Sarah Turner

Book Review: On The Edge by Sarah Turner

Posted on by Libby Price

I have thoroughly enjoyed Sarah Turner / The Unmumsy Mum’s writing – both on social media and her books – the most recent of which was her wonderful debut novel Stepping Up. When I heard that she had a new book out – I was delighted to bag an advance review copy from Net Galley. Here’s the blurb:

“Sometimes, in order to move forward, you need to go back.
Joni’s always felt like an outsider in her blended family, and as an adult she’s done all she can to avoid them. The only person she’s remained close to is her beloved Nana.
When Nana dies, she leaves behind something unexpected: an itinerary of pre-arranged activities for the whole family to complete over the course of a week. After years of trying but failing to bring Joni back into the fold, this appears to be Nana’s parting shot. After all, nothing says ‘family bonding’ quite like abseiling and ballroom dancing.
With marriage and kids on the horizon, the life Joni’s always dreamed of is finally within touching distance. The last thing she wants to do is revisit the past.
But Joni’s about to discover that a lot can happen in seven days. Nana’s Week of Fun is about to change everything…”

I really liked Joni from the off (although *potentially* this is because there were some similarities between us! I did a maths degree and Joni is a maths teacher. I like to be organised and plan, and I have been known to suck the fun out of things by trying to do them *right*. My kids still haven’t forgiven me for turning various historic art trails around Birmingham into military operations to ensure all exhibits were seen and photographed.) But I digress – back to Joni! Her lovely Nana has passed away, and has left a series of tasks for the family to do in order to release her ashes and will. Joni feels she ‘has’ to join in and do it – even when her waste of space boyfriend of 10 years, Lewis, bails on attending at the last minute. Joni clearly isn’t close to her Dad, step Mum and step siblings – so isn’t looking forward to it at all.

The book follows their week of family bonding – and various twists and turns. I LOVED the WhatsApp group messages. Nana’s friend Sue is fundamental to these – and was brilliant (in my head, she is very similar to Joyce from Richard Osman’s ‘Thursday Murder Club’ series). I also enjoyed the relationship between Joni and her step brother’s adopted son Stan (and his friend Bilbo) – I felt this was fundamental to the whole book.

Whilst there is a potential new love interest for Joni in the hunky instructor Tim – the complex blended family relationships are far more important to the storyline, and you begin to understand how decisions made many years ago have affected everyone’s lives. Whilst the truth is difficult – I was pleased for everyone that it came out (honestly, I sound like they’re my personal friends rather than characters in a book!)

This book had a lot to live up to, as I’d just finished a Mhairi McFarlane book that I’d adored – but I need not have been concerned, Sarah has written a book equally as fantastic. Her eloquence on family life and grief was beautifully portrayed – with clever wit and humour right through it too. Not often I give 5 stars on Net Galley – let alone back to back 5 star reviews for 2 books – how spoilt I feel at the moment!

Thank you to the aforementioned Net Galley, the publishers and, of course, Sarah for a really lovely book.

Book Review: Stepping Up by Sarah Turner

Posted on by Libby Price

I’ve read previous books by Sarah Turner in her guise as ‘The Unmumsy Mum‘ and loved them – and I follow Sarah on social media too – so when I knew she had her first fiction book coming out, I hopped onto NetGalley and was chuffed to get an advance review copy.

Here’s the blurb:

“Beth has never stuck at anything.
She’s quit more jobs and relationships than she can remember and she still sleeps in her childhood bedroom. It’s not that she hasn’t tried to grow up, it’s just that so far, the only commitment she’s held down is Friday drinks at the village pub.
Then, in the space of a morning, her world changes.
An unspeakable tragedy turns Beth’s life upside down, and she finds herself guardian to her teenage niece and toddler nephew, catapulted into an unfamiliar world of bedtime stories, parents’ evenings and cuddly elephants. Having never been responsible for anyone – or anything – it’s not long before she feels seriously out of her depth.
What if she’s simply not up to the job?
With a little help from her best friend Jory (purely platonic, of course …) and her lovely, lonely next-door neighbour, Albert, Beth is determined that this time she’s not giving up. It’s time to step up.
This is a story about digging deep for strength you never knew you had and finding magic in things that were there all along.”

I absolutely LOVED this book. All of the characters had something going for them – and you were rooting for them all, especially Beth, from the outset.

Now I knew Sarah would write about parenting a toddler brilliantly – and she did exactly that. Ted was a very believable little boy – innocent, but questioning; a distraction for everyone, but also a nightmare when he had a meltdown. In fact all of the relationships were written incredibly well – the sneaky teenager Polly – who was different with her Aunt than when she was with her Grandparents, Beth’s relationship with her parents – and with her best mate (Jory – purely platonic – apart from that one night in Winter 2015 that almost changed things……..) and the blossoming friendship with her octogenarian new neighbour Albert – who types his text messages ALL IN CAPSLOCK.

One minute you’re laughing out loud at something – the next you’re weeping – but isn’t that the sign of a brilliant book?

I loved the way that without even realising it, Beth became indispensable in a way she’d never been before – highlighted in Ted’s new bedtime routine, and how he needed Auntie Beth to put him to bed.

The scene at Polly’s parents’ evening had me giggling – a real catalogue of errors – but the relationship between Polly and Beth changed so much during the book, it was lovely, and really believable.

Sarah also wrote about grief incredibly well – and I suspect some of that is from personal experience too, as I know she lost her own Mum when she was a teenager. One bit really struck me – as it was exactly what a friend said after her son died, she hated the first New Year’s Eve because it felt like she was leaving him in the previous year and everyone else was moving on. Beth voices those same worries about the changing of the years.

There are various twists and turns as the book develops, and it doesn’t conclude in a ‘and everyone lives happily ever after’ way – but it definitely leaves you with lots of hope. I’d REALLY like to know what does happen to everyone, as I feel really invested in their lives!

The book is out in March 2022, and I would highly recommend pre ordering it – it’s fabulous.

A massive thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC – and to Sarah Turner for writing such a great book in the midst of a global pandemic and the home schooling nightmare!! It’s not often I give 5 stars on NetGalley – but I am for ‘Stepping Up’.