This story has been a bit confusing because it mixes very serious issues with others that are not so serious. But perhaps it was the behavior of the protagonists, which is on the one hand professional and mature and on the other a bit childish, really. Or maybe I have not understood the profession of the protagonist, death doula, I admit that I had not heard of this profession before, and I was surprised that it exists. Or maybe it was not surprise but a little apprehension.

Many maybe, so I'm not sure at all.

But the thing is that the story has made me a bit boring and also painful at times. The stubbornness of the protagonists has not helped me to warm up to the subject either. Not even the idyllic environment in which they have found themselves, by force, has added positively.

The story of Cam / Erica has not been clarified, everything has been intuited and left to the imagination of the reader. And Brooke's attitude has taken too long to get likeable.

So, overall, meh.

Ten Days in May is a bit of an unusual second chance romance. Unusual, but good.

Cam is a death doula, she helps dying people and their families with everything that has to do with these final stage of life. An unusual (here’s that word again) but very fulfilling job. Although this isn’t the lightest or the most fun subjects to read about, dying is a part of inevitable part of life. Cam’s approach to her clients is amazing, her philosophy is great. I really liked her. The new client she takes on is a man, Landon, dying of cancer. He has a mysterious trip for her to go on to run an errand for him. Brooke is having a hard figuring out who she is, if she wants the relationship she’s in, if she wants to keep on keeping on with her restaurant after the pandemic (this book address COVID 19 in a realistic way, but it isn’t too much of it), life is just hard. That is until she starts making decisions and Landon invites her down to an island to discuss things. Landon won’t be going to the island. What Landon and his current partner figured out is better and they set up this scheme. It’s like Parent Trap if you will.
The hostility between the characters, the inner peace they find, it’s all very well written. The way this story develops is something I really like.

If I were to nitpick and point something out that I didn’t like, the reason why the previous relationship ended and how easily that explanation is believed as well. I’m not going to say too much about it, but I’m sure when you read this that you will know what I mean.

This book is as much a second chance romance as it is about finding peace, peace with solitude, yourself and the end of a life. Although the theme would suggest otherwise it is a very comforting book.

This was a rough read for me, to be honest. First of all, switching between past and present tense did not work. I think the author was trying to differentiate between voices, but it honestly fell flat and just sounded confusing more than anything, like did one section happen in the past and the other presently? There were also a handful of words I don’t think were used properly, unless they have other definitions I’m not aware of. The fact that both women had changed their names was more confusing than anything; I imagine the author was going for a “surprise” effect but it only threw too many characters at the reader in the beginning before we figured it out. Also, both of Brooke’s exes moving not only to the same city, but the same neighborhood, and THEN becoming friends? That felt sooo forced and not coincidental. On top of that, the majority of the analogies and metaphors felt forced rather than flowed natural. It just had this sad overtone and I dunno, it needs a lot of work but I do believe the story premise is good and interesting and with some tweaking it can be the story it deserves to be. Thanks for letting me read it!

Tracey Richardson

Ten Days in May

Bella Books



Camryn has a unique job, one that I find quite interesting. The author gives you an insight into the world,  our final wishes, it helps you to look at the story from a different perspective. I took care of my mother until she passed away and I have to say the experience does change you completely.  The story is about second chances in the grand scheme of things. We all have parts of our lives, we wish we could redo. We  could do things differently or make different choices.  It takes a special soul to help someone in the way Cam does. She has a love for others and a true passion for her job.



Brooke seems to be just going through the motions of life. It is, in a way, as if she does not even feel anything, she’s only totally consumed with keeping her restaurant alive.  There is definitely a feeling that both main characters are lost in a way looking for peace. There is a big twist in the story that will help bring them together again.





I don’t want to give anything away, but this is a wonderful book. It makes you feel so deeply, it helps you view life and how precious our time here on the earth with our loved ones really is. The book hit a sensitive spot for me because my sister-in-law was diagnosed with stage four brain cancer and so I understand that this life really is a gift. It’s hard to go back and tell the one person you love leaving was the biggest mistake they ever made .



The story is about reflecting on life ,love and decisions.  I was touched by this story. These past two years have been an eye opener for us all. To realize tomorrow is not promised, remember to tell the people around  you what they mean to you. Forgive yourself for your past mistakes, make peace with the past and try your best to move forward.



