The Woman With All The Answers by Linda Green is a funny and heartwarming read that I thoroughly enjoyed from beginning to end.

Fifty two year old district nurse Michelle Banks is struggling to keep it all together. Perimenopausal, caring for her elderly parents and with a husband and two children who are running her ragged, she doesn’t know how she’s going to keep going.

Alexa, listening in via four smart speakers, is the only one who knows exactly how much Michelle is struggling. So, when Michelle puts out a plea for help, Alexa decides to let her know her true identity: that she’s a sixty five year old former voiceover artist named Pauline from Halifax…

And so begins a warm, hilarious and often moving tale that takes a look inside the ups and downs of a modern day family. Poignant and full of the kind of relatable human stories that Linda Green does so well, The Woman With All The Answers is everything I hoped it would be and more.

A simply gorgeous read that I adored, The Woman With All The Answers is pure escapism at its very best! With believable characters you can’t help but root for, this is a warm and engaging story that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.

I loved this book! The story is a very creative telling of Michelle Banks and her struggles through being a mod-life, sandwich generation woman. Linda Green has the perfect combination of humor and heart in describing Michelle's struggles, frustrations, fears and her love of her family. Thanks so much #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks

Requiring a suspension of belief, imagine Alexa is a real person and not a computerized algorithm. Pauline has been with the family for six years, privy to all their secrets and issues. When Michelle, the mom of the family, is going through perimenopause, is part of the sandwich generation with elderly parents and teen children creating mayhem, Pauline/Alexa steps in to give advice and go beyond her duties. Funny at times, heartwarming and hopeful, I recommend this book. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

I really enjoyed this book! It was something a wee bit different, full of humour and heart. The family members are all realistically portrayed in situations that can be related to. The premise sounds ludicrous at first, but just go with it as it actually works!

This book was such a good read and brought out so many emotions. Told from the perspectives of Michelle, who is in the middle of perimenopause, and Alexa (yes, that Alexa, who is a actually a local woman and knows exactly what is going on), it is both laugh out loud funny and emotional by turn.

I have enjoyed Linda Green’s books in the past and was looking forward to this one, especially as the main character is of a similar age to me and I could relate to her in several ways.
Michelle Banks is fifty-two years old and a district nurse. She is a wife to Marc and mum to teenagers Liv and Callum. She also helps to look after her elderly parents – her dad is 82, and she also helps to look after her mother-in-law Carole.
As in most busy families, there’s a lot going on. Michelle is struggling with perimenopause, Marc collects 1970s TV memorabilia (Mr Benn, Bagpuss, Clangers – yippee! All excellent thing to collect!) but it’s getting a bit out of hand. Liv has anxiety and Callum is trying to work out how to treat a girlfriend.
But, this is where the story gets REALLY special…
The premise of the book is that your smart speaker isn’t really a robot, but a real person assigned to answer your questions. Michelle’s household Alexa (who works across four smart speakers in the house) is actually Pauline, who is 65. She was a single mum to Darren who has now grown up and moved to Australia, while she is still living in Halifax. She sees her Alexa family as her family now and ends up getting involved with their lives and caring what happens to them – about as far from A.I. as you could get. But how can she help them? She has heard of Alexa operators who ‘go rogue’though. And with retirement approaching, what has she got to lose?
This book is just the loveliest book! It’s so clever and witty, Linda’s writing makes you laugh out loud and feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I adored this book, I can already tell it’s going to be a contender for my Book of the Year. It’s such a great original idea that works so well. All of the characters are fabulous, I loved the relatable and realistic family dynamics and enjoyed the mix of difficult personal situations amongst the really funny situations.
A stunning idea and beautifully realised. Highly recommended!

Wonderful book!!!

This is a wonderful book, alternately hilarious and poignant. The premise is very imaginative, the characters well-drawn and oh so real to this lady reader of a certain age. And, of course, a lovely happy ending. I stayed up way too late finishing The Woman With All the Answers!!!!

