The Bright Side Running Club is the moving story of a woman, Keira, and her shocking diagnosis of breast cancer. Overwhelmed and unprepared, she finds support in a group of runners with similar health issues. A truly inspirational and affirmative story, which doesn't spare us the painful details of the character's diagnosis, treatment, physical and psychological consequences.
Before finishing the book, I didn't know that this book was based on the author's personal experience, but I can totally it in the story: Keira seemed very real to me and her feelings and reactions honest and understandable. It's also a bright and sometimes even funny story, and I particularly appreciated the friendship with the other women of the running club and the constant support and love they gave each other during their treatments and personal situations.
I really enjoyed this book, it's easy to read, with short chapters and lovable women supporting women. The finale was a bit predictable but still good. Very recommended!
4 stars.

* I'd like to thank Josie Lloyd, Alcove Press and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What an honor it was to read this book! I was so inspired by the journey of Keira, a wife and mother of three children still in school, who finds life upended when she's diagnosed with beast cancer. I felt as if I were on this profound journey with her, feeling the fear and angst as she goes from diagnosis through treatment, and finally hope as she connects with other women with breast cancer who together form the Bright Side Running Club.

This poignant novel bursting with life is based on author Josie Lloyd's own experience. Highly highly recommended for readers who love women's fiction, who need hope amid uncertainty, and who adore beautifully written stories of female community.

Pub Date Feb 8, 2022
#TheBrightSideRunningClub #NetGalley

Thanks to the author, Alcove Press and NetGalley for the ARC; opinions are mine.

Four and a half stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒

The Bright Side Running Club by Josie Lloyd is a moving story of one woman’s battle with breast cancer. This inspirational story of women supporting women through ups and downs is both highly entertaining and incredibly emotional.

Keira, wife, and mother of three school-aged children, finds out that she has breast cancer and she’ll need a mastectomy. She has always been reasonably healthy and the diagnosis immediately changes her life, but more importantly, it changes the way other people view her. Although her family is supportive, she meets Tasmin and a couple of other friends who are in various stages of breast cancer treatment. They form the Bright Side Running Club, and meet regularly to run, as they support each other through the treatments and get closer. Keira realizes that she needs these friends more than she has ever needed friends in her life before.

The amount of detail in this book concerning the diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer made the book very personal. The thoughts, fears, and feelings of Keira, as she went through the process were raw, and unrestrained. I felt like I was on this journey with Keira, instead of just reading about it.

The first part of the book has a nonfiction feel, as it goes step by step with Kiera as she gets diagnosed and goes through her options, and starts treatment. But, then she meets her friends and the book turns into a book about women, relationships, and the power of strong, supporting friends.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Women’s Fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

If you were to judge this book by its cover, you’d suspect it to be a typically light and formulaic work of modern women’s fiction and that is very true. (I mean that in the best way possible.) It has all the trappings: female protagonist doing the lion’s share of the work to look after her unappreciative family, husband who may or may not be doing her wrong, complicated familial relationships and a multitude of friendships, some strong, some duplicitous. It has all the right chemistry to keep you reading. What is also has is a very real experience of receiving a diagnosis of breast cancer, of the alienation when nobody around you knows how to acknowledge and support you, of the discovery and development of one’s own community, and there are some keen observations on how we function when it comes to women in society today.

Keira isn’t like me. I’m well acquainted with boundaries and don’t devote a significant part of my life to other perfectly capable family members. I have a short attention span for being taken advantage of me and I wouldn’t tolerate other people mistreating me or keeping me in the dark. I don’t relate to her character. What kept me going and what made the book really enjoyable to me was that first-hand experience in something that is so very real to so many of us. Breast cancer is no joke and sharing the real truth about what it’s like to go through a diagnosis of and recovery from it is way more helpful than any pink-washing campaign that runs through the month of October.

Absolutely enjoyed this story from beginning to end. Full of heartfelt moments, moments of perseverance, and tough life situations. With so many of our lives impacted by cancer this book really hits home

Oh wow what a story. Based around what the author had been through herself and some added extras. I absolutely loved the friendships, love and humility surrounding this book.

I'll be honest I cried like a baby because of the way it's written and also because that's how we lost my amazing mum in law, she didn't make it to our wedding and she passed away when my, now hubby and I were quite early on in our dating. The time I did spend with her will always be precious.

I currently also have a friend who is dealing with breast cancer and its a real b***ard. This book is so relatable, not because I've experienced cancer first hand but second hand and looking in from outside perspective.

Keira, Tamsin and the other wonderful ladies in the running club are forces to be rekoned with. Keira is feeling things slipping away from her with no energy to do anything about it but she's my hero, what a woman.

Her family relationships seem tough at times but the strong relationships and honesty (eventually) can face anything. It's never going to be easy dealing with something so hard as a family. Everyone will feel their own things and deal with things in their own way.

My favourite part in this book is the board meeting near the end, It was exciting and wonderful all roll into one.

