The Saturday Morning Park Run

Another wonderful book from an always must read author for me, Jule Wake.

I think I need to start by saying what a powerhouse of a character Hilda is, she is force to be reckoned with and completely pivotal for everything in the book. You may not think so when you first meet her, with her love of wacky tracksuits, but she is one wily older woman, and has a habit of persuading people do things in, in their best interests, whether they want to or not.

If I was like Hilda when I was older, then I would be incredibly happy, it sounds as though she has loved a colourful life, how much of it was true I think we may never know, and I think many people could do well to adopt her viewpoints on how to live life!

In contrast there are Claire and Ash, who have a chemistry filled meet cute, fabulous night together and then well life changes for them both.

And it's through their changes and development that they turn from workaholics into caring wonderful people. I especially was hooked on how Claire was getting on with looking after her nieces who she previously barely knew, in light of their mother heading off to India with vague promises of when she might be back

Ah then there is the park and the running and well I loved that thread too, although nothing would ever convince me that waking up on a Saturday morning to run 5k is a good idea, I enjoyed seeing how Claire and Ash's relationship with running changed, and how urged by Hilda they hope to set up a local Park Run.

So many various threads running through this story, I loved Poppy and Ava, the nieces, and also Bill, the shaggy carpet dog, and just about everything to do with the book.

It is Jules Wake at her finest and it was a purely enjoyable book to read. I loved it!

Thank you to Netgalley and One More Chapter for this copy which I have reviewed voluntarily, and honestly.

A lovely read that took me on a wonderful journey. Claire reminded me of how I felt 5 years ago when work began to overrun my life and I think this made the journey more heartfelt as I kept reading, as I could really connect with the character.

Jules Wake created characters that resonated, the experiences were relatable and I loved the way they were described so you could visualise as you kept reading. I personally have a soft spot for our older generation so instantly fell in love with the formidable Hilda.

There is nothing not to love about this book it breathes love and how it's never too late to make changes to your priorities. I loved it from start to finish, a total breath of fresh air with a touch of romance sprinkled throughout.

I loved this book, it was great. Ash and Claire meet under one set of circumstances, and then they both have setbacks, and end up meeting again. I love the character development for all the characters: Claire, Ash, Hilda and Poppy especially. I loved the community feel of the story - it starts off with a few isolated people, but by the end, they’re a family, surrounded by a supportive community. There’s also plenty of humour sprinkled throughout the book. I love the way that Claire and Ash’s initial sexual chemistry turned into so much more, and the way they adapted their lives to changing priorities. The story was definitely a page turner, I really got sucked in, and couldn’t wait to see what happened next. I think that’s down to all the characters being so believable and lovable.

Overall, this was a real feel good, heartwarming story, with family and community at its heart. Perfect for getting lost in for a few hours.

I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

The backdrop to this book is the organisation of the first parkrun in an area, and although I've never seen the point of running when a perfectly good fast walk will do, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about it. 

The message embedded in the story is one of community, family and work life balance, and how we sometimes think we know what we want, but when we achieve it we discover it's not as important as we think it is; not if it's detrimental to our mental wellbeing.

The novel is a multi-generational one, and out of all the diverse characters within its pages, I loved the elderly Hilda the best. I really wished the author had divulged her true age though, and whether any of her tall stories were actually true - so now I'm forced to use my imagination!

A lovely, heartwarming story with a more serious message.