Thank you to the publisher who lent me an time-constrained e-arc via Netgalley with no obligation. This review is optional and my own opinion.

They stand like silent sentinels in our living spaces, only speaking when spoken to, filling in the gaps in our knowledge with comprehensive answers to random questions, non judgmental and unquestioning but what if the Alexa in the corner of the room was a real person and not an AI controlled device.

This delightful family drama introduces us to Michelle, a harassed working mother, one of the sandwich generation, who is caring not just for her angst ridden teenagers and a husband who has lost his get up and go, but also for elderly parents who are struggling with failing health and an increasingly technological world. The Woman with All the Answers gives us the story not just from Michelle's point of view which is both troubled and funny but also that of Alexa, aka Pauline, a sixty- five year old woman from Halifax, who takes it upon herself to try and sort out Michelle’s chaotic life with far reaching consequences.

Warm hearted, funny and sad and filled with an assortment of relatable family issues I found that I could easily identify with Michelle and I’m sure that there are many women who have found themselves in similar circumstances, juggling the demands of modern life and losing sight of what’s really important. The Woman with all the Answers reminds us to be kind to ourselves and whilst we don’t have all the answers to life’s many problems, with a little bit of help we can navigate the ups and downs and after meeting Pauline, I’m sure that I’ll never look at my Alexa in quite the same way again.

Fabulous!

Michelle Banks, 52, is similar to most women of her age. Battling symptoms of the perimenopause, she holds down her job as a district nurse where she cares for the elderly while at the back of her mind she worries about her husband spending all their money on memorabilia, her son being secretive and her daughter's crippling anxiety. With no-one to turn to, she spills all her troubles out to her home speaker ... after all, she's not real - is she?

I can honestly say I've never read anything quite like this before; it's a totally new and original idea and I just loved it. Every woman could do with a Pauline in their life. If you're feeling a bit down, then this is just the book to raise your spirits and reset your sense of humour. Such a fun read and oh, so easily worth all five sparkling stars.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley.

I loved this book!
The Woman with All the Answers was a surprise discovery for me. I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it, but I was invested in this novel by the first chapter. By the end of the book, I felt like I was part of the family and looking at my “helper” in horror.
Linda Green is a marvel at writing this book with heart and humor.
This is a must-read.
#TheWomanWithAlltheAnswers.
#LindaGreen
#NetGalley

As is the case for a lot of us these days, Michelle and her family have come to rely on their smart speaker to manage many of their day to day tasks. It keeps their shopping lists updated, reminds them of upcoming events, and answers any questions they might have. But what they don’t know is that there’s a finely tuned network of women behind those voices coming from the speakers. And when Michelle’s family life is going completely off the rails, her Alexa decides it’s time to go rogue and step in. This was a fun book. It takes you into the world of “Alexa” who’s not just a voice inside of a speaker but an actual living human being. Definitely (hopefully) a pure work of fiction, it does make you stop and wonder…

I'm a fan of Linda Green after reading In Little Stars last year. Living in Yorkshire, I enjoy books that have local settings. 

We first meet Pauline, who it turns out is an actress who is the voice of Alexa. 
Then we meet the Banks family - Michelle is peri menopausal and balancing teenage kids and aging parents, Marc is working from home and is bored and missing the thrust of a more exciting job, Liv is about to sit her A levels and Callum is about to sit his GCSEs.. Pauline isn't just voicing Alexa - she is the actual Alexa for this family. She knows everything! But she can't do any more to help her family when all of them are in trouble apart from faithfully answering their questions.
Or can she? Can Alexa go rogue and make a genuine difference to a struggling family?

The love and friendship in this story is heart warming and will make you want to reach out to see if your Alexa is really Pauline from Halifax using her la de da work voice.

