Title: The Bright Side Running Club
Author: Josie Lloyd
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5

When Keira first receives her breast cancer diagnosis, she never expects to end up joining a running group with three women she's only just met. Totally blind-sided, all she can think about is how she doesn't want to tell her family or step back from work. Nor does she want to be part of a group of fellow cancer patients. Cancer is not her club.

And yet it's running - hot, sweaty, lycra-clad running in the company of brilliant, funny women all going through treatment - that unexpectedly gives Keira the hope she so urgently needs. Because Keira will not be defined by the C-word. And now, with the Bright Side Running Club cheering her on, she is going to reclaim everything: her family, her identity, and her life.

One step at a time.

I enjoyed this book so much! I loved Keira as a character, and I loved all the secondary characters as well (except her horrible coworkers). Her journey was both terrible and inspiring as she deals with a terrifying diagnosis and the treatment that isn’t much better. I loved how much she learned about herself and the people in her life, and I’ll admit the book brought me to tears a time or two. I highly recommend!

Josie Lloyd is from Brighton. The Bright Side Running Club is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Alcove Press in exchange for an honest review.)

This is a super sappy sentimental story of women bonding through running while dealing with cancer and a whole bunch of other problems. So, basically not my type of book. But it was about running so I figured I should check it out. And I am really glad I did! The characters were well thought out and the sub stories added some nice depth to keep the book from being over the top saccharine. I truly enjoyed reading about women helping women and being there for each other. With a nice balance between substance and fluff, this would make a good beach or vacation read.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Thank you not NetGalley and publisher for the ARC and early listen. What a great story. Uplifting and emotional. Loved all the characters and the little mystery the author wove into this story. When reading this I thought the author was either a doctor or went through this personally considering all the medical terminology and the treatment that Keira went through. It was all so thorough and detailed . At the end even though it is a work of fiction the author does say she was diagnosed with cancer.
The narrator did a great job! This pertains to the audiobook.

Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy to review. This was quite an enjoyable read about a woman who gets cancer and finds a group of supportive women in the same situation. I really enjoyed their relationships. The characters were likable.

This just wasn’t the book for me. I was really drawn to the cover and the description but the actual reading experience just fell flat for me.

𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗴𝗶𝗳𝘁, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻.

This quote is the best way to describe The Bright Side Running Club.

Surviving cancer is a tough path, even with all the advancement in technology and medicine, the process in itself can be daunting.

What does it mean to go through the treatment? How does it feel? and more importantly, What do you do when someone tries to take advantage of your condition for their gain? - The book has dealt with these and many other challenge that are a part and parcel of the Cancer fight.

Josie has captured all the emotions and thoughts beautifully in the story, with some inspirations from her experience of going through diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.

The best thing about the book is it can be read by anyone. If you're going through the Cancer fight, or if you know someone who is going through it, or you just want to educate yourself, it's a good read for everyone.

Lastly, I'd like to conclude with something we can all take away from the book.

𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮, 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙧𝙮. 𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮, 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙮. 𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮, 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨. 𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮, 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙙𝙤 𝙢𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙮, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮, 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚.

Thak you Netgalley, Josie Lloyd and Alcove Press for the ARC.

"If only I'd realized sooner that life is a gift, not a given."

I started reading The Bright Side Running Club, a novel about a successful woman in her 40's who is undergoing treatment for breast cancer, with a bit of trepidation. The description of the book, 'uplifting' and 'heart-warming' did not seem to jibe with a book about cancer treatment. Boy was I in for a pleasant surprise. Based on the author's personal experience, Bright Side Running Club is a wonderful, delightful read!
The Bright Side Running Club by Josie Lloyd is the story of friendship and how we support each other through difficult times. I cried tears of joy so many times I lost count, and tears of sadness a few times, too. I was frustrated with Keira's husband, Tom, angry with her business partner Lorna (and husband Pierre), and so proud of the running club, Sian, Amma and Tamsin. In short, this one really got me in the feels!

Thank you to Netgalley and Alcove Press for the opportunity to read an e-ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are mine.

How do you take a subject like cancer and write about it with humour, sensitivity and respect? Well, this is a novel that does that.

It's not a 'heavy' book, considering the topic that it deals with. It's more of a 'chick-lit' novel (for want of a better term) that deals with what a woman with cancer goes through on their whole journey fighting against the big C.

Keira is just going about her life and feeling pretty damn happy and blessed when she gets the shocking news that she has breast cancer at the age of 47. As you can imagine, her world comes crumbling down, and she goes into a tailspin. How could this happen to her? Maybe the doctors are wrong? Did she do something to bring it on?

While she's pondering and fretting over what this diagnosis means for her, she meets a runner who she later realises also has cancer and is undergoing treatment in the same hospital that she is. There are, in fact, more women who are dealing with cancer who run together, to keep themselves healthy and keep their spirits strong.

