Friends from childhood, Catrin, Judith and Lana seem set to be there for each other for life, especially as they it swore on a curly wurly wrapper. However, as with most things in life, things don't run as smoothly as expected and once they get older one mistake snowballs causing cracks to appear between the three that seem impossible to mend. Written is such an easy to read but totally believable way I felt myself desperately wanting everything to be healed between them. I couldn't help hearing Nessa from Gavin and Stacey though in Lana as her character seemed so familiar. A wonderful book that has left me feeling sorry that I've finished it. Ruth Jones has been added to my list of favourite authors for sure.

I loved this book and could hear Ruth Jones voice in my head throughout the story so well is it written.
Each of the girls as a teen is determined to survive the changes life throws at them and to have one last hurrah of a holiday on the way to adulthood, be it university or work.
Dotting between the decades the book follows the intertwined lives of all three women, the complications and the fall outs and the ultimate re-conciliatory gestures made each version of the women grows her further as a character, just as life does in reality .
The characters, in particular the women but also their supporting families and men, are wholly believable and on the whole likeable and are written in such as way as they almost step off the page and into your friendship group. A great read for a couple of sunny spring evenings!

I loved Ruth Jones first book, Never Greener, and this one didn’t disappoint.
Us Three is filled with lots of humour, sadness and reflection about friends, love, betrayal and forgiveness.
Following the lives of three women spanning across the decades from their childhood, when you really believed that friendships would last forever and remain strong.
Great execution of the personalities of each of the main characters and you couldn’t help but love them all in their own inimitable ways.
A very easy reading style which I finished in a couple of sessions as it was so easy to be immersed and the time passed so quickly.

I loved reading this book. The characters were outlined and expanded upon throughout the unfolding story. The three women were childhood friends who remained in touch for most of their lives.
The way that their lives unfolded and the bringing together of the three was outlined with sometimes humour, sometimes sadness. They didn't always get along and their lives had many twists and turns. However I couldn't wait to see what happened to them all in their final moments of the book.
Well written, the chapters were defined by the names of the girls, so the part of the story highlighted their thoughts and feelings in relation to the other girls. and their families..
First time I have read Ruth Jones as a novelist. I shall read her again.

I enjoyed reading about real people, with everyday real problems and because it’s written by Ruth Jones I could easily imagine it as another funny/sad television sit com, something she is so very good at. However it is a light read and after a week I found it difficult to recall any of the storyline so although enjoyable at the time it isn’t memorable, this makes it, for me, a read suitable for those hours when you need to be entertained but not challenged.
Catrin, Judith and Lana are three girls who met at school and became firm friends when they were very young and this story takes us through their lives. As in life friendships strengthen and change and sometimes become estranged but there is always history together which maintains a connection.

Us Three
Author: Ruth Jones
Publishers: Transworld
Publication Date: 3 September 2020

An enjoyable, ultimately uplifting, book about friendship, loyalty, betrayal and loss. Likeable and relatable characters with an engrossing storyline it was just what I needed with all that is going on in the world at the moment. I loved it.

I’d like to thank the author, publisher and netgalley for providing me with this advance digital copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Ruth Jones has written a complex and satisfying tale of three childhood friends and their relationships over the decades. Lana, Catrin and Judith are all very different characters, from different backgrounds but they bond at primary school and stay in touch over the years. One of the girls is reminiscent of some of the characters Ruth Jones has portrayed on TV, but even more over the top. She is a contrast to the other two more sensible girls. However, they all have their part to play and are well rounded characters in a lovingly described landscape.
Superior chick-lit.

Ruth Jones is a great observer of life, and it shines through in her writing. Realistic scenarios, but exciting in that way fiction is. Good characters, and the humour shines through as well. A nice easy read.

Review
Catrin Kelly, Judith Harris, Lana Lloyd, three best friends from the age of five who vowed to be best friends forever. But forever is a long time and sometimes promises are hard to keep. There are loves and losses and falling outs, plus things that will make you laugh and cry.

There were so many interesting diversions in this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Even if I couldn’t help but read it in the voice of Ness from Gavin & Stacey!

I would definitely recommend this book and give it 4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thanks

Thank you to the author and publishers Random House UK for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an independent review.

I enjoyed this tale of friendship through the years.. The lives of the three main characters were well described and beautifully interwoven. Some real sadness amongst the heartwarming moments. An altogether lovely read, characters who you care about and don’t want their stories to end.

Another great read by Ruth Jones. Very approachable and relatable characters with all the welsh speak we know and love from the writer of 'Gavin and Stacey' and 'Stella'. Covers the lives, loves and losses of 3 best friends from childhood. The path in adulthood is not smooth and they break up as friends and lose touch after huge arguments, but seem to have a slightly uneasy truce decades later following a personal tragedy of one for the friends. An enjoyable and good read.

This story took me through the decades of three friends, lives and relationships with others and each other. At times it was endearing seeing them grow up and how outside influences affect them, as well as some emotional and funny moments. At times for me the story dragged and I really just wanted to jump forward to find out what was happening. The story is well written and the characters are well developed.

