A really well-written book following the main characters journey after his wife dies. The characters were really believable and the story flowed well. Some really funny moments and a lovely ending. Highly recommended.

This book is the story of Evan - a widower bringing up his small daughter – and how his grief has, understandably, upended his life. He discovers a book of letters written by his wife before she dies to help him deal with the issues she anticipates once she is gone. The letters are poignant and witty, which is a fair summary of the book itself. I read it very quickly, fell utterly in love with Evan's daughter Violet and thought the way that Lynsey James manages to combine this story of loss with comic moments and the hope that a new romance can bring was very skilfully done.

This is a beautifully written story about love, loss and new beginnings. It is set in magical Edinburgh with great characters and more than a few laughs thrown in. I loved Violet. I could picture her wanting to be an astronaut and being the centre of Evan’s world.


Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley. Ive been internet buddies with Lynsey for a while and its been great watching her success. Despite that this is the first of her books ive read! Outrageous i know and will rectify.

I needed this book today, my mood was a bit low and defeated. Its witty, packed with warmth and fantastic charactars.

As a single mum i could relate to it even more ,all the trials and tribulations big and small. All the bits of parenting they dont quite advertise.

This is a story of loss no doubt and its captured beautifully through her voice in her letters. However its also about life, all the pieces that make the puzzle of life. Hope, love, friends and family.

A tender read and i highly recommend. If you love Rowan Coleman romantic, magical stories then give this a read.

Published 5th April in e book

Let me just put my tissues away! Ahem.

Now, where do I begin? The Single Dad's Handbook is (bloody) amazing. You follow Evan as he weaves around the challenges of being a single parent, after the death of his wife, Claire.

You'd usually expect lots of sadness and grief (and yes there is some) but it's a realistic and humble story of Evan trying to live a normal-ish life. He remembers the good times and memories, whilst dealing with the down days.

What an absolutely brilliant and beautiful story this was.

A story of a young widower named Evan who is left to bring up his young daughter when his wife dies of cancer. Evan is struggling to bring up his little girl whilst trying to deal with his own grief and demons. When he starts to read letters that his late wife has left him, he learns how to live again for both himself and his daughter.

The characters in this book are so beautifully written that you can’t help but think that you personally know them. It deals with the sometimes taboo subject of a life taken to soon and how grief can cloud your every judgement to the point of just existing rather than living.

How lucky was I to receive an advanced copy of this delightful new novel by Lynsey James? The Single Dad’s Handbook was such a sweet story following recently widowed father Evan and his adorable daughter Violet. Evan is still grieving the death of his wife, Claire, and learns to navigate his sorrow, Violet’s first days of school and the world of dating through letters left for him from Claire. Evan is such a sweetheart and I instantly fell for him myself. This book is witty, hilarious, endearing and so heartwarming. You cannot help but to laugh as Evan begins to date! Evan’s mom and life long friend Hannah, also play captivating roles in this novel and the characters create a world that readers instantly are involved in. The Single Dad’s Handbook is a realistic portrayal of a man whose world is shattered, but I loved watching him rebuild his heart and find joy in the ordinary and extraordinary. You won’t regret picking this novel up!

A sincere thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this heartwarming novel. It is two years after Claire’s death and Evan is struggling to be a good dad to his daughter, Violet. He turns to the book left by Claire to guide him through and comes to see that there is a way through the grief and even the chance for happiness again.

This is an unlifting story of life, laughter, struggle, loss and love. One I will be recommending.

Single Dads Handbook by Lyndsey James a five-star read that will make you laugh, it will make you cry, but most of all it will make your heart grow. This is a touching and emotional read, but its also shows grief in a very real manner, it doesn’t shy away like some do when dealing with grief, its almost another character it’s so well done, all of the stages are shown and shown in a way that is real, not like a tick list but actual anger, denial, and loss to name a few. What I loved most was that we were seeing a dad’s view that added something extra as a dad dealing with a daughter is always mystifying, mums just seem to know but most dads wouldn’t know the difference between hairstyles and things little girls adore, that brought something special to the story for me a freshness that made this a compelling and real story.

Heartfelt, poignant and well written
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book early.