Keira, who has never run before, joins them, much to the disapproval of her husband and mom, who think she's nuts for undertaking such a thing while she's so ill. However, she realises that these women are the only ones who can understand what she's going through and can give her the strength and support required to get through this. They are all choosing to look on the bright side, thus forming The Bright Side Running Club.

Through Keira, we can get a glimpse into the challenges that a person with cancer or any kind of illness potentially faces. Contrary to what she thinks will happen, the world does NOT grind to a halt. Her husband is still grumpy and distracted by his work issues, her kids are still demanding and insensitive, and her colleagues are treating her as if she has something contagious and are trying to sideline her and push her out of her own business, and her mother is still passive-aggressive. In short, people are still as selfish and self-serving as they always are, and expect her to do everything that she's always done before, with a complete lack of compassion or understanding.

Except for the girls, she runs with-Amma, Sian and Tamsin, who build each other up and have each other's backs. It's normal to feel self-conscious and inferior in a way when you're going through something so difficult. One's self-image takes a beating and one may become overly sensitive and paranoid that people are judging you (and sometimes they do).

Keira realises that what she is going through, though difficult, is somewhat less than what her friend Tamsin has to deal with, and she and her friends band together to help her to realise her goal before it's too late. Keira also finds a renewed sense of courage - to improver her relationships with her husband and kids- and to deal with her shady colleagues at work, who have been trying to dupe her and take over her business from under her nose.

One thing is certain. Cancer can make your life better or worse, but it will change you. You can never be the same again once you come ou the other side. Despite some of the anxiety, the book creates (because I always wonder if the characters are going to come out of this okay) the underlying tone is one of hope looking forward and expecting the best. And that life is short and that you need to value each day.

Tamsin was my favourite character because she's one kick-ass chick, and I love strong women. My least favourite character was Keira's husband, Tom, (yes, surprisingly, not even the scummy Ian) because he was conditionally supportive, just being a petulant child at times for silly reasons and sulking, and expecting her to do things even though she's ill and struggling, instead of stepping in and doing things himself. I understand it's difficult for him as well, but why does the onus of reconciliation lie with Keira ultimately? Not cool of Tom.

Bittersweet, a bit sad and emotional, and at other times, funny, this was a simple heartwarming read.

I would like to thank Netgalley, the author Josie Lloyd and Alcove Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was emotional and uplifting. I liked that I haven’t read anything like it before. It was very well written and you could tell it was close to the author’s heart.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I was hooked on this story, that I couldn’t put it down. I felt privileged to read this book. It’s full of life, a story about author Josie Lloyd's personal experience.

The journey of Kiera, who’s a wife, mother of three children at school, one day hears news that turns her life upside down, that she’s got breast cancer..

Reading this story, I felt like I was there with her, going through all the worries about now and the future, how things will change, from being told of the cancer to going through all treatments.

Along the way she finds other women who are or have gone through the same as her and she finds hope from hearing their stories. With these friends they form the Bright Side Running Club.

It was interesting to read about how some people treat you, when they hear you have breast cancer.

A beautiful moving story book about friendship, family as well uplifting. You’ll need tissues.

I would definitely recommend this book.

Definitely worth 5⭐️

I'm always on the lookout for good running fiction and this was an intriguing selection. The main character, a married mom and shop owner, is diagnosed with breast cancer after a routine physical. To cope with the stress of the treatment and life in general, she takes up running and ends up meeting several other women who are also battling cancer. The group becomes a lifeline as the women also deal with not only their illness but life struggles. The author drew on her own experience as a cancer patient as background for the story. I found the writing to be crisp and engaging and the medical information to be very accurate, but not dramatic. I really liked that this was more about the women and their lives; cancer was merely a commonality that brought them together.

Thank you Netgalley and Alcove Press for an eARC for an honest review.

This is a touching, emotional, and uplifting story following Keira and her life after a breast cancer diagnosis. Keira is a middle-aged wife, mum and business owner, whose world suddenly changes when she is diagnosed with breast cancer. This story not only follows her life onwards, but the impact it also has on those close to her.

A chance meeting with Tasmin, another breast cancer fighter, and finds herself joining her new friend in runs at the local park, which would later be dubbed the Bright Side Running Club,

During her fight with cancer, Keira is faced with other issues, one being mainly with her business, one which her coworkers undermine her, slowly driving her out of her own business.

If you're looking for something 'real' to read, this is a must. This story is inspired by the author's own experience with breast cancer, showing us the harsh realities of surgery, chemo and radiation therapy.

