This is a beautiful little book that will catch you by surprise and keep you pulled in until the end. I loved how powerful the story in this book was as well as the underlying message within. This author does a very good job of writing relationships and this book does not disappoint in that area either, in fact this is for me the driving force of the story. Heartfelt and warm, a great book for a cold winter night.

I adored this story. I thought it was beautifully written and you could really feel the characters loss and struggle and want to jump in the pages and give them big hugs
It was a fast read and I didn’t want to put it down. I will be recommending this book to others to read.

Thanks to Scribner for the copy of this ARC!

A Quiet Life is a lovely story about three people in very different stages of life who have all experienced loss and loneliness. While these storylines start out separately, they all intersect beautifully to create hope and friendship. This is character-driven, emotion-provoking, and just an all around wonderful read.

I just finished this and wanted to -- no needed to -- write my review while my thoughts and feelings are fresh.

A Quiet Life follows the lives of 3 individuals, all grieving in their own way. Ella is living with the loss of her little girl, Kirsten is grieving the violent death of her beloved father, and Chuck is grappling with the loss of his wife. These characters will come into one another's lives when each of them least expects it, but needs it most.

This is a story that explores grief head-on. Oftentimes we read books about characters overcoming grief and moving on to bigger and better things. A Quiet Life takes the reader and the characters *into* the very core of the grief. It is a palpable thing. The reader can't help but feel deeply emotional as we go on this journey with these characters.

It's not just a sad book, though. It's also hopeful, inspiring, and reminds us of our humanity. It reminds us of the importance of community and friendship, of kindness and selfless acts.

A Quiet Life was one of my most anticipated books of the year. I'll admit I was concerned that it wouldn't be able to compare to A Little Hope, which I loved with my whole heart. But I loved this one just as much, if not more.

This was such a beautiful book. It is heartfelt, quiet, and mature. The writing is so sincere and so perfectly captures the characters and scenes. Joella certainly has a way with words.

I give this one ALL the Stars!! I can't wait for the rest of the world to get their hands on A Quiet Life.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my eARC. ❤️

This is a poignant story about loss and resilience. Three residents of a Pennsylvania town are each experiencing a wrenching loss -- Chuck's wife passed away two months ago, Kirsten's father passed away suddenly, and Ella's daughter is missing. The book explores the way they each navigate the loss of the most important person in their lives, as the struggle to move forward, find support where they least expect it, and hauntingly figure out what a future may look like.

The author crafts unforgettable characters, sharing a story that captures the impact of loss, the ways it makes you reflect on the relationship with the person you lost, and the struggle to find hope in a new normal. This is an emotional and powerful read that you do not want to miss.

Highly recommended!

I really enjoyed the author's first novel, but this one was a bit too melodramatic for me. It seemed like the author was trying to force me to cry.

A Quiet Life follows three people as they navigate loss in their lives. Chuck is missing his wife, Cat, who recently passed away. Ella is broken and searching for her young daughter that was kidnapped by her father. Kirsten is mourning the loss of her dad unexpectedly. Their lives start to intersect as we follow their journey.

I loved A Little Hope and knew this would be just as good. It is a little slower paced and character driven but it worked for me. The characters are great and you can empathize with their loss. I loved seeing how they intertwined into each other’s lives and how they were cardinals for each other. Staying through the snow so to speak. The themes are sad but there is hope to be found and maybe even some happiness:)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC for an honest review.

I adored this story and these characters so much.  Chuck is an eldery man who lost his wife to cancer.  He's trying to come to terms with her loss. Ella is a single mother whose daughter was abducted by her father.  Her Daughter has been missing for months.  Kristen works at a rescue and is torn between two men who she cares deeply for.  These three characters come together and help each other. It's such a heartwarming story. If you enjoyed A Little Hope then you will love this one.

Master storyteller Ethan Joella returns following A Little Hope with his latest novel—A QUIET LIFE, where three unlikely characters connect in unforeseen ways in this heartwarming story of regrets, love, loss, and second chances.

Set in the winter of Bethlehem, PA, we meet three characters —Chuck, Kirsten, and Ella. Each of them has suffered a terrible loss.

Chuck Ayers is a recent widower in his 70s whose grief after the death of his wife, Cat, is overwhelming. How can he go on without her? Every year they rent a place in Hilton Head, SC. The lease agreement stares at him, and the rental is paid in full. However, how can he go without her?

