Review of ‘The Woman Who Met Herself’ by Laura Pearson, due for publication on 23 May 2025 by Boldwood Books.

I was delighted to receive this ARC as I am a big fan of Laura’s previous books. This is another fabulous story, beautifully written with empathy and compassion. This book covers many different emotions, mental health, grief, loneliness, love and humour.

The two main characters both feel ‘lost’ in their own way, one having recently been widowed, the other in a stagnant marriage. When they find each other, their journey to discover who they are to each other is heartwarming and moving, shaping both their futures.

Recommended read.

A lovely, heartwarming book that was easy to read. The story was engaging, with surprises throughout. The pacing was well balanced, and I found the characters interesting and well developed.

The book explores a range of themes, including grief, loneliness, mental health, marriage, and family dynamics. I especially liked how Debbie’s character portrayed kindness and empathy and how she ‘collected’ people.

Overall, the book was uplifting, and I would definitely recommend it. I received an advanced review copy from NetGalley and this is more honest review.

Many thanks to Boldwood Books for the gifted ARC of The Woman Who Met Herself, a novel that explores an impressive range of emotionally charged themes — from motherhood, grief and mental health to identity, loss and healing.

Laura Pearson is an author whose work I deeply admire, and while this novel carries her hallmark empathy and graceful prose, it didn’t resonate as powerfully for me as her previous books. Despite a moving and highly relatable depiction of early motherhood — a part of the story that struck a personal chord — the emotional thread felt more narrated than lived, keeping me slightly at arm’s length. The novel's ambition is admirable, offering something for every reader to connect with. Yet, by addressing so many significant topics, the emotional weight sometimes felt diluted.

Still, Pearson’s talent shines through and many readers will find this life-affirming story both meaningful and memorable.

Sixty-two-year-old Debbie Jones is enjoying her new job knocking on doors trying to get people to sign up to support a local mental health charity. Her life is turned upside down when one door is opened by a woman who looks identical to her.

Laura Pearson has written some wonderfully heartwarming novels. The last two novels have had a slightly mystical theme, with The Woman Who Met Herself the author is back to reality.

The reader is quickly introduced to the two protagonists. Debbie Jones and her husband Richie relocated to Loughborough and then Richie died of a heart attack. Feeling lonely she's signed up to work for a mental health charity trying to encourage people to make regular donations. Ruth Waverly is also sixty-two, is married to Nigel and has two grown sons. Ruth runs a small bakery business from her own home.

It's the knock on the door that sets everything in motion. When Debbie knocks on Ruth's door both women are shocked to see their own faces looking back at them. Unable to process what she is seeing Ruth closes the door, leaving Debbie floundering.

The women are obviously related, and when we learn that Ruth's sons are twins it is clear that the two women must also be twins. The big questions are why didn't they know about the other's existence and why were they separated? It's impossible to turn to family for answers, Debbie's mother died when she was a teenager and she never knew her father. Ruth's father is dead and her mother has Alzheimer's. Working together Ruth and Debbie unearth the mystery of their past and find out about each other.

The Woman Who Met Herself is a story about motherhood and identity. It is easy to understand the confusion both women feel as they wonder about the mothers who raised them. My heart went out to Debbie who didn't have an easy childhood and looks at Ruth with a hint of, understandable, jealousy. Ruth seems to have it all, a comfortable home, a loving husband, healthy and happy sons, and a family she knows. Meeting Debbie forces Ruth to question her life, realising that she can do more, be more. It was encouraging to see each woman inspire the other to step out of their comfort zone.

Debbie Jones, recently widowed, is a door to door charity fundraiser. She is a people person, experienced in dealing with any reaction when the door is opened to her. Apart from the day that Ruth Waverley opens the door, and looks back with a face that is hers, exactly like hers. Both women are surprised, understandably. To give any more of the story away would be a spoiler, so I will leave it there.

Laura brought the characters to life extremely well, I felt that I knew them, that they could have been my friends.

It is a story of envisaging what your life may have looked like, how your personality would have formed, if another path had been yours. Also of learning that even though the grass seems greener outwardly, it isn’t necessarily the case; understanding that there is still time to make a change, it’s not too late.

