It was very interesting, and i ended up really wanting to have tea LOL.
But i enjoyed the characters and their club.

This book was poor.
The storyline was very superficial. The author had failed to develop the plot or the characters.

Such a feel good read! This is honestly such a light hearted and fun book to read at the moment that everyone should put aside their worries for a few hours and get lost in a good, warm, fuzzy book.

A book about loneliness and making friends beyond the barriers of age and class, The Afternoon Tea Club by Jane Gilley is a heartwarming story. The book is told from the perspectives of different characters Marjorie, Stacy, Raymond and Dora, each with her own story. A feel-good book, it is written with a dose of humour and that makes it all the more likeable.

”The Afternoon Tea Club’ is the latest book by Jane Gilley.

Marjorie, Stacy, Raymond and Dora each hold a different story to their chest – lost loves, abandoned dreams, crippling self-confidence issues, and simply feeling invisible. For each of them, the thought of letting those stories out is almost as terrifying as letting strangers in, and that makes for a very lonely life indeed. But when these four strangers who have struggled to “fit in” end up on the same table for an event at their local community centre, little do they know that their lives are about to be entwined and changed forever because of an Afternoon Tea club. Cue an unexpected journey of self-discovery, some unlikely new companions, and plenty of tea and biscuits along the way…

With a simply stunning cover, this book was an enjoyable read about new friendships and the hardship of loneliness. We meet various different people at different stages in life who have all been impacted by isolation whether that’s through family difficulties or a bereavement and how they find it hard to settle back into society.

We meet Stacy, the youngest of the group who’s let her little cat family consume her life so when she has a nasty accident, she decides to turn her life around and make an effort and get to know humans instead of her kitties. Raymond is at a loss after losing his wife, Dora’s heir to a family fortune but is unhappy and alone, Majorie lives with her daughter and has found herself to have turned into quite a cynical person, after years of abuse from her dead husband she’s struggling to interact with people.

The story is seen through the narratives of the characters and really hones in how loneliness and sadness can have a profound impact on people, affecting them in different ways. But with the introduction of ‘The Afternoon Tea Club’ we see, confidence and new relationships blossom and this really does make for tender and heart-warming storytelling.

Charming from the first page, this book is a sweetheart of a story from the very beginning. With relatable characters and situations, injected with humour and warmth, ‘The Afternoon Tea Club’ is a lovely story about the value of friendship.

You can buy ‘The Afternoon Tea Club’ from Amazon.

Having enjoyed Jane Gilley's previous book, I was looking forward to seeing what her new story was all about, and anything with afternoon tea in the title is always good at catching my attention.

During the first meeting of the Afternoon Tea Club I did wonder if the concept was coming across as a little patronising, but once I got to know the main protagonists I was fully involved in this story.

Marjorie, Dora, Raymond and Stacy are unlikely friends at first glance, but thanks to their attendance at the Afternoon Tea Club soon has them forging new bonds.

I really enjoyed getting to know all four of these characters as well as Eileen from the community centre. They all have a great deal of depth to them, and getting to know their backstories and then seeing how they develop is a joy to see.

It really is a journey of self-discovery and finding out that no matter your situation, things can get better, if you just try to move out of your comfort zone.

I really enjoyed reading this book while I was in hospital, and it was a great way for my mind to focus on other people's lives for a bit.

Already interested to see what this author will write next.

Thanks to Avon and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Everyone’s welcome at The Afternoon Tea Club…Marjorie, Stacy, Raymond and Dora each hold a different story to their chest.
Unexpected journey of self-discovery.
I find it interesting read, i can't say that i like it because it's not nice story and kinda dark and weird.
Thank you to Avon Books and Netgalley
Grateful to have been given the opportunity to read this!

Really enjoyed this book thank you. Vibrant, believable, characters and an absorbing plot. I will ensure I look out for this author in the future!

What a dark, unreal, weird and fascinating story this is. I can't say I liked it, I mean, it is not a nice story, but it utterly fascinated me. Exceptional. Some story. A weird story about a small poor clinic somewhere in India, led by a talented but poor doctor 'with a history'. One day a man and his wife and son enter the clinic. They are officially dead, but sent back from the afterlife by an angel. They died in real life being assaulted and robed. In order to enter into real life again due to the 'courtesy of the angel', the doctor needs to operate them. When the day breaks, they will regain life and the wounds need to be controlled...otherwise they will die. Well... weird story isn't it. And it touches on a lot of topics, religion, what does afterlife look like, are there angels, is there a God, how do you live your life, what are your dilemmas, etc.
Utterly fascinating. I did not care much for the operating scenes I have to say, but the rest of the story, yes, yes, recommended. But you are in for a dark ride I warn you!

