"In Just One Day" by Helen McGinn is a compelling exploration of how life can take unexpected turns, leaving individuals grappling with profound change and the journey of rebuilding. This four-star novel weaves a poignant narrative, delving into the complexities of love, loss, and the resilience of the human spirit.

The story revolves around Flora and her unbreakable bond with her brother Billy. McGinn skillfully portrays their childhood closeness, presenting them as two peas in a pod. As adults, their friendship remains steadfast, with Billy a constant presence in Flora's life. However, the sudden upheaval of Flora's world in just one day becomes the catalyst for a transformative journey.

McGinn's writing evokes a range of emotions, from the nostalgia of seaside Britain to the breathtaking beauty of Venice. The author captures the essence of Flora's emotional rollercoaster, skillfully alternating between moments of tears and laughter. The novel serves as a testament to the enduring power of familial ties and the ways in which love can manifest in different forms.

The characters, particularly Flora and Billy, are well-crafted and relatable. McGinn explores the intricacies of family relationships, illustrating the impact of unforeseen events on the dynamics between siblings. Flora's journey of learning to live again serves as the heart of the narrative, and readers are likely to connect with her resilience and vulnerability.

While the central theme revolves around the unpredictability of life and the resilience required to navigate its twists, some readers may find certain elements of the plot foreseeable. Nevertheless, the emotional depth and authenticity with which McGinn addresses universal themes make the novel a poignant and engaging read.

In conclusion, "In Just One Day" is a riveting tale that captures the essence of human experience—its highs and lows, laughter and tears. Helen McGinn's narrative unfolds with grace, offering readers an emotional and uplifting journey. Perfect for those who appreciate stories of resilience and the enduring power of love, this novel earns a well-deserved four stars, leaving an indelible mark on the reader's heart and soul.

A light and easy to read story that is more fluff than storyline. Perfect if you need a weekend book to just enjoy.

Great bookif you are a fan of wine, not so much if you aren't! the mother characters were interesting

Flora has always adored her brother Billy. Born just eighteen months apart, their childhood was spent like two peas in a pod – no one could separate them. Now, as adults, they remain the best of friends. And as Flora is immersed in family life, Billy is always there to lend a hand.

But, in just one day, everything changes.

In just one day, Flora’s life falls apart.

In just one day, Flora has to learn how to live again.

From the nostalgia of seaside Britain to the breath-taking beauty of Venice, in tears and laughter, join Helen McGinn for this emotional, uplifting and joyful story about love in all its guises. But above all, this is an unforgettable story of one little girl and the brother she adored.

Flora has always adored her brother Billy. Born just eighteen months apart, their childhood was spent like two peas in a pod – no one could separate them. Now, as adults, they remain the best of friends. And as Flora is immersed in family life, Billy is always there to lend a hand.
But, in just one day, everything changes.
In just one day, Flora’s life falls apart.
In just one day, Flora has to learn how to live again.
From the nostalgia of seaside Britain to the breath-taking beauty of Venice, in tears and laughter, join Helen McGinn for this emotional, uplifting and joyful story about love in all its guises. But above all, this is an unforgettable story of one little girl and the brother she adored.

I read this in a week when I was feeling low after the death of my cat and it was exactly the right book to give me that escape, set in two of my favourite places in the world, Venice and Cornwall. Yes there was grief as Flora goes through a terrible loss, so profound it’s like taking away a part of her self, but this is about the journey beyond. It’s about moving past those shaky early months where you feel shell-shocked and nothing makes sense, to a place where you’re trying to assimilate that loss in your life. To pick up life again and move forward with grief; where it becomes part of your experience, rather than all of it.

Flora and her husband have taken a huge leap of faith to open their own wine shop so there’s a solid background as a wine connoisseur on TV which has informed that the part of the novel. I’m not a fan of wine personally, but if you a love a tipple I imagine this is as mouth watering for you as reading Chocolat is for me. There’s a great deal of excitement and fulfilment going on here. A joy that is cruelly cut short when the bad news arrives. I found Flora’s relationship with husband Johnny surprisingly healthy, for some reason I was expecting difficulties so it was nice to read about a strong and united couple facing hard times together, rather than it tearing them apart. The whole family are well drawn and likeable, with Flora’s parents adding depth and background to her character. I thought the inclusion of the other family affected by the accident was clever because it showed us how our role in trauma affects recovery and how our different backgrounds affect mental health outcomes. There are tears here, but it’s not a miserable book, because it’s about making sense, of tragedy and trying to rebuild in a positive way. This is hard to write and I think the author has been careful and sensitive in the way she has shown the whole family’s journey. It showed the importance of close family, what a difference they can make to our lives and why we should treasure them.

