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This is a lovely novel that holds many surprises, some mysterious and some comical. Leslie Choyce, author of “Broken Man on a Halifax Pier,” is a prolific and well-received author who has the chops to weld together disparate story ideas and come up with an entertaining read that doesn’t stretch the old brainpower too far.

A foggy morning finds out of work fifty-five year old Charles Howard sitting at the pier and morosely thinking about his future. Of course his regretful past of being swindled out of his money and his present state of impoverishment are uppermost in his mind and things look as gloomy as the atmosphere. Along comes a mysterious and appealing woman who seems interested in his difficulties and a strange attachment is born. They strike up a friendship in which her money and companionship become a salve for Howard’s broken spirit.

On the spur of the moment they travel in her fancy automobile to his childhood home, a rugged fishing village he abandoned after graduation from high school. She feeds him and pays for their accommodations. In such luxurious company his past comes flying back in ways that astound the both of them and the author takes the opportunity to flesh it all out in a way that I’ll not describe further except to say it’s astounding reading.

Choyce’s writing is masterful, full of humorous dialogue and wisecracking back and forth that stirs old memories and creates new adventures. His descriptive writing about the sea and its environs will stir up a salty smell and let the wind blow across your skin. The protagonist does not come across as a grabbing opportunist and his beneficent is a willing and eager participant to a point. Rather, he’s a reluctant participant in an unveiling story that he can’t get away from. It’s a glorious read that you won’t want to miss. I’d love to sit on the Halifax pier myself someday and see what comes along.

I really liked this book! It certainly had its quirks and I had to suspend belief when a 50 year old woman hands a stranger she met an hour ago her car keys and instructs him to drive her anywhere (a middle age woman does not do that unless she has a death wish), but overall it was a lovely book. It had its fair share of calamitous events, but they were presented in such a laid back, take it as it is way that reminded me so much of my home province. There wasn't any nail biting build up to any of the big events that happened, they just happened and here they are for your information. This certainly added to the book's charm for me. Thank you to Dundurn Press for an early release copy of this book, I will certainly be recommending it to my friends!

I would like to thank Net Galley and Dundurn Press for this beautifully written ARC. From the first sentence to the last I was captivated by the story telling. I chose this book because it was set in Nova Scotia, a place that is near and dear to my heart. It evolved into a telling of broken people, dysfunction, broken families and romance. I wasn't sure it was going to be for me but I settled in for the long haul pretty quickly. At times I felt it did push the limits of reality but the prose was so perfect it didn't bother me.
Looking forward to reading more by this author. 4.25

I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. It is my first book read by this author. I hope to read more books by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dundurn Publishing for a copy of this book.

I found I enjoyed the book much more when the author stayed away from characters and dialogue. Firstly there was so little dialogue attribution that I was often confused who was talking, but also the characters were never really brought to life. They remained flat and unrealistic to me.

When the writing was more situational I got a lot more enjoyment from the book.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this early read. I struggled a little because of the formatting in a pre-pub on the kindle app. There's so much dialogue that just ran together, so that I had to pay close attention to who was speaking. Nonetheless it was enjoyable and I thought the story ended beautifully.

Wow. This was absolutely stunning. Why is Canadian literature always so good?

Everything about this book worked well. The story, the setting, the characters. Charles was very relatable.

Heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. No idea how. I couldn’t put the book down.

Honestly I would love to see this story adapted for television.

When a man stands on the edge of a pier and contemplates his life, you assume it's not going to end well. This is a sad read in many parts but it's also hopeful and thought-provoking.. Charles is the man whose life is about to change for ever.

From Halifax to a small fishing village where Charles grew up. The settings mirror the stages of life - where you are born, where you grow up and chose to live, and where you decide to return to take stock of things. The author clearly has a love and feel for the villages and area he describes. He lives in a town very similar to the fictional Stewart Harbour and it shows. This is maritime Canada with its unique pace of life, ways of doing thigns and views on the world. Its where you would go to heal if you didn't live here anyway.

It's very sad and emotional but thought -provoking too

Thank you NetGalley and Dundurn Press for the eARC.
What a lovely book! To begin with I wasn't sure if it was my kind of read, but I soon changed my mind. It's a wonderful story of love between two middle-aged people; a bankrupt former journalist and a former actress. There are many ups and downs to overcome and a couple of near-death experiences that are riveting reading, but also a lot of lovely moments of the enduring strength of love and forgiving ourselves and others. The setting is also evocative, you can practically smell the sea! Highly recommended!

Strangers in the early morning fog, cross paths on a Halifax pier. Charles Howard, fifty-five, a journalist for a newspaper, lost his job when the publication folded. His idealism and attempt to be a do-gooder caused him to lose his life savings. "I was deep in a ...dark, endless, self-pitying reverie...then she walked up to me." Ramona Danforth, a "two-bit" actor, "...got real good at holding a cup of coffee or a beer in the air while delivering [her] lines." Ramona took penniless Charles out for breakfast. "I like a man with no money and loads of time on his hands."