The idea of the story was really good, however, it was predictable at times and I felt it lacked some depth in the storytelling. Having said that I am sure there are plenty out there who will love reading about these three friends and their lives, loves and upsets, all set in Wales.

I enjoyed this book enormously .It tells the story of Catrin,Judith and Lana,three friends who have known each other since primary school ,as they go through life,each taking quite different paths but always meeting at crucial moments.
There is humour and sadness in equal measure,and the three women fall in and out of friendship,but their strong bond is ultimately unbreakable.By the end I felt I knew them all, and was sorry to leave them.A lovely,uplifting read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for a review that reflects my own opinions.

I simply loved this book. Ruth Jones is a triumph.
The story of Catrin, Lana and Judith. The book follows their lives and friendship from primary school to their 50s. It's a story of love, hardship and the power of friends. Life isn't always easy and this is reflected in the story. The book is set in 3 parts and tells the story of holidays in Greece to life at home in Wales . Would definitely recommend. An easy read with the power of friendship shining through.

This is the first book I have read by Ruth Jones. I am familiar with some of her TV work, in particular Gavin and Stacey and I was curious to see how her fiction would be in comparison.

Judith, Lara and Catrin have been friends since they started school. We pick up their story when they are 18 year olds. They have finished their A levels and are off to Greece on holiday before starting University. Part one covers the holiday and the start of Uni. Then part two picks up on their lives in their thirties and part three in their fifties.

It's a nice easy read. It would make an excellent holiday book. I did sometimes feel as though the storyline was a little predictable and lacked depth. Having just finished a book by a pulitzer prize winning author, in comparison the writing in this book was very conversational and light - hence my comments about the book being an easy read. I also felt the welsh voice came across strongly in the narrative - sometimes some of the phrases used were those that we are familiar with from the character Nessa in Gavin and Stacey. I did like the book, but I didn't love it. It isn't, however, the sort of book that I would normally choose.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ruth Jones gives us another heartwarming tale in her second novel. This time we meet three best friends and follow their lives from their teens to their fifties. We see the dynamic change with relationships beginning and ending. We also share their experiences with difficult family relationships and bonds that are deeper than blood relationships.
I nodded in agreement, laughed along and made my Kindle wet with my tears during reading this book.
I would recommend it to fans of Mike Gayle, Marian Keyes and Jill Mansell

This is the first book I’ve read by Ruth Jones. I’m a big fan of Gavin and Stacey so was excited to read something a little different from her. I was not disappointed.

Us Three is the 23rd book I’ve read in 2020 and it’s by far my favourite.

The characters are so real. They aren’t perfect but I felt like I was really part of their story.

I love Ruth’s writing style and her passion for Wales just shines through. I love how she brings peoples accents to life on the page, not just those who are Welsh.

The plot is mainly about three best friends who have been friends from the age of five and how their grow up together and their friendship becomes very tested. Through the years and chapters we’re taken through the trials and tribulations of love, friendship, fallings out, family life, secrets and lies and life in all its unfair glory.

I laughed out loud, I gasped, I was shocked and I was angry at some of the things that happened throughout the story. But overall I just loved it.

I have two best friends and two of us had a big falling out a few years ago which made me really feel drawn to Judith and Lana. Although my falling out was not on the same scale or about the same things as in the book, the feelings of regret and love is very similar I would say.

Because each chapter is from a different characters perspective, I feel we get such a good view of the various ups and downs in their lives. As well as the other important people in Lana, Judith and Catrin’s lives.

I loved their epic island hopping adventure in their teens, something I wish I had done in my younger years.

Catrin’s struggle with fertility is something I totally understand.

I don’t think I’ve got a favourite character - they all have their flaws but I actually really liked the three main ladies despite their imperfections. Gosh nobody is perfect and they all have their reasons for why they are the way they are.

I don’t want to go into any spoilers but I will say, when this book is released for general sale, but it, read it and love it.

I devoured this book in two sittings and if I’m honest I was disappointed to finish it. I want to go into the next few decades with these three women and see what else life has in store for them.

Just a brilliant story that I just simply adored.

I loved this book and the life events of these three friends. All of it seemed so believable, and made me think of my friends over the years.
From being based in Wales, where my husband's family are from, to the building of the shopping centre in Guildford, where I worked and shopped for many years, this book felt familiar in so many ways.

I enjoyed this book about the trials and tribulations of seemingly solid friendships and how things can so easily go awry. There are some humourous parts but it is mostly quite serious with defined real issues from real characters who we can all relate to in one way or another. An emotional roller coaster, well written and easy to read with a lot of thought provoking moments questioning one's own past.

This is the first book I've read by Ruth Jones and I absolutely loved it. I can't wait to get my hands on her previous book.
I was worried when I first started reading that it was going to be one of those difficult, jump between characters view points type of books......I was so wrong. Yes each chapter is from one of the characters perspectives but it flows wonderfully, right from the word go you get drawn in and fall in love with their lives. It's full of love, humour tragedy and loss that keeps you wanting more. It's a very easy but fulfilling book that I could not put down.
Thank you netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for giving me the opportunity to read and review Us Three.