Oh, Eddie. I have a place in my heart reserved for geriatric heroes, and Eddie takes center stage.

Working at the local charity shop, Eddie is a spry, funny, charming ninety year old who has never been kissed. And despite worrying it might be against the rules, when he empties a box of donated items and comes across something personal - a photograph, a diary, a piece of jewelry, Eddie takes it home to his Eddie shelf, unable to toss it away.

One day a young woman comes in, with her pink hair and box of donations, Eddie senses something, and from the items he retrieves a book of drawings and a pair of well loved Converse. He believes she will be back for them when she’s ready.

Instead, when she comes back and he sees her outside the shop, he speaks to her. And then Eddie and Bella become fast friends. When he shares his secret, Bella becomes sure she can help him find a kiss.

What happens is an unraveling of Eddie’s past and, to a degree, Bella’s future, as it’s told in dual timelines.

This is a friendship so pure and tender, with pockets of laughter and love, and a sprinkling of heartbreak. We learn of Eddie’s first love, a married woman with whom he shares a delicate friendship, and Bella’s first real and true love who died too young.

It’s hard to explain just how utterly engaging and lively Eddie is, but it’s impossible not to fall in love with him. He’s grateful and happy to be alive - no bitterness or anger or feelings of having missed out. He’s just happy.

And reading his story will make you happy, too.

As Eddie says, “Old. Just like everyone eventually becomes, if they’re very lucky.”

Harper Perennial eARC
What a sweet story about Eddie Winston. He's a ninety year old man that wants to experience his first kiss. This book was just so tender. I love books that remind us that old people are still fully fledged people with wants, hopes, and dreams. I think the author does such a great job at creating characters that are so easy to root for. Like Leni and Margot, there is an intergenerational friendship at this books core, and I adored how Eddie and Bella worked together to help each other. This book does have some sadness, but there is also joy and laughter and lots of learning. This was such a sweet book, and I just loved it.

Thank you so much @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of Eddie Winston is looking for Love by Marianne Cronin. Eddie is a quirky and endearing 90 year old who works in a shop in England where people donate things after cleaning out the homes of loved ones who have died. He goes through everything, and has a collection of things (such as unsent letters) that are meaningful and that he thinks maybe he can somehow connect with the intended person. Eddie fell in love with Birdie many years ago; she was married so they never got together. But he never forgot about her. He meets Bella, a young woman who is mourning the death of her boyfriend. The two become unlikely friends, and teach each other a lot. The story is about their relationship, and how they help each other grow and move on. I love this type of story with unexpected friendships and older people finding meaning in life. Great story to read around the holidays too. #netgalley #advancedreadercopy #eddiewinstonislookingforlove #mariannecronin #bookstagram #friendstolovers #lovetoread #booklover #reader #bookblog #fictionreader #bookreview #bookrecommendation #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #readallthebooks #booksbooksbooks #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #booknerd #whattoread #readingtime #bookaddict #ilovetoread #ilovebooks #needtoread #readallday #intergenerationalstory

I received a complimentary copy of this book "Eddie Winston is Looking for Love" and all opinions expressed are my own. It did take me a bit to get into the story. It was heartwarming and I loved the friendship that Eddie and Bella had. Overall good book.

The pure joy it would bring to my life to have an Eddie Winston to picnic with in the park.

Marianne Cronin’s ‘Eddie Winston is Looking for Love’ has been such a highlight read this year. The quirky, yet lovable, characters and unique plot are the pure definition of “a breath of fresh air”. With its dual POV and dual timelines, this novel will leave you with a goofy smile on your face one minute and tears welling the next.

At 90 years old, Eddie Winston is in search of his first kiss, a kiss he has been saving since meeting his true love while at university. Eddie is the type of individual who puts others needs before his own and can find friendship in the most unlikely ways. Bella, a twenty four year old dealing with an immense amount of grief, is able to find joy in life again with Eddie by her side. The pair complement one another in ways they both could never have predicted.

I’m looking forward to reading Cronin’s previous novel, ‘The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot’!

Thank you Marianne Cronin, Harper Perennial, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I would say almost every chapter of this beautifully sentimental book made my eyes tear up, and almost led to uncontrollable weeping. Eddie is an endearing protagonist - readers will appreciate every aspect of his life as he works in a thrift store recovering and saving the love stories of others and the occasional guinea pig which he renames Pushkin. Eddie forms an unusual friendship with Bella, who donated her dead boyfriend’s belongings. An undeniably lovely novel full of nostalgia, longing, and so much love.

More:
Get your tissues ready, and be prepared for a beautiful story full of love and longing for a first kiss that was missed. Be forewarned that this book deals with grief and missed opportunity.
We flashback to why Eddie was never kissed as Eddie meets a young woman named Bella who recently lost the love of her life.
Their unexpected friendship takes us on a journey through their pasts as they hope for more love in the future.
Eddie works in a thrift shop where he recovers sentimental items as he searches for the locker that symbolizes his love story- a perfect setting that builds nostalgia and context for this story.
This was a beautiful novel that will be universally loved - I will be reading The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot on my break. Marianne Cronin will be an auto-read author from now on.

