This was a very raw and moving story. Being a woman of a similar age I could relate a lot with Alex and Hope, and it was refreshing to read about others suffering from menopausal symptoms and the impact they can have on your life with out you realising. The dementia element was also interesting and it certainly opened my eyes about the disease and how it develops and how family and friends adjust and manage. The idea of employing them in a cafe was interesting, and it certainly helps to make them feel included and to slowly eradicate the stigma attached to people with the disease.

Tom was interesting as he seemed to be the one who had it all together and was holding everyone up. To see him crumble was quite moving, but his support network was there, Alex cared more deeply than she realised and she helped Tom to find his feet and his smile again.
I really enjoyed reading this, seeing Alex navigate new friendships, new skills and finding herself again, and making friends with an outspoken parrot!

Oh this book is literally beautiful. It is really well written, heartbreaking and beautiful, uplifting and romantic.

Having a parent in the early stages of dementia I was a little hesitant about reading this book. However, I found this story written in a positive & empathic way that did not belittle those living with dementia, and their families, and, although it was humourous & lighthearted it did not gloss over some of the many complexities that accompany this dreadful disease. In her authors note at the end of the book Samantha Tonge writes about having her own experience of a loved one with dementia, and the personal nature shines through the writing of the story.
Not quite following the standard meet-cute and basic premise of many books in this genre, this story stands out, but for all the right reasons. If you are expecting the standard romance, fall-out & make up this book is not it; however, I would encourage you to read it. This story is about far more than just romantic entanglement. It is an interesting storyline and is full of wonderful, fully-formed characters. It is about family, friendship and finding (and being true to) your real self. It is about the chaos that our lives can sometimes be, and it is also about the sorrow but also the wonderful times that become so precious when living with dementia, be it the individual or those who love them. It is not; however, maudlin or depressing, it is definitely not sad or pitying.
A touching & inspiring story peppered with humour and romance. Thank you, Samantha, for writing this book, the storyline and the entire ensemble of characters brings some much needed light to what can often feel like a very dark place.

A thought provoking read that very quickly had me engrossed and invested in everyone's story. The simple remise that everyone has their worth, is expertly and touchingly handled by this expert author. If you've not read a Samantha Tonge novel before, welcome to a world-class story-teller!

The cover looks nice, the title is lovely, the blurb is also interesting but I'm sorry it didn't work for me. 'The Wrong Order Cafe' builds intrigue, however the writing doesn't evoke any sense of anticipation. The writing is vague, I couldn't really follow the story or connect with the characters.

Thank you for the ARC.

I couldn't even finish this book. The characters, especially the main character, is so extremely unlikeable from minute 1, it's insufferable. Banal, topical writing. Awful all around.

Alex & Hope meet accidentally when both were having a terrible day. After sharing each other's story, they decide that Hope will go travelling for 5 weeks with her daughter & Alex will move into Hope's flat & take over her job at a café, Alex is an author who was having a problem with her next book & the change of scenery may help. The café wasn't a straight forward café, but a café that employed people with dementia & it was called the 'Wrong Order Café'.
A life affirming read, that sees Alex look at her life & how she builds friendships, especially with Tom, the owner. Her writing takes a turn & but, can her life change?
I very much enjoyed this book & it brings dementia to the forefront. Beautifully written, recommended read.

A novel with heart, written from the heart about people with heart. Loved it!
The characters resonate and the story is strong. It will pull the reader into a special place.

Samantha Tonge's writing of 'The Memory of You' is beautiful and engaging, and the characters are well-developed and relatable. The cafe itself is almost a character in its own right, as it becomes a place of healing and transformation for the characters.

One of the strengths of the book is its exploration of memory and how it shapes us as individuals. The novel is filled with poignant moments that will tug at the reader's heartstrings. At its core, "The Memory of You" is a story about hope and the power of love and friendship to heal even the deepest wounds.

Overall, "The Memory of You" is a beautifully written and emotional novel that will stay with the reader long after they have finished reading it. It is a book that celebrates the human spirit and the resilience of the human heart. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a heartfelt and uplifting story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Boldwood Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you so much!

For me, this book started out as a bit of a slow burn. Alex is a flash-in-the-pan successful author who has had a downturn. Circumstances bring her to a temporary job as a server in a unique cafe, The Wrong Order Cafe. This cafe is full of quirky characters including a very opinionated parrot.

I was attracted to the people in the cafe instantly, but it took me a while to warm up to Alex. While she had been dealt a rough hand, she acts as a spoiled brat. At first. The reader slowly sees Alex's character evolve. She shows empathy. She reassesses her l outlook on life.

I love that 2 of the characters in the cafe had dementia. The dementia was not the focus, as they were staff, serving people to the best of their ability. I watched the different levels of dementia in my mother, so this was interesting to me, observing as a bystander instead of having an emotional investment.

This book is both character-driven and plot-driven. And it works well. As mentioned above, it deals with dementia. It also deals with menopause and self-acceptance. And a surprising bonus: a lot of little known facts about birds!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an Advance Readers Copy.