He needs to ease his guilt. He tends to obsess about an argument with his wife over a young artist named Natasha she wanted to help that worked as a waitress at the diner. He disagreed. This woman haunts him. He must find her to see how she turned out and to let her know his wife has passed.

Kirsten Bonato is a recent college graduate who dreamed of traveling around Europe and attending veterinary school. The 20-something whose father was murdered as an innocent bystander during a gas station robbery. She is wracked with grief, even going so far as to abandon her plans to apply to veterinary school, still working at an animal shelter.

Ella Burke, is a young mother whose ex-husband kidnapped their daughter, 8-yr-old Riley, early from school three months ago and ultimately disappeared. She is struggling financially and emotionally. Will she ever see her daughter again?

Ella's life is falling apart. She has lost her house (and even goes to the new owners to inform them of her daughter, that may show up one day, and to call her immediately). She now works two jobs to pay her rent. She delivers papers in the early mornings (Chuck is on her route) and sees this man sitting and looking out the window. He looks lonely. She also works at a bridal store. She never gives up hope of finding her daughter.

How will these three parallel narratives converge?

Filled with stunning metaphors and symbols, such as the cardinal, "The most special birds because they kept us company in winter when the other birds leave."

A QUIET LIFE is charming and heartwarming. Readers will find friendship, community, and kindness on full display.

With beautiful storytelling and lyrical prose, an uplifting novel about friendship, grief, surprising revelations, and hope. When "family" doesn't always have to be defined in the traditional sense. Home isn't always where we expect it to be, and the love of friends is all we need.

For fans of authors Elizabeth Berg, Catherine Ryan Hyde, Elizabeth Strout, and Fredrik Backman.

Joella deftly weaves stories of roads taken and not taken, choices made and missed opportunities, and the possibilities of second chances.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Scribner for an e-ARC to read, review, and enjoy!

Blog Review posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4.5 Stars rounded to 5 🌟STARS
Pub Date: Nov 29, 2022
Nov 2022 Must-Read Books

⁉️Are there any celebrity or big time book clubs whose book picks you sort of follow?
@readwithjenna usually has picks that I vibe with. So, if if I’m toggling over a book, that little despised stickers will sway me.

BOOK REVIEW
A Quiet Life by @joellawriting
Pub date: November 29, 2022 (soon!)
304 pages
@scribnerbooks

This was as heartwarming as it was heartbreaking. It’s a story that intertwines the lives of three people experiencing their own grief in a Pennsylvania suburb (bonus points for a semi-local read). Chuck has lost his wife. Kirsten has lost her dad. Ella’s daughter is missing. We spend time with each of these characters in their despair and also get to experience the beauty and comfort of people coming together despite their loss.

My only real complaint was the little love triangle you find in this book. I usually dig a love triangle (I know I’m in the minority here), but this one didn’t add to the overall story being told for me. So, I could’ve done without it.

I have Ethan Joella’s previous novel (his debut, A Little Hope, a @readwithjenna bonus pick last year), but haven’t read it even though I’ve seen nothing but great reviews. You better believe I’ll be picking it up soon now!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you @netgalley @scribnerbooks for this #gifted ebook ♥️


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A Quiet Life is the sweet story of Ella, Chuck, Kirsten, who have all experienced a loss in their lives in some way. Their lives are separate, though they are in the same community, and sad. Ultimately, the author, Joella, brings them together in a beautiful way, and they experience an incredible love and in that love, the ability to move forward with joy in their lives.

The beginning of the book seems quite depressing and I almost abandoned it. The losses that the characters have experienced are painful to read about. I did love the end of the book, though, and I'm glad I stuck with it. I recommend it, especially to female readers, but I might warn them first about how sad the book starts out.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review A Quiet Life.

No one describes raw emotion like Ethan Joella. In A Quiet Life, the lives of three grieving people intersect to provide solace. Chuck is a recent widower desperately missing the vibrant light that was his wife Cat and regretting a long ago argument. His annual trip to South Carolina is scheduled and he doesn’t want to go alone. He doesn’t want to be alone. Since her ex-husband kidnapped their young daughter, Elsa has worked two menial jobs to keep busy until her daughter is found. Kirsten’s life has been sidetracked since her father’s senseless murder. She’s walked away from her dream of becoming a veterinarian, is working at an animal shelter and fighting attraction to each of her two male coworkers.

