What a touching story of hope, healing, friendship and fresh starts! Frankie Nightingale Begins Again by Emma Davies is such a warm and beautifully delivered beacon of love. The author’s own compassion shines through for those who have been abused, injured, wronged or disadvantaged in some way and even sometimes left homeless. These are heart-felt drawn main and supporting characters that you cannot help but fall in love with as they are good hard working people who have been dealt a tough hand yet still try to make the best of their unfortunate circumstances.

The story is told by four individuals providing a well-rounded view and in depth look at each of their lives. When Frankie, Beth, William and Tam come together, something in each of them clicks. Over time, an unbreakable bond of friendship forms. They encounter a number of challenges but are there for each other through thick and thin. This is a perfect example of selfless support.

I loved observing the interactions between the characters. Frankie is at the heart of the lot: the magnet in the middle. The bakery where she works becomes a lighthouse, a place of rescue and reprieve for those she meets and connects with on a deep personal level. The help, food, advice, comfort she provides is admirable and when she is faced with a difficult decision and must look fear in the face, her friends stand by her.

In time, we see why Frankie has fled her husband to start her life again. It has given her time to reclaim and rebuild herself—collect all the pieces she lost in a bad controlling marriage. After meeting, helping and engaging with her three new friends, she is able to grow and re-establish her confidence and realise her dreams. I loved Frankie’s strength and good heart. And Beth was lovely, too. Her support and determination in helping her physically injured husband are admirable. But she has to learn a few things too (and she does!). Beth is a nurse so she is more than capable in the caring department but she needs to let her husband continue to hope and maintain his dream. He wants to re-establish his farming passion. And yes, it is a tall order due to the loss of his mobility. But there are solutions for that!

Tam was such a sweet and caring person, too. and it is easy to see why Eleanor (patient in the care home) loved him. The surprise at the end was delightful and really lifted my heart! And then there is William who became an amazing helper for Frankie in her darkest hour. Their connection deepens over the course of the novel. He becomes her shelter but also an equal partner for he accepts her for who she is—unlike her husband who was always trying to change her into the image he wanted. Her husband’s personality comes under scrutiny and is well explained through Frankie’s psychoanalysis of the situation when her mind is clear. There are some great conversations between her and her husband that give us a true picture of what she was up against and why she left him. I love it that she stands her ground! The new Frankie is bold and victorious!

I highly recommend this enthralling uplifting story that shines with the power of friendship, support, love for our neighbour, and shows what can happen when we lend a helping hand. I recently read an online article that people who are kind and compassionate towards others are happier, have better physical and mental health, develop stronger relationships and feel more connected to humanity. These acts of kindness can break loneliness and isolation patterns. It helps the giver feel a sense of purpose: that what they do can make a difference. There is also a ‘reap what you sow’ result. The giver often becomes a receiver. As kindness may come their way, too (as seen in this novel). I believe this story demonstrates all these things in a big way.

Without question, get Frankie Nightingale Begins Again and read it. It will fill your heart with hope and light. The little cafe in the novel is truly for ‘the lost or the lonely, the needy or the invisible’ but it reminds us of the importance of friendship and the need to spread the sunshine of kindness to those around us. This novel is a sparkling star in an often too dark sky. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the ARC.

This book is a treasure. Each character is a heart-felt creation of the author who clearly understands the human need for love and friendship.

Frances Nightingale (aka Frankie) has arrived at midlife after leaving an emotionally abusive husband and beginning to rediscover her sense of self, hence the new name. Working at night in a bakery, she embraces the darkness and the quiet as a time to reflect and begin to dream of the future based on her own preferences and choices. Through a series of events, she meets three other people – each struggling with their own disappointments and failures – who support each other in their efforts to turn their lives around. The story reflects the power of relationships, the joy of a chosen family, and of the opportunity for second chances.

This is my first exposure to this author, and I am deeply impressed by her sensitivity and compassion, looking beyond surface appearances and celebrating the goodness of each character as they redeem their lives and their livelihoods.

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.

A wonderful story about new beginnings, friendship and found family.

Frankie is rebuilding her life, baking at night and sleeping during the day. When William, Beth and Tom arrive in her life, they all realise how much they need each other.

Beautifully written, with wonderful characters who have found themselves in difficulties, generally through no fault of their own. They are all trying to help themselves with no outside help, but the story shows that everyone needs help every now and then. A truly lovely book, highly recommended.

This is a book with so much heart and soul, and I absolutely loved reading every page! The title indicates that Frankie is beginning again, but the other main characters are also beginning again-- Tam, Beth (and her husband), and William too. I loved how the characters came together and were there for one another starting with small kindnesses and then becoming larger waves of compassion and understanding.

Their stories are immensely readable, and full of vivid description- both physical and emotional. This is a book that I would like to read a few more times!

Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and publisher, for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Loved this book! Will friendship and love help Frankie to move on from her past and embrace her future? Or will she have to leave the bakery for good?
Read in one sitting. Couldn't put it down. Definitely recommend. 5*

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

This is the story of five peoples struggling to stay above water, both financially and emotionally. All work the night shift, all are at risk of redundancy and all are lonely and struggling to make ends meet.

Frankie, in her mid-fifties, has run away from emotional abuser husband Robert and runs a bakery for owner Vivienne. Beth is a nurse and her husband Jake is an ex-farmer who now sits in a wheelchair after an accident. William, 52, works as a nightclub bouncer and has a criminal record. Tam, 49, a former horticulturist, works in a care home after bankruptcy and lives in his car.

Then, one by one, they meet each other by chance, with Frankie's bakery the main drawing point, and this extraordinary story of friendship, kindness, hope and second chances starts to unfold. There is a lot going on in these people's lives but now they have others they can lean on.

"So now… now that I’m awake during the night, I find it easier to be the person I think I am, rather than the one I always pretended to be. Trouble is, pretend too often and you forget who you really are."

Most of these characters are people society would rather forget about - the unhoused, the disabled, the reformed criminals, the victims of gaslighting partners. Nevertheless, this isn't a dreary story, in fact, it is full of emotions and hope - hope for love, connections, new beginnings, better times. The cover is gorgeous but the title puts too much emphasis on just one character instead of the whole group. The ending is maybe a bit too neat to be believable, but trust me, you want to wish all the good in the world on these lovely people. Highly recommended as an uplifting read.

Es una historia sobre cinco personas que aparentemente no tienen nada en común. Aunque viven en la misma ciudad, nunca se han conocido; se dedican a cosas diferentes, tienen edades distintas y sus caminos no se han cruzado, hasta que un día no pueden dejar de encontrarse. Poco a poco, nacerá una amistad que superará todos los obstáculos, y juntos se ayudarán con sus problemas.

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Fue un libro muy lindo; me encantó cómo todo se dio de forma natural. Todos los personajes eran solitarios y sobrevivían por su cuenta, pero cuando se conocieron, todos se sintieron seguros porque habían encontrado a su familia.


Me hubiera gustado que Jack también tuviera povs.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.