Love Nick Alexander’s novels, always an easy read and I never want to put them down. This one was extra special as it touched on familiar ground. Touches on sensitive subject matter, some briefly, other in a little more detail, but how it’s done, is carefully. Recommend reading this, from sad situations good prevails.

This is my first book by Nick Alexander and I really enjoyed it!

Two couples, Heather & Anthony and Amy & Joe and (who only know one another because one of Heather and Anthony’s daughters is friends with Amy & Joe’s son) go on holiday together to Spain. It doesn’t quite go to plan for all of them. The story is told from the narratives of each of the characters. I don’t always like this way of writing as I read using a Kindle and sometimes have to go back to the beginning of a chapter to see who’s talking! I wish Kindle would put the chapter title at the top of the page to help keep my ageing brain up to speed - this would really help when authors flip back and forth in timelines too! But I digress.......

It’s interesting to read what, in my opinion, would probably be classified as a chick-lit book, written by a man! But Nick Alexander certainly seems to understand women or possibly he has studied psychology! The characters are interesting and have depth and we get to know all of their back stories, which naturally have made them the kind of people they have turned out to be.

There wasn’t anything I didn’t expect or anticipate in the book but that didn’t detract from what was, for me, a lovely feel good, karma-filled book and I’d definitely read another of this author’s books.

My thanks go to the author, the publishers and NetGalley for a an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

It was great to receive an ARC from NetGalley
This was a great book and an easy and addictive read. The characters were well defined all looking for love in their own way. It describes two couples with similar aged children who seem to just be plodding along in life and accepting second rate relationships. Each couple have their own issues of control, anger and being bullies.
I got into the book very quickly and this summer read has rekindled my love of reading again after some poor book choices.

Four characters, four stories.
Is there a connection between our lives with our parents and our experiences when we're adults?
Heather and Ant, and Joe and Amy are two couples. They navigate through their lives without major issues. But, are they satisfied with what they have? Do they want more from life? Do they want more from.love? Would they try for a change willingly?
This is a very well written story. The characters are so well developed, that even when they are openly in the wrong, the reader is willing to understand and excuse them for whatever damage they're inflicting.
It was a very nice read. I'm sure I will be reading more from this author in the future. As for now, if you haven't already read anything from Nick Alexander, don't miss the chance and start with this book. You'll be not disappointed.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book, start to finish I could not put it down. I have to say this is easily the best book I've read this year and I've read alot. Nick Alexander is amazing he writes the most beautiful stories. There were parts I felt really emotional, I cried but I also laughed out loud. The ending was perfect even though I was really sad to turn the last page. The kind of book you never want to end

This is the third Nick Alexander book I've read and is my favourite by far. I really enjoyed the story line and the characters were generally well-developed and interesting, including Ant and Amy who are both less likeable as we get to know them more. I was invested in the developing relationships and was pleased with the outcome.

Nick Alexander has an amazing way of creating believable characters and storylines that grip you and you want to carry on reading. I finished this book in a few days (as I had to work in between - and couldn't read it all in one sitting!).

From Something Old is beautifully written and a fantastic read, covering painful subjects with well constructed, believable characters and a bittersweet rawness. Told from the perspectives of two couples with similar age children, the book centres on the relationships we might somehow find ourselves in, the feeling of the grass being greener, and the changes we go through. Given the amount of books he has written, and how much I love his style, I'm surprised to say that I think this is the first book I've read by Nick Alexander but I will definitely read more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A lovely book with really well-written characters. I really connected to them and was excited to see what happened next. Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the opportunity to review 'From Something Old by Nick Alexander as an Advance Reader Copy.

From Something Old is the first novel I have read by Nick Alexander, but it won't be the last. I loved it from beginning to end.

The lives of two couples, Ant and Heather and Joe and Amy, randomly begin to intertwine, with perhaps unforeseen consequences. Initially brought together by their children who are at the same school `and despite them barely knowing one another, they decide to holiday together in Spain, and there begins the sometimes distressing journey for them all.

The author creates his characters well, and I warmed to those who were endearing, whilst wanting to yell at the ones who were annoying and mean! Often in life, we are the way we are because of our parents and/or the way we have been brought up, and Nick Alexander explores this in detail with the characters he brings to life.

From Something Old is a lovely read, ideal if you have a few hours to spare and you can switch off, with your feet up and immerse yourself in the story.

With FROM SOMETHING OLD, Nick Alexander tells the story of two couples, Heather and Anthony & Amy and Joe, who bring their children on a vacation to Spain. While the couples do not know one another well, their children are friends and the parents believe this getaway will be an opportunity for something new and interesting as well as a welcome escape. The trip proves to be all of that and far more than that, causing permanent, wrenching chasms from the well-tended and ignored cracks in long-term relationships. The aftermath of that ill-conceived getaway is told well, feeling true and ultimately uplifting as real life challenges. I enjoyed the characters, the writing, the realistic children, all the large and small moments during a truly difficult time for everyone. I received an advance reader copy of this novel from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my unbiased review.