Laura Pearson writes with great empathy, with a lot of heart. She always makes me wonder how I would react in the same situation. This is a heartwarming book, which I raced through. It is a gentle, light read, just over 300 pages, a book you can lose yourself in for an enjoyable day.

The Woman Who Met Herself is another triumph from Laura Pearson, who is rapidly becoming a go to author for me. The premise for this one hooked me immediately. Debbie Jones has just started a new job going door to door trying to raise money for a mental heath charity as a way to try to get out and about again following the death of her husband a year before, At 62 she is significantly older than her co-workers but she's not going to let that hold her back, One day she knocks on the next door on the street her team has been assigned only for it to be opened by a woman who is her double.
Ruth Waverley is comfortable in her life as wife and mother to two grown up sons, it may not be very exciting but as a woman in her sixties what does she expect? She certainly did not expect to open her front door one day and have the comfortable life she knows turned upside down but that is exactly what happens when she comes face to face with DebbieAs the two women come to terms with the discovery they decide to work together to try to uncover the truth about their relationship and how they were separated and grew up unknowing of each other's existence , a task that is made even more diffiult as the only surviving parent has dementia and is unlikely to be able to help them.
This was a wonderful, heart warming and ultimately uplifting book but it also tackles some complicated issues including mental health and homophobia Both Debbie and Ruth are wonderfully compelling characters, each one facing their own challenges oustide the search for their shared history but many of the supporting characters are also very sympathetic and facing problems of their own . I loved that the author showed that both Debbie and Ruth had full and active lives and seeing them develop a strong bond despite being very different people. The plot of separated twins has obviously been done before and in less skilled hands this premise could have seemed a little fantastic but Pearson makes it very very human and very relatable.
This was a beautiful book and I loved every woment I spent with these wonderful characters.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

The Woman Who Met Herself by Laura Pearson

Ruth is sixty-two years old; she is married to Nigel and has lived in Loughborough all her life. One day there is a knock and Ruth opens the door to see Debbie on her doorstep and she is the splitting image of herself. Even her family cannot believe how much alike they are. But who is Debbie? A long lost relative or just a doppelganger? Ruth’s sister, Kate, does not know and their mother has dementia so she can’t shed any light on this mystery.

Debbie is also sixty-two years old; she is working for a charity knocking door to door when she stumbled on Ruth’s doorstep. Her mother passed away a long time ago so she can’t ask her. Now they must all work together to solve this mystery.

I enjoyed this book very much and would recommend it to anyone that loves reading books that leave you with a warm glow inside.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Boldwood Books for a copy of this eBook in exchange for an honest review.

Joining the blog tour.
Another excellent book by Laura - exploring the nature v nurture issue and family dynamics.

This is a lovely read, a book that sees and shows how people brought up in different ways can still come together and be a family.

Ruth and Debbie are both 62. Ruth has a grown up family, a tired marriage and a baking business. Debbie is a widow, brought up by a mentally ill mother and loves to help others. In a chance encounter Debbie knocks on Ruth’s door and looks into the face she sees when she herself looks in the mirror.

The story of how they move in from this and how they were brought up apart unfolds as told by them both, together with their friends and families. Wonderfully empathetic and with a huge emphasis on reality over a fanciful story this is a hugely enjoyable book, one which feels like both women are going through a journey.

Definitely recommended and as with previous books by the author one which I am sure will be a success.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a brilliant, extremely well written book this is from this author, so much detail and I loved every page.

All the characters were so well described and it was a pleasure to read about them all and follow Ruth and Debbie on their journey. Everything was brought to a satisfactory conclusion and thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for this fantastic ARC.

I have no hesitation in recommending this book.

Debbie works for a charity going round houses trying to get people to sign up to donate. Her husband died a year ago and she loves meeting people and despite being on her own has a very full life. Ruth has a husband and two grown sons and makes cakes for a living and despite all this is rather lonely. When Debbie knocks on Ruth’s door both women get rather a shock- they look exactly the same.

This is a cracking premise and I love that a single woman has been portrayed as the busy one- life is what you make it- one life live it. It’s a story about characters and situations that neither woman ever imagined. Laura has a skill for putting the reader right into the heart of the drama and I loved Debbie especially through her self-determination. It's beautifully written, portraying the two very different women giving a very well rounded read. A wonderful read I couldn’t help but fall in love with.

