Member Reviews

Loved this feelgood read.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

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This is a feel good read.This book talks a lot about the spirit of community. I loved the characters and the storyline. The ending was a bit disappointing.

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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"The Good News Gazette" by Jessie Wells is an absolute delight! This heartwarming tale follows Zoe Taylor's journey from a setback in her journalistic career to the creation of The Good News Gazette, a beacon of positivity in the charming hamlet of Westholme. Wells weaves a captivating story filled with humor, friendship, and the resilience of the human spirit.

Zoe's character is relatable and endearing, and her transformation from a single mum facing challenges to a community crusader is truly inspiring. The plot takes unexpected turns, keeping readers engaged and eager to see what happens next. The mix of wine-fueled camaraderie and the birth of The Good News Gazette adds a unique and enjoyable flavour to the narrative.

Wells skillfully addresses the theme of change, both personal and societal, as Zoe faces the threat of modernization in Westholme. The storyline is not only about saving oneself but also about the power of community and the positive impact one person can have.

Overall, "The Good News Gazette" is a feel-good read that leaves you with a smile on your face and a renewed belief in the goodness that can emerge from challenging situations. Jessie Wells has crafted a charming and uplifting story that is perfect for anyone in need of a dose of optimism and a reminder that even in the face of adversity, there is always room for good news. Highly recommended!

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Fun read that will have you laughing at some parts. Definitely one to take with you to the pool or beach this summer. Lighthearted and full of well written characters.

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Super cute and fun to read story that will have you laughing at some parts. Definitely one to take with you to the pool or beach this summer. Lighthearted and full of well written characters.

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The Good News Gazette is a lovely story. Light-hearted and fun. It's a nice relaxing read that holds your attention and makes you feel like you are part of village life.

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Lighthearted and mostly lovely, The Good News Gazette reminded me of a Jenny Colgan novel. I love a story centered on a single mom that isn’t only about her “finding a man”. I enjoyed the progression of Zoe’s belief in herself throughout the novel. A great palate cleanser between some heavier reads.

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The idea is brilliant! The gazette with only good news in it? Oh God, I would be the first to buy it! That was my first though, but later on, page after page, I realised that life is not only about bright side. Sometimes we need to spot the shadow to appreciate things we already have.

I like Zoe. Her enthusiasm, despite the hard time in her life, her down to earth attitude and her commitment towards the city and people around her, it something I truly admire.

This story gives me a small town vibe. I like the way how they care of each other, know for ages and just being around, united and strong. And even though, the Zoe life is not like from the lifestye magazine, she manage to have a great life with her son and tru friends around her.

it was funny. It was touching, I spend long hours just entertaining myself and immerse myself into this world. Great book and I'm really looking forward to having it in different languages as well.

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This was a feel good read that restores faith in humanity. The characters were charming and I enjoyed the wit.
Many thanks to HarperCollins UK and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Jessie Wells’ The Good News Gazette is a lovely, uplifting and feel-good page-turner that is absolutely adorable – I couldn’t bear to put this terrific debut down!

Zoe Taylor had once been a high-flying jet-setting journalist leading a life in London most people would envy – until it had all gone pear-shaped. Now a single mum living in the quiet hamlet of Westholme, the star journalist now covers the news desk for the local paper where scoops are limited to flower shows and village fetes. Although her job has none of the excitement of her previous career, Zoe is grateful for it – until she is unceremoniously sacked. What is Zoe going to do now?

Inviting her friends over to commiserate over many a glass of wine, Zoe decides to use her sacking as an opportunity for a fresh start and decides to put all of her skills, knowledge and experience into starting a newspaper with a difference – The Good News Gazette. However, it looks like good news in Westholme will be in short supply with a developer threatening to rip apart the fabric of their beloved hamlet. Zoe and her team will not stand for this and they begin to mount a movement that will do whatever it can to save their beloved community.

Zoe may have started The Good News Gazette to save herself, but little does she realise that she might just end up saving Westholme in the process…

The Good News Gazette is a delightful tale about the power of positivity, fighting for what you believe in and the importance of friendship and community I absolutely loved. Jessie Wells has written a wonderful story full of hope, warmth and heart that will have you laughing, crying and cheering on the whole community of Westholme.

Lovely, heartwarming and hard to resist, The Good News Gazette is an enchanting and captivating novel by Jessie Wells.

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A nice, positive chick lit…well, I suppose with a title like that, I shouldn’t be surprised!
Zoe Taylor goes from being a self-considered failure, to the most popular woman in town. All a bit obvious, really, but a pleasant read nevertheless.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book for review.

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The Good News Gazette by Jessie Wells is a heart-warming and uplifting collection of true stories that celebrate the kindness, generosity, and resilience of people all around us. The book is a compilation of feel-good news stories, covering a range of topics from acts of kindness, to environmental initiatives, to stories of personal triumph and resilience.

Wells' writing is engaging and thoughtful, and she has a talent for bringing the stories to life, evoking the emotions and motivations of the people behind each tale. The stories are well-researched and carefully chosen to highlight the positive and inspiring things happening in our communities, and they serve as a powerful reminder of the good that people are capable of.