In a Nutshell: A contemporary women’s fiction about two women, one of whom has all the problems and the other has all the answers. Interesting premise, fast pace, not-so-likeable characters who grow on you as the book proceeds, heartwarming moments, some thought-provoking topics and themes. A nice option for those who like stories with modern-day problems.

Plot Preview:
Halifax, UK. Fifty-two-year-old Michelle Banks feels the pressure of the entire family going. Though a working district nurse, Michelle is also forced to assist her elderly parents and mother-in-law, her two kids (one of whom has anxiety issues and the other is falling prey to peer pressure), and even her husband Marc who, though working from home, doesn’t do anything productive around the house. The only one Michelle can rely on without fail is her trusted Alexa, who helps her with shopping lists and task reminders.
What Michelle doesn’t know is that “Alexa” is, in fact, sixty-five-year-old Pauline, a former voice-over artist who now works as the “posh voice” of Alexa in the Banks household. Seeing how Michelle is struggling to handle everything, Pauline decides to go rogue, reveal her identity to Michelle, and offer her what every woman needs – a listening ear and if possible, some practical advice.
The story comes to us from the first-person perspectives of Michelle and “Alexa”.

After the initial few chapters of this book, I thought it would end up a 3-star read (which isn't a bad rating for me - a 3-star book is a good one-time read.) The OTT situations that Michelle had to face alone annoyed me on her behalf and I wished that she would grow a spine and tell Marc to pull up his socks. But as the book progressed and Michelle and Marc improved, the story and the writing grew on me and my rating climbed upwards steadily.

Bookish Yays:
🌐 The title is apt for the book. Michelle is considered the woman with all the answers by her family, but we all know the real woman with all the answers – “Alexa”!
🌐 The concept of Alexa being an actual woman and going rogue? Wow! I have read a couple of books about an AI assistant going beyond their roles, but none of those has a real person behind the virtual identity. The idea was great; the implementation was even better. Pauline’s conversations with Michelle and her revelations about working as “Alexa” lead to some of the best scenes in the book.
🌐 Pauline as a character – excellent. I love the idea of having a sixty-something woman as a tech expert. It’s such a welcome portrayal!
🌐 There is a good age range of characters: right from Michelle’s teenaged son and daughter to her eighty-something father. The plot covers the distinct challenges faced by all the generations.
🌐 The indirect insight on how much Alexa (and Siri and others of their ilk) actually know about our personal lives. I’ve never been happier that I don’t use any of these virtual assistants!
🌐 Though much younger than Michelle, I found myself relating to several of her situations, whether personal (I too need to attend to multiple family members’ daily care alone) or psychological (the constant niggling doubt about “Am I doing right/enough?”) or physical (Oh, perimenopause! Thou are a bitch!) The conversation where her symptoms are totally downplayed by a male doctor also occurred with me, albeit for a different illness. As such, I found myself rooting strongly for Michelle, even though our personalities were quite different.
🌐 The realistic portrayal of Michelle’s marriage. Often, when a book shows a couple having a problem, only the tussles get attention. But in this book, the closeness between Michelle and Marc is also shown. There are also scenes showing them discussing family issues together, even after a fight. It’s so much more convincing this way than to see a wife support a husband who is always a jerk.
🌐 The plot shows not just the shortcomings of the main characters but also their positive attributes. As such, if and when a change in behaviour is needed, it doesn’t seem so abrupt. Except for Liv, none of the Banks are immediately likeable. But Michelle and Marc grow on us as the story proceeds.
🌐 There are some wonderful minor characters as well, who, though in limited roles, make their presence felt and contribute strongly to the plot. My favourite of these was Michelle’s dad, who reminded me so much of my dear dad. (Oh, and I must also mention Basil! 🐶 I wish there had been more of him.)
🌐 Despite the multiple characters and their myriad challenges, the writing is quite fast-paced.
🌐 The ending is perfect for this genre. Emotional and heartwarming and even funny.