A book about family, wine and romance. This book unfortunately wasnt for me. I found the topic of wine just not my thing.

I really enjoyed the wine references in this story and how wine was such a passion for Flora, having done many wine courses myself. I found the story interesting but everything just seemed to be floating on the surface. There was really no depth to the characters, the settings or the story. I really wish I had felt a deeper connection with what was happening to the characters, but unfortunately that never happened.

This was a brilliant read and is being featured on my blog for my quick star reviews feature, which I have created on my blog so I can catch up with all the books I have read and therefore review.
See www.chellsandbooks.wordpress.com.

A heart warming read, I liked some sections of it, had a lot of information about wine and nothing about the locales. Romance and family were the core factors of this book.

A fairly short book that has charm and a simplicity that made it an easy read despite the sadness it deals with.

I don't want to give away the story, but a series of chances ends up in tragedy. The rest of the story details how each character deals with their own form of grief, and how the nature of grief changes over time.

I thought this book was written with great wisdom and insight and it had a beautifully optimistic ending.

At the end of the story, there are questions posed to the reader, and one really brought a lot to light for me, once I got around to contemplating it. I'd like to approach my review centered around this question now. The question was simply...what do you think of the title...and while seemingly innocuous, it actually packs quite a punch.



IN JUST ONE DAY...

...so much changed for so many people! The loss of a loved one; the happiness sucked out of everything, making them devoid of color, feeling, and existence. The insurmountable effect that loss has on every...single...little...thing you do, whether it be meeting with friends to catch up, or merely enjoying a night home with your family. The story felt so much heavier than I was initially believing it to be...and that was when jobs were lost, and futures were unclear, but at least they had hope. Once that life was snuffed, for all intents and purposes it disappeared.


IN JUST ONE DAY...

...life marched on, but where it was ahead of them before, they seemed to be matching their steps more evenly. It took time, and effort, and oh so much trying, and yes, not everyone made it together, but it was done. It showed that while grief is different for everyone and some can get so severely lost down the rabbit hole, there is life after death, and light at the end of the tunnel. With good friends, a loving spouse, and a heart that knows even though it is broken, it can beat again...that's just what our characters do. Start to really live.


IN JUST ONE DAY....

...I read this book and thought nothing was as I imagined it to be, and yet somehow, it was sweeter for the changes. I was completely taken by surprise, and while fazed in the moment, it didn't last long, allowing me to dive into the story completely and honestly. I loved the journey their lives were taking from the start, and all the wonderful players/characters they met along the way, but the twists and turns made it unique, the heartache and loss made it connect, and the final peace obtained, each in their own way...real.

This book wasn't my usual sort of genre... it was OK but didn't find it was much of a story really so found it quite boring

The characters in this book are wonderful, but we are mainly focused on Flora, but we also meet Flora's parents Robin and Kate, brother Billy, husband Johnny, just to begin with. When you first start the book, you are somewhat quickly overwhelmed by all of the characters that come at you like fastballs, but it doesn’t take long for you to get used to everyone. The book is well written and you can't help but get swept away with the tale.

This was such a lovely read, the opening chapters are so heartwarming and moving. It’s great to learn about Flora and her family, the bonds they have and the clearly loving relationship between her and Johnny. It was this relationship that really stuck with me throughout this book, no matter what happened Johnny was always there supporting Flora and putting her first.

A quick easy read the tale of a family saga and how after tragedy we learn to carry on. Pleasant characters and lots of wine talk with nothing to go wild over or complain about really. Nice beach reading if we ever get to go on holiday again!

This book is written with such heartfelt words and from some personal experience of grief and loss. I got so engrossed in the book that i didnt realise that i was crying whilst reading it. Fantastic story, brilliant writing from this author, i will look out for more of her books in the future!

