This book is such a refreshing delight! Just as one of the main characters, Claire, is told that she needs time out from her career because otherwise the stress will permanently damage her health, this is the perfect time out for anyone wanting an escape and a thoroughly enjoyable read! It will give you a real feel-good injection!

Claire and Ash literally bump into each other quite by accident and the immediate attraction is mutual. But life happens … it’s messy and it gets in the way. Claire is so focused on her work that she barely notices her ill health until she’s absolutely forced to. And when she finally takes that step off the hamster-wheel that her life has become, she realizes that she doesn’t actually know much about what goes on around her. She’s been living in her little coccoon, not noticing much else.

But when you take the time to smell the roses (or the coffee – big focus on coffee here, I loved it!), it’s amazing that your life takes turns for the better. Suddenly your life starts to take on a whole new meaning that you didn’t even know you were looking for. That perfection you’ve been striving for all along, might be ok, if there’s a bit of messiness thrown into the mix. It’s really not always a bad thing. You meet new people, who you initially think you can’t stand, but who you quickly come to see that you actually quite like! And then those people start to teach you things about yourself that you never even knew!

Life’s funny like that!

I loved the interaction between Claire and Hilda … in fact I just about loved everything about Hilda (and let’s face it, Claire needed a bit of a shake-up). She’s no-nonsense and a whole lot of sass for her age, and she’s of quite a tidy age, not that it bothers her. She’s not going to waste time sugar-coating things, so just keep up, buckle up and enjoy the ride! I think for me, the most important theme was that of community and how bringing people together creates the most amazing bonds. You think you’re doing something for yourself, but then it turns out to be so much bigger than that. You end up paying it forward in ways you could never even imagine!

I’ve never read any of Jules Wake’s books before but will definitely be going back to look for her previous titles. This gets a glittery 5-star thumbs up from me. There’s so much doom and gloom going on around us that it just puts a big smile on my face to read a heartwarming and uplifting book like The Saturday Morning Park Run – and no, it’s not just because I read it from the comfort of my couch, with copious cups of sweet tea, while I was reading about people doing exercise!! How can you even think it!!

This book was a delight to read. It has humour, romance, heart-warming moments, great characters and even a dog in need of a home! I found that I totally bought in to the friendships which develop between Claire, Ash and Hilda. Connecting across the generations seems easy in this story and there is a real sense of chance bringing people together at just the right time.
Starting anew, taking a look at work/ life balance and second chances are themes which run through the whole story between all the characters. You feel that it is never too late to make changes. Claire is immensely likeable and easy to like. I also enjoyed Jules' writing style which strikes just the right tone. There are some lovely visual pictures conjured up. I particularly enjoyed the ride to the Dog Shelter in Ash's Porsche which was bursting at the seams. The whole story makes you think about what is important and how a community can come together.

In short: Family and community
Thanks to the author for a copy of the book

4.5 Stars

Uplifting, heart-warming and wonderfully feel-good, Jules Wake’s latest novel, The Saturday Morning Park Run is a fun, poignant and irresistible romantic comedy readers will thoroughly enjoy.

Workaholic Claire lives and breathes her job. Completely and utterly dedicated to her profession, Claire has made sacrifice after sacrifice and worked every single hour and every possible weekend she can for the sake of her career. Claire simply cannot imagine her life without her job and she would sooner give up breathing than her career. But is working hard enough? Should Claire step away from her desk and actually think about all that she has given up for her job? All the money and back-breaking work she has been putting in is certainly not making her happy, but could the fulfilment she seeks be found in the most unexpected of places? And with people she would probably not have given a second look to as she was simply too busy and too driven to get to work to take time out to smell the roses and appreciate the small things in life?

Hilda might not exactly be in the first flush of youth, but she refuses to let her old age get in her way. Escaping the old people’s home for the park never fails to improve her mood and to lift her spirt and to remind her that life is for living – regardless of how many candles one blows out on their birthday cake! When a twist of fate propels her into the path of workaholic Claire, the last thing Hilda expects is to form a bond with someone who is so completely different to her. But the two women might have more in common than they initially realise as they discover. Both women are lonely and needing a friend to confide in and rely on in times of need and a tentative friendship is soon formed between them.

The last couple of weeks have been nothing if not unpredictable for Claire, but no longer burdened by stress and deadlines, she begins to feel alive for the first time in ages – thanks to her new friend Hilda, a scruffy dog, two little girls in need of a family and a handsome stranger who makes her feel things she hasn’t felt in a long time.