QOTD: What is your favorite sentimental or tearjerker story? 🥺

#eddiewinstonislookingforlove #sentimentalbook #grief #currentlyreading #amreading #newbooks #bookstagram

Marianne Cronin had a way of bringing together very different and diverse characters as both entertainment and a learning experience. Eddie is 90, Bella is 24 and other characters every age in between teach us that you are never, ever too old to make new friends, learn new things, fall in love or fund your soulmate. Every person's "junk" is someone else's treasure and vise versa. Life is full of amazing, quirky characters and if one takes just a small moment to smile, say hello or give them a compliment, you can make someone's day and it costs nothing. Will Eddie or Bella or any of the other wonderful characters we meet find love? Read it and find out.

I wasn't sure what this book would hold, but it stayed with me after I finished the last page.

Eddie Winston is 90 years old and a gentleman we don't see anymore. He volunteers at a charity shop, and he meets Bella, a 24 year old who is grieving her love.

They develop an unlikely friendship, and Bella realizes at 90, Eddie has never been kissed. She sets about to remedy that in the most charming of ways.

This book has a bit of mystery, a lot of heart, and was just delightful.

Thank you to Harper Perennial and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #EddieWinstonIsLookingForLove #MarianneCronin #HarperPerennial

The main character of this novel, Eddie, is 90 years old has never been kissed. He works at a thrift shop where he saves personal things he thinks might have been donated in error, and that’s where he encounters Bella, a young 20something woman grieving the death of her boyfriend. And this unlikely intergenerational friendship just might save both of them, as Bella encourages Eddie to look for love even at his advanced age. Interspersed through this present day section are chapters from the perspective of a woman named Bride during the 1960s - Eddie was in love with her and though she loved him back, nothing ever happened because she was married.

This was just a sweet, heartwarming book sure to be loved by those who love intergenerational friendship books. I can’t lie, I didn’t cry as much as I did at Cronin’s first book, The Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot (one of my most memorable book cries ever), but it was an emotional and sentimental read.

If you are looking for a feel good book that is light as your last book of the year, this is a good one. In this novel, we meet Eddie Winston, a 90 year old man who have never been kissed. There is the one who got away. He meets a young woman, Bella, who is down on her luck at the charity shop where he is a volunteer. Bella lost her fiance. They become friends and Bella makes it her business to help Eddie get that first kiss.
There is good character development, as we get to know Eddie and Bella. It is just a nice, charming read. I highly recommend it, not only because it is a feel good novel but we can really feel the friend ship grow between this old man (though young at heart) and this young woman.
4.5 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this wonderful novel in exchange for my honest opinions.

Marianne Cronin in her second novel brings you this inspiring and moving story of found friendship and finding love when you least expected it.

Eddie is ninety years old, has live a good life one filled as a university lecturer, a romantic, positive and compassionate gentleman; a man that has yet to have his first kiss. He spends his retirement days volunteering at a local charity shop combing through donations of other people lives – he even squirrels away some that he feels that are important and might need returning. He works at this charity shop in hope of finding a lost locket of the woman he once loved but could not have for she was married to another.

It is through this charity shop he meets Bella. Bella is a young broken hearted woman that has recently lost her boyfriend – the love of her life and just cannot bear to have his belongs anymore.

Eddie Winston is Looking for Love is a beautiful and heartwarming story that takes looks at what the compassion of a true friendship can do to remind each of us that you are never too old or young to move forward with your life without forgetting those you left behind. It is a story of hope, dealing with grief, disappointment and embracing life –and the ending is joyous. We all should have an Eddie in our lives.

Thank you, Marianne Cronin, Harper Perennial and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Eddie Winston was a lot of things. He was a ninety year old retired professor who now passed his time in a charity shop. He was the caretaker of an antisocial guinea pig named Pushkin. He was a romantic who enjoyed reading romance novels. And now, he was looking for his first kiss. After a young women donated her dead boyfriend's belongings to the charity shop, Eddie was inspired to find love, and this was his journey.

I jumped at the opportunity to read this new release from Cronin. She gutted me in the best way with The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot, and I wanted to experience more of Cronin's storytelling magic. Rest assured, Cronin has once again won my heart with Eddie Winston Is Looking for Love.

The star and heart of this book is Eddie Winston. I immediately fell in love with this kind, gentle soul who was brimming with compassion and warmth. The whole concept of his "Eddie Shelf", a space where he stored items donated to the charity shop by those grieving a loss which they may want again someday, perfectly illustrates the way he cared for others.