I highly recommend this book! I would like to thank Bella books and NetGalley for the arc! 5 stars

Ten Days In May was a nice surprise for me. To put it simply, the synopsis barely skimmed the surface and as you go along, you learn more about the motivations behind each of the character’s choices and certain revelations might even make you switch sides, as it did me.

Camryn Hughes’ clients may have all kinds of requests but her latest sent her on an unusual 10 days’ business trip to deliver a message in person. On that island, the last person she expects to meet is the one who changed the course of her life almost 2 decades ago. Brooke Ross’ life is on a downward trajectory. Nothing is going right but when she meets Camryn, life somehow has a way to come full circle and makes her meet all her issues head on.

The idea of having one of the characters who seem to have it all lose herself and what really mattered sobering. Camryn and Brooke may look like they have spiralled differently but in actual fact wound up the same. Over a span of 10 days, the author stripped away each layer of hurt, pain and regret and made all that was left same but new with a side of faith.

I just reviewed Ten Days in May by Tracey Richardson. Thank you NetGalley and Bella Books for the ARC.

Ten Days in May by Tracey Richardson.

Thank you Netgallery and Bella Books for an ARC for an unbiased review.

The premise was fairly simple. Can two people who broke up under acrimonious circumstances, yet still yearned to be together even years later, when brought together, work through the differences, as friends, and possibly more?

The book felt strange, in so much as it was reasonably well written. There were no real surprises for me, it was all fairly predicable. The big issue I had, and one that ran throughout the book in one way or another was how self-analysis by both characters became problematic for me.

With Brooke, it was owning a restaurant was the biggest part of her life. What would she do? How would she reinvent herself?
This was said so often in different dynamics and ways, that I was tempted to just give up reading at one point.
I get it was something that heavily shaped Brooke's life, but to see it mentioned so frequently was just really annoying after a while. I can't do a search on the proof as I could in regular ebooks, but I can't help but wonder how often words or phrases like 'reinvent', or 'what would she do', were mentioned.

Cam, although not quite as much, had similar problems for me as the reader as to why she became a death doula (support companion) and the introspection she has as to what led her there.

I get that it shaped them as people, I understood why motivations were a primary factor on both their behaviour. What I didn't get is why it had to be mentioned as frequently as it was. It almost felt as if it was to somehow make up the word count. It was the biggest distraction of the whole book for me, and I couldn't enjoy it as I'd hoped. And that was a shame because the way the rest of the story shaped up, while no surprises, wasn't bad at all and enjoyable.

I've debated on how to score this, and personally there was enough to warrant 3/5 stars. A book that is okay but not something I'd necessarily read again.

Camryn is settled in her quiet life. She works as a support person or doula to the dying and their families. The fulfillment she receives is enough motivation to continue on her path.
Brooke fulfilled her lifetime dream of becoming a restaurateur only to run full speed into the covid pandemic. The stress of barely staying open and mounting debt has her questioning her future. Unbeknownst to either Cam or Brooke, a third party influences both their present and future lives.

Ten Days in May is categorized as a second chance romance which it truly is in the last half of the book. Richardson uses the first half to explore the philosophical and spiritual sides of what is required to live a full life and to be able to embrace your own mortality when the time arrives. The first section is masterfully written and intellectually insightful. It is a joy to read for an enquiring mind.

The last half is what you would come to expect from a Richardson romance although I did not find Brooke an appealing character. In an emotionally charged novel she comes across as too emotionally unyielding. To add to this her transformation occurs overnight with a one hundred and eighty turn around. This stretches the believability factor for me.

If I could rate both halves separately I would gladly give the first half five stars and the second half three stars. For my overall rating I will use the average of the two halves for a four star review.