In Just One Day is a detailed well thought out story that hooked the reader from first page...
I like how McGinn has given an insight into different wine flavours and origins, that was very interesting to learn about. I also like how McGinn has given the reader a look into how grief affects each person differently...
The character development of In Just One Day is good. The characters are likeable and relatable. I like the fact that Flora's relationship with her husband, Johnny was stable and strong and that Johnny was supportive through out the story.
I would recommend reading In Just One Day to lovers of Women's Fiction, Contemporary and Holiday Fiction, as it is emotional character driven story centres around the grief of losing a loved one and how families come together....

‘In Just One Day’ by Helen McGinn is a book I wanted to read as soon as I received the tour invite. I loved this author’s previous book so was looking forward to settling down with this new one.
Flora has always adored her brother Billy. Born just eighteen months apart, their childhood was spent like two peas in a pod – no one could separate them. Now, as adults, they remain the best of friends. And as Flora is immersed in family life, Billy is always there to lend a hand.
But, in just one day, everything changes. In just one day, Flora’s life falls apart. In just one day, Flora has to learn how to live again.
From the nostalgia of seaside Britain to the breath-taking beauty of Venice, in tears and laughter, join Helen McGinn for this emotional, uplifting and joyful story about love in all its guises. But above all, this is an unforgettable story of one little girl and the brother she adored.
The first thing that grabbed me was the cover! A beautiful, enticing and eye-catching one that screamed “Read this!” One that makes promises about what its pages holds and it keeps them from the very first page. A moving story of family, life, loss and love between a brother and sister. The author has so cleverly drawn on experience and brought that to this book.
We see Flora’s life irrevocably changed in one day. A day that means she won’t ever have her best friend by her side again. We see the grief that is experienced so differently by each member of her family. We also witness how they each heal themselves and how they piece themselves back together to carry on their lives.

A beautiful and emotional story that deals with the stages of grief so sensitively and from the heart. It shows what impact one person has on everyone around them and how their loss affects each of the individuals. Again Helen McGinn brings relatable characters to life in her work. Each and everyone are human with their own imperfections which helped me to feel like I was among them while reading this book.


Such an eloquent, heartbreaking but uplifting story that I won’t forget in a hurry.

Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources, Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the copy of the book.

First of all, can we take two seconds to look at this cover please – it’s stunning! I would be a liar if I said the cover is not the reason why I signed up for this book! Stunning, really!

This is a novel about family, secrets, death, grief, acceptance, forgiveness, dreams, etc. Flora is a very strong character, she has dreams, she has objectives in her life and she would do anything to pursue them. Get ready to get your heart broken, I can’t describe what I felt but my heart felt very heavy when I was reading this novel, I felt so involved and as if I knew the characters personnally. So much happens, and still it feels so real and not overwhelming, if you know what I mean. Like, there are lots of twists but the author managed them all perfectly.

When a book is advertised as an unforgettable novel I am always sceptical... but I can say I definitely agree with that statement!

It is a very moving book , you will go on a rollercoaster of emotions through the book , journey through the lives of the characters , feel their feelings , you can tell how great a writer Helen is as to how she can get the reader experiencing many different emotions throughout the book . It is absolutely brilliantly written and keeps you well and truly hooked on the book !

This book centers around Flora and her brother Billy , inseparable as children but still remaining great friends as adults. But in just one day Flora's life falls apart . I don't want to say anymore about the plot , but it is the type of book where you end up adoring the character so much you don't want anything at all to happen to them , you just want to wrap them up in cotton wool. It is an amazing book to read. It touches on so many different parts of life and different things people might experience or might even be going through but it is done gently and respectfully.

A truly great read!

The story follows the life of Flora and the relationships she has with her family, especially the close bond she shares with her brother Billy. They have always had such a strong bond with one another, and this is something that has carried over into their adult lives too, despite them both having their own individual lives to lead.

But one fateful day changes Flora’s life in ways she never thought possible, and she finds herself having to face the reality of living her life without her best friend and closest confident beside her. The loss has an effect on every member of the family, and each of them deals with their grief in their own way, and we get to experience the ways in which they began to knit their lives back together piece by piece.

This is such a beautifully moving story that shows love in its many forms and the overwhelming impact that just one person can have on so many peoples lives. The storyline explores the stages of grief and heartbreak sensitively and with a great deal of understanding. Each of the characters are relatable and realistic, with them all having well fleshed out personalities and flaws that allow you to connect with them as individuals too.

The story is brought to life beautifully and had me engrossed to the very end. A heartbreaking story that will stay with me for a very long time.