3.5 stars! I loved this group of women that bonded and ran together over their shared experience of cancer. My only issue was with the main character’s workplace drama as I didn’t feel it added to the story in a productive way. Overall, this was an uplifting and touching story that felt personal to the author (which was later confirmed in the author’s note). The cover and title sold me on this book and it was a joy to read. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

What an inspiring (and informative and entertaining) book! Keira is a woman in her 40s, married and with three kids, owner of a small retail business, who is diagnosed with breast cancer. We follow her on her journey through treatment, and what a journey it is. The book is written in the first person, so we really get inside Keira’s head. There are lots of ups and downs along the way, but the “bright spot” for Keira is her chance meeting with Tamsin outside the breast cancer clinic, as Tamsin is finishing up a short run. Out of that meeting, the Bright Side Running Club is born, and includes not only Tamsin and Keira, but two other women who are either going through treatment or who have completed their treatment, Amma and Sian. Through their stories, you see how their diagnosis and treatment affect not only them, but the people around them. The friendships that they form are essential to the women as they provide understanding support for each other. Keira’s family: I particularly loved Keira’s three children, all of whom were given really distinct personalities. Her relationship with her husband Tom also felt very realistic.

I was particularly interested in reading this book because I’m a runner - just a sidelined one for now - and the combination of cancer and running seemed a fascinating one. Since the story takes place in England, you get a bit of an inside look at their National Health System (NHS), which comes off looking pretty good!

I don’t think that the whole subplot involving Keira’s business problems was necessary to the story, although it did give Sian a chance to shine.

The author shares that the story is based on her own life, which makes the book even more poignant and important.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

When Kiera is diagnosed with breast cancer in her late 40s, her world turns upside down. Her relationships with her husband and her kids prove challenging, each in their own ways, not to mention the other parents at the school. On top of it all, Kiera is trying to prevent her storefront, Wishwells, from being turned into a new development project. With all of this weighing her down, Kiera decides to meet up with a few ladies that have breast cancer and run together in the mornings. This group of people become her support system as she works to see the bright side of the challenges of breast cancer - and beyond.

The Bright Side Running Club is an uplifting novel about cancer, based on the author’s own life story. Although I have never had cancer, I have watched my grandmother go through it, and it was nice to be able to see the view from someone with it. It was also *not* a depressing book about cancer, which is a contrast from most cancer literature that can be found (at least, that’s why the author said she was inspired to write it). I did enjoy reading about Kiera’s perspective on her cancer, and her thoughts as she went through the cancer treatment. I have stopped taking my hair (and other body parts!) for granted since reading her struggles, and this part of the novel will probably stay with me for a long time.

On top of the nitty gritty about her cancer, I strongly connected with Kiera’s character. She is a woman who strives to do it all - husband, kids, entrepreneur - and do everything well; this has in turn caused her to put herself and her health last. As you can imagine, having a cancer diagnosis works to change her perspective on this, and it’s relatable how she struggles through this new realization. In addition to Kiera, all of the Bright Side Running Club friends are incredibly supportive of her, and she of them. They can tell it like it is, but they also know when encouragement is the thing that’s best prescribed. One of them even suffers from imposter syndrome, which I can also relate to. I appreciated that all of them have different cancer stories and are at different points in their cancer journey; this helps emphasize that the cancer journey can affect different people in different ways, and that their experience is valid no matter what.

While I did enjoy the main story line about cancer, and the side story about Wishwells, there were too many other side plots that felt out of place to me. She had two or three chapters about her relationship with alcohol - and that maybe she shouldn’t be drinking as much - but then it got left at the half way point, never to be brought up again. Her kids were rude to her, until they weren’t, making the friction there seem artificial (this could be because I don’t have kids; maybe they do that). There were also small details that jumped out to distract me from the story; for example, who owns or updates a physical address book with phone numbers anymore? Especially people who have phones capable of texting? These small details immediately pulled me out of the story because they were so jarring.

Overall, I did enjoy this story. It truly is an up-beat story about the potential of a disastrous diagnosis to change your life - for the better. While there are some downsides, the positives outweigh the negatives, making for a very unique read. If you’re at all interested in cancer treatment or running (or even just friendship!), you’ll probably like this book.

I wasn’t too keen on this one at first. But again it grew on me and it ended up a really great beach read. The friendships formed in the running group were heartwarming, supportive and real - exactly how women’s friendships should be.
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It was a lovely light read, without being too frivolous, and definitely included some larger more serious themes as the ladies in the group are all in various stages of treatment for Cancer. It also made me want to start running again. A great palette cleanser between some larger reads.

Touching, emotional, and uplifting, The Bright Side Running Club is the story of Keira and her life after a breast cancer diagnosis. Keira is an average middle-aged wife, mum, and business owner, and this story follows the impact of her diagnosis on all of those areas of her life. After a chance meeting with the fiery Tasmin, also a breast cancer warrior, Keira finds herself joining her new friend for runs in the local park. Soon they gain two more women in their little cancer running group, and the Bright Side Running Club is born.