I really liked the plot from the moment i read it. Maybe it was just perfect timing when I picked this book, i been trying to start running. And this one was so inspiring and helpful. I loved the friendships and how as a community we should be more helpful , caring and little things we can do. This book gave insight into the battle for cancer and it was a very humbling read. Cancer or not, it did help to put some things in right perspective for me.

I knocked off some points for the lead character to be a little too whiny and judgemental. Some of her actions / her family actions did not seem very kind , even if it felt real in some ways. Maybe just my personal opinion. But this story is worth reading and it's easy to get interested in the runners , the slice of life feel , their stories and the spirit they show in togetherness. I enjoyed this

An eyeopening tale of the impact of cancer on family life. It captured the insecurities of a women, faced with the shocking news she has cancer. A wonderful read that had me captivated, wanting to know the developments of each mini story and plot. Fantastic read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book early! I thought it was really relatable and really touching. This book is about Keira. She is the owner of a boutique shop with her brother's ex girlfriend. She has 3 kids and a husband and things seem to be going well but then she gets diagnosed with breast cancer. She sees someone running and becomes friends with her and the Bright side running club is born. They are 4 women who all have cancer and are running through it. Their friendship is quick and deep and I have felt similar things. We see Keira and her friends go through their treatment and grow in their friendships as well as Keira struggle to save her business from her evil partner. My only complaint about this book is that there are a lot of characters and it definitely goes more wide than deep. I really wanted to get to know the Bright Side Running Club and I feel like I did, but not as deep as I wanted. I just finished this yesterday and I have a hard time remembering how many kids she has, who her other friends were, etc. because they were all in there but so shallow they were forgettable. Overall though a good read that I'd recommend!

Enjoyable but predictable, this is a story about coming together and being there for your family, your friends, and yourself.

Keira is a wife and mother who is diagnosed with breast cancer. While sitting in the park, trying to process her diagnosis, she meets a woman who is running through the park and invites her to run with her another day that week. When she arrives, there is another woman, too, and wouldn't you know, all of them have or had breast cancer. So begins the Bright Side Running Club - both the book and the entity.

The characters are all likable. Keira's family and her new friends are very supportive. It all felt so very /nice/. There is, of course, some tragedy and sadness, but I didn't feel much intensity. Maybe the characters felt too much like caricatures than real people, for me to care overly much.

My thanks to Alcove Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When the perfect life gets sideswiped by a cancer diagnosis, friends come through and save the day. A beautifully written women's fiction that will leave you feeling all the feels. You never know what people are going through, and sometimes you do and that small random act of kindness can mean the world. A testament to how life can appear perfect, but it often never is. Diagnoses don't discriminate; family issues arise in every family; and life goes on despite the present issue in each of our individual lives.

This book just felt flat. Keria was a grating and spineless main character, the writing seemed to shooting for "brash" but landed in a space devoid of any real sentimentality of honest emotion. It felt like it was written with the intention to have a sitcom laugh track laid over it, to punch up jokes that fell with a thud on the page.
I'm sure this book is going to find an audience that appreciates it, but it's just not me.

Sometimes you just need a story with characters you can cheer for!
The author draws on her own experience with breast cancer to describe the ups and downs with a cancer diagnosis - the effect it has on professional and personal relationships, the you feel about your body, and the true meaning of life.
The dialogue is sharp and funny and the characters are well developed and understandable.
It is life-affirming without being schmaltzy. Highly recommended for everyone to read.

Well all I can say is what a book to start off 2022! This book is wonderful! Initially, I'll be honest and say I was a bit nervous to read a book where the main character receives a cancer diagnosis but I am more than willing to say that I was wrong. This book is about far more than that. Its about a woman who starts to find out who she is after her diagnosis, she is the mother of 3 children and is dealing with all the issues that come with that ,as well as dealing with everything that cancer brings to her and her family. Its about friendships that develop between women that are all dealing with the same issues and how important these friendship become and its about a woman that is feeling lost but finally finds her voice due to the backing of these new people in her life.
Keira is 47 and is shocked to find out that she has cancer, this is found after a health check. Keira is trying to run her own business, look after 3 children and is the wife to Tom. Obviously, this news is crushing but Keira has to find a way to keep all the balls in the air. At first, this is a struggle because no one really understands what she is going through, until she see Tasmin running in the park. From this moment, Keira starts to run with her, Amma and Sian also join and they become The Bright Side Running Club. The friendships that they have is so special and they help each other through the bad times.
Really give this book a go, I cannot put into words how special it is, I love it when I have a book that I read at every opportunity and this is one of them.
Thank you to Josie Lloyd, Alcove Press and Netgalley for this eArc in exchange for an honest review

This is such an emotional and poignant novel I have read that this book actually brought tears into my eyes!