Will happiness ever be within reach for Hilda and Claire? There is really only one way to find out…

A heart-warming tale about friendship, community and the ties that bind us together, The Saturday Morning Park Run is a joyous, captivating and enjoyable romantic comedy guaranteed to leave readers with a massive smile on their faces. A delightful tale full of wonderful characters, touching romance and laugh-out loud humour, Jules Wake’s The Saturday Morning Park Run is a fantastic romantic escape readers are simply going to love.

A fabulous story about found family, community, and the joy of little things.

When Claire quite literally runs into fellow high-flier Ashwin, the sparks are immediate and intense. Fast forward one month, and it's a completely different story. Ghosted by Ash, sent home from work with stress, and manipulated into caring for her nieces, a despondent Cliare has no idea that the only place to go is up.

I absolutely loved how this story really focussed on Claire realising her life was uncomfortable and unsustainable, and subsequently learning how to pick battles and set boundaries. Her identity, once bound up in her job, becomes multi-faceted. She honestly finds a new lease on life.

Despite the focus on Claire, the romance with Ash is both believable and charming. He is supportive and caring, but very much an individual with his own character arc, and when he screws up, owns it. In fact, all of the supporting characters - feisty old Hilda, and Claire's nieces Poppy and Ava - get growth and have their own story to tell. The only character I didn't like was their mother and I dare anyone who reads the book to disagree.

The prose is light and fun, the challenges entertaining but not insurmountable. If you want a feel-good found family with romance and dare I say it, running, please give this book a go.

Five stars.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley; all opinions are my own

I love the storyline of the organization of a park run, the first one in the area, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The underlying message in the story is balancing family and work and a community. We sometimes feel that we know what we want, but when we actually achieve it, we discover that it just is not as important as we first believed. I enjoyed how it is written as a multi-generational book. As excellent and diverse as the well written characters are, I enjoyed the elderly Hilda the most. I was left wondering what her true age was, and whether any of her tall tales were, in fact, true! This was a lovely, feel good story that carried a more serious message. Well done, Jules Wake.

I would like to thank Jules Wake, One More Chapter and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a free and honest review.

I addicted to books by Jules/Julie and as her stories are simply delightful and heartwarming however this one is just magical.

Take a lost and lonely bunch of people (plus dog), one forceful older lady and a park and what do you get? An emotional and inspiring novel about love of all kinds.

Although there is a romantic plot to this novel, it's not that simple to describe.  This story highlights how at some point in our lives, we all need to seek out help and guidance for a variety of reasons including loneliness, stress or in place of something lost.  But also, that we can often be the person who may bring that help into the lives of others.  This message is such a powerful one and it really made me think a lot about how I could help and support others but also,  where can I seek that support when needed. I love the sense of community woven throughout the plot and at the end I felt uplifted and inspired.

Each of the main characters have their own battles to deal with and I am certain most people can identify with at least one character.  Claire was a workaholic to the point of being ill and this is one I know I can often begin to resemble.  I loved Claire's journey as she began to reassess her priorities in life and what she wanted and I was overjoyed by her choices in the end - I love that Jules did not change her extensively but made small changes to bring her 'back to life'.   My favourite character was the feisty Hilda - bringing everyone together with purpose and some interesting life stories.      

This is an adorable novel with a serious message and I was smitten by every page.  It's heartwarming and I defy you not to fall in love with each character by the end (well..almost all).

What do you get when you have a stressed-out accounting exec, a down-on-his-luck mechanical engineer, two lovable nieces, a straight-talking, matchmaking fairy-godmother, and a hairy carpet dog named Bill? A delightful Jules Wake novel, of course.

I became a big fan of Jules last year when I read the fun and cozy Notting Hill in the Snow. How thrilled I was to review another of her new contemporary romances.

Claire is a solutionist, a listmaker, an organizer, and a ball breaker. Until her independence, and her reluctance to ask for help catches up with her. Her doctor orders her to take a month off of work to de-stress and bring her blood pressure down. Enter her free-loading and irresponsible sister, Alice who gives Claire no other option than to take care of her 11-year-old and 5-year-old daughters while she gallivants around India. What did Claire know about kids? And what part of de-stress did Alice not understand? When Claire meets the feisty Hilda, a resident of the local elderly home, her life starts to change for the better as she discovers running. Unknowingly…or not, Hilda reunites Claire with Ash, the arrogant sod who dumped her after a one-night stand and who has some problems of his own. In typical Hilda fashion, she has given Claire and Ash a mission to start a Parkrun in Victoria Park. Will it bring them together again, or is Claire done giving Ash chances?