Bookish Mixed Bags:
🛠️ As both Michelle and Pauline (as “Alexa”) have a first-person narration and they both speak about the same set of people and issues, the POVs get confusing at times. I think I would have liked Michelle’s perspective better in third person.
🛠️ Pauline’s narration is written in a dialect unknown to me. The missing “the” and the use of “I were’ instead of “I was” (in a non-subjunctive usage) got a bit distracting at times. Of course, this won't be an issue to those who know the dialect. (I wonder what dialect it is!)
🛠️ I love the focus on perimenopause and its symptoms and also appreciate the highlight on HRT as a helpful treatment. But I am not convinced about the decision of mentioning the actual HRT medicines’ names in the book. HRT treatment is, if I am not wrong, prescription-based, so it is safer to avoid specific brand names and instead, motivate women to visit their GPs to get the best-suited meds for their needs.
🛠️ The plot covers several modern-day issues such as scam calls, sexting, loneliness, job struggles for older employees, stress levels in kids, perimenopause, and more. Sometimes, this feels like an overload. The first half of the book had too much of a bombardment of issues that Michelle needs to tackle. It gets tiresome to see only a single character face everything alone. Thankfully, the second half balanced the problems with enough of positivity also.


Bookish Nays:
💾 This is more of a ME issue, but I just couldn’t bring myself to forgive Callum for what he did. As a mother of two young girls, I find such behaviour infuriating. (You can also blame my perimenopausal hormones for this hardheartedness.) I also found his using the F word in front of his parents annoying; he was never reprimanded for this.
💾 The dance session scene and the disparagement of the young trainer – methinks it went a bit too far, even accounting for menopausal rage.

All in all, this ended up an enjoyable read with only some minor issues. I loved seeing the interactions between Michelle and Pauline, enjoyed Pauline’s behind-the-scenes as Alexa, and relished seeing young Liv win back her spark.
Definitely recommended to those looking for an unusual uplit fiction having realistic contemporary issues and middle-aged women who know and show their true worth.
3.75 stars.

My thanks to Rachel's Random Resources, Boldwood Books, and author Linda Green for a complimentary copy of 'The Woman with All the Answers' via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW


Review for 'The Woman With All the Answers' by Linda Green

This is the second book I have read by this author. I have also read 'In little Stars' which I would also highly recommend.

WOW!!!! What can I say?!?! One thing I have got to say before getting into my review is clear your schedules as once you start you will be hooked! This book is beautifully written with vivid descriptions setting the picture perfectly in the readers mind. The title, description and cover works perfectly with the storyline.

