This author is one of my all time favourites and love how they write from the heart and with emotion about real people and relatable issues and take the reader on an emotional rollercoaster and the lost letters of Evelyn Wright was no exception.

This was a story of hope and second chances and of finding happiness and how sometimes fate intervenes and that everything happens for a reason and also explores the themes of loneliness and relationships and how making a fresh start can become easier with the help of new found friends

I loved how as an aside from the story of Beth we had the intertwining story of Evelyn which I don’t want to say to much about here and spoil for others but this side story was just perfect and added to the enjoyment of reading. I feel so sad to have just turned the last page of this book as I didn’t want it to end. I would love a sequel to see how Beth and her new round friends lives continue to blossom and grow.

Beth, in her new small town, is starting to make a new life for herself and build a new community. But it isn't always easy going when it comes to starting over.
This was a sweet story that I enjoyed. I will be looking forward to future releases from Swatman in the future.

I found this piece to be exceptionally well-crafted, and I'm eagerly anticipating the opportunity to delve into more works by this author. Given its potential popularity among our library patrons, we're certainly looking forward to adding it to our collection

I think this book promised more than it delivered.

Beth moves into a new home after a bitter divorce and finds a box of letters while clearing out her children’s bedroom. The letters are from agony aunt Evelyn who dishes out seasoned practical advice. Beth is fascinated by what she reads and it takes her mind off her own problems. Beth then decides to take on Evelyn’s mantle and the process of helping others leads to new beginnings.

An easy read even if the characters weren’t particularly believable.

As I followed Evelyn Wright on her journey of uncovering hidden letters that reveal the secrets of her past, I found myself utterly engrossed in the narrative. Swatman effortlessly blends the past and present, weaving together a tapestry of emotions that kept me eagerly turning the pages. Swatman's prose is both elegant and evocative, painting vivid landscapes of both the heart and the mind. The way she explores themes of love, regret, and the enduring power of hope is nothing short of masterful. Each letter discovered by Evelyn feels like a treasure unearthed, revealing layers of emotion and truth that resonate long after the last page is turned. It's a beautifully crafted story that left me deeply moved. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone in search of a captivating and emotionally resonant read. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Boldwood Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you so much!

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the chance to read this book.

This story is told by Beth, who has recently been through a divorce after her husband cheated on her. She's had to move out of the family home, and the only house she can afford is a rundown old cottage with a wild garden. While tidying, she finds a box of letters and magazines focusing on an Agony Aunt column. Due to the massive upheaval she is going through, she finds these letters a great comfort. They also lead her on a new journey and help inspire her to make changes that help her find her feet in her new life.

This story is well written and interesting. My heart broke for Beth when dealing with the emotions that came from having to watch a new woman take her place with her husband, children, and house. I can only imagine how earth-shattering that sort of situation is, so it was lovely to read along and watch Beth find her confidence again.

3,5* rounded to 4* I liked a lot some of it, not so much some other parts...

Beth's life has been turned inside out: she's divorced and trying to rebuild her world, moving to the country, renovating an old house trying to transform it in a cozy home, fighting for custody and every aspect of parenting with her cheating husband and working hard to lessen the change burden for her children.
Most of the days she ends up drained and crying alone; then she discovers a packet of old letters hidden by the past owner of the house: they're agony aunts letters and she finds some relieve reading them.
That's how she ends up opening a website and turning to an agony aunt herself: what if from all this dread she can turn things by helping others? Be the one who listens and lessens the burden.
That's how she turns up being a little more positive, knowing new people.

This book is deeply emotional, Beth goes through real life issues with an honesty it doesn't even feel fictional sometimes: the way she felt, how she handled things with her husband and kids, the loneliness, the overwhelming sense she gets from the big changes in her life, they were heartbroking but very well written.
Then there's Charlie, i have mixed feeling about how the author handled this part of the story: while it helps getting things lighter, it felt a little forced.

Thank you netgalley and Boldwoods Books for providing this book as an arc in exchange of an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The Lost Letters Of Evelyn Wright' and I wholeheartedly recommend this book to others. Clare writes superb fiction with characters that you can't help but take to. I will definitely be reading more of Clare's work in the future.

The whole book moves quickly from moment to moment with little time for characters and readers to process, but it has themes I enjoy and some fun moments.

A gorgeous feeling good book. That will have you simply smiling with joy. You will love the storyline and the characters and the journey that it takes you on.