Who wouldn’t love Ms. Wake’s amusing and engaging characters? Claire really does need a break. It was exhausting just reading what she was accomplishing each day. It’s just a job and she has no friends because of it. With Hilda’s and Ash’s help and the love for her nieces, Claire makes some meaningful and extraordinary changes in her life that are poignant and heartwarming. Not to mention Claire’s notable accomplishment of helping organize the Saturday Churchstone Parkrun. A great feat in itself. As for Hilda, her outspoken and take-charge attitude is exactly what everyone needs to realize what they are missing when it comes to friends and family. Of course, the sexy and charming Ash makes up for his past mistakes by being supportive and loving toward Claire and her family as well as a great friend to Hilda.

I love this feel-good book with its superb humanistic elements and realistic themes such as job burnout, depression, single parenthood, and abandonment. Ms. Wake has a wonderful writing style that pulls you in and immerses you into a finely honed story that cleverly brings together a lonely group of characters who find a lovely happily ever after. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who loves heartwarming stories with endearing characters and enjoys participating in Parkruns in the U.K.

Thank you to Ms. Wake for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

This was a fun read. I loved getting to know all the characters, and it hit just the right notes to make all characters real, but lovable. This novel is about friendship, romance, and family, and helps a reader remember to take time to smell the roses...and maybe join a park run! There were maybe two parts in the plot when I thought events felt a bit disjointed or unlikely, but not enough to pull me out of the narrative.

"Last night, after everything had been done, the three of us had snuggled on the new sofa under velvety soft blankets and watched the Dragon Prince, which, despite claiming it was too young for her, seemed to have absorbed Poppy just as much as Ava. Another memory to be stored in the fabric of the house for as long as it was mine."

4/5🌟s!

The Saturday Morning Park Run by Jules Wake Reviewed August 9, 2020 3 stars

Although not my typical genre, the title totally had me.

This is the story of two women ~ Claire, a hard working career looking for adventure and Hilda, an elderly lady who is looking for purpose.
My husband has been a marathon runner for years, now he and his marathon running friend do a walk in the park every Saturday morning. So I felt I could totally relate a bit to this!

In addition to the sweet story, I totally love the credits at the end of this novel. The page that states … You will also love…
…In the mood for even more effervescent fiction?
This had me laughing out loud. True those of us who live in a small town have different values.
Living in a small town near Los Angeles sounds like ~ What? True have all the hustle and bustle of living near a mega-metropolis but we have small town values and activities. Although we don’t have a Saturday morning Run in the Park we do have )or have had) Wednesday evening “Concerts in the Park”…fun family picnic style event. Unfortunately just as the author mentions in the Acknowledgements the pandemic has put the Parkruns on hold but we know that we have community spirit and will survive!

Want to thank NetGalley and One More Chapter for this early release granted to me in exchange for an honest professional review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for August 28, 2020

I always look forward to a new book by this author and I really enjoyed this one.

Claire and Ash are both high flying workaholics but an abrupt change in their circumstances leaves them both floundering. A chance encounter with a feisty pensioner Hilda has them reassessing their priorities and trying to find the perfect work life balance.

A heartwarming story of family and friends with nice touches of humour and great characters which was a quick and easy read.

Favorite Quotes:

What did you say your name was again? That’s the downside to being old:butterfly brain. By the time you get to my age, it’s so full of stuff, I lose things in there.

‘Yes, although Frank – he was number three– wasn’t official; we never married but everyone thought we were, until his wife turned up at the funeral. Was a surprise to me too.’ Her greying eyebrows beetled up to her hairline in exaggerated horror.

‘I’ll wear my best tracksuit. The white one with the red gofaster stripes down the side… I save it for special occasions.’ I bit my lips trying to suppress a giggle as my mind goggled at what sort of special occasion merited an Adidas-style tracksuit.

‘Penny is lucky enough to live next door to me, where I bring light and sunshine into her life.’ Penny laughed and put her arm around her friend.‘ Is that what they call it? Plenty of gin, I’d say.’

I forced my legs to go a little faster, I was going to overtake him. I think my head must have been flooded with hallucinogenic endorphins because the Chariots of Fire music was playing in my head and every competitive bone in my body had suddenly sat up and taken notice.


My Review:

This was a fun and entertaining women’s fiction story with large chunks of family drama and a little bit of romance. The Saturday Morning Park Run was my second taste of Jules Wake’s clever word skills and will be back for more as she is a gifted storyteller. I found her writing style to be lively and engaging while her descriptions are vibrant and amusing while covering all the senses. The story was slowly developing and shrewdly plotted with lashings of humor and profound insights and observations. I adored it and have added her entire listing to my TBR.

