The tone of this book felt different to Helen’s usual offerings and I’m hoping that’s not a push too far in a different direction. Don’t get me wrong, I have genuinely loved each of the books that Helen has published to date, but the life shattering news for Mallory had me feeling pessimistic, which is an unusual feeling for reading Helen’s books. That said, the whole tone was more about restoring relationships than anything else which is definitely familiar territory.
Rose and Gigi were inseparable whilst growing up, but after meeting a man, Gigi’s loyalty shifted, and her focus pointed her to new horizons. Their childhood dream of designing, making and selling wedding gowns in their own shop flittered away like a leaf on a breeze. I absolutely loved the sisters as their bond may have become frayed, but it was made of more that lightweight thread, meaning that despite their differences, their initial bond remained. Granted, it was well hidden.
We also meet the cousins, Mallory and Penny and in their relationship there are echoes of the connection the sisters once shared. Mallory is protecting a devastating secret that could blow the family apart, but she is determined to protect those that she loves and keeps her secret to herself until she feels the time is right. Penny loves having Mallory in her life and values their relationship above most other treasures in her life.
The key to this story is stitched into the fabric of the first wedding dress the sisters made. They had planned to use the dress to promote their business, and each hoped to wear it to their own weddings, but when Gigi discovered Rose’s betrayal, she fled their hometown taking their dress with her.
I flew through the pages of this book and enjoyed the warmth of the story, despite feeling totally aware of Mallory’s situation. That said, it didn’t feel overwhelming, it felt more like a whisper of what may come.
Beautifully told and absolutely moving. I loved it!

The story is told from a third person point of view and it switches from Mallory to her cousin/best friend Penny and occasionally to Mallory’s mother, Gigi, and her estranged sister, Rose. As Mallory seek to come to terms with a devastating news, she also hopes to help Rose and Gigi reconcile their differences.

I loved the close relationship between Mallory and Penny, and their scheme to help with the reconciliation was really good. That scene where their mothers finally met was epic.

There is also a romance plot here which was quite sweet. Will was such a gentleman especially when Mallory was unwell. In contrast, Gigi and Hector definitely had a more angsty romance due to the time period causing havoc upon their interracial relationship!

All in all, this book had a lot of plots going on, but the main idea of forgiveness and reconciliation stood out for me. When we are finally forced to decide what is truly important in our lives, we soon realise that holding on to grudges is pointless.

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

Mallory has been given some devastating news, she remembers her father’s saying “get your ducks in a row” and now, she has to do that for herself and her loved ones.

Her Mom and her sister Rose haven’t spoken for years, so she and her cousin Penny, plan to reunite them.

Being a nurse, Mallory’s job is offering support to patients, but she’s never needed that support herself. She has a daughter Jilly.

Penny’s job is a stressful and busy one, so she decides to have a break and visit her mother's village and help in her bridal shop.

Mallory also plans a holiday to the same village, where their plan will take shape and hopefully bring the sisters together. As well as that Mallory plans to break the news to them of what’s to come in her life.

We read about what happened to make the sisters split, how they feel bad about it, but won’t take the first step to try and forgive, as the story goes back to when they were young.

We also see some happy times in the book, when both sisters meet old friends.

I highly recommend this book.

After Mallory receives some devastating news , she and her best friend/ cousin Penny hatch a plan to bring their mothers back together.
This was an emotional story. It’s full of happy and sad moments. You won’t be able to put this book down!
It’s another good book by this author

What an emotional read that really pulls at the heartstrings. Beautifully written this follows the stories of sisters Gigi and Rose and their daughters, Mallory and Penny respectively. The two stories are entwined and each chapter is written from the viewpoint of one of the four main characters. Rose and Gigi have been estranged for over sixty years but their daughters met by chance and have been best friends ever since. When Mallory receives some devastating news she decides to try and bring the family back together. Along with Penny a plan is hatched and the real reason there is a rift is revealed. Alongside this Mallory must try and prepare for the future and letting her family know what that will look like. This covers so many topics and all are written so sensitively. Family, friendship, grief, forgiveness and fresh starts among them. Heartbreaking and heartwarming in equal measure this is a gorgeous book. Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC

An emotional journey of grievance, forgiviness, past secrets, and.new ones, friendship and family. The lives of Mallory and Penny, best friends and cousins, their strangled mothers, Gigi and Rose, and Mallory's daugther Jilly will defintively change this summer for the best even with devastating news for all of them. Wonderful, powerful and great story. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

After Mallory receives some devastating news she decides to work with her cousin Penny, who is also her best friend, on reuniting their mothers who had an acrimonious split decades before.
This is a very emotional story, slow paced to suit the subject matter, showing how long held fueds impact those around them. Mallory is a nurse, used to supporting others rather than needing support herself, and mother to teenage Jilly. Penny is a high flying consultant in the city but decides to take a long-needed holiday in her mother's village, helping with her bridal shop. Mallory joins them there where they have hatched a plot to try to reunite the sisters. The story really pulls at your heart strings, making you wonder what you would do in the same situation as Mallory. It gradually reveals through flashbacks the reason for the sister's split, and how they both regret it whilst refusing to forgive each other. There are plenty of lighter moments to stop the book being too disheartening, along with how the power of love can help. Definitely recommended.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

3.5 Stars

This was a lovely book to read over the weekend. The story is about how complicated families can be and about finding happiness in everyday life; the little things matter. The book is about two women, Tess and Ginny, who are best friends and happen to be cousins. Their mothers are estranged, so it makes the family dynamics difficult. The author writes these characters with vulnerabilities and strengths, making them relatable and true to life.

I liked that the book focuses on how special ordinary life can be. The author writes about the simple pleasures masterfully, she elevates even a cup of tea with a friend or dear relative to significance. The pace is on the slow side but I felt like that allowed me to get sucked into the characters' lives, and connect with them and their emotional journeys.

The way the dialogue and inner thoughts of these ladies were written gave the story an emotional depth I wasn't expecting. The book makes you realize you should appreciate what you have and try to find joy in the simple things. This was a charming read for anyone looking for an uplifting story that is like eating comfort food or getting a warm hug.

Oh, what a beautiful, sad, yet heartwarming story!
Mallory receives some devastating news and just knows that she has to 'get her ducks in a row' as her father used to say, before life for her and those she loves the most implodes.
There are two stories entwined within this book; one following two sisters, Rose and Gigi, who become estranged after a misunderstanding, and one, thirty years later, of Mallory, and her cousin Penny as they try hard to bring their mothers back together, using a special wedding dress.
for Mallory, this is a chance to not only get her mother, Gigi, and her aunt, Rose, back in touch, but to finally tell them her awful news.
I was hooked from the beginning.
The story covers a few topics, such as racism, loss, grief, but we also have more than one second chance romance touched upon, too.
There is such sadness within the story, but it is filled with light-hearted humour as well.
The situation Mallory is in is one no mother would ever want to be put in, and that made my heart bleed for her. I feared for an ending that would have me in tears, but instead, hope and positivity shone through.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

This is a delightful read with a sensitive subject that will resonate with many of, which Helen has tackled in a most delicate way. Helen always writes such heart warming books and never fails to disappoint.

Mallory is facing a difficult time—her daughter Jilly is struggling in school, and life-changing news has left her anxious about the future. More than ever, she needs the support of her family. However, her mother and aunt have been estranged for years, creating a rift that makes coming together nearly impossible. Determined to mend the broken relationship, Mallory, along with her cousin and best friend Penny, devises a plan to bring them back together.

As the story unfolds, past and present timelines intertwine, revealing the history behind the sisters’ falling out. Central to their rift is a wedding dress, which carries its own emotional weight and deep-rooted secrets. Through themes of family, forgiveness, grief, and even romance, this book delivers a poignant and engaging read. While the story has its somber moments, it also offers humor and uplifting scenes, ultimately leaving readers with a sense of warmth and reflection on what truly matters in life.

