and place that she has been running from all that time. The terrible mistake she made haunts her every minute of the day and has left her feeling that she is bad News and better off alone.

This is a story of friendship, community and forgiveness. A story about loving yourself and how there is a joy to be found in helping those around us. This book warmed me from the inside, it is uplifting, heartwarming and tender. It is a quick, weekend, easy read and very enjoyable.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

If you believe the world to be a cruel and uncaring place, I have the antidote. Read The Imperfect Art of Caring and have your faith restored.

An absolutely beautiful story with the most gorgeous cast of characters. The sign of an amazing book is when you immediately want to re-read it after turning the last page. As I did here.

Violet Strong has been leading a solitary life for fourteen years. She believes she is bad news and should stay away from people. When she is forced to return home to care for her Mum, she is reluctant to say the least. Home is haunted by bad memories.

But home is also the place where Adam lives. Her best friend. Her first and only love.

And while things don't go smoothly at first, Violet begins to rebuild her relationship with her Mum, and along the way she finds a way to enable and support the gorgeous Tammy, a girl who has kindness running through every vein in her body. We should all be more Tammy.

This is a story of second chances, of forgiveness, of love. Of family and community. But most of all, it is a story about the power of kindness. Quite simply, kindness can change lives.

Violet has distanced herself from her hometown, her family and her upbringing. She's not a natural open book but isn't standoffish either.
When her estranged mum takes ill, Violet returns home to take care of her, but it's not as easy as she'd like. Can she find her caring side, and even learn to love herself in the process?
A heart warming story, I loved the wide range of characters from young to old, and it was a great read.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

Not my usual kind of read however as I’m currently caring for my mum I was interested to see how it resonated.

Violet is forced to return to her home town to care for her mum, at her sisters request, after an absence of many years. The reasons why she left become apparent as we read on, and a large range of endearing characters bring a welcome lift to what is a stressful and heart wrenching situation. Violet’s belief in herself develops and she begins to forgive herself for past mistakes and make amends. An uplifting read.

Thanks to Netgalley the author and publishers HQ for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to @hqstories for my #gifted copy of this e book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved the main characters of Violet and Tammy, and loved to see their relationship grow and develop throughout the story. The other characters that formed the Helping Hands group, all added to the story as well and I just found myself easily immersed in each and every one of their lives. And of course, I loved the overarching romance between Violet and Adam! Predictable, but it added to the story. For me, I really enjoyed the links to book blogging, that Violet demonstrated more at the start of the book. I even highlighted (on my kindle - calm down) quite a few quotes and passages that did make me smile as I was reading. I also found the inclusion of ‘carers’ interesting and how the book explored their experiences and feelings.

I’m going to leave you with a few of the phrases I highlighted!

‘There’s temporary comfort to be found in digitally indulging your own bullshit, even for just a little while’

‘Books are safe places where you can become someone else for a while’

‘Reading for pleasure instead of achievement is the point’

Really enjoyable. Can you ever truly love somebody if you don't love yourself? Is Glenys really as difficult as she first appears to be? Will Adam turn out to be the man for her?

Having worked as a Carer or Care giver in past years & now having to be Cared for due to health issues I developed after retiring this Book so beautifully & very sympathetically written resonated with me hugely in many , many ways.
The characters remined me of many people I have know over the years so I could empathise with people such as Violet ,& also with Claire who's husband Abbas has invisible health issues ( Mental Health ) as does Violet's mother . I have health issues physical ones that are also invisible so if people saw me they couldn't understand why my husband was caring for me , but on days when the Pain was so bad I can hardly walk . During the Pandemic we are all too aware of Loneliness & alone-ness , & these are issues that are growing daily in our society . This is a Book I will recommend to so many as excellent reading . #FB, #Instagram,#GoodReads,#NetGalley, #Amazon.co.uk, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/358a5cecda71b11036ec19d9f7bf5c96d13e2c55" width="80" height="80" alt="100 Book Reviews" title="100 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>.

Violet hasn’t been back to her hometown or seen her mother in 14 years, when her sister Jodie announces that she’s moving to the other side of the world. Their mum needs someone around, so it now falls to Violet to move back home and take care of a woman who really doesn’t want her around. Her new life as a carer has more than its fair share of challenges, so Violet seeks help amongst the other local carers, including her childhood friend Adam. Can Violet finally face the past and realise that perhaps she isn’t quite the Bad News she believes she is? This is a heartwarming story of community, friendship and found family with spots of romance and heartrending emotion. There are so many loveable characters who highlight real social issues that need attention. The lack of resources and support that real carers face is all here on these pages and you’ll feel inspired to make a change on their behalf.