This book is really funny. Considering that it was written by a woman (I assume lol!) she really gets into the mindset of the single dad. Evan is trying to survive widowhood and single-parenthood on the back of letters to guide him, written by his late wife Claire. How he does this is told in a really amusing way but with a tinge of sadness throughout. I loved it.

Sadly, this book was not for me.

Having myself been raised by a single father, I had high hopes that it would be a story I could relate to, but on the contrary, I couldn’t buy into either the narrative or the characters.

The premise is lovely and offers lots of scope for a story with depth and emotion. But, to me at least, it didn’t feel real. Already, in the first chapter, it lost my credibility, when five year-old Violet on her first day at school claims to miss and want her mummy, Considering that Violet was barely three when Claire died — and daddy Evan hasn’t spoken about his wife in the two years since — this notion is so far fetched as to be plain nonsense.

And it was all downhill from there.

Claire’s letters to Evan were sweet but conveniently drafted to fit an improbable narrative. In fact, the whole plot was hollow and trite, and I ended up skim reading to get to the end, which was exactly as I expected.

I have no doubt that this will find its market, but it wasn’t for me.

I've read many of Lynsey's other books and this one is probably her best so far.

I loved so many of these characters. I especially loved that Claire, who has passed away before the events of this book, still feels like an intrisic character to the storyline. It really felt like we were helping keep her memory alive for Violet. Violet is also written wonderfully, and very true to character for a five year old. Who among us didn't find something we love at that age and latch on to it.

There were a few small hiccups - one being that I didn't find it believable two guy mates would send an X at the end of their messages - but on the whole, I really loved this book.

😢Winning bittersweet tale of grief and the hard journey to healing👨‍👧

Lynsey James is a new author to me and I am so glad I found this story. It's full of emotion, both crippling sadness and spots of pure joy as young Edinburgh widower Evan and his little daughter Violet cope with their life-changing loss. Two years after Claire's painful death her little family is still attempting to cope and not all that well. Evan's business is failing and his personal life -- well, he doesn't have much of one and feels he's failing at fatherhood too. So he finally turns to a handbook of her thoughts and hopes Claire prepared for him when she knew her diagnosis was grim.

Evan's grief and frustration are palpable and yet he's got friends to help him refind his footing and Claire's handbook for additional advice and inspiration. And thank goodness he has Violet his little wannabe astronaut by his side. They have their good days and bad, but the author allows the solid love to shine through. Ultimately, after a difficult journey, hope and a new chance for happiness turn up.

This novel is well-written, in fact I was surprised how quickly I devoured the pages, traumatic start to satisfying finish. Highly recommended, but keep the tissues handy.

Thanks to Harper Collins UK/One More Chapter and NetGalley for providing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

I requested this book quite a while ago and decided to just dive in. I didnt read the blurb so had no idea what to expect.

But was I surprised. This wasn't a book that I thought would reduce me to tears, but also have me smiling and laughing my way through the tough bits.

I fell in love with Violet and her dad, Evan. The relationship they have is just beautiful and I really found myself routing for a happy ever after for them both. Because boy, do they deserve it!

This had a P.S I Love You feel to it, but with unique point of view from the male perspective. We usually see books like this where the wife is left behind. So it was a breath of fresh air to see the husband living life after.

So if you want a book to pull you into the lives of the characters this is for you!

Meet Evan Harper, single dad to five year old space loving Violet, a man still reeling from the death of his beloved wife Claire two years ago. Cancer stole her from both of them but life must carry on for this ghost tour company owner however difficult that may prove to be. The Single Dad’s Handbook is one distraught and grief stricken man’s journey through losing the love of his life to embracing a second chance at happiness and maybe even love. It’s a touching tale about letting go, cherishing old memories, making new ones and embarking on exciting adventures. Because life is for living and Evan owes it to Violet (and his deceased wife) to be the best dad he can possibly be.