This book totally blew me away. Mallory has to do the unthinkable and prepare herself and all her loved one for a time she will no longer be with them. But not only that, for a huge chunk of the book, she’s doing it on her own as none of them know about her diagnoses.

Mallory wants to bring her mum and aunt back together after a falling out long before she or her cousin Penny were born in an attempt to ensure her daughter has a support network after she is gone. I loved the different points of view as we get the back story. It was eye opening to see what life was like in the 50s and how interracial couples were treated. It highlighted how brave Gigi was and just how short sighted her family was as was society to only see a person by the colour of their skin and not for who they really are.

From chapter 34 I was bawling my eyes out, such a moving and lovely ending, so nice to leave on a moment of happiness and not sadness. This book built slowly, with more and more story unfolding with each chapter until I couldn’t put it down.

It is one of those books that transports you making you forget about real life and full of delightful characters that spring to life. I actually felt like I was there in the story with them ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was far more emotional than I was expecting. A great family tale that deals with heartache and loss. I loved all the characters of the 3 generations and it ended in a much more positive way than i was expecting.. beautiful

This is the type of book I love, set in a small town, family relationships and some emotional storyline - tick, tick and tick! Adored this emotional storyline that was so well written - bravo!

With a cast of brilliant characters and a wonderfully delightful storyline. The Best Days of Our Lives is set in a stunning location and time. The family drama plotted with love, loss and grievances keeps the reader engaged and on edge.

Poor Mallory has a lot on her plate. Her daughter Jilly isn’t doing as well at school as she should be, which of course as a mother is a worry, but not only that, she has had life changing news which has her even more concerned for the future. Mallory needs her family around her more than ever. The only issue is her mother and aunt have not spoken for years. Along with her cousin and best friend Penny, they are determined to get them talking again.

I enjoyed how the story goes between past and present with the past focusing on Gigi and Rose and the reason why they fell out, along with present day with their daughters putting a plan in place to get them talking again. It all seems to centre around a wedding dress which was another fascinating story in itself.

The Best Days of our Lives covers topics such as racism, grief, romance, amongst other things. It was such an engrossing read. Whilst the story was sombre in places, there are some humorous and plenty of uplifting parts to it also. I was worried the ending might be a bit of a tear jerker due to the nature of the story but it left me on a high. It makes you think about what is truly important in life and how some things we have placed so much importance on, can be trivial in the bigger scale of life. A gorgeous, endearing and heartwarming read!

Two sisters fell out many years ago over a wedding dress they made that became famous. Their daughters met by chance and have been firm friends ever since. Mallory has recently received life shattering news, and wants to tell the rest of the family when they meet up and plans for her mother to finally meet up again with her sister, hoping that bygones can be bygones. Mallory is the glue around all these people and she wants to put her ducks in a row before it's too late.

Oh boy. This begins with Mallory's news which puts a whole different tone on the meet up. It's cleverly and expertly written that I couldn't help but want to give Mallory the biggest hug. It's also light-hearted at times, reflecting life and the ups and downs many face and how sometimes it's the little things that matter but when the news is devastating it puts things in perspective (“don’t sweat the small stuff”). I loved Mallory and her no nonsense approach to life. It's a book of life, and despite everything hope and enjoying what you can whilst you can- perhaps don’t save things for “best”. A brilliant, poignant read I most thoroughly enjoyed.

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What a story . Should be a very sad read at times but it was a well written story . Two sisters fell out years ago and their 50 year old daughters decide to help to ring them back together. You go back and forward . Different characters tell the story . Not my favourite way to read but it works . There is a beautiful brides shop and that leads the story. You also get a mixed race relationship which is a sad read at times There is a big secret which I won’t spoil , a gorgeous 13 year old daughter and very neat ending not what you expect . Read it. Have chocolate in case. .