What sets The Good News Gazette apart from other books is its focus on the positive and the uplifting. In a world that is often dominated by negative news, the book offers a refreshing and much-needed perspective, showing us that there is still much to celebrate and be grateful for.

Overall, The Good News Gazette is a delightful and inspiring read that is sure to lift your spirits and remind you of the goodness that exists in the world. It is a book that will leave you feeling uplifted, inspired, and grateful for the kindness and generosity of the people around us. Highly recommended.

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When Zoe is made redundant she starts her own news website, The Good News Gazette. Taking on a stance against the development of her little town she fights their plans and gets help from the neighbourhood navigating single motherhood, possible boyfriends, weight issues and money.
I really loved this book. Such a feel good read that made me smile. Thank you to netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

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A lovely feelgood story with lots of humour mixed in. I loved the characters in Zoe's community, especially the eccentric ones! Very highly recommended.

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This is a new author to me and I am so glad I have read this one. It was uplifting and empowering. I knew that this would be one that I read quickly. A lovely story and I found the main character Zoe as relatable and likeable. Highly recommended

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When Zoe is made redundant from her job at the newspaper she decides to set up the good news gazette, a new paper only containing good news from the community, Zoe is drawn into the fight to keep the parade in Westholme, a run down group of shops with lots of boarded up units. A really nice feel good read

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What a brilliant concept! A newspaper that prints only the good stuff. We do need more of this kind, especially in the current world scenario where negativity seems to be the only thing happening!

I hope Jessie Wells is writing more books of this kind because I absolutely loved every bit of this marvelous story. Zoe's life scenario can be compared to "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade." When she's made redundant from her job, she decides to start a local gazette that prints only good news. A Facebook community page is set up and so is a website - perks of getting drunk with friends and taking actions on a whim. *wink wink*

There's plenty of good news to print - small wins, a charitable cause that is going unnoticed and so on. Then comes a shocking development. Something to do with Westholme's parade (building) that will be brought down. The developer is keen on bringing a supermarket to Westholme and Zoe decides it's time to show him how much the parade means to the residents. But there's a problem - the developer is Handsome with a capital H. Hmm!!!

Zoe is a single mom and definitely not looking for love. She's had enough trouble with her ex Ryan and well, that's made her think twice before finding love again. We also have a couple of side stories which adds oodles of charm to the already-charming story. There's the local cafe which gets a dash of re-do and a local football club hosted by Sam - another Handsome fella. *wink*

No story is complete without a dash of romance. We have two prospective partners for Zoe here - a love triangle of sorts. I was curious to see who will win Zoe's heart.

The best part about this story (um, second best I suppose) is the silly banter on Good News Gazette's Facebook Community page. There are trolls, all right - the sarcastically funny kind. ;)

Overall, The Good News Gazette by Jessie Wells was a charming and entertaining read. Loved the concept of 'Good News Gazette" and the storytelling is simply brilliant.

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After a bit of a low and depressing start with Zoe's redundancy (this might have reflected that way to me because of the cost of living crisis playing heavily on my mind), the lovely concept of a Good News website and the ripple effect impacting the local community really could inspire a philanthropic reader. I feel like the Good News websites did very well during and post pandemic, so this is a nice way to lift reader spirits, Zoe as the main character is likeable and easy to root for, especially against the full cast of characters, who are all so well drawn its easy to differentiate between individuals. A nice, easy read.

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A newspaper and/or online resource that only prints/publishes GOOD news? Never heard of it...but perhaps, when all is said and done, you'll wish you did!

Zoe has had a rather trying time of late. Her son is getting older, his father isn't really in the picture (though contactable...sort of), her paycheck isn't getting any bigger (in fact, it's about to disappear altogether!), and her love life is more stagnant than a dammed river. The main things she has going for her...great friends, a lovely little town that supports their own, and a brilliant determination to make her corner of the world a better place...even if it does get its start when she's a few sheets to the wind. Hey, sometimes those decisions we make when our inhibitions are down CAN leave a lasting mark...in a GOOD way!

I loved how Zoe took a negative and made it a positive, though again, it wasn't up to her alone. She surrounded herself with great people, formed a plan of "attack", and poured her heart into it each step of the way. Even when things started to get complicated because her heart was getting involved (in more than just the events!), or the big bad investment group didn't seem to be changing their minds on the demolition, she never gave up. She took the reigns, shared the load, changed minds, garnered interest, and made things happen. You have to respect a character like that, woman or man, and later on when she realized some things that were harder to admit or apologize for, she still took the hard steps; she made it right, or at the very least put the ball back in their court.

All in all, it was an uplifting story filled with hard times, but great news, and in today's world, you can't beat that with a stick! Seriously though, it reminded you that with a little hard work, and a great group of friends and/or locals, you can make a difference. It may not always look the way you wanted it to, but there is good to uncover in any situation if we only give it a chance to shine through.

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This book was more enjoyable than I thought it would be! 💜 I loved all of the characters with all my heart. I was not expecting to be so invested in the storyline!! So addictive and entertaining.

Can't wait to read more from the author!

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