An incredible debut novel, warm, uplifting and full of so much love - you won't be able to put this down. She enjoys nights out with her best friend Jory and is happy with her life, despite constant nagging from her parents to settle down and make plans.

She's quit more jobs and relationships than she can remember, and she still sleeps in her childhood bedroom. After graduating with first-class honours in Philosophy from The University of Exeter, she dabbled in careers in finance then higher education before a ‘warts and all’ parenting blog she’d started to let off steam gathered unexpected momentum and writing became her full-time job. I have never read any of the 'Unmumsy Mum' but Sarah Turner's novel 'Stepping Up' is really fresh and engaging and made me laugh out loud and cry in equal measure. He's a charming little character, coming to terms with a huge loss from his life, but not fully understanding it. I loved Albert, the octogenarian neighbour, who appears to be some sort of gorgon, in Beth's mind, yet is quite possibly the sweetest, lonely old man she has ever encountered.

Emmy, Beth's older sister, and her husband Doug are involved in a car accident that is fatal for one and leaves the other in a coma. From the start, our story is packed with so much emotion and as a parent, it definitely hit me hard. She’s quit more jobs and relationships than she can remember and she still sleeps in her childhood bedroom. Surely there were others out there who were trying but ultimately failing to live up to the Supermum ideal they'd bought into?

With a little help from her best friend Jory (purely platonic, of course…) and her lovely, lonely next-door neighbour, Albert, Beth is determined that this time she’s not giving up. I’m tempted to say something about lessons in life, about how we can’t win every game we play and that sometimes other people will have more Haribo than us, that’s just the way it goes, but Mum responds before I launch my rant. Humour and heart are everywhere in this book, and I went from laughter to tears in the turn of a page.

A single woman who can't commit to a job, or a relationship, suddenly thrust into the role of mother/aunt, looking after her teenage niece and toddler nephew. Ik genoot ervan, leefde mee en pinkte hier en daar bijna een traantje weg door het realisme dat van de pagina's spatte. Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced release copy in exchange for an honest review. Overnight Beth becomes guardian for her teenage niece and toddler nephew and her own mother is hellbent on reminding her of her own shortcomings. Ik wilde meer over ze weten, ze beschermen tegen het verdriet en juist met ze meefeesten als er sprake was van een hoogtepunt.

After three bestselling Unmumsy Mum books, you’ve now released your debut novel, Stepping Up – what inspired you to turn your hand to fiction? My boys have taught me to re-evaluate what’s important in life and ultimately my family’s health and happiness means more to me than anything else, which is a nice place to be. I hope readers will find it to be an uplifting tale of love and loss and the power of hope to brighten even the darkest days. After graduating with first-class honours in Philosophy from The University of Exeter, she dabbled in careers in finance then higher education before a 'warts and all' parenting blog she'd started to let off steam gathered unexpected momentum and writing became her full-time job.

Here I should mention the flipside to these moments – like many parenting stories; there were moments of hilarity, such as the sharply observed description of a modern children’s party.

Het verlies van haar schoonbroer + mogelijks haar zus zorgt meteen voor een emotionele start in het verhaal. Al jaren roep ik dat schrijfster Dani Atkins (naast Colleen Hoover) mijn favoriete auteur is en dat niemand qua niveau ook maar in haar beurt kan komen, maar toen ik dat zei had ik duidelijk 'Vallen en opstaan' van Sarah Turner nog niet gelezen. I finished it, but didn’t want to finish it, I fell in love with all the characters, the humour and heartbreak. Beth, our heroine, really ins one, though she doesn't really know it; after all, she is known for being the quitter of the family and has been, pretty much her whole life. Walking to and from work and having that separation between work and home has hugely benefited both my mental health and writing productivity.

This is the first novel from Sarah Turner, famous for her Unmumsy Mum blog and books, and I couldnt put it down! It's not that she hasn'ttriedto grow up, it's just that so far, the only commitment she's held down is Friday drinks at the village pub. The novel is about how Beth Pascoe, an early 30s member of the 'boomerang' generation, living at home, lurching her way from one job/hangover/failed date to the next until a tragedy strikes her close-knit family and she finds herself the sole care-giver to her fourteen year old niece and toddler nephew. and her lovely, lonely next-door neighbour, Albert, Beth is determined that this time she's not giving up. I kept trying to imagine what it would be like to unexpectedly take on that level of responsibility and before long, the character of Beth started taking shape in my mind.