Charles and Ramona decided to go on a pilgrimage, a drive to his hometown. Stewart Harbor was a rural fishing village populated by rugged individuals. Charles thought it would be "too depressing to go all the way down to the shore to revisit the little fishing shack all that remained of [his] past." The fishing shack was cottage-like and weather beaten. When Charles opened the padlock, "the door swung inward and a tidal wave of memory swept over [him]...[I] stepped forward into my past."

Why was Ramona willing to spend days of "rural coastal domesticity...a woman who once kissed Tom Hanks[?]" Ramona had a trust fund and a Lexus, a mysterious woman who took frequent business trips to Halifax. Both Charles and Ramona admitted to bouts of loneliness. "How far would this go? Who would be first to draw the line...to stop whatever was starting?"

As Charles and Ramona slowly opened-up to each other, the reader learns of tragedy, health issues, family issues and unimaginable loss. Ramona was there when he "looked like [he] needed kissing." Charles followed in kind. Both were unable to form lasting relationships. Whether in it for the short or long haul, enormous strength, determination and resilience would be needed to "weather the storms" and "hurdles" gathering in their lives.

"Broken Man on a Halifax Pier" by Lesley Choyce was fantastic. As a reader, I experienced a plethora of emotions and was thoroughly invested in the lives of the occupants of Stewart Harbor, Nova Scotia. I highly recommend this novel of literary fiction.

Thank you Dundurn Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "Broken Man on a Halifax Pier."

My full review can be viewed on my instagram at:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Byhdk8CABqz/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

The newspaper Charles spent his career life working for has closed down due to declining sales. Charles is now unemployed, broke and alone with no idea of what to do next. He's thinking about this in the early morning hours, as he stands at the Halifax waterfront, when Ramona approaches him & they meet for the 1st time.

Soon after, Charles and Ramona are driving towards the small fishing village Charles grew up in and hasn't returned to since he left for University. His brother lives out West and his parents are both gone, but his father's fishing shack & boat remain.

At one point I thought 'you couldn't make it up', but, oddly, it does all comes together. I think Stewart Harbour is a fictional location, resembling fishing villages in the area, but the characters there feel real & I'm reminded of what it is like to live somewhere similar.

When it seems like the worst has happened, you may discover it is actually a driving force - one propelling you towards recognising that you lost sight of what's important. Not everyone is lucky enough to reclaim what they left behind in the race towards their ideals. Charles is about to find out if there is any hope left for him. Ramona seems to think there is, but how long will that last?

Although I wouldn't call it a riveting storyline, I did find this book to be a relaxing read. This makes it perfect for curling up with at night or on a rainy afternoon.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for this wonderful ARC, which kept me enthralled throughout. Novels of romance, strained relationships and family dysfunction seldom interest me. This was a pleasant surprise! I neglected everything else and was riveted to the book which I read in a single day. The places were vividly described. It is set in Halifax and a remote fishing village on the east coast of Nova Scotia. I am from Nova Scotia, but think the story would appeal to readers anywhere. The characters have some flaws, but even those who seem unsympathetic at first, show traits of kindness as we get to know them. The people spring to life on the pages and the dialogue was witty, heartfelt and realistic.

The book deals with two people finding love while in their 50s. Charles stands early one morning alone on a Halifax pier. He feels he has wasted his life. He is in despair and broke. He lives alone in a dilapidated bachelor apartment, has lost his job as a reporter for a Halifax newspaper which ended when the paper closed down. He squandered his life savings mistakingly thinking he was helping the son of his former boss do charity work abroad. He has been unable to finish a novel he was writing. He has had short term relationships with women but always walked away fearing commitment.

While contemplating his many failures, he meets a lovely woman about his age, and they start up a conversation. She had been an actress in Canadian films but did not make it in Hollywood, and now lives comfortably on a trust fund. On the spur of the moment, they decide on a road trip to the fishing village where he grew up. He left home decades before to study journalism and has never looked back. The trip is not without troubles but is the beginning of an intense love story.

The story deals with the joy of finding love later in life, building new friendships and becoming part of a community. It also contains much heartache, loss, sadness, and bad luck, but also the possibility of new beginnings. Themes of commitment during tragedy and health issues, secrets, reconciliation and forgiveness are addressed. So much happened which I had not anticipated, and the pace never slowed down. A very enjoyable, emotional and memorable book.

5 stars

This book is a tale about some (fairly), ordinary people living their day-to-day lives. But it is told in such a remarkable way and with such descriptive language that the characters come to life in such a way that I would have not thought possible.

Charles “don't call me Charlie” Howard is standing on the edge of a pier on Halifax Harbour when up walks Ramona Danforth. So begins an intense and adventurous relationship. Charles learns things about himself – both new and forgotten. He learns much about his past and recalls much that he consciously chose to forget.

Returning home he re-meets old friends and acquaintances. He is very surprised by some things he learns. Charles and Ramona discuss their families and compare notes on their respective childhoods. Family is very key to the success of this novel.

A thoroughly well written book that is easily read and very entertaining, this novel illustrates how even seemingly ordinary lives are important and do matter. I really enjoyed this book and I'm not really sure why. While it had moments of extreme action and drama, for the most part, it was what I would term a gentle read. I will be reading more of Mr. Choyce's work.

I want to thank NetGalley and Dundurn for forwarding to me a copy of this great book for me to read, enjoy and review.