this is a story about 5 people and how one day changes their lives. I really enjoyed the story. this is the first book I have read by this author, will look for more books by her

This is my first exposure to this author’s work. The novel is one of the most heart-felt books I have read in a long time. It is highly evocative of a wide range of emotions, without being melodramatic or maudlin. I found myself fully immersed in the characters and laughed and cried along with them.

The storyline takes place with the space of one day and is told from several different perspectives. Despite the variety of “voices,” the characters are so well-defined that I never experienced any confusion as the story unfolded. To avoid giving any spoilers, I will just say that this is a multigenerational story that touches on so many aspects of the human experience…love, friendship, birth, death, and betrayal. Best of all it exemplifies that the definition of family goes beyond blood ties to include those whom we choose based on connections of the heart.

Overall, this was a great read, and I was sorry to see it end. The story was complete and very satisfying, but the characters seemed to have so much more to share that I would love to see a sequel. Kudos to the author for a masterful piece of storytelling. I highly recommend this book.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

Shari Low just never disappoints, yet again she’s delivered a book that’s both witty and humorous whilst also incredibly tragic and sad. Tress is heavily pregnant. Her husband Max has to go on an unexpected business trip. Max works with Anya, who is married to his best friend Noah. Anya is also going on the same business trip. When Tress goes into labour three weeks early; she can’t get hold of Max; she calls Noah who has already realised that Anya had left her laptop behind and isn’t on a business trip. As Tress’ continues in labour; Noah is en route to find Max and Anya…where he stumbles across a car crash. This book had me laughing and crying throughout. Added characters are Val and her good Nancy who we’ve read about in other linked stories by Shari Low. I loved this book and read it in two days.

Favorite Quotes:

Even the local scumballs were terrified of the woman who once caught a thief trying to break into her house and threatened to puncture his kidneys with her knitting needles if she ever saw him again. He was relieved when the police took him into custody.

And don’t forget to tell me how lovely my perm is. Extra points if you say I look like that Madonna lass. We’re about the same age, and I reckon underneath all those fillers and her leather knickers we’re dead ringers.

When I was having my Mark, the contractions stopped and started all day, and then all of a sudden, they came thick and fast and then he shot out like a can of Coke from a vending machine.

Age, darling. That’s all it is. There’s things growing where they shouldn’t be and there’s other bits falling off. There’ll be no two bits of us hanging the right way soon.


My Review:

I giggle-snorted and smirked my way through this delightfully penned missive. I adored these characters but my favorites were the well-seasoned Val and Nancy. I enjoyed their amusing escapades and rib-tickling banter, reveled in their confidence, found great pleasure in keeping them company, and felt a sense of familiarity as if I’d personally known them for years.

Shari Low is an all-time favorite and gifted storyteller. Her clever writing style has never failed to draw me into her engaging tales with an easy and smooth flow of perfectly chosen words. While the characters’ lives weren’t all sunshine and light, heart-squeezing issues were deftly tackled with agility and grace.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book!
This book evoked all the emotions - I was happy, sad, laughing, and crying. There was a bit of a slow start, but once it got going I was fully engaged. I really enjoyed the character development and storyline.

Overall, well done!

The book begins with a list of the characters in the book and a brief description, which sometimes puts me off. Too confusing. The beginning starts off a little slow, but soon becomes a story you can’t put down. Complex and engaging. Happy I stuck with it.

Thank you so much Netgalley, Boldwood Books and Shari for the ARC! ❤️ I'm grateful.

Nope. I can't do this. Not when I am so speechless. WHAT have you done, Shari? How did you manage to write a book that is simultaneously so devastating and peaceful? I am sobbing, laughing, breaking in pieces, and gushing about what a masterpiece it truly is!

At the first look, I wasn't very impressed. It felt like an usual love/betrayal story. A lot of drama and romance and forgiveness and second chances. Everything that I hate. Trust me, the synopsis does no justice to the book.

All of the characters are outstanding. Nancy, Val, Sally, Tress, Noah. Oh my ever sweet, kind and considerate Noah. The plot even more so. My heart bleeds for every single one of them including Max and Anya. (Maybe not so much for E.Mackie) Sometimes, a slip, a moment of carelessness is all it takes to blunder everything we've built from scratch. I could get Max's analogy. Which is peculiar but I really do. I understand why he did what he did, no matter how awful it was and it's not only his fault to bear. I desperately wish it had worked out for them. I wish he didn't go on that trip. I wish Georgina and Colin did better. I wish I could erase that 24 hours but karma isn't as merciful.


Shari's storytelling is unbelievably vivid. It sucks me in like a black hole. Whatever the characters feel, I feel. Whatever they see, I see. The whole time, I was being carried away by heavy emotions, drowning in their intensity, gasping for air. I had to pause reading several times because it was excruciating.


One more good book and Shari Low will be entering my really small list of auto buy authors.

Wow, what a rollercoaster of a story, I started and finished it on the same day.
My compliments to the author for the pace and her extraordinary ability to keep the reader engaged, not once did the storyline falter in fact I just wanted more.
Amazing characters, totally believable. Emotional, thought provoking and as always a couple of humorous characters to add some lighthearted banter. Just a perfect read which has left me thinking just how would I have reacted in their position.

Absolutely brilliant.

One day with you will make you laugh and cry, a lot!

It’s got everything, funny aunties, tragedy and a truly good guy.

I absolutely adore Shari Low and was delighted to see Val and Don making an appearance in this story.

This book is the epitome of family you choose and you will devour it in hours!

I’ve met many of Shari Low’s books over the years and the one thing I can say is that her characters are head and shoulders above your usual chick lit fodder, you end up genuinely caring about them and this book is no exception

This was an emotional read but with lots of humour thrown in too. Told over one day from multiple points of view we meet Tress, her husband Max and his best friend Noah along with his wife Anya, there’s also Tress and Max’s lively neighbour Nancy and her friend Val. Each of them have things going on - Tress goes into labour three weeks early but can’t get hold of Max, Noah can’t work out what’s going on with his relationship with Anya but he’s about to find out, widow Nancy has a school reunion where she’s going to meet her teenage love and Val is just trying her best to cope with her husbands dementia. There were all great characters and there’s a lot packed into the day but it’s told at a steady but easy to engage with pace and I sped through this. For me there weren’t a huge amount of shocks but it was a great story with a lot of emotions.