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The Kicking the Bucket List – Cathy Hopkins
Posted on April 2, 2017 by Kate

Iris Parker is a badass Mum who leaves a lasting legacy for her three floral-named daughters Fleur, Rose and Daisy when she realises that she is dying and her girls need to be there for each other.

In order to claim their inheritance, the girls who have drifted apart over the years, have to spend a weekend together every other month in an attempt to re-establish their relationships. Organised by their late Mum, Iris has it planned down to the finest detail and each meet-up is accompanied by a video message from beyond the grave.

This is such a lovely premise to set this story of loss, love, grief and the importance of family. I absolutely adored this book! Each of the daughters has their own secrets and watching them deal with the loss of their Mum and slowly reveal these secrets and rebuild their relationships with each other was at times heartwarming and others heartbreaking. I cried more than once and laughed out loud even more. As someone with two sisters I could totally relate to the bickering, banter and closeness like no other. There is also some genuinely helpful life advice from the ultra-wise Ivy; Mum really does know best. Cathy has written this so well!

In the spirit of no spoilers I will simply add that I knew he was a douche right from the outset. If you’ve read it, you’ll know who I’m talking about. Psh. Shame on him.

This is a truly gorgeous book, a perfect spring read and gets a perfect five cwtches from me. Get it here. Thanks to the lovely publishers for my review copy, you’re lush.

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Tagged book, cathy hopkins, cwtch up, kicking the bucket list, Review

A lovely read, warm and fuzzy. A good debut. If you like the charm of Dawn French then you'll love this. A mixture of poignant, funny, sad and delight, all in one read. Ideal for a follow up.

a lovely book with an unusual, interesting theme. 3 estranged sisters follow the bucket list their mother planned before her death in order to rebuild their relationship. The book shows differing types of love- the love of a mother for her children, sisterly love and the good and bad love between men and women . I was really upset when i finished the book, the theme could go on and on.....

I loved this book. I literally couldn't put it down. The idea that you could still see and hear your. Mother after her death via. video and she loved you so much to want you to do a bucket list, steals my heart. It's such a perfect idea for a book, for real life actually, I can't believe we don't all do it.

Thank you for writing this book, it was in the moment for me and helped me over a slightly roughish patch. I think we all need reminding sometimes of how important love and happiness are and that they should be our top priorities however much other stuff gets in the way.

This book was a wake up call for me, a personal mantra to repeat. Thank you for shaking me awake,

Please read and devour this book it's too important not to.

Dee, Fleur and Rose are three sisters and completely different to one another. After three years of no communication, even their mothers death can't fix the rift but their mother has devised a plan beyond the grave. In order to get their inheritance, the sisters must spend six weekends together for a year completing tasks organised by their mother. Will this help them reconnect?

This was a sweet and fun book and one that was a nice, easy read. I liked that all the characters are so different to each other but I also liked that they were aged 46+ and had already lived full lives but were ready for a whole lot more and still had lessons to learn. There are some great laugh out loud moments such as an embarrassing sex moment for Dee regarding fanny farts which had me snorting with laughter. I did find some of the plot a bit predictable and it had an About Adam feel at one point. I also read The Alphabet Sisters by Monica McInerney last year and the plot was also quite similar with three sisters not speaking to one another. The ending of this one didn't hit me quite as hard as that one though, but I don't think I had quite an emotional connection with that character anyways.

One thing I didn't like in the book was at one point Rose called Dee and Fleur "retarded" when they were laughing about a joke she wasn't happy about. While this might not end up in the completed, physical version of the book l do feel like we're at a point where these kind of slurs don't need to be used any more. Dee also compares the sisters' Zumba class to a "special needs outing" at one point as well.

I'll be honest, this book wasn't what I was expecting at all. I was expecting a storyline that was centred around the 'typical' bucket list and somewhat predictable. However, what I actually got was a novel that had me in absolute hysterics one moment, to then finding myself ugly crying the next, whilst also having some incredibly bold and unique characters thrown in for good measure. So you see, sometimes judging a book before you have even read it, can be a good thing. After all, we all like surprises, especially when they're good ones like this!

Dee, Rose and Fleur were expecting a bog standard will reading. You know, letters from the deceased read out, inheritance (if any) spoken about and other wishes discussed, ending with a signature from all those involved. Snigger, that was NOT what they got. There was a condition attached to any inheritance money, as laid out via the deceased's wishes. All three ladies have one thing in common; they have all lost their mother. The deceased, their mother, has one thing which trumps her daughters ten times over; she was their mother and she knew them better than they even knew themselves. Therefore, mummy knows best, right? Especially as the three sisters haven't exactly been bosom buddies over the years...

Iris Parker is a L-E-G-E-N-D! Her last wish to her daughters via her will, had me in absolute hysterics! I totally envisaged all three daughters faces at the news. In any other circumstance; such as the sisters getting on really well, it probably wouldn't have come as such a shock to them, nor would I have found it as funny. But, because they couldn't stand the sight of one another and one of them really needed the money, Iris Parkers last wish was an absolute belter.