I addition to providing me with pleasing and clever amusement, Ms. Wake added to my Brit Words and Phrases list with chanced his arm – which means to do something risky. I can’t wait to use it on my Brit friends.

No matter under which guise she is writing as, Jules (or Julie) is one of my absolute top ‘read-their-book-above-all-others-ASAP’ authors. I will happily toss all other books aside to read the latest one from her. Favouritism? You bet but when the books make you as happy and a million miles away from real life problems as these do me then you’d be the same.
Following Jules on social media I know how she has been involved in park runs, all credit to anyone who does them because I couldn’t but I love the idea of them and the whole social/spirit of them. Jules’ love of park run shines through this whole book. The positive light shed upon the finer details, the inner workings of getting these events put together really does wonders and almost made me want to head out in trainers… It is a wonderful side to this special story that really is about making people appreciate their lives, skills, and opportunities in a different way.
With some wonderful characters that will cement a place firmly in your hearts, The Saturday Morning Park Run would not be the same without the treasure that is Hilda. Everyone will rave about her but its deserved, she is a powerhouse and the one that ties everything so nicely together. I wish I had a Hilda in my life... maybe I should hang around a park bench a little more often!
I love Claire and Ash. Our lead characters: we meet them at a place in their lives where both seem on top. They are both killing it career wise, they have the flirty, hot chemistry and both know what they want from life. Typically, everything changes, both end up in unexpected positions and through some helpful Hilda intervention they start to realise their previous lifestyle may not be all their hearts desired.
Claire gets to look after her nieces Poppy and Ava, whilst providing some fun moments, their relationship develops and becomes so special that, in parts, it almost had me in tears.
With overriding ideas that family can be made up from those you chose to have in your life; this heart-warming read will leave you feeling happy, emotional, and potentially ready for a run.
I always champion Jules’ books, they are brilliant and I recommend them as I genuinely love each one. I wouldn’t pick a favourite but this is up there.
A gorgeous, engaging charm of a read.

What an absolute treat! This is my first Jules Wake Book, but it won’t be my last. Claire is a workaholic. Claire meets Ash, they hook up, and don’t plan on seeing one another again. Claire has some health issues attributed to stress and her boss orders her to take a month off work. Now Claire has lots of free time with nothing to do. That is until Claire’s sister drops her nieces Poppy and Ava off on her doorstep. Claire meets Hilda at the park, runs into Ash again, and starts learning what living is really about

Such a delightful story about the family you choose. Claire was a great character who I was definitely cheering for. Hilda was an absolute gem. Seriously we all need a Hilda in our lives she was just so full of energy, passion, and hope. The little girls Ava and Poppy added some sweet whimsy to the story. Love how the romance developed between Claire and Ash, thought they were very well-suited for one another. Such a heartwarming story with a positive message about how people need other people. Really appreciated the message of community and wish we cared a little bit more about community and a little bit less about ourselves especially right now.

This book in emojis 👩🏻‍💼 🏃🏻‍♀️ 🐶 💞

*** Big thank you to One More Chapter for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

Loved this book. Claire is a high flyer but doesn't have much of a private life she meets ash on a commute to work they meet for meal and you believe it could be the start of something lovely but all of a sudden both of there lives get turned completely on there heads.
Claire gets left to look after her 2 young nieces while her sister alice finds herself abroad and ash loses his job. After a chance meeting in the local park with a lady called Hilda there lives are about to become intertwined again and both will gain a new insight into how life could be.

A fab read.

Every time I read a Jules Wake or Julie Caplin book I think: "This is the best yet.' So THIS is the best yet!

I loved everything about Claire and Ashwin's story, including the insightful handling of their issues with work/life balance. The elderly and quirky Hilda (I think I want to be her when I'm older) is a wonderful character and the two little girls, Poppy and Ava, just leap from the page. I read the book over two evenings. I did try to go to sleep at one point but then picked my Kindle up again because I just had to finish the book.

I'm just glad that Jules and Julie write so many books so that there's never too long to wait for the next.

I am a big fan of Jules Wake / Julie Caplin's novels so was delighted to get an advance copy of this. It's a real ode to friendship and the deep bonds that can be created between friends. I thought this would work great as a bookclub book.

This book combines a story of family and personal difficulties with love and friendship, not to mention running. Well written and easy to read, perfect for a wet afternoon. I’ve now searched for my local park run and have decided to give it a go. Well done Jules, getting me off my sofa!

