STEPPING UP is a heart-blasting triumph of a novel - wise, witty and wonderfully human.' Isabelle Broom, author of A YEAR AND A DAY With a little help from her best friend Jory and her lovely next-door neighbour, Albert, Beth is determined that this time she's not giving up. This is a story about digging deep for strength you never knew you had and finding magic in things that were there all along. It’s a story about grief, family, friendship, working things out and love. It’s incredibly emotional but at the same time a breeze to read. The tone of the novel is very similar, at times dark and blunt but also filled with a matter-of-fact humour and moments of sheer joy.

Turner has a firmly established fanbase from her blog The Unmumsy Mum, which documents the highs and lows of motherhood in an approachable way. 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!

Summary

Without going into too much, the tragic event was dealt with so brilliantly, it really showed the feelings across all characters in a sensitive and realistic way. The whole storyline was just written perfectly. Stepping Up is a story about Beth, now Beth hasn't really got her act together. She's a 30 year old singleton, still living with her parents. Flitting from one job to the next. Nobody really has high expectations of her. But one day something happens and she has to step up to the challenge and become an adult. 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. 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. Vallen en opstaan is een ontroerend verhaal over groei, steun, het rouwproces, volwassen worden en vooral hoop.

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)

Retailers:

Somehow, in her debut novel Sarah Turner manages to do both with a deftness of touch that makes for a memorable and lovely read. With her trademark wit and natural flair for a story, Sarah Turner has proved to her thousands of followers (and herself) that she absolutely belongs in the commercial fiction world. I cannot wait to see her novel-writing career unfold. I want and NEED a book all about Albert and his life. I fell hard for the next door neighbour 💕 Sarah Turner if you are reading this review. Please write a book about Albert 😁 his story needs to be told.

I loved the characters, so likeable and full of life. Beth was absolutely wonderful throughout, she made me laugh and she also made me just want to give her a great big hug. I feel like so many people could relate to her one way or another. She was great throughout, dealt with the difficult moments with her niece, Polly, so very well.Overall it weaves love, family, romance and friendship with a heartwarming deftness that makes the book almost unputdownable. I could have easily devoured it in one sitting but had to settle for three, even taking my kindle with me to supervise my lunchtime duty!

Until a tragedy forces her to stop quitting. 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. Stop EVERYTHING and read this! Funny, tender and beautifully observed. Loved, loved, LOVED it!? Cathy Bramley A moving and beautifully-told tale of parenthood but not as you know it. I just loved it.' Gillian McAllister, author of THAT NIGHT It’s difficult to leave a review about this story that will do it justice, it was simply excellent.

In fact, there was a lot of light in this novel. From love interest Jory (who you can’t help falling in love with) to dear friend Arthur (the bow tie scene squeezed my heart), Turner has cleverly blended the every day with the extraordinary, and sadness with joy to make an uplifting and tender read. It is a story about digging deep for strength you never knew you had, and finding magic in the little things that were there all along.