I really liked this. This is a bookbthat almost every female reader could read and connect with. I got this and read it in a day.
I just reviewed The Memory of You by Samantha Tonge. #TheMemoryofYou #NetGalley
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Alex is a pretty unlikeable at the beginning of this book and throughout the story she reverts to that person but does manage to turn herself around. She's a successful author having channeled the pain from her divorce and the sadness from losing her mother to cancer, into her writing. Alex is having trouble with the next book she is due to write. After being stood up by her agent, she meets Hope at the bar. Hope is due to leave on a one month trip with her daughter but doesn't feel up to going and hasn't told her boss she needs time off. Alex provides a solution in that she will fill in for Hope. Alex figures a change of scenery will be good for her as she'll be living in Hope's flat above the cafe where Hope works. Birds are a theme throughout the book as Alex's Mom was a bird enthusiast. Some of the birds facts were interesting. Alzheimer's is another theme and so is menopause. I've lived through seeing a parent decline from Alzheimer's and I've done menopause too. I can relate to the Alzheimer's but didn't feel the menopause experiences of Hope and Alex were what I went through. I did find bartenders comment "why do you think they call it the change" interesting and it's made me think. 3 1/2 stars.

This was a poignant story which explored the difficult and sometimes unseen subject of dementia. The author shows great insight and I’m sure lots of research into the subject.

I loved the setting of The Wrong order cafe and all the wonderful characters who frequent it. The chance meeting between Alex and Hope leads to decisions which changes both of their lives. The owner of the cafe Tom and his wonderful parrot put a smile on my face whilst reading.

I feel anyone who enjoys romantic novels with a twist will love this book. I did struggle a bit getting into it but overall it left me with a feel good factor.

Alex is a writer have crisis in her career, feel lost and alone. She meet Hope and they arrange Alex work in café. I love the Wrong Order café atmosphere here, i can smell and feel it. Tom the owner have vision to make this café as dementia and Alzheimer awarnes. I love the writing tips and glimps about author world. I enjoy Alex journey rise up again in her career, accept her failure in marriage and move on to be the happiest person again.

Thank you to NetGalley for provide this book, it is pleasure to review this book.

#TheMemoryofYou #SamanthaTonge #BoldwoodBooks #NetGalley #ARC

Excellent. This is a book I will return to. It held my interest throughout, and was thought-provoking, humorous, and sad at various times. The theme of dementia is very topical and I learnt something about dementia through this book. The group of characters were all really likeable. Loved the cafe, loved the parrot, love the author element. And as a forty something female, the fact the perimenopause was tackled was brilliant. More like this please! With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A really lovely read.What a great idea for a story which highlights a terrible,cruel decease.When writer Alex's latest novel flops she finds herself working in a Cafe for a few weeks covering for someone she has only just met but what she learns about herself and others makes her look at her life differently .The Cafe is called The wrong order Cafe and Tom the owner employs staff suffering from dementia,it is beautifully written and there is laughter, humour but also sadness andcthrowing a talking parrot into the mix and it makes this a perfect read

Not a bad read but a bit muddied at times. Alex was very selfish and immature for a woman her age. Constantly whining and acting like she had no idea how to do the most basic things. A very uncomfortable main character. The idea was good for the cafe and story but the characters need some work.

A really unique concept,I felt initially a bit unsure of where the story was heading and what on earth was going on, such a great introduction to the wonderful, different world of The Wrong Order Café, suddenly there was a lifting of the veil and all the potential of the story and wonders of the characters was revealed. I loved the coverage of both perimenopause and dementia in this book, both covered brilliantly and showing the true breadth of life experience. The hilarity of Captain Beaky and the heartwarming moments of the colleagues in the café all combined to make this a thoroughly enjoyable read.

What a book! And once more I'm astounded at Samantha Tonge's development as an author, as her writing seems to get more and more impressive with every single book.

And this is clearly a personal story for the author, as she deals with a variety of characters with dementia who are all working at the Wrong Order Cafe, which enables them to still feel like valued members of society. It deals with how loved ones have to come to terms with a family member or friend slowly losing their memory and watching the decline.

Whenever the story is talking about these topics, you can feel the heart and emotion, and the sensitivity that is being displayed. All signs of an awesome author.

But it's not just about that, it's also about a chance meeting between Alex and Hope, leading to a decision that will change both of their lives. Alex shows enormous character development as the story progresses, and I loved seeing her author journey.

I really enjoyed the setting of the cafe in Manchester, especially owner Tom, and his parrot who has a fabulous personality and often made me smile.

There's also another health matter that is dealt with in this book, that just doesn't seem to feature much anywhere, and although is a fact of life for women, isn't often spoken about, and the way that was included, again added extra depth to the story, is really great to see.

This is ultimately an uplifting and heartwarming story, filled with a lot of heart, that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Thank you to Boldwood Books for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

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

I think this is your best yet Samantha Tongue. It was an Unputdownable read from start to finish.

Alex Butler is an author is and today she’s on her way to a meeting, with her agent Miranda at a place in Market Street, Piccadilly Gardens Manchester,

When she arrives, whilst ordering a drink, she collides with Hope, who loves reading books. Hope has a daughter named Leah, she wants her mother to go on with her on holiday for five weeks. But Hope is worried about her job and whether she’ll be allowed to go by her boss Tom.

It seems that there’s a reason why these two have met, when Alex agrees to covering for her at the Wrong Order Cafe,

When she arrives, she starts to get to know Tom and his staff, who have Dementia,

I loved the setting of the Wrong Order Cafe and Caption Beaky, the parrot.

Alex is thinking that maybe, she’s made a wrong decision, but slowly she gets to know Tom and those that work for him.

It’s a story that will relate to a lot of readers, and will pull at your heart.

I highly recommend this.