I received a free advance review copy from Bold Strokes Books through NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Camryn Hughes is a death doula, someone who helps her clients and their families through the last stages of their lives. Her newest client has a very unusual request that puts her in close proximity to her ex, Brooke, who she never quite got over. After spending some time together, with Mackinac Island as a romantic backdrop, they realize that despite their broken past they may still have a future.
I'll start by saying I almost did not finish after reading the first few chapters which detail Camryn's job and her newest client. I feel like the book blurb should include a bit more information on the subject matter as for some it may be uncomfortable. I was certainly not prepared for it. Having spent every day of the last three months of a good friend's life sitting with him while his family was at work before his passing earlier this year this hit a bit too close for me. I did skip over some of the scenes in the beginning with Landon and Cam and again toward the end. The middle was mostly just interactions between Cam and Brooke on the island and I did enjoy those. I liked both characters and their history was compelling. I felt like their relationship hurdles were cleared a bit too easily and quickly for all the past hurt and anger they both had been harboring for almost 20 years and overall felt a bit unrealistic to me. I liked Maggie and Jane and would have loved some more of Marcy and her fun attitude. It was a good book but if you've spent time with someone during their end of life make sure you're prepared for this emotions.

I think Tracey Richardson is an excellent storyteller and I enjoyed this book. There are no spoilers in this review but as a second chance romance, the characters almost play second fiddle to the location. The descriptions of the island do make it sound idyllic ~ even with the many drawbacks.

Cam is a death doula and her current client is dying of pancreatic cancer. My mum-in-law died of this many years ago but I was comfortable revisiting it as she and I had some of the conversations Cam and her client had. I personally think we need to be more honest about death and dying and I liked this aspect of the story.

Brooke didn’t connect with me quite so much but her reactions to Cam seemed real. I did love the women who owned the general store and befriended Cam and Brooke - separately. They should have a book of their own.

The pacing was slow to start as we learned about Camryn and her grounded, meditative nature and then speeded up once we got to the island. An excellent couple of hours relaxing with a good storyteller.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley

When I began reading this book and found out the unusual profession of Camryn Hughes, I was uncomfortable with the subject matter and did not continue the book.

I received an ARC from Bella Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Camryn is a death doula. I’m going to describe it as a life coach for dying. She helps clients with everything from going to appointments, tying up loose ends, preparing mentally and emotionally for leaving this life etc. Learning about all a death doula does is one of the most interesting parts of this book. Camryn’s current client is 54 and dying of pancreatic cancer. As she helps him he has a surprising request for her to meet his ex wife at Mackinaw Island and give her a letter from him and help her understand he is dying. Brooke’s life is influx. She owns and runs a restaurant surviving the lean years during the pandemic. An offer to buy the restaurant has her rethinking what her future can be.

It is a third the way into the book before Brooke and Camryn meet opening the possibility of a second chance romance. Both feel manipulated (he knew Cam was Brookes first love), but are willing to spend time together at the dying mans request. This sets up being together on the beautiful island. There is time to get the reason for the break-up and catch up with each other. It is predictable once they come on the island how the story will end and oddly the closer I got to finishing the less I liked them as a couple. Brooke is in a position where she can resettle or make changes and yet she unilaterally chooses what she wants. Telling Cam they can do it together is not the same as planning and making decisions for what is best for both in a new relationship. The plan is not the best for Cam and her career. In a few lines when Brooke is telling her sister, who Brooke says she has overly relied upon, her news, she is dismissive of her sisters response (which is positive). It is unflattering to Brooke’s character that she can’t take a moment to recognize Marcy’s support and makes me think she really hasn’t changed with all the things she has gone through. I think other people will read this and come away with a different view but it is how it struck me. The author with the epilogue wants you to believe they have their HEA.

So I love current Camryn and am fascinated with her job. But I’m not sold entirely on Brooke or the rekindled romance. I usually really fall for my heroines and so it surprises me when I have mixed feelings. It might work more for others. Thank you to NetGalley and Bella Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A second chance romance with an unusual job for one of the MC’s. Her current client happens to have a connection to Camryn’s ex, Brooke. I would have liked them to start the story a little earlier, most of the first part of the book being pointed at Camryn and her unusual job. Camryn and Brooke meet again at around 35% in the book when the romance element of the book begins.

A second chance romance that has one of the MCs as a death doula who has a client with pancreatic cancer. This is an interesting (possibly to some an uncomfortable) subject to include in this story. Although most of the book is taken up with the romantic side it also shows how one can try and make the most of someone’s last months (weeks, days). A bit thought provoking indeed.