Ethan Joella’s books hit the sweet spot for many readers. He tells stories about people who seem very real and who face the same sorts of issues that any of us might. Joella writes with heart and this adds to his appeal.

A Little Hope tells the story of people who live in a small town, in this case in Connecticut. One couple who lives there with a much loved young child are presented with a life changing crisis. The story is about how they and those around them make their way through this time. Alongside this family, readers get to know many others in the town, many of whom face their own challenges.

The New York Times calls this one “poignant and quietly powerful.” I agree.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Muswell Press for this title. All opinions are my own

emotional and important.

- thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an early review.

Grab the tissues. Beautifully written. Each character have a storyline whether it’s love, heartbreak, hope, tragedy. I was deeply moved by this story and would love to read more.

This is a beautifully written novel consisting of vignettes of about a dozen or so characters in a small Connecticut town whose lives all interconnect. Death seems to be a major topic in the book, and as the title suggests, the ending is filled with hope for all these characters who experience some type of hardship or trauma.

Character-driven books like this can sometimes be hit or miss for me, especially if I don't feel any connection to the characters, but I was thoroughly intrigued by each and every one of their stories. While it's a fairly short book and we don't spend much time with each character, they are all fully fleshed out and three-dimensional. Overall, I loved this book and would definitely recommend it.

What a beautiful, well written story about life’s losses, regrets and loves and the ways in which we cope. The characters are real, so many pieces of me throughout the story. Everyone connects realistically and everyone has their own struggles. You will be moved to tears and reminded of the gifts all around you that we take for granted.. Highly recommend!

Life, death, love, and hope in small town Connecticut depicted through a series of interconnected character vignettes a la Love Actually. Some characters get more time on page than others, but a range of messy human experiences are shared. An engaging and easy read.

Highly recommend!! My first book to read by this author but definitely not my last!! Uniquely and beautifully written, this story and its characters stay with you long after you finish the book.

Wharton is a small town in Connecticut. This story follows the lives of a range of its residents. It is a selection of stories, with the characters all interconnected, sharing their loves, losses, tragedies, hopes and dreams.

Some of the stories are less interesting than others, but all have a part to play in the evolving plot. The book is fast paced and the characters are well written, and although it did take me a while to get into the mood of the writing I did enjoy it.

3.5* rounded up to 4*.

Thank you NetGalley.

A Little Hope by Ethan Joella is a beautiful book about the ways we are connected and the hope we can find even in moments of despair. The book is written in connecting vignettes about a variety of characters who live in a Connecticut town. It moves swiftly touching on the everyday lives and personal triumphs and tragedies of each character. I really liked the quick pacing and the lean storytelling. Sometimes it was a little hard to connect to the characters, but the stories really grabbed me.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC.

We all lose people in life. If it’s a crush, a spouse, a sibling, a child, a parent, a friend. We all lose and grieve. Multiple times. How do we all survive?

A couple, dealing with illness. A mom who lost her husband so many years ago. A son who lost his dad and his girlfriend. The girlfriend who still yearns for those long lost times. An employer who sees his employee almost as a substitute to his long lost son. So many people in pain because of a loss. But still, even if they lose there’s always a little hope. That’s what this story is about.

The writing is in third person/present tense. My least favorite, to be honest. But some of the most beautiful books ever, have been written in third person/present tense (i.e. Beartown, Cloud Cuckoo Land). A Little Hope is a stilled story, all those characters trying to overcome their losses, their lives intertwining so naturally. It’s also an easy read; I read on and on without even noticing that I already read so many pages.

Even though I liked the story and the characters, it took me a (long) while to feel emotionally connected to the characters. Hannah’s POV (including Luke’s) touched me the most. Maybe the story kept me at bay because of the countless POV’s and the huge time jumps. Sometimes it seemed that only sad snippets were taken from so many people’s lives.