BLOG TOUR: Maybe Tomorrow - Penny Parkes

A story of friendship, possibilities and hope that maybe tomorrow will be brighter than today . . .

Jamie Matson had once enjoyed a wonderful life working alongside her best friend, organising adventures for single-parent families, and her son Bo’s artistic flair a source of pride rather than concern.

She hadn’t been prepared to lose her business, her home and her friend. Not all in one dreadful year.

Jamie certainly hadn’t expected to find such hope and camaraderie in the queue at her local food bank. Thrown together with an unlikely and colourful group of people, their friendships flourish and, finding it easier to be objective about each other than about themselves, they decide that – when you’re all out of options – it’s okay to bend the rules a little and create your own.

What a difference a year could make . . . 

What did I think?

Oh my goodness, Penny Parkes, what a rollercoaster of emotions you have just taken me on; I laughed, cried and everything in between whilst reading this delightful book.

Maybe Tomorrow is set in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and single mum Jamie has been hit harder than most as she lost her business partner and friend to Covid, which led to her losing her job and consequently her home.  Struggling to make ends meet, Jamie has no option but to take a minimum wage job in an artisan supermarket but she has to visit the local food bank to feed herself and her son Bo.

Bo completely stole my heart; I absolutely adored him.  There's nothing wrong with being different and it really annoys me when people try to attach labels to others.  Good on Jamie for standing up for her son and fighting for what's best for him.  She may be down, but she's not out; especially where Bo is concerned.

Friendship and community plays a huge part in the book and it was so lovely to see friendships develop in the most difficult of circumstances.  There are a lot of pearls of wisdom in Maybe Tomorrow and one that stayed with me the most is the fact that it's not a weakness to ask for help.

Heartfelt and poignant, Maybe Tomorrow is a beautiful story that is gently paced but completely compelling and I loved every single page of it.  A highly recommended read.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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UK.Bookshop.org

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BLOG TOUR: Home - Penny Parkes

 

A gripping and heartfelt story about overcoming the past and finding where you belong.

 

Anna Wilson travels the world as a professional housesitter – stepping into other people’s lives - caring for their homes, pets and sometimes even neighbours. Living vicariously.

 

But all Anna has ever really wanted is a home of her own – a proper one, filled with family and love and happy memories. If only she knew where to start.

 

Growing up in foster care, she always envied her friends their secure and carefree lives, their certainty and confidence. And, while those same friends may have become her family of choice, Anna is still stuck in that nomadic cycle, looking for answers, trying to find the courage to put down roots and find a place to call home.

Compelling, rich and evocative, Home is Anna’s journey to discovering that it isn’t where you settle down that matters, but the people you have around you when you do. 

What did I think?

I can't believe that Home is the first book by Penny Parkes that I have read but oh my word I loved it.  I love how the cover of the book perfectly encapsulates the variety of homes in this wonderful novel about Anna Wilson's search for a home to call her own.

Housesitting for the rich and famous sounds like a wonderful job...at first.  Wouldn't we all love to see how the other half live?  Of course the downside of that is moving from house to house and living out of a suitcase but Anna is used to this as her life in foster care saw her constantly on the move.  Anna's backstory has resulted in her stuck in a cycle of moving from house to house, afraid to push the pause button and settle down in her own home in case happiness is cruelly ripped away from her.

I absolutely adored the wonderful character of Anna, from her unwavering professionalism in the face of adversity to her undying love for her friend Kate.  Page by page her story curled around my heart like creeping vines until they bloomed in a torrent of tears at Anna's graduation.  I was so proud of Anna, she felt like my best friend and I didn't even realise I was crying until tears dripped onto the page.  

There are multiple layers to this fabulous story that kept me completely engrossed and totally immersed in the book, as evidenced by my tears.  Home really does feel like it contains the full spectrum of emotions as it evoked so many emotions in me.  Above all I felt incredible gratitude for my own home life and it made me consider how our childhood has the power to influence our adulthood.  

Warm and uplifting, Home is a compelling and surprisingly emotional novel.  It was an absolute delight to read and I'm definitely going to check out Penny Parkes' earlier novels.

I received a beautiful hardback ARC to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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