3.5 Stars - Rounded

Getting older, or finding yourself feeling out of place in the places that you inhabit are common to us all. And this story takes on the task of bringing together several very different people at varying stages of their lives, and giving them the opportunity to interact, make new friendships, and find their way in the world not feeling quite so alone. A brainstorm from a community council worker has turned the center into a tearoom for a first meeting: looking to serve residents. Basically, the forming idea was to dispel loneliness, and everyone we will come to know as the story progresses is lonely. From Marjorie living with her daughter and having become quite bitter after the death of her husband and prone to outbursts that are not very nice; to Stacy who has given her life to ‘house’ eight cats in a tiny one bed flat and never quite ‘keeps up’;to Raymond who is carrying guilt over his beloved wife’s death and lastly we have Dora – never quite finding her place in the family company because she was too busy (at first) being an aimless teen acting out – to hiding a big secret.

Patience, readers – patience. For we are dropped into the story at the first meeting of the tea club – and the sheer number of characters (primary and secondary) and the unfurling of their own stories and how they came to be what they are when we meet is a slow journey, with almost imperceptible changes and setbacks happening with them all. When you take the time to let the story unfold, the voices of each main character will start to sound familiar and distinct, and the questions that each brings to the story will also feel natural and organic.

Slowly friendships start to form as each of the above four starts to make changes in their interactions, share their stories, and see the meetings of the club as something to look forward to – along with a series of other activities that offer different choices for them all. Now, this wasn’t a clear rush to the end, even as the ending did seem to wrap up a bit quickly, but there is time to invest in the friendships and the changes as each character finds a way to come to terms with their niggling issues, and discovers a strength and support in the others. A bit too wordy at times, and with many secondary characters that needed either to be dropped entirely or given a bit more depth, this is a read that isn’t too taxing after sorting out the ‘who’s who” moments – and will leave you with a smile over a cup of tea.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aB7/”> <a> I am, Indeed </a>

The afternoon tea club - Jane Gilley, harpercollins uk


Thank you to Avon Books via @netgalley for providing me with this free digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Afternoon Tea Club by Jane Gilley is a lightweight read, when you want to rest a bit.
To be honest, I expected this book to cheer me up a bit but somehow, it felt bland. Some of the characters really had a tough background story while with others I simply couldn't decide whether there was something more in their past that made them what they are today or not... It felt as if it could have been explained a bit more... The jumping from character to characters story was at times a bit confusing for me as there were suddenly new people involved and I had to go back to make sure I hadn't missed somerhing previously.

I've given it 3 stars, and like I've said if you want something lighter and a fast read than this will do.

Such a cute and inspiring read. AS someone who works with the local authority it made my heart warm at the thought of this actually happening for people who are lonely is amazing.
The story starts off with Marjorie and then as you go along you meet the rest of the characters, Stacy, Raymond and then Dora. You can’t help grow to love each character, they are all unique with their own stories to tell and Jane Gilley has done this superbly.
This book is all about those that are struggling and need a little bit of extra help be it through making friends, going to clubs and even learning how to swim. You see each character go through their own development and grow as people. It was nice to see that each character had their own flaws and they grew as people. They grew not only as individuals but as a group of friends as well.
I will say that this is definitely a cute read and it really makes you think about your family, friends and even your neighbours. It made me really think about being kind to others as we all go through our own problems but with the support of others it is much better.
This is the first book by Jane Gilley that I have read and it was definitely enjoyable, it had so much emotions packed in. You really felt a bond with the characters and they packed a punch let me tell you. The different POVs were done in my opinion cleverly and I wasnt confused by them at all.
A generally feel good book that had me at times choke up with emotion. It made me smile, laugh, cry a little and really want the people to find their own form of happiness. It really made it apparent that even though sometimes life is hard there are always people there to support and bring joy into the world.

This is an interesting book. As someone who works in an job very closely related to the topic of this book, I did like the idea of the story.
I found that the story was a good one, but seemed to take a long time to get anywhere.
The group of newly acquainted people from all ages, seem to cause tension in their first few meet ups of their Afternoon Tea club, then as one thing happens and another, they are all drawn in together and provide each other with the love, companionship and support that they originally were seeking,
The second half of the story flowed quicker and I did enjoy it.
Grateful to have been given the opportunity to read for an unbiased review for Netgalley

I was very curious to see what this book was about. The story covers four very different characters, who all have their own story. Marjorie is Gracie's mother. Her life was tough and she is quite anxious. Stacy, the youngest character, feels lonely. Raymond is an elderly widower who doesn't know what to do without his wife. Dora is 50 years old and she realises she has to settle down. The four of them become friends in this heartwarming book.

A beautiful depiction of female friendship. Really enjoyed this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book so much. It has a really great plot, superb main characters and I read it in one sitting. I would highly recommend this book.

This book was not what I expected when I looked at the cosy cover and title....what I was treated to instead was a story with heart and gumption. As we age the world begins to look different and quite frankly frightening and this narrative bravely tackled ideals that come along with those feelings.

