Published By: Headline Review
Pages: 336
Released On: 24/04/2025
Dear Ms Blythe
We are dealing with an estate of which you may be a beneficiary.
Please send any documents in your possession that relate to your birth and adoption.
September is at her wits’ end. There’s never enough money to support her boyfriend and herself. September has nothing to look forward to.
Then the letter comes. September has inherited a house from a great-aunt she never knew she had. It would make sense to sell it. But when sees the place – the orange gate, the garden, the tree, the bumble-bee door knocker – she doesn’t want to let it go. Not yet. Then the members of the book club arrive, and she begins to discover the story of the family she didn’t know. And to make new friends.
September feels safe here. But money alone can’t bring contentment. September is just at the start of a journey full of surprises, shocks – and opportunities, if she’s brave enough . . .
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Headline Review for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
Oh how I love Stephanie’s books; they’re so uplifting, and having read quite a sad book beforehand, I really needed that.
This is like a hug in a book, in every way. And all the love for books and the importance of reading and stories in a community, and building a family and friendship group was really lovely too.
September is a really lovely protagonist. She’s had a rough start to life, and her journey in adulthood hasn’t been all sunshine and roses either. But she was such a lovely person that I immediately fell in love with her. Her boyfriend Shaun, on the other hand, was just a bit icky.
There are lots of other characters – friends, strangers, neighbours – good and bad, too many to get into here, but let me just say that there wasn’t a dud among them. They are all fabulous in their own way but do wonders to help support September on her journey.
It is mainly set in the present – well, 2024 – but we go get chapters set in Lucia (September’s great aunt) younger and older years, which was a nice touch. It was really interesting reading the two time periods side by side and I really liked Lucia. There were definitely similarities in the personalities of the two. I think I preferred the September segments a smidgen more but that was because I felt I could relate to her move, but both segments were equally interesting.
What I love about books like this is that it’s full of book recommendations, and I was soon adding to my always-growing wishlist of books.
Whilst at its heart it is an uplifting happy story, there are difficult topics, such as poverty, abandonment, adoption, relationship breakups, homelessness, loss, grief etc.
I read half of it before I went to bed and the rest as soon as I woke up; I just didn’t want to part frrom it for too long.
Books By Your Bedside 