Maybe Tomorrow by Penny Parkes

 

Jamie Matson had once enjoyed a wonderful life working alongside her best friend, organising adventures for single-parent families, and her son Bo’s artistic flair a source of pride rather than concern.

She hadn’t been prepared to lose her business, her home and her friend. Not all in one dreadful year.

Jamie certainly hadn’t expected to find such hope and camaraderie in the queue at her local food bank. Thrown together with an unlikely and colourful group of people, their friendships flourish and, finding it easier to be objective about each other than about themselves, they decide that – when you’re all out of options – it’s okay to bend the rules a little and create your own.

Maybe Tomorrow is the latest novel by Penny Parkes and it is one that the author should be proud of as it tackles the current financial crisis that many of us are finding crippling since covid and the cost of living crisis reared its ugly head.

Jaime is barely keeping her head above water, after losing her business and a dear friend which also lead to the loss of her home she finds herself in a poorly paid job stacking shelves and renting a less than adequate flat for her and her son Bo which is ridden with mould which triggers poor Bo’s breathing issues.

With not a penny to rub together they rely on the local food bank. One morning rather than getting their early so as not to be seen they arrive in the hustle of it all but this is where their life line comes in the shape of a community and friendship that understand the situation and struggles they face.

Let me start by saying that this is by far Penny Parkes best book by far, it is real, honest and insightful and gets to the heart of so many issues that far too many people all around us are finding ourselves in. Penny Parkes has such a wonderful way of showing the devastating lows that so many are struggling with from losing jobs, homes but also the loss of self belief and confidence too but she manages to do all this without the book feeling really depressing because she uses the support and friendship to lighten the tone and show that there really is light at the end of the tunnel but you need help and support along the way.

I also loved how despite Jaime’s on struggles and worries she still found it in herself to want to help others to succeed and to better themselves which just shows what a big heart this character has. Her son Bo is a breath of fresh air to this storyline and although he has his own battles in life he was a joy to watch as he began to relax and be himself as he found his tribe.

This is a poignant and insightful read that many will relate to in some way and hopefully will bring awareness and hope to its readers.

Paperback                           Kindle

Home by Penny Parkes

 

I jumped at the chance to be on the blog tour for Home because this, in my opinion, is Penny Parkes 

Best 

Book

Yet!

So I wanted to share my review far and wide so you can see what made this book such a thought-provoking and captivating read for me.

Anna Wilson travels the world as a professional housesitter – stepping into other people’s lives - caring for their homes, pets and sometimes even neighbours. Living vicariously.
 
But all Anna has ever really wanted is a home of her own – a proper one, filled with family and love and happy memories. If only she knew where to start.
 
Growing up in foster care, she always envied her friends their secure and carefree lives, their certainty and confidence. And, while those same friends may have become her family of choice, Anna is still stuck in that nomadic cycle, looking for answers, trying to find the courage to put down roots and find a place to call home.

I have read and enjoyed Penny Parkes books in the past so when I saw the cover of her new release Home I was won over with the simplistic design and popped this one on my TBR list straight away. Having now just finished reading Home I can honestly say this is Penny Parkes at her best and her writing in this book has more depth and emotion which made this storyline feel so raw, honest and insightful leaving a mark on my heart.

We meet Anna who is a house sitter which on the face of it seems like a rather exciting job being paid to live in the luxurious houses she could only dream of moving from idyllic location after location, but as we get to know Anna we dig deeper and see that this is all Anna has ever known having been moved from home to home and family to family.

Anna is lost, Anna doesn’t know who she is or where she fits in the world, she has no foundations and yet she has the biggest heart and is intelligent but her childhood has shaped her future but the question is How many times can you start over?

The loneliness and that feeling of not being able to trust anyone after anyone Anna lets in breaks her that little bit more is heartbreaking and can be felt through the pages. She has one great big positive in her life though, her one and only constant her bestfriend Kate who she meets at university.

The storyline highlighted the effects on children being in care has on them showing that not every home who opens the door to look after children opens the heart too and the lasting damage this causes.

The last quarter of the book was what really had me chocked though this is where I really did have a tear in my eye and a lump in my throat as we have had such a detailed telling of Anna’s life and so we really feel like we know Anna on a personal level and this is a young woman who deserves so much love and happiness in life but she doesn’t know how to achieve this, does she even think she is worthy of this? How does she turn her life around and start a new chapter with no guidance, no help and no idea what her happy place is?

It just opens your eyes to the fact you can’t choose your family but you can choose your tribe, get your tribe right no matter how big or small and that is where love, support, contentment and happiness will be.

A beautiful and evocative novel that has really touched a nerve and opened my eyes, it is never too late to start a new chapter. Praise to Penny Parkes, Home is a book not to be missed.

Kindle                       Hardback

Out of Practice by Penny Parkes

Meet married mum of two and successful GP Holly Graham as she relocates her family to join the team at The Practice at Beckerford, hoping to find the peaceful life she craves, despite the chaos that comes with her two year old twins and the troublesome state of her marriage. It will certainly be a challenge to keep her private and professional lives separate in such a tight-knit community. Her colleagues have their own issues to contend with. 

The gorgeous Dr Dan Carter is struggling with to focus on work and the last thing he needs is any more stress; having his ambitious ex-girlfriend Dr Julia Channing working alongside him isn't really helping. Thankfully, the rather delectable Dr Taffy Jones is on hand to distract Holly from the escalating situation at home. 

Feisty octogenarian and resident celebrity, Elsie Townsend, is Holly's favourite patient and saving grace. Elsie's inspirational Life Lessons come at the perfect moment, as The Practice is suddenly under threat of imminent closure and Holly rediscovers her voice and her priorities just in time …

Out of Practice is Penny Parkes debut novel and if dishy doctors make you go weak at the knees then this book will be right up your street.

Holly Graham has relocated to Larkford with her adorable little twin boys and husband Milo. Hoping for a fresh start Holly is thrilled to be close to her best friend Lizzie and is looking forward to starting her new job as a GP at The Practice but the new life that Holly envisioned soon starts to show signs of trouble.

The book gets off to a welcoming start with a touch of humour and it soon becomes clear that the author has a wonderful writing style that manages to pull you into the storyline from the first chapter and hold your attention the whole way through.

There is such a likeable group of characters in this book alongside our main character and the community spirit is buzzing through the pages. Elsie Townsend was a wise and wonderful character who has lived a fulfilled life and she takes an instant shine to Holly and I constantly found myself looking forward to her popping up during the book. We watch Elsie encourage Holly to find her true self rather than being a people pleaser and this is where Holly’s character really develops as she learns that it is ok to say no and put yourself first and do what you want to do rather than what you feel you should do.

I was really hoping all the way through that Holly would walk away from her husband Milo, he was such a controlling and egotistical character who I could not stand and I didn’t want someone as vibrant and loving as Holly to waste her life with a man like that. I was hoping she would fall in to the arms of one of the dishy doctors but one minute I wanted her to fall for Dan and the next moment I wanted her to fall for Taffy but ever way I was happy to take whoever didn’t tickle her fancy!

There were some predictable parts of the book but equally the author also managed to conceal some little snippets too that came as a surprise. This was a terrific debut and I wouldn’t be surprised if we find ourselves revisiting Larkford and its loveable characters in a future book by Penny Parkes but either way I will definitely look forward to more books from this author.

THIS BOOK IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ON KINDLE FOR AN AMAZING PRICE OF ONLY 99p SO GET IN QUICK! ( price at time of review )

Kindle

THE PAPERBACK RELEASE DATE IS 28th JULY BUT YOU CAN PRE_ORDER BELOW