For more reviews please follow me on X (formerly Twitter) @nickisbookblog

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This is the story of two different women. Ruth, quite reserved, married and a bit of a stickler for the rules. Ruth has never really done anything outrageous in her life but has lived for her husband and especially her two sons, providing all the love she has in her heart.

Then there is Debbie, a much more outgoing woman who has recently lost her husband. Debbie tends to live her life by how she feels, she is not constrained in her thinking or her lifestyle and lives life her way and on her terms.

One day these two women get the shock of their lives when they inadvertently meet and neither life will ever be the same again. From a simple knock on someone’s door these two women come face to face, and this is then the basis of this story which I have to say I really enjoyed. I liked discovering the complexities of these two women and this is one particular angle I felt the author did an exceptional job of, I felt like I really got to know them.

Soon these women will know each other extremely well and what they will learn will change their lives dramatically in more ways than one. We will follow their ups and downs I do not want to say too much more as I think you should let the story unfold by itself and just enjoy the ride. This is a big change for me as my usual genre is crime and the darker the better, but it was nice to change direction for a little while and curl up and see where this story went.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions expressed are my own.

Another fantastic read from Laura Pearson. Ruth is an ordinary mother of grown up twin sons a husband and a small baking buisness she runs from home but one day her life changes forever when Ruth a charity worker knocks on the door and is shocked as she finds herself looking at a mirror image of herself. As the story unfolds it is both beautiful and tragic with lots of emotions that pull at your heartstrings, beautifully written and keeps you gripped from the beginning and you won't want to put it down.

Another great novel from Laura! A really lovely story about two sisters and how they become friends and family. Love, loss, children, husbands and most importantly, the meaning of family.
Loved it! Thanks Laura

I wanted to like this book but sadly it just wasnt for me and I struggled with it.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

“The Woman Who Met Herself” is by Laura Pearson. I really liked the premise of this book - what happens when you meet someone who looks just like you. Is it a twin? Is it a doppelgänger? Is there some odd magical realism rip in parallel universes? That part I found interesting - along with the women trying to figure out what happened. But while that was rather fun, this book wasn’t what I expected. There is a lot of narration - and a lot of telling not showing. There are also a lot of side stories and, honestly, I felt this book was just way too “one note” for my enjoyment - it plods on, neither merrily nor sadly, but just goes on. There are side stories - that seem to take away from the main focus, yet round out the characters, but - I don’t know, it just didn’t work for me.

For the most part, I enjoyed this book However, I felt there was way too much detail and side stories. At times, the author seemed intent on telling us what was happening instead of showing us. There was too much narration for my taste.

However, I really liked the premise, which was unique, and I also liked watching each of the twin sisters grow and change after they found one another and opened up to a new sisterly relationship.

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

4.5 stars. Laura is my go to writer for heartwarming “slice of life” stories, and this one starts with two women bumping into each other on a doorstep, having no idea the other one exists… and yet they are clearly identical twins. What follows on is the story of how they and their families adjust to this, how both women change as a result of each other’s influence, and how it’s never to late to make changes to your life…

It’s heartwarming and I loved Ruth and Debbie - I’d recommend this if you need a hug in book form.

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

I have read al, of the authors books with this one being my favourite, I loved how this book was set in Leicestershire a place that I used to live, I loved the story and all the characters and without giving any spoilers away I would say Ruth is my favourite character in this book, this book touches on Alzheimer's and having worked with people with this condition for 4years the author has done a good job mention this in the book

I wish the author all the best with this book and thank you to NetGalley &the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for this review

I absolutely loved Pearson’s The Last List of Mabel Beaumont, so it was no surprise that this one was a great read as well!

I love the premise: imagine your doorbell rings, and when you answer it, you and the person standing there are both equally shocked to see someone who looks exactly like you.

While this is a relatively quiet novel, it is never boring. I loved that Debbie’s life, while seemingly lonely without a spouse or children, is actually the fuller one given her remarkable ability to connect with and care about people. I enjoyed spending time with both women, and loved seeing Ruth come into her own.

Notable quote:
‘“God, Mum. Why? At this stage of your life?”
What does he mean by that? If you’ ve managed to get to this point, you might as well just stick it out until the end, like a fairground ride you’re not enjoying but which can’t be stopped partway through?’