Evan’s quest to become Super Dad is an uphill battle that he doesn’t believe he’s winning. Set in the beautiful Scottish city of Edinburgh (automatic point to author for location!) this saccharine laced novel begins with Violet’s first day at primary school. At such an important milestone in his daughter’s life Evan is missing Claire more than ever so the book of letters she left behind, aptly named the Single Dad’s Handbook is perhaps going to come in very handy. Reading like a personal parenting manual, Claire, during her darkest days has thoughtfully considered every obstacle that her husband may encounter, from down days, to dating again, to making special unforgettable memories with Violet, writing a letter specific to these occasions. Her heartfelt and sometimes heart rending letters, combining her own opinions and instructions as to how to become Super Dad whilst also giving him permission to move on from their life together are full of wise words, practical advice, motivation and a touch of gallows humour. Naturally they are sentimental, imbued with Claire’s spirit, giving the reader a glimpse of the woman she once was, reminding us of the cruel nature of life. Robbed of a future together the question is whether Evan can absorb everything his wife has to pass on, put it into practice and allow himself to finally lay her ghost to rest.

This is a storyline that holds no surprises. You know from the first few pages the direction the author will lead you in and who out of the slim cast of characters will play a pivotal role in forcing Evan out of his self imposed exile. Everyone from Hannah, Evan’s best friend, James, his business partner, friends Dave and Lorna and finally his mother endeavour to bring him out of the doldrums and back into the land of the living. All of them are concerned that Evan is resigned to keeping at least one foot in the past, constantly urging him to pull himself together for the sake of Violet, encouraging him even to rejoin the dating game. Apart from one, these individuals are mere background characters, only superficially developed so that I felt they were quite bland and beige. That’s true too of Evan who takes one step forward and two steps back in his struggle to overcome his grief and I found him quite a frustrating character. Thank heavens for little Violet whose cuteness and desire to become an astanut (astronaut) brings some much needed colour to this narrative which for me verges on mawkish and not terribly funny. I found Evan’s dating escapades mildly amusing but on the whole the writing is formulaic, an unoriginal variation on the theme of loss, grief and second chances. If I’m being brutally honest, the storyline suffers from repetitiveness and is entirely predictable, although I hasten to add predictability isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Personally I expect more from the characterisation to offset the fact you can easily second guess the outcome but that is sadly lacking here. I wasn’t as moved by Evan and Violet’s predicament as I’d anticipated to be, imagining at least a few tear jerking scenes and far more humour than the author actually delivers. The glorious location, which conjures up fond memories of my own in part makes amends for a storyline that doesn’t quite hit the mark.

To conclude, whilst this is an easy to read, sweet, if slightly too sentimental for my liking novel, there’s nothing in these pages to set it apart from other fiction embracing similar themes. Although it is hopeful and uplifting for the characters concerned it failed to push the right buttons for me. I wasn’t wrapped up in the emotional bear hug I was expecting and that is why I’ve decided on an average rating of three stars. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

Claire wrote a book of letters to help her husband Evan raise their 5 year old daughter Violet after her death. This might be a familiar plot but James has done a lovely job bringing this family to life and uses her Edinburgh setting very effectively. It's a poignant novel leavened with humor at just the right spots. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A very good read about grief, moving forward, and love.

Three and a half stars.

Evan harper's wife Claire died of cancer two years ago. Since then he's been trying to run his business (escorting haunted tours of Edinburgh) and look after his five year old daughter Violet. Except he's not doing well, in fact he's on the brink of breakdown, but all his friends and family seem to want him to do is move on and start dating again.

Violet's first day at school does not go well and in desperation Evan unearths the handwritten book of letters that Claire prepared in advance of her death. Carefully annotated with post-it notes to cover eventualities such as Violet's first day at school, right through to puberty and moving on, the letters are in turns touching and funny.

Then Evan's best friend Hannah returns to Scotland after travelling the world since shortly after Claire's death, she too encourages him to move on and to create a Tinder account, which creates some of the most humorous parts of the book.