Knowing that Keira's cancer journey was inspired by the author's own experiences with breast cancer makes this story even more affecting. Lloyd strikes the delicate balance between showing us the harsh realities of surgery, chemo, and radiation therapy without crossing over and making it overly maudlin and depressing. We see how Keira's experiences impact her marriage, her relationships with her children, and her work life. Her persistent optimism is challenged repeatedly by her circumstances, but she has these beautiful internal conversations with her late father that help her move through the emotionally demanding times.

My only criticism of this book is the workplace drama. I feel Keira's personal story stands strong on its own, and the battles with her coworkers are unnecessary and distracting. Every time one of those scenes showed up, I was pulled out of the narrative, and was anxious to be done with it and get back to the more compelling parts of the story. Regardless, I still strongly recommend this book to anyone who likes a story of the power of female friendships and the resilience of the human spirit.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Keira has just had her life turned upside down when she’s given the news that she has Breast Cancer. She’s determined to keep living her life the way she has been, but soon finds herself overwhelmed by treatment, expectations, and the doubts in her head. Enter Tasmin, who is also going through treatment and convinces Keira to join her running club. It’s been years since Keira has run, but she decides to join not just Tasmin but also Sian and Amma for a run. Together they make up the Bright Side Running Club, and don’t just push each other to reach the finish line, but also help each other to understand and come to terms with their diagnoses.

Each of the ladies we meet in this story are brilliant and in a different stage of their Breast Cancer journeys. The strength they display in the story and the connections they form with one and other really makes this story stand out. I also loved that Lloyd spent time depicting the process and steps of treatment, including simple things such as what a Mediport is. Lloyd also does a great job depicting the emotional rollercoaster that can come with diagnosis such as breast cancer, not just from the patients perspective but also how it impacts a family.

Outside of the running club, Keira is also struggling to regain her voice when it comes to running her boutique shop that her ex-brother’s girlfriend co-owns. This storyline is woven into the mix wonderfully and also gives us a little bit of extra ‘drama’ within the novel. While the story would’ve worked without it, I personally liked it added into the mix.

This is such a lovely story that is based on the author’s real life experience with Breast Cancer. In 2016 author Josie Lloyd was diagnosed and joined a running club, just like Kiera she ran the Brighton 10K. There is a great author online all about her diagnoses and path to recovery.

If you’re looking for something ‘real’ to read, need an uplifting story, or something that will make you tear up than look no future than The Bright Side Running Club. Highly recommend picking this one up!

The Bright Side Running Club is out now. Huge thank you to Alcove Press for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof_books.

BRIEF SUMMARY
On New Year’s Eve, Keira was on top of the world. A loving husband, adorable kids, best of friends and a flourishing business. Then one day, a call from a clinic was not the routine call she was expecting. Shocked and disbelief, she saw her perfect world spiraled.

My Thoughts:
The C-word that no one wants to hear when you’re at the doctor’s. I thought this book was enlightening. I’m sure it resonates with many women who experienced breast cancer. I felt Keira’s grief, insecurities, and frustrations. Not only what the disease does to her body but with business associates, meddling school parents, and her relationship with family especially her husband, Tom. Everybody needs a Tamsin, Amma, and Sian in their lives. There’s nothing like getting that love and support from group of female friends.

I found this book very touching, definitely an eye opener, and full of hope. Even with today’s medical advances and technology, we hope someday we can eradicate cancer for good.

Thank you, @netgalley and @alcovepress for the opportunity to review this wonderful book.

As I was browsing the netgalley selections a few months ago, I came across The Bright Side Running Club by Josie Lloyd, and was immediately drawn to the cover. Isn’t it super fun and absolutely adorable? When I read the description and learned that it was about breast cancer, running, family, and friendship, I instantly hit the request button. There are SO many layers to this story. Not only has the main character, Keira recently received a breast cancer diagnosis, she’s also having some marriage issues, dealing with a TON of work drama, and trying to raise her children on top of it all. To say that her life is busy, intense, and stressful is a huge understatement. Luckily, Keira meets a group of women who bring her comfort, compassion, and understanding. They are all in different stages of their own breast cancer journeys. Some are newly diagnosed, just starting treatment, in the middle of treatment, or on the tail end. Through running together, they all bring support, wisdom and a sense of belonging to one another. This story made me smile, laugh, and think about all of the wonderful women in my life. It felt like a great big bear hug at times. I also found it extremely insightful and uplifting. I know that everyone’s experience with cancer is different, but I still learned so much from Keira and her friends. Pick up a copy of The Bright Side Running Club on February 8th! I give it 4/5 stars!