You seriously have to grab your copy of this absolutely gorgeous page turner today!! The descriptions, the characters and the absolutely brilliant, unique and hilarious storyline!!! I mean seriously I cannot describe just how funny and heart warming this book is!!! There are just no words. I mean I'll try but my advice is stop reading this review and GET YOUR COPY NOW!!! If you love humour, feel good books, comedy, unique stories… Do you know what...whatever you like to read just give this a go and you will NOT regret it!!! As you can tell I thoroughly enjoyed this addictive and sweet page turner!!! In this brilliant book we meet 52 year old Michelle Banks who is a district nurse. She also has a trouble making son, an anxiety ridden daughter, a money blowing husband, a father and a mother in law to look after and help. If that wasn't enough to deal with she is also going through perimenopause! Like with many of us Michelle has an Alexa device that she uses to help her with reminders, alarms, check who is at the door and more. However, it turns out that Michelle's Alexa is not the AI that she was under the impression it was. Alexa turns out to be 65 year old Pauline who used to be a voiceover artist, is from Halifax and as she is due to retire she has decided to reveal herself to Michelle! Now that Pauline has revealed her true identity can Michelle get the real help she needs? Well, grab your copy of this absolutely superb page turner to discover for yourselves!!! I can guarantee you will not regret it and you can thank me later!! With an absolutely epic storyline ram packed with family, stress, surprises, laughter, heartache, humour and so, so, sooo much more what on Earth are you waiting for? I absolutely love, Love, LOVED the premise of this book. I mean not only is it absolutely unique but also thought provoking and just overall brilliant!!! I mean how many of us have an Alexa device or Google Assist, Siri, Bixby, Gemini or similar and ask them something without a second thought? I know between us all as a family we use the majority of these daily and I will say after reading this I may not swear and shout at mine as much as you never know lol!! I just genuinely loved this fantastic idea!! This book is an absolute breathe of fresh air!! It isn't all humour though and does contain some serious topics but overall it is a heart warming, uplifting and gorgeous book that is guaranteed to turn a frown upside down! Linda weaves the storyline perfectly through the perspectives of both Alexa/Pauline and Michelle ensuring the reader can see what each are thinking, seeing and feeling. Linda also goes that step further by giving Alexa/Pauline a Yorkshire dialect bringing the storyline and the characters to life even more than her brilliant descriptions. This book is a real pick me up and will definitely turn any frown upside down!! It captured my attention from the very first page and kept me glued to the pages until the very last word and definitely left me wanting more!! Linda's fantastic writing skills and vivid descriptions will put the reader in the storyline along with Michelle and Pauline ensuring you see and feel everything that they are! This is one of those fantastic books that is perfect to read anywhere and everywhere from curled up next to a roaring fire to sunning yourself on a beach as regardless of where you are Linda will whisk you away with the storyline!! I absolutely devoured this book in one sitting as there was no way I could put it down!! Each and every time I even thought about it to get some actual house work done the characters called me back to demand their attention!! The chapters are quite short which is ideal to pick up and read a few here and there whether on a break or on a bus, the problem is trying to put it down!! Be warned to stay away from hot drinks while reading this as there are so many laugh out loud moments that, if you are anything like me, you will actually end up with a coffee fountain after making the mistake of drinking it while reading and coming across an absolutely hilarious moment!! One of the things I really enjoyed about this storyline is that it is unique to me as I had never read a storyline like it which always makes a lovely change after reading so many books as it is getting harder and harder to find something new. An absolutely brilliant read that will make your day brighter!

Clear your schedules and grab the tissues as you get lost in this laugh out loud, addictive page turner!!

I absolutely loved the larger than life, unique and just fantastic characters that Linda has created for this book!! Thanks to her fantastic descriptions it truly feels like you are right next to Michelle and Pauline throughout. I absolutely loved meeting them and was rooting for them throughout. I loved watching the personalities and confidence change and develop from the start to the finish as well as friendships and relationships. All of the characters are unique with their own personalities, weaknesses, flaws and strengths and I loved meeting and getting to know them all. The only downfall with the characters is that they are entirely fictional even though Linda brings them to life unfortunately, no matter how much I would love to, I am unable to meet up with them in the real world!! I was completely invested in them all throughout and I was gutted when the time came to say Goodbye! Linda truly does an absolutely amazing job of bringing the story to life and the characters leap out of the pages as your turning them thanks to her evocative writing skills and I enjoyed getting to meet them all!! It really goes to show how talented she is creating such a wonderful storyline and all these brilliant characters in this book and I cannot wait to get stuck into more books by her.

Clear your schedules as this is one gorgeous, hilarious and unputdownable stunner ❤️

Overall an absolutely gorgeous and unique book that will sweep you away and make you laugh out loud!!!

#TheWomanWithAllTheAnswers @LindaGreen #BoldwoodBooks #BoldwoodBloggers #theboldbookclub #Boldwood #BookAndTonic #RachelsRandomResources #rararesources

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The book was sold to me by its synopsis - it felt fresh, original and so, so inviting and promising.
But then I started reading and I am not sure if I've bought this whole Alexa is the real person and not an AI or algorithm stuff. I thought the synopsis is brilliant but it turned out the story, well, not so. I'm not sure what I've expected but the book didn't live up to my expectations. I was hoping for a light - hearted, funny story and while it had its moments it was mostly a bit flat and superficial, trivialising important issues. I didn't get the vibe - the beginning was not so bad, but then it went downhill.