Like other reviews I have read, I felt that Claire's letters were touching (very much in the style of P.S. I Love You although she appeared to be obnoxiously knowledgeable and serene, how would she know exactly what to do on Violet's first day when this was their only child? However, I personally found the attitude of Evan's friends and family to be a bit odd. If someone is drowning in sorrow then what is needed is support and friendship, not forcing them onto blind dates FFS.

Also, although there were lots of laugh-out-loud moments, overall I would classify this as a sad book, it's mainly about how Evan isn't coping and how dreadful he feels with only a little glimpse of hope right near the end. I was expecting the book to be more focused on the moving on part. Finally, I'm a snob, I just can't wrap my head around the idea of the male lead telling ghost stories for a living.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

My first thoughts were this was going to be a tough read ( depressing, given the opening pages ) but wow, I was so wrong. It’s a wonderfully honest, open and a bittersweet journey from grief to learning to move forward. It was a little predictable ( everyone who has read it will know what I mean ) but I thought it was a great read. I laughed at some parts, cried at others. Would definitely recommend.

I know this sounds like a highly-depressing book but, believe me, it’s not. I can’t say that it won’t bring a tear to your eye in places but ultimately, this is an uplifting story. While many of us (thankfully) haven’t lost a partner to cancer, we may have lost someone, or maybe a different event has occurred that has left you feeling down and out. Whatever the event, you will relate to how hard it can be to move on, what it is like to have lost sight of yourself and feel like you are failing. At the same time, The Single Dad’s Handbook will also help you remember that there is light at the end of the tunnel and it is possible to pull through anything.

As you can imagine from a book like this, all the characters are pretty likable. For me, it was a rare occurrence to have a male lead that wasn’t a serial killer or a detective. I thought it was great how the author presented us with such a vulnerable man; you don’t get that half as often enough. I also had a soft spot for Violet who brought most of the comedic elements to the story.

This is not normally the kind of book I go for but I really enjoyed it. It was uplifting and beautiful, it made me laugh and it made me cry. And, most importantly, it gave me hope that we can get through anything.

It's been two years since Evan lost his wife, Claire. Still wallowing in grief and needing help, Evan reads the letters that Claire left behind to help him with situations that will inevitably arise. Although this book is about grief, it is more heart warming than heart wrenching.
A story of loss, grief, family, friends, adventures and just maybe second chances.

Thanks to net galley and One More Chapter for the arc.

I requested this book after enjoying another commercial novel about single fatherhood. Unfortunately this is too slow to get going and I can predict the ending from about one third into the book, so I won't be taking it further. The wife's letters are a highlight but why is the dad, Evan, waiting for two or three years to read them, risking misunderstanding her requests for that long? Unless I've misunderstood, it's a very strange choice.

Even if it's well written and the letters are moving it didn't keep my attention and the story fell flat.
Not my cup of tea
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions

3.5 Stars

How is it that a book can make you laugh and cry simultaneously? I found The Single Dad’s Handbook extremely easy to read, in that it didn't take much effort the way some books do. The characters are warm and life like and maybe the best thing about this book is you can't predict the ending. Another point to make is that this isn't the type of easy fluffy read most women's fiction books are, it's very moving in parts but also highly amusing. I also enjoyed that it was part epistolary novel as the letters really let me get to know the characters.

The writing is beautiful, the descriptions are amazing, the notes and journal entries had me crying...Simply put a lovely story of how a dying woman helped her husband with raising their daughter after her death...full of tears and laughter and it earns my recommendation.

We meet Evan Harper who has lost the love of his life, his wife Claire to cancer. We meet Claire in the prologue as she sets out her story. Claire has written a handbook for Evan, a series of letters, a legacy of everything she wants Evan and their daughter Violet to know when she isn’t around to tell them, share with them, guide them or be with them - instead all she can leave are memories and some words of advice.

