Songs For Your Mother
by Gordon MacMillan
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Pub Date May 12 2021 | Archive Date Apr 27 2021
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Description
I'm greeted by the strangest sight. A small dark-haired boy is standing there. It’s like he’s a human parcel, delivered to my front door.
‘My name is Luke,’ he says.
When Johnny meets Lauren in a bar in Santa Cruz, there’s an instant connection. On an American road trip with best friend Will, Johnny promises to return to the girl who has stolen his heart.
Until tragedy strikes, forcing Johnny to fly back home without ever seeing Lauren again.
Six years later, Johnny is living his life in London, even if he’s never forgotten the girl with the grey eyes and dark hair.
Until one September morning, he opens his door to find a little boy standing there – a child, Johnny quickly comes to learn, who was created that one magical night. Lauren is dying, and her last wish is to reunite five-year-old Luke with the father he doesn’t yet know.
Thrown into unexpected parenthood, Johnny finds himself navigating school-gate politics, Disney movies and tantrums, guided by the notes Lauren has written for him.
Life as an instant dad isn’t always easy, but as Johnny and Luke open their hearts to each other, Johnny is about to discover that life’s joy isn’t always where you expected it.
An emotional, feel-good read that will have you laughing while you wipe away a tear – readers of Dani Atkins, Mike Gayle and Jojo Moyes will be captivated.
Available Editions
EDITION | Ebook |
ISBN | 9781912973378 |
PRICE | £1.99 (GBP) |
Featured Reviews
Aww I loved this book. Highly recommended by me. Thanks to the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.
A mother is like Mother Nature who always gives unconditionally without any expectations in return.
What a beautifully emotive read this was. From what I can see it's the debut novel by this author & I recommend you all read it! The perfect feel good read that will make you laugh & cry.
Johnny's on a US road trip with his best mate Will. He meets Lauren on a night out & she steals his heart. He promises to return to her, but tragedy ensues & he is forced to return home to the UK.
Six years later there's a knock at the door & a little boy is standing there with his suitcase...
Many thanks to Netgalley for my ARC in return for my honest review.
𝗜 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 5 ⭐ 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴
Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Jon and his friend are going on a road trip in California. He meets a girl by the name of Lauren who he spends the night with. He wanted to go see her the next day but he and his friend were in a bad car accident. Several years later Luke is on his front step with a note from his mom Lauren. This book was emotional and well written.
The story of Johnny meeting his young son Luke in this book is so beautifully written.
After a very brief thing with Lauren, 6 years later, Johnny finds himself unexpectedly parenting the 5 year old son he never knew he had.
A mixture of humour as Johnny adjusts to his new found parenthood and sadness as he deals with the loss of a partner he never really knew.
A beautifully written book that I would highly recommend.
Perfect for fans of jojo moyes. Loved it.
#songsforyourmother
#gordonmacmillan
#emotional
#highlyrecommend
I received an advance copy of, Songs for your Mother, by Gordon MacMillian. This book was so good, it was sad, it was funny, it was sweet, and it was sensitive. Life is all about love, family and friendships. This is a story about great friends.
4.5 ⭐️
This book is amazing! it's a fun, inspiring, light read with relatable characters. The story was well-written and heartwarming that would surely leave you with a sense of happiness and closure for the characters involved. The ending made me cry.
The author has beautifully described the life and challenges of being a single parent due to a brief encounter with a stranger during a holiday trip. I loved the strong support system that enabled the characters to overcome all the challenges that life throws at them.
If you love a story about parenthood, romance, and friendship I would recommend this book to you!
I'm thankful to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
My heart is just so full from this book. I immediately connected to the characters and could equally try to empathize how hard their reconciliation would be having Luke. Watching Johnny navigate his unexpected new fatherhood was so gentle and raw. The last chapter had me ugly crying.
Johnny and Lauren meet at a bar one night and they have an instant connection. Johnny is on a road trip with his best friend, Will. After an amazing night together, Johnny and Lauren both feel something deep for each other. Johnny promises to return to Lauren. However, the unexpected happens and Johnny is unable to make it back. He's never forgotten Lauren though.
Six years later, he answers the door to his London apartment to find a little boy standing there. Luke is the result of that one beautiful night with Lauren. Lauren is dying and her wish is for their son to be with his father. Johnny doesn't know the first thing about being a parent, thankfully he has the help of wonderful friends and family.
This was a heartwarming, emotional, story. I loved how the characters were portrayed. Johnny's journey to learn how to be a father was so sweet. The final chapter had me in tears.
Thanks to Netgalley and Hera Books for providing the ARC copy of this book in return for my honest review.
This book touched my very soul. It was beautiful and heart breaking at the same time.
A love story that takes place in less than 24 hours but aligns two souls so perfectly and creates a bond that holds them together for a life time, Johnny and Luke are so beautiful together, they are thrown together and besides bring father and son they are bonded over the love of one woman. The songs throughout the book are poignant and those lyrics speak volumes more than pages of feelings. Pure love and admiration are in those few specially chosen words that capture how Johnny and Lauren truly feel.
I knew there could never be a happy ending with Lauren’s diagnoses, yet some how by the end, through the tears there was a happiness. They were reunited, no matter how briefly it may be and they get to be a family and they their love shine.
An absolute must read and I know it will stay with me for a long time to come.
👨👦Instant father, trying times mixed with joy😍
4.5🌟 stars
This novel has some brutally sad moments and lots of regret about the road not taken, but it's a great story. Told from a man's point of view, lead protagonist Jon is realistically flawed and haunted by Lauren, the woman he left behind. As he takes on the responsibility of raising their young son Luke, the story realistically portrays his fears, misgivings and challenges right along with the sublime father-son moments like helping his son learn to ride a bike and sharing their love of broccoli. There's so much poignancy and emotion in his fatherhood journey, with good days and terrible tantrums.
Despite the sadness underlying the short-lived romance and Lauren's illness, I really enjoyed Songs For Your Mother but it did seem a bit slow at times. Still, A very worthwhile read.
Thanks to Hera Books and NetGalley for providing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
I thought this book was delightful. It pulled at my heart strings and I would totally recommend this as a feel good book.
On the roadtrip through the United States, Johnny meets Lauren. Despite his promise to return, he's unable to and the two never speak again. One day, six years later, a young boy named Luke shows up on his door. In an instant, Johnny becomes a father to five-year-old Luke and is tangentially reunited with Lauren, who is now dying and unable to care for their son.
I thought the premise and the characters were unique. I loved the use of songwriting throughout the novel. My only qualm was the time skips. We see the first few days that Johnny and Luke live together, and I felt like I would have enjoyed seeing more of their relationship development.
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