Obviously, I forged my own opinion of Fleur, Dee and Rose, I always do. At first, I disliked Rose with a passion. Her stuck up nature and arrogance riled me up the wrong way, I'm sorry to say. I adored Dee as I found her personality incredibly warm and soft natured, even though she was incredibly bouncy and energetic. As for Fleur, I kept changing my mind with her. One moment I liked her 'company' and found her humour to be quite similar to mine, yet the next moment I struggled to bond with her as she came across a bit self-centred and far to free and easy about a lot of things.

The weekends the sisters had to endure were a mixture of events, some being funny and some being rather thought-provoking. Despite the weekends being their mother's 'bucket list', the three women couldn't seem to open their eyes to what was directly in front of them, nor could they see further than the money. However, watching the sisters go on their journey of self discovery by reminiscing and trying new things, was such an emotional one. Even though the ladies refused to see further than the inheritance money at first; watching them get to the point where things started to make sense was an ingenious idea on the authors part. Without even realising it, their mother had given them an incredibly powerful gift which, unfortunately, they seem to realise far too late.

Because most of Cathy Hopkins' book was light-hearted and turned the negative circumstances into positive ones, when the dynamic of the storyline completely changed my hand flew to my mouth and my eyes began to sting. You know what I mean, yeah? Think of this; you're reading a storyline that seems to make you laugh more often than none, has such an important underlying message to it yet all of a sudden....WHAM. Every single thing you thought you understood, you no longer understand and it's made you far more emotional than you thought it would. Does that make sense now? Good, because that's what happened to me when I read the last third or so of the novel.

The last third of Cathy Hopkins' novel also gave her characters a well needed kick up the backside, too! I hadn't realised how invested in the storyline and the characters lives I was, until that moment. Dee, Fleur and Rose's relationship finally decided to mosey on down the path that their mother clearly knew that it would, Iris just had no idea under what circumstances/weekend or event, that that would happen.

I bawled like a baby, no lie. I was absolutely devastated by the turn of events! I couldn't keep a lid on it, AT ALL. Yes folks, it surprised me too. It was as though I was feeling their emotion first hand.
I LOVED 'The Kicking the Bucket List' from the moment I read about Iris' last wish, right until the very end of the book. The attention to detail in regards to the sisters personalities, was unbelievable, I have never read a character like those before. Incredible realistic and more than just words on a piece of paper. Those ladies stole my heart (yes, even Rose), and I took their hidden message. There were highs and there were lows. Good times and bad times. Funny moments and absolutely hilarious, sexy snorting moments. And you know what? It was absolutely brilliant. Cathy Hopkins has written such a clever and unique storyline, putting a twist on the usual 'bucket list' by making it her own.

Don't be like Dee, Rose and Fleur and leave things too late. Don't break a close relationship thinking that you have all the time in the world to fix it again. You don't. Go and do those things that you want to do before you end up being in Iris' position. Although to be honest, Iris is an absolute genius. So is Cathy Hopkins, especially as she has written her own 'Ten Steps to Happiness' at the very end. Definitely worth a read.

Completely unexpected and surreal, Cathy Hopkins novel is definitely one of my most favourite books of 2017 so far.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins

The Kicking The Bucket List by Cathy Hopkins is an amusing contemporary read about love, family and relationships. It is also a study of grief. "Grief is like standing on the edge of the ocean. Some days... it's manageable. Other days... it blasts like a tsunami." Grief can be all consuming as one adjusts to a new 'normal.'
The novel follows three sisters over a year. Each one is unique. The relationship has been fractured. Can they rebuild as they unite in grief?
There are many themes and as well as studying grief, the novel is a study of life. "Life isn't made up of what is thrown at you, it's about how you react to it.". The novel is a study of hope. A study of the past, present and future. It will make you smile. It definitely made me laugh out loud. And it will make you cry.
Life is about love, laughter and families. The Kicking The Bucket List will make you realise that life is not about money. At the end of the day, life is about love and belonging. My favourite line was "Home is where my books are" and really sums it all up. We all need a place where we feel comfortable and loved.
A marvellous novel set on location in London and S.E. Cornwall. It was refreshing to read about familiar places. We have had many holidays in Looe in Cornwall so I recognised the location straight away.
A fabulous read.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

I loved this book and have posted a review on Amazon UK and Goodreads.

Not really my kind of book, but I'm sure it will do well.

Wow .. this one hit a few nerves, and then some. It is the story of three sisters, adults in their own right, who don't mix together anymore and their mother's 'last will and testament' - The Kicking the Bucket List.
This is both uplifting and sad, but most of all the characterisation is so very, very good. Rose, Daisy - or Dee as she prefers - and Fleur really come to life on the page and it a novel which you close with a sigh of satisfaction at a good book well read.
I do have two sisters who I don't get on with (and no, not running to establish contact any time soon) but the honesty in this tale is remarkable. Such a worthwhile read.