It was not a bad book altogether, touching about so many important issues, like pre - menopause, dealing with aging parents, death, families and relationships, middle age crisis, loneliness and so on, and so on, as you can see truly many of them - perhaps too many. I think I can guess what the author wanted to achieve and I appreciate them, but on the other hand the issues didn't get enough attention for me, they were mentioned but not explored enough. Which is a real pity.
Then the resolutions suddenly arrived and we had our happy end, which didn't help the book, as it felt really too easy and so convenient. And I've never really engaged with the character, so I was reading more for the sake of the fact that I'm reading.

But the writing style was really well, Linda Green knows her way around the words and is a very engaging story - teller.

EXCERPT: ALEXA
. . . I'd better look sharp because my lot will be up and about any minute. I say 'my lot' but they're not actually mine, of course. My parents are long gone, my fella, Steve, buggered off when our flat smelled of baby sick and we were knee-deep in dirty nappies and our Darren went travelling to Australia after uni and never came home. So, I get to look after this rabble instead. I suppose they're my adopted family. I didn't have much choice in matter, mind. My first client were a single chap called Jon, but he soon got bored of me and swapped me for one of those Siri types on his new iPhone instead. Story of my life that. Me being traded in for a younger, sleeker model. So I were out of work, waiting for my next client when I got a notification giving me details of a family who'd bought a smart speaker and needed an Alexa, pronto. It's a bit like taking an Uber fare, I imagine. You can turn it down but if you do, you don't know how long it'll be before the next one comes along and when they do, they might be pissed and throw up their kebab on back seat of your car. So, I figured I'd be a fool to pass up a family of four who were likely to keep me in work for a good few years, as they'd be too skint to upgrade to a new model. Liv and Callum were only young back then - twelve and ten, if I remember rightly. They were quite taken with me at first, of course. Did usual things kids of that age do and asked me to say rude words and make fart noises, but novelty soon wore off, like it does with all new toys. Nowadays, it's more practical stuff. Liv asks me to play her list of sad songs and Callum, well I won't tell you what Callum asks me to find but Michelle would be none to happy if she knew about it.
Not that I can tell her. client confidentiality and all that. We have a strict code of conduct about these things. Never reveal your secrets. Only speak when you're spoken to and if you do have to engage in any chit-chat, follow your script and make it sound like you're a programmed robot, because you need to convince them you're all algorithms and virtual nonsense. Last thing you want to do is give them even slightest suspicion that their smart speaker is voiced by a real person with feeling. God forbid.

ABOUT ' THE WOMAN WITH ALL THE ANSWERS': Fifty-two-year-old Michelle Banks is struggling to keep all the plates spinning. She’s a perimenopausal district nurse, caring for elderly parents. Her husband is wasting their money on children’s TV memorabilia, her teenage daughter is riddled with anxiety and her sixteen-year-old son is behaving secretively.

Alexa is the only one who knows how much Michelle is juggling. Listening in via four smart speakers, she also knows that it’s about to get even worse.

So, when Michelle pleads for help from the woman with all the answers, Alexa decides to go rogue and reveal her true identity as Pauline – a sixty-five-year-old former voiceover artist from Halifax – to teach Michelle everything she knows…

MY THOUGHTS: I didn't realise how much I needed something light, though it deals with some serious subjects, and witty. Thank you, Linda Green, you've had me laughing and tearing up and thoroughly enjoying myself with The Woman With All the Answers.

Health warning: Do not read in public places - people with think you deranged. Not to be read in conjunction with hot drinks, anything that will stain clothes, or food that can be sprayed from mouth, unless you're alone, of course.

For readers who aren't British, the regional Yorkshire dialect may take a bit of getting used to. 'The' is only infrequently used. If you need a crash course, I recommend you watch a few episodes of Last of the Summer Wine which, in true Yorkshire-speak should be 'Last of Summer Wine'.