Keira gets the most horrible news--she was diagnosed with breast cancer. While awaiting for therapy, she meets a woman named Tamsin who asks her to joins running with her. Along with Keira, Tamsin, Amma and Sian also joins. All these women shared one thing--they all suffer from cancer. This book basically talks about friendship and the courage and bravery of these four women as they go through the journey together. And these four women then forms their own running club, known as the Bright Side Running Club.

This book is beautifully written and is told from Keira's perspective. This book is also based on the author's personal experience as a breast cancer survivor. The procedure of going through cancer treatment, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and the after effects of these treatments, is so realistic and yet Keira and all these women didn't give up their will to live. It talks about how some people could be nasty towards Keira, taking advantage of her fragile state and at the same time talks about people who support and cares for them. I was so immersed into the book that I simply couldn't put this book down! The writing was really good, beautifully written, the author doing a good job of drawing the reader into the story and making the reader feel like they are a part of the story and going on the journey with Keira as well.

This is such a moving, uplifting story that is heartbreaking, emotional tear-jerking all at the same time and there were some funny parts in the book too that made you out loud. Truly a touching novel. Worth five stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

I am always inspired by books about running, and this one was no exception. I especially loved how much significance community played into Josie's healing and mental fortitude! I would recommend this book to any friend looking for something lighthearted and inspiring. Thank you for the ARC, NetGalley!

The Bright Side Running Club (formerly published as The Cancer Ladies’ Running Club) is a heart-warming English novel about a busy mother’s shock diagnosis with breast cancer and how she gets through it thanks to the love and support of her new running friends. It’s fiction, but based on the author’s own experiences, and is an honest and sometimes painful but often funny look at a disease which will affect one in eight of us. I picked it because it was about running (which I want to get back into) and saved it to start on New Year’s Day, which seemed appropriate.

Kiera is a happily married 47 year old mother of three who runs a gift shop in an unnamed Southern English town, when what she thinks is a routine callback following her mammogram delivers the frightening news that she has breast cancer. Her family and colleagues want to help but don’t understand, so when a surprise invitation from a fellow patient to try a gentle jog in the park leads to a new support system, Kiera finds the strength to endure the most challenging year of her life.

What I liked most about this was how real this felt - Kiera is flawed and very relatable - trying to do her best with her husband, kids and business, but susceptible to insecurity, mood swings and manipulation by those close to her. Her communication failures were sometimes infuriating but completely understandable. The medical details are uncensored and sometimes brutal, as we share her journey through surgery, chemo and it’s complications, radiotherapy, her fears about the change in her body and her sexuality, and the impact on her relationship with her husband and children.

“ I try to make jokes over breakfast, but the kids look at me as if I’m speaking in poor taste. Oh yes, I’ve forgotten. The sense-of-humor thing. Not allowed when you have cancer. Silly me.”

“It occurs to me now why people call it a bucket list. Not just because of kicking it, but because this is the kind of wretched moment, when you’re about to fill a bucket, when your long list of unfulfilled wishes rears up.”

It’s never depressing though, and being fiction, allows a happy ending in spite of some sad parts (no spoilers.) I had a mammogram scare the week before my 50th birthday, and by the ultrasound appointment was secretly planning my funeral. The relief at being dismissed with a “see you in two years” was immense, because I’m not sure I’d cope as well as these women do, but reading this now gives me hope that maybe I too might surprise myself. I loved the support characters, especially Tamsin and Amma. I wasn’t sure about the side plot about the shop, it was a bit too obvious what was going on, but I liked the way it was resolved. I’d recommend this book to any younger middle-aged woman facing a trip to Cancer World themselves or with a close friend - there were some useful insights on what (and what not) to say and do - acknowledging that everyone is different of course. 4.5 rounded down for the present tense narration.

Thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC. I am posting this honest review voluntarily.
The Bright Side Running Club is published on February 8th 2022.

This was my first book by Josie Lloyd and I loved it.

This is a surprising feel good story considering it has to do with a running club full of women who have breast cancer. I loved all the characters and easily became emotionally involved with Kiera's diagnosis. I have a friend who also underwent a mastectomy so Kiera's journey really hit home for me and I found myself tearing up a lot in the beginning. This story was uplifting, raw, emotional and there was even a little drama in there with Kiera's co-worker Lorna.

Would 10/10 recommend this book to anyone. 4 stars for sure!

The Bright Side Running club is a hopeful book about a serious subject. It took me a little while to get into it, I almost stopped reading, but I’m glad I continued. I found the book more engaging once Keira gets her official diagnosis. As someone who has a family history of cancer, I got emotional at times. The book is about a women going the rough caner, but it is also about the importance of relationships. It also reminds readers that cancer patients have lives beyond the disease, as Keira is a small business owner and needs to deal with issues in her store.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I've been looking forward to this one, but I enjoyed it even more than I'd expected! Can't remember the last time I binged a book in 24 hours. Quick, fun read. Does a great job of tackling a serious subject, explaining it well, and going into the details and intricacies that most people aren't familiar with without being too serious or boring. Absolutely loved it.