I received an arc via Net Galley in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

I loved this book, it was easy to read but not frivolous, as it addressed some important issues around relationships, grieving and coping with loss.

I would happily read a follow from this book to see how the characters develop

A great read the book was well written and easy to read .. I felt every emotion reading it . it was a laugh out loud book and the next minute it was a tear jerker . I highly recommend this book

The story is about three sisters, Rose, Dee (Daisy) and Fleur, who find that will only inherit their mother's estate in a year and only then if they agreed to meet up for six weekends and spend time together doing whatever their mother has planned for that weekend. This is their mother's attempt to bring the sisters back into a close friendship as they've all gone their separate ways in recent years and are barely communicating with one another.

It was a fun premise but I found the execution a little dull with little to interest me in the characters or a plot. It started to feel a little like a 'self-help' book at one point with weekends being devoted to topics such as 'exercise', 'volunteering', 'mindfulness' - all part of Mind charity's 'Five ways to wellbeing'.

I found the end quite rushed and was left wondering what became of Dee long-term and the house she so dearly loved. It was as if a chapter was missed off.

This is a lovely story, albeit about death, and grief, and siblings drifting apart once they have left home. Iris has died, and left her estate equally to her three daughters, Rose, Fleur and Daisy; but they will not receive their inheritance for a year. In order for any of them to inherit they have to spend a weekend together every two months, so six weekends over the year, and all of these weekends have been planned out for them, with activities throughout the weekend, some lovely, pampering and fun, some decidedly less so. The sisters seem to have nothing in common any more, and although they all agree to commit to these weekends in order to receive their inheritance it is for very different reasons, and they are all keeping secrets from each other. Over the course of the year they gradually relax and become fairly close again, but it is not until the weekends are done that something happens that brings them properly together.
The story is told mostly by Daisy, but there are parts told by Fleur and Rose, and the mood changes depending which of them is speaking. It has romance, happiness, laughter, a lot of anger and some intense sadness, which I read through my tears.
It is a well-written book, very well worth reading.

Iris has created a kicking the bucket list - but the list ironically is not for her to complete before she dies.

It is in fact for her three daughters, Rose, Dee and Fleur to complete in the space of twelve months following Iris' death. Iris sees it as a way of bringing her daughters closer to her, despite her being gone and also to show them that whatever may be going on in their lives that they ultimately have each other. For Iris, their estrangement has gone on too long, it cannot go on past her death.

The stipulation of this list is that they cannot claim the inheritance until after the twelve months has passed and they have completed all of the tasks.
It is going to be a tough year for these three women. Rose is the eldest, controlling, critical, organised and very uptight, she is hiding something from her sisters. Dee is about to lose her home and any sort of base she has ever had, she cannot find the man to make her happy. Fleur is a flighty as her name suggests to me, although successful she is alone and without any real purpose.

Will the tasks that their late mother has left them, show them what life can really be like?

The tasks are very wide-ranging and seemingly come out of nowhere, but all of them when looked at together are there to enable them to reflect. However, despite their late mother's hope and messages in setting all of this up, it seems as if the three sisters are never going to get on.

This is a book which has a bucketful of emotions in it. At times you are going to laugh, to cry and to stop and reflect about your own place in the world and the relationships you have within that. It also makes you realise that you really do not know what is going on in people's lives, especially those close to you and perhaps all it will need is five minutes to reconnect.

As an only child the dynamic between the sisters is intriguing and engaging as a storyline and I have read books using a similar concept to the plot, but this one was captivating and kept me reading. Well worth a read.

This book made me cry a little and it also hit a nerve, that we don't know how long we have and why should we hold on to grudges, especially among family. I loved the characters and the 'adventures' they have.

This is a book which should be read by anyone who has siblings, cousins or parents! It's witty,, poignant, and thought provoking. The characters are well composed and, almost as important as the book, is the epilogue - ten steps to happiness. This is a book that will stay with you long after you have finished reading it.

What a beautiful heartwarming read i loved it it was so nice to read such an amazing book full of so many different emotions what a wonderful read

Enjoyable book about three sisters. The author gave a good interpretation of how siblings can be driven apart by character and circumstances, and how it is possible to live an independent life but also have family, too.

When Iris finds out that she is dying she is desperate for her daughters- Rose, Dee and Fleur to become close again. She leaves a set of instructions that they must follow to get their inheritance which mean they need to spend 6 weekends together completing a bucket list!

They are resistant to meeting up initially- but Dee is more in need of her inheritance than her sisters and manages to persuade them to meet up and find out what their mum planned for them.

They have a wide variety of activities mapped out for them - some are more enjoyable than others- but the relationship between them shows no sign of thawing. Some of the plans that their mum had drawn up had me quietly chuckling away.

All three sisters are concealing heartbreak or troubles of their own- but Dee is keen to build bridges with them to try and regain their close bond. You can feel the emotion when the three sisters watch the video clip at the start of each of their challenges and feel their pain- but also the comfort from seeing their mum speaking to them .

I did enjoy this book - although it was sad at times.