The book is a bit of a tear-jerker, you emphasise with Evan who is doing his best, but the grief envelopes him and it shows a real struggle. Violet goes through her own traumas and we get to see some of it through her eyes.

A wonderful book that I finished in 24 hours, fairly predictable but it does leave you wondering just how Evan would have coped without the letters Claire left him.

Nice, sweet, charming and a few tears.
Evan Harper's wife died of cancer two years ago, and now he has to come to terms with life without her and raising their daughter. Claire left Evan a "handbook" notes and letters to guide him through.
I expected this to be a very tough and emotional read, yes there were really emotional points and I read these through tears. Real life experiences made it more tough to read.
But, I guessed what the outcome would be early on and this kind of took the "enjoyment" away. I'm an impatient reader and if I've guessed something, I want to know there and then if I'm right 🙈
I would have liked more letters and notes from Claire in the story, I found them a great touch.
A good book, beautifully told. Just me being to impatient. However it did touch my heart

Thanks to One More Chapter/Harper Collins UK for an advanced copy of The Single Dad's Handbook by Lynsey James.

This book is set around a widower with a young daughter who feels overwhelmed two years after his wife's death. He uses a book of letters she wrote him as a guidebook to help get him through.

Unfortunately, this book fell flat to me. I loved the premise, but I just didn't connect with it. The letters were beautiful, funny and real but the rest was just meh.

I did like that it was from the man's perspective and set in Edinburgh.

Full of emotions from grief to humour.

Evan`s wife Claire died from cancer two years ago leaving him with a small daughter Violet and letters how to survive without her.

With everyone telling him it`s time to move on, he joins a dating site then a long family friend Hannah who`s godmother to Violet returns from two years travelling and sparks start to fly, though both are fighting against it.

Will romance blossom and will Evan finally move on?

Evan is a great character who you want to help him get through his grieving and to move on.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. Will definitively read more of her books.

Two years go Evan's wife, Claire, died from cancer, leaving him to bring up their young daughter, Violet.
She also left him a book of letters to help him overcome all the hurdles she thought he would face.
There was even a letter telling him to be happy and take time out for himself and to find someone to share his life with again.
Is it time for him to move on? He tries dating agencies but the suspects he has found his love but will it be returned or will it spoil a long friendship?

The Single Dad's Handbook by Lynsey James is a lovely story that is an amusing and bittersweet journey through grief. Evan Harper lost his wife Claire to cancer at a tragically young age. Now, he must raise their daughter Violet while figuring out how to be himself again after losing someone who was his everything.

I enjoyed how this story tempered the sad with amusing situations that I could relate to as a parent. When he took his daughter to the emergency room, frantic because she is in so much pain, the embarrassing diagnosis is one that I have been through with my own daughter, and let me tell you, it made me laugh out loud to see even a fictional parent go through that. The crazy things parents go through. A handbook is the perfect gift his wife could have left him as all parents feel they need the same thing even when both spouses are alive and well.

I enjoyed the bittersweet letters Claire wrote. Her character shines through so clearly in the way she writes them. I imagine Evan had no problem hearing her voice as he read them and what a comfort that must have been. Grief is complicated. There is no way around that fact. Though Evan's character is not developed as well as I may have liked – the way he handled his grief is. The grief process is developed in a sublime, accessible, and intricate manner that made it easy for me to believe and feel so much compassion for this single dad. He is up. He is down. He feels like the clouds are parting. He feels like the world is crumbling down around his shoulders. Can anything explain grief better than that?
I do not think so.

The only thing that is a hiccup in my reading experience is family and friends' reactions at various points in the story. I can understand their concern, but it had been two years since Claire passed. To see them force Evan into decisions he disagreed with after all this time had passed is perplexing to me. I could see these situations happening in the weeks and months after she died but not two years later. I felt like I must be missing some crucial pieces to the story.

Suppose you want to read a story that will have you laughing, crying, and feeling like there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how dark things have become. In that case, this story is the perfect one for you.