Lots of emotions dealt with in this novel which takes you on a rollercoaster of a read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

Stumbling upon a cache of letters from the former resident, an advice columnist, sparks Kate's determination to infuse her new life with purpose. As she forges new connections and unravels the mystery of the previous owner's disappearance, the plot unfolds with unexpected twists and compelling characters. The adept narrative structure, well-balanced romantic elements, and blend of poignant and lighthearted moments elevate it to a must-read status. I love how the author's ability to capture raw emotions in a narrative where Kate, grappling with betrayal and solitude, transforms an abandoned house into a haven for herself and her children. Overall, it is a distinctive, immersive, and emotionally resonant novel.

What a lovely, heart warming read. Really enjoyed the different storylines and the friendships that went on in the story. It’s a great feel good book with a really lovely ending.

In a Nutshell: A book that is too realistic to be likeable as it has plenty of judgemental characters who care only about their own life and have no ethics at all. I am conflicted in my opinion because while I see the accuracy of the portrayal of such characters, I am not sure if such a book fits well in the feel-good genre.

Plot Preview:
After a bitter divorce from her cheating husband Rob, Beth is looking for a fresh start. Unfortunately, with her limited funds, all she can afford is an old, unkempt cottage on the outskirts. Her children Olivia (7) and Jacob (5) aren’t impressed with the house, and are frank about their opinion.
When Beth finds a box of letters while clearing out one of the rooms, she discovers that they are all agony aunt letters written by someone named Evelyn Wright. As Beth reads them and relishes the wisdom of Evelyn’s words over the next few days, she decides to begin her own agony aunt ‘column’ online, so that she too can help others the way Evelyn helped her. And if she can locate Evelyn and thank her, all the better.
The story comes to us from Beth’s first person perspective.

The title is a little bit misleading because the story is not ABOUT the lost letters of Evelyn Wright, but about what happens in Beth’s life once the letters are found. The story is mostly Beth’s, and therein lies the trouble.

I remember what Jane Austen had said about her most infamous protagonist, Emma: “I'm going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like.” Yeah, well, I wonder if Ms. Swatman thought the same while creating Beth. Because if she did, she certainly succeeded! But if she meant for us to root for Beth, tough chance!

Usually in such stories, where one half of the couple has cheated and the other is bitter, it is easy to sympathise with the spouse who has been caught unawares by the infidelity. In this case though, I could sympathise with neither Beth nor Rob. They both are such annoying and self-centred characters that I felt sorry for their kids at being caught in between the mess. Are there couple like this in real life, fighting through divorces acrimoniously and shaming each other in front of their children? Of course, there are. Does that make reading about them in a fictional novel easier? Nope!

Initially, I attributed Beth’s aggression at her anger over being left with the raw end of the deal. Rob got the house as well as a new woman, while Beth had to start her life all over again with two young children. She had every right to be angry! But soon, Beth took some decisions that didn’t sit well with me. Becoming an agony aunt and advising people over major personal problems without any professional qualification, using the old Evelyn columns and moulding their advice to new issues, talking about some of the problems shared privately to her ‘Evelyn’ email id with her new friend Catherine and Charlie, discussing Catherine’s private matter with Charlie without her knowledge – all are major red flags. But the biggest irritant was when she engaged in an illicit relationship with a married man, after she herself had suffered because of her husband’s infidelity – ridiculous!

Again, do such women exist? Of course, they do! But so much reality doesn’t suit what is essentially escape-from-reality fiction. I’d have expected such behaviour from characters in a literary fiction exploring the depths of human murkiness. A well-written literary novel would have handled the emotional and moral aspects of this plotline far better, while not resorting to commercial melodrama. So I am not questioning the authenticity of the character portrayal; I am just saying that I didn’t expect such frustrating characters in the women’s fiction genre.

The only four characters who work well in this book are Catherine – who is too forgiving for her own good, the two children Olivia and Jacob – who aren’t afraid to speak up, and Natalie – a surprise addition to this list as she is the woman who slept with the married Rob. I don’t think I have ever included a marriage wrecker among the better characters of a novel, which shows how horrible the rest are.

