STEPPING UP is a heart-blasting triumph of a novel - wise, witty and wonderfully human.' Isabelle Broom I really related to Beth constantly feeling lost and not really knowing what she wants to do with her life (anyone can relate? pre-graduation crisis things alshddkskak) She’s quit more jobs and relationships than she can remember and she still sleeps in her childhood bedroom. It’s not that she hasn’t tried to grow up, it’s just that so far, the only commitment she’s held down is Friday drinks at the village pub. Het verlies van haar schoonbroer + mogelijks haar zus zorgt meteen voor een emotionele start in het verhaal. Ik werd meteen meegesleept in Beth’s zorgen om goed voor haar neefje & nichtje te zorgen, haar hoop die ze blijft koesteren op een goede afloop voor haar zus en het feit dat ze haar moeder wilt bewijzen dat ze wel iets goeds kan doen.

Life is full of unexpected challenges but Beth has always avoided anything resembling responsibility. That is until the unthinkable happens. Emmy, Beth's sister and her husband Doug have been in a tragic car accident and it's time for Beth to step up. Overnight Beth becomes guardian for her teenage niece and toddler nephew and her own mother is hellbent on reminding her of her own shortcomings. Is this a step too far for notoriously flighty Beth? After all, up until now the only commitment she's ever held down is Friday drinks at the village pub. I loved Albert and his shouty texts, and Jory, who I was rooting for the entire read! Beth was funny, and I couldn’t help but laugh with her.This is emotive and thought-provoking and one of the best things I've read for ages. If you're a parent it'll also make you think about your will if it's been a while since you sorted it. The characters around her are also so interesting!! I LOVED Albert (so wholesome and pure omg the way he always uses CAPS FOR HIS TEXTS and he calls emojis THE LITTLE PICTURES 🥺🥺) Heartwarming and heartbreaking. Full of warmth and Turner's perceptive parenting humour. This is a book that will break your heart and make you fall in love all at once! * Katy Colins, author of THE BEST IS YET TO COME *

So we have Beth. 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. With a cranky old neighbour to contend with, a mother with extremely high expectations, yet with no hope that Beth will deliver, and a best friend who seems to be drifting away, at a time when she needs him more than ever. Stop EVERYTHING and read this! Funny, tender and beautifully observed. Loved, loved, LOVED it! * Cathy Bramley *

The storyline. It was just so well written. The book covers some heavy themes but it was done really well & just felt so heartbreakingly real 💔 I found this book to be emotional, I cried (a lot). I found it to be completely heart warming. The "journey" that Beth goes on despite there being a undercurrent of emotion and sadness, there is still some joy and laughter to be had. Turner has mixed in the humour into this story effortlessly without detracting from the foundation of the story. 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. It’s time to step up. 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.

Vallen en opstaan is een ontroerend verhaal over groei, steun, het rouwproces, volwassen worden en vooral hoop.Wow. What a read. This isn’t usually my go to genre. However, it is the sort of movie/tv show I would watch, so I was ecstatic to be given the chance to read this, and I loved it!