Two things appealed to me about this book, the cover and the synopsis on the back. Although it took me a while to get into this book I am so glad I did. Its about a dad who has lost his wife to cancer and bringing up his daughter on his own. Claire (his wife) has written a series of letters to help him navigate life without her. These are simply heartbreaking. The writing is funny, heartfelt and sometimes a little slow but perhaps that is my impatience at being able to see what is coming and wanting it to happen. His daughter is a typical little girl with all the tears and tantrums that entails, coupled with friends and family around him that feel he should move on/be living his life differently Evan has his work cut out just surviving each day without Claire. All in all a good read would happily recommend.

I found this book very moving, I'm not sure how I'd react in a similar situation but could imagine what he is going through. There are really sad moments when Evan is struggling, counterbalanced by moments of humour such as when he tries Tinder dating. The book of letters that Claire wrote are far better than I could ever write in a similar situation. The way that she foresaw the various trials and tribulations that Evan would meet with their daughter Violet as she grows up made the story for me.
Overall although the premise of the story is sad the overall tone is more positive with hope and love, the pace could be considered slow but for me that helped the build up towards what I was hoping to be a happier outcome.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

An easy read but it felt like a ‘plodder’. Nothing really grabbed me and the time line felt a bit off. The letters appeared and 6 months later his life is sorted?!?! It just didn’t feel that realistic

I enjoyed the read but it wasn’t a book I felt I needed to keep picking up.

With thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review.
Not my normal reading but there was something that drew me to this book and so glad I have read it. So often we read books from the womans perspective not very few from men struggling to bring a bit of normality to the lives of his children. it's full of wise words poignant reminders and heartbreaking moments I totally adored it from the beginning and can highly recommend.

I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this book, the cover didn’t pull me in. However once I started reading I was hooked. The everyday problems of getting a five year old organised as well as dealing with the first day at school was so accurate. Here is a dad struggling with the grieve of losing his wife and trying to be ‘smiley dad’ for his daughter. He picks his way through everyday traumas reading the letters his late wife left him wanting to be the best dad to the lovable Space mad Violet.

This is a laugh out loud, tear jerking, lovely story on learning to live each and every moment and putting one foot in front of the other to keep on going in the face of life changes!

How does a young widower learn to push forward in life with his five year old daughter who is about to start kindergarten?
His beloved wife leaves specific instructions in a special handbook that truly outlines almost everything!
Will Evan follow Claire's directions?
Can he find happiness and take care of his little girl?

"You got this Evan!" I was truly rooting for him and his little family and I am quite sure you will too!

I absolutely adored every second of this book. Evan, who is now a single father was drowning in grief over his wife's death. When he finds a book of letters she wrote, things started to finally turn around. I laughed, cried and cheered- it was fantastic.

I wouldn’t normally pick up a book about grieving husbands as it for me it can be a trigger however, I decided to give this one a go and I am delighted that I did. Rather than being morbid, it was a sensitive but beautifully written book with well-placed humour, that kept me up into the night reading. Evan’s little girl is starting her first day at school. It should be a happy day but his wife passed away two years ago and both Evan and Violet miss her terribly. Evan finds a ‘manual’ written for him to guide him through all the difficult parts of raising a child and helps him to rebuild his life and maybe even find love? A brilliant, insightful, and at times hilarious read.

The past few weeks have been absolute pish. So in search of something light and fluffy to banish my ennui and grump, I came across this. Chick-lit is not a favored genre of books... at all ... but I couldn't resist a fellow Fifer!

If cutsey romances with a bumbling idiot MC navigating life and grief with a precocious 5 years old and nosy, meddlesome, dogooder friends and family is your thing, then this is the book for you!! It ticks all the boxes plus set in glorious Edinburgh. There is nothing more you need.

Thank you to Netgally and the publishers for the ARC.

The Single Dad’s Handbook was a well written story but it just didn’t feel real for me. I can’t say I particularly liked the characters and the progression of the main character didn’t feel believable. I did read it to the end and at no point did I feel I needed to quit, but it just wasn’t for me.

I loved this. I adored all the characters and the setting. It made me tear up so much. I couldn't put it down. Such an escapism.