Evelyn’s magazine column seems interesting, and as many chapters begin with one of her letters, we get a glimpse of her outspoken advice as well as some outdated thinking, thanks to the letters being from the 1950s. The quest for Evelyn has its charm, but I wish we could have heard more from Evelyn herself. Some interlude chapters containing her perspective from the past would have worked wonders. Evelyn’s arc contains a mystery, but this “mystery” is a trope slowly becoming so common in this genre that it doesn’t even feel like a mystery anymore! I wish this particular “secret” wouldn’t be so overused; it will lose its impact soon.

The only good thing in this story is its realistic depiction of what a bitter divorce does to children. It is painful to read, and sadly, not entirely fictional.

I had loved this author’s ‘How to Save a Life’, but the two books I read after that – ‘A Love to Last a Lifetime’ and ‘The World Outside My Window’ – were a mixed bag and a dud, respectively. The rating trend is not improving much, which is really disappointing.

All in all, is this a bad book? Not really. But is it an enjoyable book? Not at all. If you treat this as a story showing all that is wrong with humans AND you can enjoy books with characters whose ethics are non-existent most of the way AND don’t mind some OTT drama, this will work better for you. But to typical women’s fiction readers who are looking for a light or feel-good story, I’d not recommend this at all.

2.5 stars.

My thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Lost Letters of Evelyn Wright”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Oh my goodness, I absolutely devoured this book. I am definitely in the midst of a book hangover because of how much I loved this book. I cannot wait to share it with my patrons at the library because I am sure they will love it like I did!

This was an interesting book to read, as the story was intriguing and a unique concept. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the writing style and I didn't feel myself connecting to the characters very much.
Overall, it was a nice story but unfortunately I did feel it was too long and some of the plot points felt slightly weak.

What a lovely feel good read this turned out to be

The Lost Letters of Evelyn Wright, we 1st meet Beth, newly single mum, who has had to move out of her marriage home so her ex husband can move his new partner in. She’s struggled to find somewhere else to live with her 2 young children but has found a lovely 2 bedroomed cottage, which needs a lot of work.
While the children are staying with their dad she moves in and begins to sort their room ready for them to move in. During the renovations she discovers some old magazine agony aunt letters. This inspires her to start her own little page, helping others to give her something to do to fill her long lonely evenings.
She also takes Evelyn’s advice herself.
I loved the way this story developed and Beth grew into her independent self, she had some bad times where things weren’t going as she would like and she thought she would lose everything but by helping others she also helped herself.

The characters were realistic and relatable and I enjoyed every bit of this story.


Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this title

Apologies for the delay. Enjoyed this story - loved how the old letters brought new friends together. A thought provoking read in places about how we can help others in their time of need.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Lost Letters of Evelyn Wright.

Beth's life has crumbled. After finding out that her husband has cheated and fallen in love with another woman, she has lost her home, her friends, and even her children's desire to stay in her crumbly new house. But the rundown cottage has given Beth a unique gift, letters written to Evelyn, an advice columnist from years ago. Beth can't help but wonder what would happen if she were to reopen Dear Evelyn online, and soon finds herself giving advice to all sorts of people, some she even meets in real life. And when Beth meets the daughter of the real Evelyn, her life opens up even more.

This was sweet, I enjoyed it. I did think it was a bit overdone, I didn't like the dynamic between her and her ex-husband and kids. I was even a little icked by the relationship she had with the romantic interest, but not enough to be completely turned off. It had a lot of heart, but maybe a bit too much sour for my taste.

Beth's marriage has just dissolved and she's forced into starting over. She feels betrayed and is bitter about her situation. Her cheating husband seems to have fared much better from their divorce. He lives with his girlfriend in Beth's old house... Now, for financial reasons, Beth has purchased a fixer-upper in a village a half hour's drive away. Her two children, Jacob and Olivia are confused and unhappy that they now have to share a bedroom and travel between the two homes.

Beth is attempting to renovate her little house to make it more comfortable for her and her children. While doing so, she discovers a cache of old 'agony aunt' letters addressed to "Dear Evelyn". After reading some of them, she decides she will carry on the 'Dear Evelyn' letters, only online, and with a modern slant. She hopes this activity will help her curb her loneliness and fill the long evenings alone.

Her decision brings about new friendships, a new pet, and sees her finding her own way to happiness.

This novel is a delightful combination of women's fiction and Uplit. With themes of parenting, step-families, sexuality and fresh starts, it should appeal to many who like 'starting over' novels that have happy endings.

3.5 stars rounded up for Amazon and NetGalley ; rounded down for Goodreads where the stars have different values