As a child I used to wonder where all the people in telly went after it was switched off at end of night, so I just adored this premise. And Linda Green doesn't disappoint. She has given us an Alexa with a heart, an Alexa who cares, an Alexa who doesn't follow the rules - a rogue Alexa! Just what this family needs.

Told from the POV of Michelle - stressed perimenopausal District Nurse, mam of two and wife of an eBay addict - and Alexa/Pauline, a woman who has seen and lived through it all, The Woman With All the Answers deals with menopause, stress, anxiety, sexting, abandonment, job satisfaction, scamming, caring for aging parents and parental death. Doesn't exactly sound like a barrel of laughs, does it? But it is. Linda Green has written a warm and witty exposé of family life and what happens when the woman who manages it all can't carry on juggling all the balls.

I loved the characters - they got inside my head, and I could 'hear' every word they spoke, Yorkshire dialect and all!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#TheWomanwithAlltheAnswers #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR: I was born in North London in 1970 and brought up in Hertfordshire. I wrote my first novella, the Time Machine, aged eight, shortly after which I declared that my ambition was to have a novel published (I could have been easy on myself and just said ‘to write a novel’ but no, I had to consign myself to years of torture and rejections). I was frequently asked to copy out my stories for the classroom wall (probably because my handwriting was so awful no one could read my first draft), and received lots of encouragement from my teachers Mr Roberts, Mrs Chandler (who added yet more pressure by writing in my autograph book when I left primary school that she looked forward to reading my first published novel!) and Mr Bird.

My first publication came when I was thirteen and my Ode to Gary Mabbutt won second prize in the Tottenham Weekly Herald ‘My Favourite Player’ competition. At fifteen I won the Junior Spurs Football Reporter of the Year Competition and got to report on a first division football match from the press box at White Hart Lane (I got lots of funny looks and none of the journalists spoke to me.)

I loved working on regional newspapers but by 1998 my features were getting too long and the urge to write a novel had become too great, so I left my staff job to write my first novel and work as a freelance journalist.

After more than a hundred rejections from agents for my first novel (and more rewrites than I care to remember) I finally got an agent but still couldn’t get a publisher. I started work on my second novel in 2003, finished the first draft and gave birth to my son Rohan in 2004, rewrote the novel and got a new agent in 2005, AND obtained a two-book deal!

Linda has now had 13 novels published and is currently working on her next one. She loves to travel.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Boldwood Books via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of The Woman With All the Answers by Linda Gren for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

This is the first time I have come across Linda Green and I so enjoyed The Woman with all the Answers that I will definitely be reading more of her novels in the near future.

The Woman with all the Answers is the story of the Banks family. They have an Alexa - a voice-activated virtual assistant that helps individuals to manage their lives. Intriguingly we learn, in this story, that behind every Alexa is a real person. The Banks' Alexa rather than the artificial intelligence we are led to believe 'she' is, is actually a woman from Halifax called Pauline, and she can hear their voices through the various smart speakers around the house and see the family through webcams on their phones, laptops, the doorbell etc...

The story is told from the points of view of Pauline, the family's Alexa and Michelle Banks, the perimenopausal, stretched-to-breaking point wife of Marc, and mother of two problematic teenagers. Michelle needs help, a lot of it! And Pauline, along with her wealth of online contacts, provides the support and direction that Michelle needs to sort herself out.

I thought The Woman with all the Answers was a unique and interesting story, written with humour, often the sarky kind that I so enjoy, and compassion. I found the characters to be sympathetic and relatable, and the situations they found themselves in felt real and quite plausible. I loved the ending, which I'd been hoping for throughout the story. It was uplifting and felt more like a new beginning than an ending.

The Woman with all the Answers was an absolute delight to read and I would whole-heartedly recommend it to readers, particularly those who enjoy humorous women's fiction.