Joella weaves these characters together with skill and sensitivity. The reader is drawn into their lives and wants desperately for them to rediscover joy. Ethan Joella is an artist and A Quiet Life is a masterpiece. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Scribner and Ethan Joella for this ARC.

“Maybe loving someone so deeply means accepting the fact that they occupy a specific, clear place in you. You accept that there will be a hole if you lose them- the same way a painting or photograph will leave it’s shadow on the wall after it’s gone, the way a tree will leave a crater where the roots and stump were.” -Ethan Joella, A Quiet Life.

This book was so moving and beautiful. It follows multiple characters and their experiences with loss. I’ve found Joella’s books to be such a comfort to me and leave me feeling happy and full of warmth. A Quiet Life is one of my favorite books I’ve read this year. Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. This amazing book hits shelves November 29th!

Ethan Joella has an amazing way of writing. I loved all of the characters immediately and was rooting for them the whole book. He weaved together tragedies for each character into a beautiful story of grief, loss, and purpose. I thought A Little Hope was amazing, but somehow this was even better!

Each day is a tricky balance between not letting our loved ones fade into the distance but also moving forward without them.

A Quiet Life is about how people move bravely forward. As I settled into Chuck, Ella and Kirsten’s stories of loss, I felt a kinship towards each of them. I wanted to reach out and squeeze their hands and tell them there was hope for a brighter tomorrow. I was specifically drawn to Chuck as he reminded me of how lost my father may have been after losing my mother. How dreams of their future changed so drastically when she was diagnosed and passed away so quickly.

Joella is a master at CONNECTING us all in a world that often feels so devastatingly lonely. He gives us hope for mending our broken hearts and urges us to keep moving forward with outstretched hands.

His debut, A Little Hope, was a stunner but this sophomore novel is icing on the cake.

This book is really something special. We meet three main characters who are all in the midst of turmoil in their life. A thoughtful story of traveling through grief and coping with regrets. I wanted to know how things turned out with these layered characters and I cried from the emotions the beautiful writing evoked.

Thank you @netgalley @scribnerbooks @joellawriting for the Advanced Reader copy! All opinions are my own

Three different people find themselves suddenly alone after varying reasons; a daughter gone missing, a wife passing away, a daughter losing her dad. They end up connecting in unique ways as the story is told. Some learn to embrace their Quiet Life, others learn to overcome it.

I had read Joella's first novel A Little Hope, and it was a nice book but I wasn't as into it as I was with this one! This had a little bit of everything you might want in contemporary fiction! A little love triangle, an intense mystery, a little triumph, and a little closure! It was fairly easy to keep the multiple characters straight which made it a quick read!!

My only regret is that I won't have a snowy day to use as a backdrop for this book pic before pub day!🤣

I loved A Little Hope and this upcoming novel by Joella is just as poignant as his previous one.

This novel follows 3 characters struggling with the loneliness of grief, taking one day at a time. Kristen recently lost her beloved father to a tragic incident. Ella’s young daughter has been missing for a few months. Chuck is in his 70’s and broken hearted after the loss of his wife. As the reader is drawn into their shattered lives, the characters slowly find connections with each other in unlikely ways as they navigate through their loss and step forward into their new future.

This book gave me all the feels. Joella just has a way of capturing the human spirit. I adored this gem of a book as I loved his previous one. It’s a short book packed with a spectrum of emotions and a little hope too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner Books for this advance readers copy. This review can also be found on Goodreads and on IG @maria.needs.to.read

I was THRILLED to be selected by NetGalley to review this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Ethan Joella’s first work was a BOTM pick for me, and I loved the character interaction - one of his talents as a writer is having all of these parallel characters arcs eventually mesh at the end - normally I don’t love more than 2-ish? viewpoints, but going into this one, I figured that someone these three characters would end up changing each others’ lives. I think I actually ended up liking this one more than A Little Hope, and definitely recommend it to all that want a really emotional story.

Thank you again to the publishers and to NetGalley for providing me this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Pub day is end of November, highly recommend picking this one up!

Way too depressing for me. 3 people experiencing grief and sadness, but maudlin. Enough!
Guess I was not in the right mood for this one both times I tried to read it. Sorry, but mentally, it's too much.
Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion.