Such a lovely book by Fiona.
She always writes something ghat tugs at the heart. This one is especially sweet with the story of an elderly couple ready to give up on life. Then new neighbours move next door and they find themselves with something to get up in the morning for.
Children and the elderly. A perfect mix

I have read some of Fiona's books before and really enjoyed them. I just really didnt connect with this one. I found it to be repetitive and slow.

Howard and Elsie were born on the same day, met at Kinder and have been married for nearly 60 years. Feeling they have reached the end of their usefulness on earth, and are no longer needed by their adult daughters, they make plans to end life together. As plans were finalised, they get new neighbours: a single Dad and his young daughter who manages to breathe new life into Howard and Elsie and give them a reason to live. A beautiful story with great insights into how we need to take better care of the older generation.

A beautiful, gently told story, Sunrise Over Mercy Court is just lovely! The story starts with Elsie and Howard, both 78, feeling their age and bored with their lives, considering joint suicide before they turn 79. The somber theme is lifted by humorous moments and these two are really endearing characters. I loved their careful preparations as well the foibles of old age that troubled them on and off through the book. The introduction of two children, Milly and Connor, into their lives added a delightful change to their attitudes. I remembered so much of my own childhood as I read about Elsie whipping up costumes and Howard making tin can stilts for them. Chickens One, Two and three (particularly Two) and Brian the robotic vacuum cleaner added entertaining depth to what really has been a warm and wonderful story.

I found this story hard to settle into at first- I think because of it's focus on covid and lockdowns. But once that was out of the way I began to really enjoy the book.
The relationship between Elsie and Howard is so sweet and entertaining. Adding in Milly and Connor is a great combo as they give the story more to expand on and bring entertainment and liveliness to Howard and Elsie.

Fiona's books always have wonderful relationships between the characters and some depth in the storyline. Sunrise Over Mercy Court was no different once it got going. The story is about finding enjoyment in life and how important it is to feel seen.

Howard and Elsie Manning have been married for fifty nine years, to say their soulmates would describe their relationship perfectly and that’s not to say they don’t notice each others faults. They raised their two daughters Janine and Corinne to be decent humans, while running their accounting business and they retired fifteen years ago.

Like everyone they found the Covid pandemic a struggle, all the activates they enjoyed were cancelled, grocery shopping became a nightmare, they spent time in lock down and together. Now, on the other side of Covid, with their seventy ninth birthdays are approaching and they were born on the same day, so many things have changed, many of their friends have passed away and like many older people they feel invisible and are find doing everyday tasks a real challenge. They’re not as agile as they once were, both have various aches and pains and even getting up of the floor is a big struggle.

Maisie their beloved canine companion has recently passed away, all of her things have been packed away and all they have left are the memories. Taking Maisie for her daily walk, her always greeting them at the front door, the sound of her nails tapping on the floor and keeping them company while they pottered around the house.

Howard and Elsie are considering ending their lives together, peacefully, while they can make the choice, under their own terms and they investigate ways. Neither are fans of pain, mess, they don’t want to botch the job and they discover it’s a lot harder than they thought. One day they get an unexpected knock at their front door, new neighbours have moved in next door and they will have a major impact on Howard and Elsie life and the decisions they make.

I received a copy of Sunrise Over Mercy Court by Fiona McCallum from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. I thought this was going to be the most depressing and negative story I had ever read and I was pleasantly surprised. The narrative looks at what’s it’s like to be an older person, trying to live in a world that’s constantly changing, everything moves at a faster pace and while you’re getting slower and circle of friends is getting smaller. Ms. McCallum makes you walk in an older persons shoes, you see things from their point of view and it’s very confronting and especially if your own parents are a similar age to the two main characters.

Howard and Elsie start to notice the little things around them and what they don’t want to lose, it's a story about finding hope when you least expect it, how laughter is the best medicine, and the joy found in making new friends. Four stars from me, a slow moving and thought provoking novel by Fiona McCallum, about aging and living life to it's fullest.

Sunrise Over Mercy Court by Fiona McCallum is a feel good, delightful and heart warming story. Set in Adelaide in the post lock down periods of the Pandemic, we meet an elderly couple, Elsie and Howard who are longer enjoying their life. There search for a means to end their life together is amusing. When new neighbours move in their life takes on a different direction.

A light and cozy read that for the most part is interesting though there were times when I felt the dialogue was a bit too laboured even if it was with two eight year old children. Despite this, it was still a good read.

Recommended read for something light and fluffy.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from Harlequin Australia via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#SunriseOverMercyCourt #Netgalley

I could easily relate to this book as I believe it is something everyone will think about at some stage in their lives. Howard and Elise are coming up into there 80s and they want to leave the world on there own terms. There beloved dog Maise has just passed away and as I'm sure alot of the elderly feel they feel invisible. Until a knock at the door from some new neighbours changes everything and gives them a fresh view on life. The characters are all lovely and I easily connected to them. As a dog mum myself, my heart broke when dear Maise passed. Young Milly is a breath of fresh air and I really loved how kind and respectful she is especially to her elders. I had a lot of different feelings while reading but the one that stood out the most was hope. A very enjoyable and pleasant read.

This book is a heartwarming read, a wonderful tribute to growing old and keeping purpose to your life!
The main characters, Howard and Elsie are truly soulmates, unfortunately retirement has become boring to them. It’s true that the elderly come to believe that they’re no longer needed, sadly Howard and Elsie decide to plan their end of life!
The storyline is amazingly well written, the description of struggles faced in daily activities is spot on. I love how Howard is so in tune with Elsie’s needs and feelings, they intuitively know what each other is thinking!
What a wonderful day when new neighbours bring meaning and a sense of family and friendship to Howard and Elsie’s lives! It’s not long until Howard and Elsie are ‘grandparents’, their daughters return to show their love and a new pet convinces them to look anew at difficult life choices!
This book reminds us to laugh together, live life with kindness and embrace our friendships, after all, it’s not only the elderly that are lonely!

Huge congratulations and thanks to Harlequin Australia, NetGalley and the wonderful Fiona McCallum for the opportunity to read this special book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sunrise Over Mercy Court was a sweet story about 78 year olds, Elsie and Howard and how aging has impacted them. Life is hard when you get their age, and they make a plan to exit together, before their 79th birthdays and wedding anniversary.

Whilst this is a serious topic it's quite humorous and heartwarming what Howard and Elsie go through. The story has a strong focus on family and relationships. Howard and Elsie have always been best friends and their love for each other is still evident and sweet.

The story was a little slow moving and sometimes I did wonder what the point was but I enjoyed the overall theme and a few surprises along the way. It was just a nice, feelgood book and had a nice ending.

Howard and Elsie Manning were born on the same day, met at kindergarten, and have been married for 59 years. They have lived sensible, productive lives, and raised two self-sufficient daughters. Now, at 78, they are bored with the predictability of life, fed up with contemporary society, have aching joints and dwindling finances, and - funeral by funeral - their circle of friends is shrinking. Worst of all, they are grieving for their beloved, recently deceased dog Maisie.

Together Howard and Elsie consider bringing their lives to a peaceful end, but it turns out leaving this world is not easy, especially if they want to avoid pain or mess. Even the apparently simple methods have much room for error, as they discover.

Then a knock at the door changes everything...

I've not read anything by this author previously, and am not sure if this is a debut book or not.

This was a very easy read, despite the blurb, there was nothing heavy or depressing about it. The perspectives of the older characters is interesting, and their love for one another is very sweet. A well rounded read, finished in just over two hours.

Thank you to @netgalley for a copy of this book in return for my honest review.

#romance #bookreview #bookstagram #contemporaryromance #netgalley

Wow! This one is a long one and ever so interesting which is great as I usually cringe at books that are this long as they become boring and longwinded.

This is a story that most people of a certain age can probably relate to. What do we do with our lives once we hit a stage where of life is not as we would want it to be. But on unexpected neighbour moves in things start going in a different direction.

This book is well written and flows easily and effortlessly. The characters, especially Howard and Elsie are people I know, they could be family, friends or neighbours and they are very relatable. They make this story real.

This is such a heartwarming story which also has some humor and life as well as a twist and turn from time to time. I really enjoyed reading a book that seems so real and brings to life those life decisions, problems and relationships that we all deal with in the real world.