A book about relationships, love and the choices we make. The book just flows and the format of alternating points of view works very well, seeing things from the perspective of the differing characters.
As ever the author has a knack of describing emotions and how the characters are feeling and conversations are beautifully and believably written. It makes it easy to get into the minds of the main characters .
I found this book engaging and eminently readable although I didn't find myself quite as emotionally involved as with his previous novels.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have never read anything by Nick Alexander before, but having read reviews was excited to try this novel.

It was a fairly quick read, though I felt like the plot was fairly predictable with the ending being obvious from quite early on. This is a book about two couples who both have dysfunctional relationships with each other. An unexpected holiday invitation to Spain throws the families into close quarters which quickly reveals the fractures in the relationship.

I found the gaslighting of Heather by her husband Ant, particularly powerful and distressing. Her lack of self-esteem was difficult to read and I was glad to see her push back and take control of her life by the end of the novel. Amy is so unlikeable that even when her back story is revealed, it is hard to feel any sympathy for her. Joe, Amy's husband is a decent hardworking man, and perhaps overlooks her faults because he seems to genuinely love her and want the best for his family. I was more interested in each characters' history and what made them the people that they were than actually what happened to them. There are 3 children caught in the middle of this whole messy situation, but they seems rather accepting and resilient to the merry-go-round of relationships.

This was an acceptable read. I didn't really connect with the characters and felt just a sad inevitability of the situation and how it would be resolved.

I’ve read a few books by this author and loved them all. This was no exception!
Characters were well drawn out even though they were some in there I never quite liked but that’s what a good author does, all characters don’t need to be likeable. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

A lovely little romance/fiction – definitely a quick and easy read.

This book was a lot more complex than expected for a novel about two couples swapping partners! I ended up really liking it. The author put a lot of work into creating well rounded characters, so you could understand their motivations and really understand that there are just different types of people, who deal with the same set of circumstances differently. It doesn’t make you bad or weak, and going through and dealing with trauma doesn’t make you bad or weak, it just is.

My biggest issue with the book is the concept that a nine-year-old can and should decide where they live. Should you take their ascertainable wishes and feelings into account? Yes. Should you go up to them and give them the responsibility to decide how often or not they see their other parent? No. An adult has to take ultimate responsibility for that decision, if only so that the nine-year-old doesn’t take responsibility for the devastation of their other parent in the long run. I think it was an unhealthy way to set an example of how to deal with such issues. And it was done by people considered emotionally intelligent. Save for that aspect, it was a pretty fun read and I enjoyed it.

Centred around four people looking for love. When they think they have found the one they overlook the imperfections and faults for fear of being alone again. A stay in Spain together sees everything come to a head and their lives implode, never to return to how they were again. Very well written with many sensitive subjects covered with empathy.

'Sometimes, in order to build something new, you first have to break something old into pieces.'...An easy read

I wasn't as enamoured with this book as I usually am with Nick Alexander's books. I think it's probably because I didn't warm to the characters. Heather allows herself to be bullied by Ant and doesn't stand up for herself. Joe believes Amy is out of his league and wonders what he has done to deserve her. He can't understand her depression after the birth of their son Ben and how Amy keeps trying to find herself.

When the four of them go on holiday together with their children things happen that change the course of their relationships.

I enjoyed the book but didn't find it as capturing as I was hoping it would be.

A gentle well written book about a fairly ordinary situation which was still compelling to read. The book is mainly written from the perspective of two of the main characters, Heather and Joe who one feels empathy with as opposed to their self-obsessed partners, Ant and Amy. Set in Kent, Canterbury and just outside (an area I grew up in, though I chuckled at the thought of luxury flats in Marshside!) plus Spain where the main plot unfolds. The book explores a lot of the hidden world of relationships, both marital and parental, shaping the person. One can almost predict the outcome but this doesn't detract from the book as a whole. A thoroughly enjoyable read and well recommended.

This was a great book. It started of with two couples where at least one of each of the couples was a less than likeable character. Although it is not a new subject, it is tried and tested, it is lovely. A very gentle read and leaves you full of hope and joy. Definitely a great summer read.

Wow! This book was absolutely fabulous! 5 stars!
This is the first book I have read by Nick Alexander and I cannot believe I haven't discovered his incredible talent for writing until now! This story was funny but also full of drama. The characters were described so well, I felt like I knew them and Nick's style of writing is excellent. The story flowed perfectly and I loved that each chapter was from a different characters perspective.
This book is the perfect summer read. It only took me two sittings to finish this book as I just couldn't put it down. A refreshing and funny read that I would highly recommend. Now I will get stuck into Nick's other books as I am addicted!
Thank you to Nick Alexander, Net Galley and Amazon Publishing UK for the opportunity to read and review this book.