I see I’m in the minority with only giving it 3 stars. This book started out very slow and it didn’t grab me until I got to 50%. I found myself skimming through a lot of the beginning and the middle. This was just ok. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book so much!

We are introduced to the main character Claire as she is making her way to a very important meeting at work. Claire is a workaholic and is hoping to become the first female partner. She literally bumps into Ash at the train station and we see the sparks fly with the chemistry between the two of them. After one very steamy night together, Claire is hoping for more with Ash – but he goes silent on her.

Returning to the main love of her life – her job, Claire soon realises she just isn’t coping and after a trip to see her GP, is signed off work for a month with stress. Claire worries how she will cope with all the time off and what she will do with her days. Her sister runs off to an Indian retreat, leaving her two girls Poppy and Ava with Claire to take care of. She begins to re-evaluate her life and work out what is really important. Meeting Hilda, a mysterious old lady in the park one day, inspires Claire to start running. Hilda becomes a huge part of her Claire’s life. So it would seem Ash too, who also seems to have fallen under the spell of Hilda. Ash has lost his job.

The three of them fall into an easy daily routine. Ash and Claire for a run with Hilda watching on. Hilda comes up with the idea of starting a park run, with the help of Claire and Ash of course. What follows is a lovely story of determination to see the park run succeed, as well as a close family unit forming. Claire, Hilda and Ash all work together to help look after Ava and Poppy.

WHY I LOVED THE SATURDAY MORNING PARK RUN

The Saturday Morning Park Run is a beautifully written story of life, friendship, love and more importantly family. Jules has written the story with love and compassion, showing that a ‘family’ isn’t just people who are related to you. I feel that everyone should read this book to understand that it really is the people in our lives that matter, and at this very difficult time, its so important we all remember and hold on to that.

I have a little confession to make.  Although I have all of Jules' books on my ever growing 'to be read' mountain, I have only managed to read a couple of them.  I read the synopsis for 'The Saturday Morning Park Run' and it certainly sounded like a fabulous read.  I enjoyed this book so much and now I have reminded myself of how flipping awesome an author Jules is, I can guarantee that her other books will not be on that 'TBR' mountain for much longer.

I loved the characters of Claire, Ash and the formidable Hilda, who meet in the unlikeliest of circumstances.  I guess that I felt drawn to Claire in a sense because we have similar life experiences.  Let me explain, about a decade ago, I started a new job, gave it my all and the stress from said job literally damaged my health to the effect that I had a breakdown.  Claire doesn't quite get to that level but she realises that her work is affecting her health, but it's only when her GP signs a fit note (or not fit in this case) that she realises just how much work has dominated her life.  The more she does, the more that is expected of her and the more stress she places on herself.  As a result, she is forced to take a step back, reassess her life and work out just what is important in the grand scheme of things.  Claire literally bumps into Ash and a bond soon starts to form between the two of them.  Ash hasn't had it easy either.  As for Hilda, well she is one sassy, plain speaking, formidable game old bird.  She might be old in body but she isn't old in mind.  The unlikeliest of circumstances brings the little posse together and I enjoyed watching their friendships flourish.

'The Saturday Morning Park Run' was an addictive read.  I would pick the book up only intending to read a couple of chapters to fill in the odd half hour but I would become so absorbed in the story that I read for a lot longer than a couple of chapters.  I tried to pace myself as to how much I read at once, so that I could prolong my enjoyment of the book but I ended up enjoying the story so much that I just couldn't stop reading.  I managed to read the book in just over 24 hours, which for me is pretty good going.  I usually have the attention span of a gnat and I am easily distracted but not when I read a good book, which this one certainly was.  I charged through the latter half of the book and all too quickly I had to bid farewell to Claire, Ash and Hilda, which I was genuinely sad about.

'The Saturday Morning Park Run' is brilliantly written but then I think that to be true of all of Jules' books that I have read to date.  She creates adorable characters and gives them storylines which at one time or another, we will all relate to having found ourselves in similar situations.  I love the way in which Jules' describes her characters so realistically that they seem just as real as you and I.  Jules has one of those writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with.  Reading one of Jules' books feels more like a chat between friends than reading an actual book.  I felt as though I was part of the story myself and that's all down to Jules' very vivid storytelling.  I was gripped by the story from start to finish.  'The Saturday Morning Park Run' was a delight to read.

In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The Saturday Morning Park Run' and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers.  I will certainly be reading more of Jules' work in the future.  The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.