The writing was warm and at times witty with wry humour and although we had many new friends to meet I felt by the concluding pages that I knew them very well indeed. Dark themes of loneliness, domestic abuse, homophobia, problematic childhoods and postnatal depression laced their way throughout the narrative like short bursts of painful memories and I was moved immeasurably by many of the stories that were portrayed on the page.

In all honesty I didn't warm to many of the characters in the opening moments of this story but I was ok with this as I had a sneaky feeling we were on a journey where character progression was concerned. My one main constant had to be Raymond who captured my heart from the moment he enquired on the whereabouts of his date. He was a gentleman from start to finish and by far my favourite character.

The Afternoon Tea Club is a heartfelt and honest look at loneliness and love in all their changing glory. This book brought out many emotions for me but all in all I was left smiling in the concluding pages.

When four isolated strangers meet at a local afternoon tea club they didn’t realise the next year would be filled with new friendships and experiences.

They each are overcoming difficult situations death, domestic violence, lost love, anxiety and the feeling of insignificance. But together, after a rocky start, they discover that reaching out to new people might just be the start of something amazing.

This was such a heartwarming novel about the power of friendship and human connection.

I don't remember what made me choose this book from Netgalley, but I am SO glad that they chose me to be a reviewer of it. I absolutely loved this "heartwarming story of 4 strangers whose lives becoming entwined in life changing ways."
It is nowhere near my normal reading material. I am more of a thriller, horror, murder reader, but this was a lovely change of pace for the holiday weekend wind down. It was sweet and heartwarming and just what I needed for the end of the year to help me focus on my own life in the coming year.
In the Afternoon Tea Club, we meet 4 very different people as I mentioned previously. There's Marjorie, mother of Gracie. She's had a rough life full of abuse by her husband, which has turned to anxiety. Like my own anxiety, hers turns to snapping when she gets overwhelmed.
Then there's Stacy, much younger than the rest. An achingly lonely cat hoarder who hasn't been loved much in life.
Raymond, an elderly widower who has focused much of his life on his partnership with his beloved wife and isn't sure what to do without her.
And finally, Dora, an aimless party girl who, at 50, has finally realized that maybe she should settle down a little.
The way they all become friends is sweet. I love that like loneliness, there is no age limit to friendship. In an age of "boomers" vs "millenials" it's especially nice to see people making friends across generations.
I loved the friendships built among them, but I also enjoyed reading their personal growth stories as well. I may have to start putting down the murder mysteries and start reading more of these heartwarming stories in the new year!

*I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for my review

EXCERPT: Marjorie let out a long sigh. 'Why is life so darned hard sometimes?'

She knew she no longer wanted to continue living as a bitter woman, marred by her past with an abusive husband. Marjorie wanted the chance to live as a woman other people would like to get to know because she was kind and considerate. She certainly realized she would never be classed as a sweet little old lady. But she could start by trying to be better; by trying to unlearn the wrongful message Oliver had taught her with his offensive actions.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: Everyone’s welcome at The Afternoon Tea Club…
Marjorie, Stacy, Raymond and Dora each hold a different story to their chest – lost loves, abandoned dreams, crippling self-confidence issues, and simply feeling invisible. For each of them, the thought of letting those stories out is almost as terrifying as letting strangers in, and that makes for a very lonely life indeed.

But when these four strangers who have struggled to “fit in” end up on the same table for an event at their local community centre, little do they know that their lives are about to be entwined and changed forever because of an Afternoon Tea club.

Cue an unexpected journey of self-discovery, some unlikely new companions, and plenty of tea and biscuits along the way…

MY THOUGHTS: Bland. Like store bought custard.

I was expecting something heartwarming and poignant, something that would make me smile, and cry. Something along the lines of The Last Voyage of Mrs Henry Parker, or The Love Songs of Mrs Queenie Hennessy. I didn't get it.

I should have. We have a wonderfully mixed bag of characters, who never quite come to life. Marjorie, victim of spousal abuse. Stacy, cat lady who never felt loved by her parents. Raymond who is grieving for his wife. And Dora, who has absolutely no idea what direction her life should take. That's not to mention Eileen who has a talent for organising other people's lives, but is ineffective with her own, and her mother Veronica, whose idea the afternoon tea club was.

The writing is flat and simplistic, the characters undeveloped, as is the plot. This could and should have been a touching and emotional read. Instead, I was bored and tempted to abandon the read. This is the second book by this author I have read, both receiving two star ratings. I won't be giving her a third chance.

😒😒

#TheAfternoonTeaClub #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Jane Gilley was born in Nottingham and now lives on the beautiful island of Jersey, with her husband, a rabbit and a Senegal parrot.
Following a career in Interior Design and after writing 6 children's books, Jane now writes adult books full time.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Avon Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Afternoon Tea Club by Jane Gilley for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage