I truly enjoyed this story of down on her luck Beatrice “Bea” Alright. Declan, the father of their daughter Ellie, has news to share and she is hoping that he will be proposing. Instead, he delivers news that will crush her and is gone. How will she go on as she must move out of the Dublin apartment he rented. With very little money and no place to live, she is fortunate to have her job at the hospital. She cleans the rooms, but after paying for child care, there is little left. Where will she stay with Ellie, she can’t lose her too? They now play a game to see who can be quiet, as they sleep on the storage room floor. She hopes to stay unobserved by her supervisor, Elaine, as her life continues to fall apart. Ellie is with her when she sees the elderly man named Malcolm who sits outside the hospital. Worried about him, they eventually meet his grandson, Shayne. She still has not told them that she is homeless, but realizes that Malcolm is not well and has family issues that are complicated. How can she help Malcolm when her own “house of cards” is slowly falling apart? Emotional story! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and Brooke Harris for this e-book in exchange for an honest review.

This book will tug on your heartstrings and you will need some tissues. If you enjoy Fredrick Backman's A Man Called Ove you will love this book.

This book captures the real life downfalls of life and how it can all pile up around us. From a heartbreaking split to having to find a place to live with a child this book will take you on a rollercoaster. Along with trying to find those bright little moments in each day. Beatrice befriends an old curmudgeon of a man who is set in his ways but befriends her little girl, Ellie. The innocence of Ellie, a 4 year old, is captured perfectly.

I highly recommend this book. It will give you all the feelings.

Book Synopsis
Beatrice Alright is the queen of silver linings. She can find a spark of hope in any situation. Even when her partner delivers earth-shattering news that leaves Bea and their four-year-old, Ellie, without a home, she refuses to panic.

Because Bea believes that what she does have is more important – her job at St Helen’s Hospital, which offers a warm, dry shelter for her and Ellie to stay while she figures things out. By day Bea cleans the wards, by night she tucks her daughter into bed between mops and buckets.

And tries so hard to hold on to hope.

When Bea sees an old man sitting on a cold and lonely bench outside the hospital, she really doesn’t have time to stop. She should be clearing up her own mess, not worrying about this cantankerous stranger. But Bea can’t help herself…

As she slowly starts to draw out Malcolm’s heartbreaking story, could this simple act of kindness begin to heal a decades-old pain? And might finding peace for Malcolm help Bea in ways she didn’t even know she needed?

#netgalley #netgalleyreview #stormpublishing #thesecrectlifeofbeatricealright #brookeharris

Another lovely book by Brooke. A book that I was drawn into the storyline and struggled to put down. Thank you for the ARC.

Loved these characters & their unforgettable Dublin holiday season😍

What a powerful, emotional gem!

I can't ignore the sad desperation that poor Bea suffers through most of the story, but I loved her strength, her unwavering devotion to her young daughter Ellie, and her kindness to others even when her life was at its most difficult. She never gave up and I could totally see why she attracted friendship and loyalty, even from strangers. Author Brooke Harris has created a long-suffering young Irish woman heroine whose troubles rip your heart out. She's won't tell others just how bad things have gotten because she can't let anyone separate her from Ellie, the only family she has.

I was so taken with Bea's fortitude and resourcefulness as she deals with homelessness, and horrified by the hard knocks she suffers in the weeks leading up to Christmas. She gives love and gets betrayal, scrounges together resources to start over and gets scammed, even finds her daughter's dream Christmas upended by her best friend's boyfriend, yet she corrects course and carries on. And even though she has plenty of her own problems to deal with she's aware and open to helping others, including a lonely elderly stranger on a bench estranged from his daughter.

Highly recommended. This story made me reflect on the blessings I have that should never be taken for granted.

Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Review shared with Barnes & Noble and Goodreads on 1/23/25. Shared with Waterstones, kobo, Bookbub and Google Play on 2/7/25.

Sometimes you just read a book and love it from the very first page and this was definitely one of those. Beatrice Alright was one of the most lovable characters I’ve ever read about and I found myself getting really upset for her throughout the story. I did love all of the characters (except Declan and Finton) and I think this was written so well. The ending was a perfect fit for the book too. A firm 5⭐️ from me.

Bea was in med school when she met the father of her daughter. They started a relationship quickly and easily and started living together when there was a baby on the way. She dropped out of school and took a cleaner's job at the hospital. But when Bea learns shocking news, she loses her home - right at Christmastime. Try as she might, one disappointment after another forces her into a situation that she can barely tolerate. She develops a friendship when she is concerned about an elderly man that she sees outside the hospital. She needs to keep her situation a secret from the few people she knows, including the elderly man.

This is a heartbreaking story that will pull at your heartstrings.

In a Nutshell: An emotional contemporary drama tackling an important issue faced by Dublin today. A loveable but overly naïve main character, excellent supporting characters, great themes, beautiful ending. Not a light read. NOT A ROMANCE!

Plot Preview:
Dublin. Twenty-nine-year-old Beatrice thought that her future was set. But when her partner Declan delivers some unexpected news, Beatrice and their-four-year-old daughter Ellie are left without a home. Ever the optimist, Beatrice believes that she will find a new place soon, as long as she can manage the house hunt in between her hectic work schedule as a cleaner at St. Helen’s hospital.
As is evident, Beatrice Alright isn't alright. But when Beatrice bumps into an old man sitting on a park bench outside the hospital, she doesn’t realise that her life is about to change yet again.
The story comes to us in Beatrice’s first-person perspective.

Bookish Yays:
😍 The fictional age-gap friendship between an old man and a young woman might leave you thinking of Ove and Parvaneh from ‘A Man Called Ove’, but this is not at similar. The connection between Beatrice and Malcolm works with their mutual effort, and neither is badgered into a forced affiliation.
😍 Malcolm – Most senior citizens in fiction are either curmudgeonly or charming or vulnerable. Malcolm manages to be all three in turn. An excellent supporting character.
😍 Ellie – such a darling! I love how she was treated as a vital part of the narrative instead of being an afterthought as most fictional children are. More importantly, she always sounded and behaved her age.
😍 The rest of the characters come in a variety of behavioural shades. Shayne is too good to be true. Cora is a fabulous friend. Elaine is a tough boss. Declan is a jerk as you might have guessed. Except for Declan, the rest have personalities that make you want to know them more.
😍 The first-person narration is used excellently to show us Beatrice’s thoughts without too much rambling. There is a little bit of repetition, but that’s more because of her character than the writing. I think this story worked better because of this writing choice.
😍 While there is a tiny shade of romance in the book, at no point does the book become about the romance. The focus is always on Beatrice’s situation and how she handles her experiences. I always appreciate books that stick to their core plotline right till the end.
😍 Several relevant themes such as loneliness in the elderly, relationship troubles, foster care problems, day-care constraints, but what I appreciated the most is the focus on the homelessness issue in Ireland, specifically Dublin. It is quite jarring to learn how severe the problem is.
😍 Another theme I loved was the stress on having a strong support system (whether family or found family) and asking for help when needed. Mothers especially have a bad habit of assuming that they can do it all alone. But for our own sanity, it is always better to learn to accept help when offered. (Oh, and also to know household finances instead of leaving everything monetary to the *man of the house*.)
😍 The use of the location, not just for the social issue but also in its routine life and its wintry feels. A realistic depiction by highlighting the city’s strengths without glossing over its flaws.
😍 The ending – perfect for the story. Emotional and a bit too convenient, as is normal for the genre, but no forced HEA.

Bookish Mixed Bags:
🤔 The title somehow makes the book sound quaint and fun, not sad or emotional. The pastel cover also adds to the lighthearted feel. However, most of the story is more distressing than feelgood. I appreciated the book better for this reason, but those who want a light read might not be so happy.
🤔 Beatrice is not an unlikeable character by any means, but she certainly is a frustrating character! Overly naïve for her age, she keeps making choices that she thinks are for the good of everyone, but are neither logical nor practical. A part of me excused her ignorance as an outcome of growing up in foster care, but for a twenty-nine-year-old, her ignorance was jarring. Her behaviour was also contradictory at times. For a long time, I couldn’t see Beatrice growing in maturity or self-respect. So while she was still a gem of a person in many ways and I was still rooting for her mess to be sorted out soon, I couldn’t support her unreservedly. The toughest task for me was to stop judging her for her mothering. Don’t get me wrong: she adored Ellie, but taking hasty decisions without thinking about how they would impact Ellie, lying to Ellie and even asking her to lie to others about their situation, drinking even when alone with Ellie, offering chocolate cookies and apple juice for dinner, buying whatever Ellie asked for and justifying it as a necessary purchase to make Ellie happy… All parenting red-flags. I’d have rated this book higher had Beatrice been more reasonable overall. Then again, so many women are like her… 🙁
🤔 A couple of cuss words and an uncomfortable scene in the final quarter sullied the vibes for a bit. This might have been a realistic depiction, but I would have liked the content to be toned down a little considering the genre and the overall clean tone of the book.


Bookish Nays:
😕 Many plot points that weren’t sorted out neatly and left me with numerous questions. How could a child of foster care afford medical school? How do characters keep purchasing alcohol even when they don't have money? Why no follow-up on the 500 euros? How are Malcolm and Shayne the “closest thing to a family” Beatrice has ever had when her parents had been a loving part of her life till age eleven? (Many more questions, but those venture in major-spoiler territory.) Basically logic doesn't help while reading some genres, but I never learn. 🤷🏻‍♀️


All in all, I did have a great time reading this, despite how many times I came close to shaking Beatrice and saying, “Enough! Start thinking with your head now!” Malcolm and Ellie were more than enough to keep me contented. The themes were also to my taste, and the lack of a forced romantic arc was an added bonus.

This was my first Brooke Harris, and based on this experience, I’d definitely love to explore more works by her as she stuck to the essence of women’s fiction without turning it into a melodramatic romance.

Much recommended to those looking for an emotional story that balances 'heartrending' and 'heartwarming'. If you have read/watched ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ and liked it, this novel offers similar vibes. Not for those looking for a light romance or a relaxing uplit.

4 stars. (Which could have been higher but for Beatrice.)

My thanks to Storm Publishing for providing the DRC of “The Secret Life of Beatrice Alright” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Do you need an Up Lit book? A lighter read with substance? Look no further!

This book promises to break your heart and stitch it back together again and it does just that.

Bea’s partner delivers a bombshell that leaves her and their 4-year-old daughter Ellie, homeless. She has a housekeeping job at a hospital, St Helen’s, which becomes their safe haven as Bea is desperate to find a solution to their dilemma.

One day as she’s leaving work, anxious to pick up her daughter from day care before she’s charged a late fee she can’t afford, she sees an older gentleman sitting on a bench in the cold.

But soft-hearted Bea can’t walk by without trying to help. She befriends Malcolm and discovers he’s holding onto some hurts too. As they get to know one another they are able to help each other in surprising ways.

I love a good underdog story and Bea, who is knocked down repeatedly by life, is a great character to root for, even as she makes some frustrating decisions. Ellie is adorable and realistic, neither precocious nor annoying (both of which are pet peeves of mine). Ellie is refreshingly normal.

It’s a lighthearted book but it really brings home how people with no safety net can so easily fall into homelessness.

I appreciated that the story wasn’t completely predictable and had some surprises in store. Despite the serious situations depicted, the story is full of optimism and hope which left me with a full heart as I closed the last page.

Oh My! This book was EXACTLY what I needed. So sweet! Perfectly predictable and I have zero complaints about it! Getting there was the absolute sweetest and heart wrenching journey. The relationship forged between Ellie and Malco melted my heart from the very beginning, while Bea's journey had me rooting for her the whole time. This was my first novel by Brooke Harris. The writing style was perfect and I loved every minute of it!

Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review was posted (Instagram, Goodreads, bookishlytara blog, Storygraph) on February 7, 2025. An additional post was posted on Instagram on the publication day as well as an Amazon Canada review (pending review). (links below)

I'm still not over this book!! It's heartbreaking and quite a sad read. But I loved it.
I cried and cried, but I enjoyed reading it. It brought up so many emotions and I'm really grateful to have read it. I'll definitely read more from this author.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Secret Life of Beatrice Alright’ written by Brooke Harris in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Bea is shattered when Declan her partner of five years says that he’s married and returning to his wife, telling her that she and their four-year-old daughter Ellie will have to find somewhere else to live. With just two weeks to go before Christmas Bea and Ellie find themselves homeless with the freezing wind whipping around the corners, and they have no alternative but to spend nights sleeping amongst the brooms and buckets in the storage cupboard of St Helen’s Hospital where she works. As Bea leaves the hospital in the evenings to collect Ellie from creche she sees a crotchety old man sitting on a bench outside. When she stops to speak to him he says his name is Malcolm and gradually Bea and Ellie form a close friendship with him and his grandson Shayne.

‘The Secret Life of Beatrice Alright’ is a deeply moving story of love and hope, and how an elderly man is about to enrich the lives of a young woman and her daughter. The story is beautifully written with humour and compassion, and the perfectly described characters grabbed my heartstrings and made me want to hug them. This is a truly wonderful story that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and didn’t want to end. Thank you, Brooke, for allowing me to read your fantastic story that I needed a supply of tissues for towards the end, and that will stay in my thoughts for a long time to come.

Oᴍɢ I ᴀʙsᴏʟᴜᴛᴇʟʏ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ ɪᴛ ɪs ᴏɴʟʏ ғᴇʙʀᴜᴀʀʏ, I ᴄᴀɴ sᴇᴇ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴇɪɴɢ ɪɴ ᴍʏ ᴛᴏᴘ ᴛᴇɴ.

Bʀᴏᴏᴋᴇ ʜᴀʀʀɪs ᴡᴇᴀᴠᴇs ᴀ ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ ᴅʀɪᴠᴇɴ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡɪʟʟ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ ʙʀᴇᴀᴋɪɴɢ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴇᴀʀs ᴏғ sᴀᴅɴᴇss sᴛʀᴇᴀᴍɪɴɢ ᴅɪᴡɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴄʜᴇᴇᴋs. Sʜᴇ ᴛʜᴇɴ ᴘᴜᴛs ɪᴛ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡɪʟʟ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄʀʏɪɴɢ ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ᴛᴇᴀʀs.

Mᴀᴋᴇ sᴜʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴋʟᴇᴇɴᴇx!

Hᴀʀʀɪs ᴅᴏᴇs'ɴᴛ sʜʏ ᴀᴡᴀʏ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴀʀᴅ ᴛᴏᴘɪᴄs ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴡɪʟʟ ʜᴜʀᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪᴛ's ᴀʟsᴏ ᴀɴ ɪɴsᴘɪʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ, ᴜᴘʟɪғᴛɪɴɢ sᴛᴏʀʏ ᴏғ ʀᴇsɪʟɪᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴏᴠᴇ.
Hᴇʀ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs ғᴇᴇʟ sᴏ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛᴀʙʟᴇ ᴀɴᴅ I ʙᴇᴄᴀᴍᴇ sᴏ ɪɴᴠᴇsᴛᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴀʟʟ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇᴍ.

Bᴇᴀᴛʀɪᴄᴇ, ʜᴇʀ sᴛʀᴜɢɢʟᴇs ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴀʟʟ ᴛᴏᴏ ʀᴇᴀʟ ᴀɴᴅ I ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅɴᴛ ᴘᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴅᴏᴡɴ. Sᴜᴅᴅᴇɴʟʏ ᴀ sɪɴɢʟᴇ ᴍᴏᴍ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ғɪᴇʀᴄᴇ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴘʀᴏᴠɪᴅᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘʀᴏᴛᴇᴄᴛ ʜᴇʀ ᴅᴀᴜɢʜᴛᴇʀ ʜɪᴛ ᴄʟᴏsᴇ ᴛᴏ ʜᴏᴍᴇ

I ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ Bᴇᴀᴛʀɪᴄᴇ's ᴏᴘᴛɪᴍɪsᴍ! Sʜᴇ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ʟᴏᴏᴋs ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ
Bʀɪɢʜᴛ sɪᴅᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ɪs sᴜᴄʜ ᴀɴ ᴇᴍᴘᴀᴛʜᴇᴛɪᴄ sᴏᴜʟ ɴᴏ ᴍᴀᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴏʙsᴛɪᴄʟᴇs ᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜʀᴏᴡɴ ᴀᴛ ʜᴇʀ.

Sᴇᴛ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛɪғᴜʟʟʏ ᴀᴛᴍᴏsᴘʜᴇʀɪᴄ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛʀʏ ᴏғ ɪʀᴇʟᴀɴᴅ, ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍᴏᴠɪɴɢ ᴅɪᴀʟᴏɢᴜᴇ, ʜᴀʀʀɪs ᴘᴀɪɴᴛs ᴀ ᴠɪᴠɪᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴜɴғᴏʀɢᴇᴛᴀʙʟᴇ ᴘɪᴄᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴏᴍᴇʟᴇss.
Tʜᴇʀᴇ ɪs ᴀʟsᴏ ᴇᴍᴘᴀᴛʜʏ, ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ғᴀᴍɪʟʏ, sᴛʀᴇɴɢᴛʜ ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴏᴠᴇ. Iᴛ ɢᴀᴠᴇ ᴍᴇ ᴠɪʙᴇs ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡɪʟʟ sᴍɪᴛʜ ᴍᴏᴠɪᴇ , ᴛʜᴇ Pᴇʀsᴜɪᴛ ᴏғ Hᴀᴘᴘɪɴᴇss.

I ʜɪɢʜʟʏ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴘɪᴄᴋ ᴛʜɪs ᴜᴘ ᴏɴ ʀᴇʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴅᴀʏ.

Tʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ sᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴛᴏ ɴᴇᴛɢᴀʟʟᴇʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇʀ ғᴏʀ ᴍʏ ɢɪғᴛᴇᴅ ᴄᴏᴘʏ. Mʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴠᴏʟᴜɴᴛᴀʀʏ.

I adored this book! It's lovely and heartwarming, while probing some serious and difficult issues facing young single mother Bea and Malcolm, the elderly gentleman she meets on a park bench one day. The author handles it all in a compassionate way, while not shying away from the complexities that people face in life. I also laughed each time four-year-old Ellie called him "Malco". I highly recommend this and will be looking for more from this author. Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the advance digital copy!

3⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advanced copy of The Secret Life Of Beatrice Alright.

Bea has a young daughter named Ellie and a boyfriend named Declan. She works in a hospital in the maintenance department. One day Declan shatters her world by telling her that he is married and he is leaving Bea and Ellie for his other family. She is utterly shocked and heartbroken. Plus she cannot afford the apartment by herself including all the other bills. One day she meets an elderly man named Malcolm sitting outside of the hospital and they have a conversation. Little does she know that the conversation they have will change her life.

This was just an okay read for me. The book felt like it was really dragging on at some points. I liked the idea of the plot but overall was just not a fan of the writing.

BOOK: THE SECRET LIFE OF BEATRICE ALRIGHT
AUTHOR: BROOKE HARRIS
PUB DATE: FEBRUARY 2025
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REVIEW
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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I cried bucket loads of tears while reading this book. It was touching, emotional, and heart-wrenching. Thinking of what Bea was going through; broke, single parent just broke my heart, and I couldn't stop the tears.
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Beatrice was an amazing character. She was just trying to be the best mother and family to her little girl, Ellie, and it was admirable considering the odds stacked against her. Despite all that she was going through, it didn't dim her light. She was empathetic and compassionate to others without expecting anything in return. That's something we could all learn to do.
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But, she was not completely alone she had a lot of people who were very good to her. Her best friend, Cora, and two strangers who became family, Malcolm and Shayne. They had their own problems, too, and Bea was able to help, and they helped her. They were really amazing.
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Another reason this book resonated with me is because this is something that happens to some single mothers. Left broke and hung to dry by the irresponsible fathers. As I cried, I thought about real people going through something like this. In short, we should try to be better people and help those in need
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Apart from the amazing characters, the book had a wonderful storyline and perfect pacing. I'd definitely recommend it. In fact, I wished I hadn't read it so I could read it afresh

First time reader from this author but it will not be my last!

I loved this story, even though, at times I felt quiet sad.

Bea is so full of life and love for her daughter, Ellie, and hope, that not much else seems to matter.

A chance encounter with Malcolm on the seat outside St Helen's Hospital where Bea works proves to be the saddest and happiest of Bea's unconventional life.

A wonderful heartwarming story that you will not want to put down until finished!!

The Secret Life of Beatrice Alright was predominantly the story of Bea and her four year old daughter Ellie. They felt very real and relatable. I was drawn into their story immediately and had a hard time putting the book down. The plot develops very quickly as Bea has something very unexpected and life shattering happen related to her boyfriend (and Ellie’s father). Declan, This starts Bea on the road to many challenges which she faces head on. I love how she puts her daughter first throughout it all. She works through everything that is thrown at her even though she feels quite desperate at times.

It was easy to keep track of everyone. Mostly we’re introduced to them one at a time as Bea encounters them from the daycare director, to Declan her boyfriend, her boss Elaine, best friend Cora, Malcolm the old man outside on the bench and his grandson Shayne. These make up the core characters that Bea interacts with throughout the book.

There are surprises both good and bad, and we’re rooting for Bea throughout. Her daughter Ellie is central to the story but not overdone and not an annoying child as we sometimes encounter. She feels very much like a typical four year old little girl and adds to the story and is included just the right amount, I’ll be recommending this one to friends and family.
#TheSecretLifeofBeatriceAlright #NetGalley

This is my first book by this author and it won’t be my last. I am super excited to dive into more. The very first page this book takes off running and I absolutely l oved how Brooke Harris describes all the characters and the surroundings. It makes you feel as if you are in the book. And look at that cover is absolutely breathtaking.

I absolutely LOVE this book!! It gave me ALL of the feels! It was as if I were Beatrice the entire time I was reading. this beautiful, emotional story in a day and could hardly bear to put it down even for a moment.
Such a tender and heartfelt story, If you’re an emotional person have your tissues ready you will need them.

Throughout this book we follow Bea and Ell on their journeys. Bea is a young mother to a four year old daughter. She dropped out of medical school and works as a hospital janitor, but their lifestyle is quite good because her boyfriend is a pilot and makes a decent wage. Bea is expecting a proposal and gets dumped instead. She finds herself a single mother, with no support struggling to find a home. A series of events leave the pair homeless forced to seek refuge in a hospital closet to sleep. Bea clearly has enough problems of her own, but she can't help befriending an elderly man she sees sitting outside the hospital on a bench in the cold daily. His loneliness was palpable, while his zingers delivered the laughs. She and Malcolm begin an unlikely friendship

Thank you netgalley and publishers for an advanced copy of this book for my honest opinion. This is one of those exceptional stories that stays with you well after finishing the last line. This story will certainly test all of your emotions on lots of levels, but as well as being emotional, it's also heartwarming and uplifting. An absolute must read.

My first 5* rating of 2025 goes to this beautifully written story of a young single mother who, despite the toxic men in her life, will do anything to protect her young daughter, even temporarily living in the storage closet in the hospital where she works as one of the cleaning crew. Beatrice (Bea) grew up in foster care after losing her parents at age 11. It wasn’t until she made friends in college that she had a semblance of family again, that is until she met much older Declan and got pregnant at 25. Giving up everything to move in with him and raise their daughter, she’s blindsided when he not only leaves her but also forces her out of her home just before Christmas. Little does she know that, when she meets octogenarian Malcolm, her life will grow in ways she never anticipated.

Set during the Christmas season, this is a heartwarming story of chosen family, the resilience and fierce protectiveness of mothers, the plight of homelessness with inadequate safety nets, the power of friendship, and the kindness of strangers. There is a romantic element, but it is not the focus of the book. Bea’s daughter Ellie is absolutely precious, her lovely nature in stark contrast to her father and Finton, Bea’s best friend Cora’s live-in boyfriend. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Storm Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.