When Bella arrived at the shop one day to donate some items, Eddie could sense her pain. He gently offered her comfort and a beautiful friendship was born. Eddie may have been older than Bella's grandparents, but they were still able to connect with each other in such a meaningful way. Their friendship was one of the highlights for me.

There were also flashbacks which chronicled Eddie's first, and perhaps, only love. It helped me understand why Eddie was 90 and never been kissed, but also left me aching for him and what could have, should have been.

Cronin penned a spectacular tale of love, friendship, and connection which really touched my heart. She has a true gift for writing cross-generational friendships and older characters who are multi-dimensional. Eddie's story put so much sunshine in my heart, and I can still tap into it just thinking about him. Eddie Winston is a true treasure who I felt so compelled to protect at all costs. I hope everyone will take this opportunity to meet Eddie and root for him while he searches for love.

This story was so sweet. I really enjoyed it. The story was a bit somber, but gave me hope for brighter days ahead. I really liked the main characters of Bella and Eddie and their friendship with one another.

This book is a delight. I really loved how the friendship between Eddie and Bella developed throughout the novel. I also loved how Edie's backstory was slowly revealed throughout the book. The chapters are pretty short, so if you're looking for a quick, heartwarming read this could be a good fit!

** I received an e-ARC from NetGalley/Harper Perennial in exchange for an honest review.

Mark your calendars for this upcoming 12/31/24 release! This author seems to specialize in heartwarming cross-generational friendships between quirky and kind people. Please see my 5-star review of her prior novel, 100 Years of Lenni and Margot: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

In her newest novel, we find a man near the late stages of his life still thinking about a special woman from when he was a younger man, even as he enjoys positive friendships and a generally happy life. Each person in his life has special stories to tell related to romantic love. This is a sweet story to kick off the new year with and I hope author Marianne Cronin enjoys as much success with this new book as she did with her last one. 5-stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper for the pre-release ARC!

This novel is one of the best books I have read this year with the most appealing protagonist, 90 year old Eddie Winston. After a career as a university lecturer, Eddie works in a charity shop, often saving items not worth money but would have been meaningful to those who donated. Bella donates a box, and when she returns to the store, Bella and Eddie begin a friendship that will deepen over time. Bella, a young woman who has withdrawn from her life, and Eddie, will steer each other towards a fuller life. The story is heartwarming, funny, and will stay in your heart. Highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This is a sweet book about friendship, aging gracefully and love. Eddie WInston is 90 years old. He works in a charity shop in Birmingham, England. He has no family but strikes up a friendship with Bella, a grocery store clerk whose boyfriend recently died. Eddie has never been kissed, so Bella helps him on his quest for his first kiss. Eddie does have a love from his past — Birdie, a married woman who he worked with in his youth. They never acted on their feelings, but he still thinks of her.

This book was just a little too sweet for me. I liked Eddie and Bella, but the premise of looking for a first kiss at 90 was just too much. The writing is good, but I couldn’t stop rolling my eyes at times. No spoilers, so I won’t tell you why but it was over the top for me.

3.5 stars.. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Eddie Winston Is Looking For Love by Marianne Cronin is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and moving books I have read this year.

It simply fills your heart with happiness. Although it tells the sad stories of the characters...full of losses and struggles...it is a read that will leave you with a smile on your face by the end.

The book tells the story of Eddie Winston, a 90-year-old man who never had his first kiss. Eddie works at a charity donation store, where he meets Bella, who at 24 lost the love of her life and brings his belongings to the store where Eddie works. An unlikely friendship blossoms between them and they both seek to heal each other's lives... Bella to get over her late fiancé, and Eddie to find love after Bridie Bennet broke his heart when he was young.

It is beautifully written... I genuinely didn't know whether to cry or laugh in some parts as it humorously touches on topics that can be quite sensitive and painful.

LOVE LOVE LOVEEEEE the characters. Eddie Winston stole my heart. With her pure and joyful soul, her unusual fashion style, and her positive outlook on life.

It is a story that undoubtedly provides testimony about the power of friendships (regardless of ages) and how we can find love in the most unexpected places.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for my honest review. I had high hopes for this novel, but, unfortunately the reality is that I found it to be boring and quite frankly a little bit unrealistic. I may try more books by Marianne in the future though.

Cronin's debut, The One Hundred Years of Lenni & Margot, was a favorite the year it came out, so I was excited to have the opportunity to read her sophomore novel before publication. 90-year-old Eddie Winston has never been kissed. When 25-year-old Bella donates her dead boyfriend's things to the charity shop where Eddie works, the two become friends. Eddie helps Bella's heart heal, and Bella is determined to help Eddie get on the dating scene as he pines for his lost love from 60 years prior. I really enjoyed this book; Cronin is an expert at writing the multigenerational friendship story I so loved between Lenni & Margot, which we find again here. There were a few side storylines that felt unresolved and unnecessary, but overall I loved this.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free review ARC.