Snow is falling, bells are ringing… and my heart is broken. I pick up the phone to tell my mother about Oliver and me. Then right after I explain, she says, ‘I don’t exactly know how to tell you this, but you’re not the only one who is single again.’Single together for the first time, 34-year-old Meg and her warm-hearted mother Sally decide to cancel Christmas, and run away to a tiny cottage on … tiny cottage on the Cornish coast. For Meg, it is the perfect place to heal, away from all the mistletoe, while for her mother it has a special, and secret, place in her heart – from a love story that seems a lifetime ago…
Meg and Sally find they’re getting to know themselves, and each other, better than ever before. But as they are unable to resist getting involved in the village Christmas celebrations, they encounter two handsome local strangers.
Sometimes, it’s being away from home that helps you realise where your heart is. What neither woman knows is that, by the time the new year rolls around, one woman will have fallen in love with their ex all over again, and one relationship will be over for good…
An escapist, romantic and heart-warming novel for fans of One Day in December and No One Cancels Christmas.
Readers are loving Single All The Way:
‘A wonderfully written Christmas feel good story. Full of many ups and downs and misunderstandings… A definite curl up on the sofa over the Christmas period to enjoy its feel-good story line.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘Exactly the type of feel good romance you are looking for for the holidays.’ Goodreads Reviewer
‘I loved this book so much. It is always my goal every holiday season to find the cutest Christmas related books out there and I found that in this. It’s a great mixture of holidays, family and romance.’ BookLife
‘It grabbed me on the first page and kept me turning the pages to see what happened next. This book has family drama, romance and is a different kind of Christmas story.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘I knew I was going to enjoy this book… Thought provoking, entertaining and gives an insight to both sides of relationships. Loved it.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘A contemplative read which had me pondering over relationships and the complexities that surround it… Authentic… An enlightening happy read, I would say.’ Book Reviews by Shalini
‘A well-written festive novel… Brilliant and refreshing… It deserves being called unputdownable. I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a different, deeper Christmas read. You’ll have it all, the family drama, the romance and the feel-good.’ Caroline’s Bookshelf
‘I enjoyed reading this book… A festive filled read… I was absolutely intrigued to find out the outcome as I had quickly become emotionally attached to all the characters. A great book to snuggle up with on the sofa.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘Perfect for a bookclub… I’ll be recommending it to ours as their festive read.’ Goodreads Reviewer
‘Gives you food for thought… Heart-warming… More than a festive read.’ Books, Life and Everything
‘Very emotional on a lot of levels.’ Sheeleen’s Musings, 5 stars
‘An emotional story of love, life and relationships which showed that none of these things ever runs smoothly or as planned… Would definitely recommend.’ Stardust Book Reviews
‘A delightful Christmas sleigh ride into the stories and hearts of two remarkable women: Meg and her mother, Sally… A perfect read… Brew a cup of tea and sink into the pages of this wonderful book.’ Kathleen Shaputis, 5 starsmore
OMG! Can someone explain to me whilst I’ve not read a Karen King novel before? No. Me either!
Romantic, smart, funny, I could keep going, but I’d exhaust my thesaurus!
The cover of Single All the Way looks as if it will be a light, fluffy read without depth – nothing could be further than the truth as the novel deals with some difficult situations. This is not to say it doesn’t have warmth, wit and festive cheer. It certainly does, but this is shown as background to the emotional trauma a mother and daughter are dealing with. Exactly as we have to do in real life!
With their respective marriages in trouble, Sally (the mother) and Meg (the daughter) spend Christmas together in a Cornish holiday cottage. Switching between the various points of view (including the occasional glimpse from the male perspective), readers are able to see behind the facades and identify with Sally and Meg’s dilemmas. Some of Sally’s thoughts made me laugh as, although it was all too easy to believe in her frustration, the observations themselves were funny.
From the first page to the final word of the epilogue, I enjoyed spending time with these lovely characters.
Single All the Way is a holiday romance all about relationships. Meg and her mother Sally have just made the decision to leave their significant others right before Christmas. They go to a cottage to reflect on their relationships and have to decide if their relationship is worth fighting for.
I love when an author gives us the perspective from more than one point of view. In this book, there are four different perspectives. In this case, it made the story more honest and vulnerable.
Meg owns a party planning business with her husband. Their love is something special and everyone has always seen how much they care for each other. They are supposed to be the perfect couple, but her husband Oliver gives her news that she can’t forgive at the moment. As her marriage is falling apart, she seeks advice from her mother Sally.
Sally is a strong woman who has always put her family first. When she hears about her daughter leaving her husband, she feels empowered to make a choice about hers. She too decides to leave her husband.
I thought it was unique to show marriages from the perspective of a mother and daughter. Although there is an age difference, love is universal. They both face the same stresses and insecurities. The author also tackled the stereotype of a failed marriage. Karen King says ‘No, no one cheated.’ and dares to question people by making them think harder. ‘Maybe the drifted apart and didn’t have anything in common anymore.’.
Overall, I thought Single All the Way highlights relationships/marriages placing it in a Christmas setting to pose the question of ‘does Christmas, one of the happiest holidays, have an impact on a relationship when it comes to deciding whether to stick it out or let go?’Single All the Way Karen King
Two marriages at a crossroads and Christmas just ’round the corner
This is not your run-of-the-mill holiday romance. The mother and daughter main protagonists both, for very different reasons, have made the wrenching discovery that their marriages are no longer working and the choice to leave their husbands. Taking a breather to reflect in a quaint Cornish village for a few weeks over the Christmas holidays provides some diversion in the form of new acquaintances and community activities; gives them opportunity to strengthen their bond and support each other; and eventually clarifies what they really want out of life and whether that can be achieved within their current relationships.
It’s a very thoughtful story, with a few twists, complications and surprises along the way. I did find Meg’s and Sally’s musings about their marital problems a bit repetitive at times and the story’s momentum flags some in the middle, but ultimately it was an enjoyable, clean, worthwhile read with a realistic look at the marital condition and a very positive and tidy conclusion.
Thanks to publisher Bookouture and NetGalley for providing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
I was depressed all the way through this book….clear through to the end where everyone got their HEA.
The story was extremely well written even if it was subject matter I didn’t want. It was true life and tragic. It was a very mature approach to an age-old story. It was well written.
While I can’t say it was an enjoyable read, I can say it was a good story with the ending as it should have been.
This book was gifted to me by the author and NetGalley for an honest review.