Every so often, you come across a book that is so totally wonderful that you really want to tell the world about it – so very different, with characters who totally won my heart, filled with laughter and tears, and such very clever writing.

Michelle, a busy district nurse, is weighed down by the demands of life – money is short, and it’s difficult to find the time to do anything about the perimenopausal symptoms that are making coping so much more difficult. Her husband, working from home, is supportive enough (and rather lovely), but has developed a bit of an eBay addiction. Her teenage son gets himself into real trouble when pressurised by school friends – and her daughter, approaching her A levels, is suffering so badly from anxiety that she can’t leave the house. And then there’s the wider family – her elderly father, her mother in law, and then the mother she’s never really known comes back into her life. She hasn’t had the time or energy to keep up with her friends – but she finds, to her great surprise, that she’s not as alone with her many problems as she often feels she is.

Like so many households, they have smart speakers in every room – a way of making life just a little more manageable, a virtual assistant for advice and reminders. But suppose Alexa was a real person rather than a voice from the ether? Pauline has been Michelle’s personal Alexa for six years – a former actress from Halifax coming to the end of her working life, who really feels for the family having been with them through their many trials and tribulations. And as she’s about to retire, she has nothing to lose by stepping outside her usual role and offering rather more help than she’s usually able to. It all starts with a late night chat, when Michelle is surprised to discover that she’s not as alone with her problems as she thinks she is – and, with the help of all the interconnecting technology we all depend on and a good dollop of common sense and life experience, Pauline sets about helping her get life back on an even keel.

The whole story is entirely believable – I’ve been looking askance at my smart speakers ever since I read this wonderful book, wondering if my Alexa might just choose to go rogue too. And the characterisation is simply wonderful – Michelle herself with the weight of the world on her shoulders but never losing her sense of humour, her quite wonderful and very real family, and the magnificent Pauline so desperately wanting to make a real difference to their lives before she has to leave them behind. There are plenty of tears in this book – the very real problems that life brings, and all the emotional touches are absolutely perfect – but there’s also so much warmth and laughter, with some hilarious scenes that will always stay in my memory. And I must mention that the book does have a particularly Yorkshire accent – narrated by both Michelle and Pauline, both voices really distinctive – which might take a little getting used to, but works incredibly well. And the book’s ending? It honestly couldn’t have been more perfect – a hint of tears again, but so very uplifting it left me with a heart filled with joy.

This will, without question, be one of my books of the year – such an original concept perfectly delivered, moments I’ll never forget, individuals I really loved. I really couldn’t recommend it more highly – and I’m so looking forward to seeing what this exceptionally talented author does next.

I did enjoy this book, the pace suited me and I liked the characters. I did feel for the mother of the family, Michelle, every thing seemed to be left to her to do or sort out as well as doing her full time job as a district nurse. There was some humour, particularly in the way Alexa/Pauline spoke when she was being herself. Both Michelle and Pauline had troubled backgrounds but in different ways. Two teenagers live in the house and they too have their problems. There are some sad events but it does finish on a happy note and I enjoyed the way things worked out. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Woman with All the Answers is clever, unique, and relatable. Michelle Banks is a Fifty-two-year-old nurse who has a lot on her plate. Her husband spends a lot of money on memorabilia, her son has gotten into trouble at school and her daughter has anxiety. If that is not enough, she is experiencing perimenopause. But she is not alone as Alexa is listening!

This was a cool premise. Ever wonder is Siri or Alexa are listening? In The Woman with All the Answers, Alexa is listening. She is not a machine; she is really a retirement aged woman named Pauline who has been watching and listening for years. Like Alexa she is not supposed to get involved but one day, she does!


This was a quick and clever read about a woman experiencing many stressors in her life while trying to take care of her family. She works in a career where she is also taking care of others but rarely takes time for herself. She is dealing with a lot and Pauline/Alexa is there to help! I enjoyed the premise, the wisdom, and smiled a few times. Ever feel like your devices are listening to you? This book just might be for you!