#BlogTour After the One by Cass Lester

 

It was a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour Bound by Cass Lester.

About the Author

Cass Lester spent many years at CBBC having a fabulous time making award-winning programmes including Jackanory, Big Kids, Kerching! and the Story of Tracy Beaker. She has published a number of children’s books and is now having a fabulous time writing adult fiction. 

Follow @TheCasInTheHat on Twitter, Visit caslester.com

About the book

April 16th is always one of Charley’s worst days of the year. It’s her husband’s birthday, a painful reminder of his death four years ago. So naturally, her car breaks down. She nearly gets run over trying to catch the bus. And then she’s made redundant.

Her friends see the redundancy as a chance for her to start again and live the life she always wanted, but since being widowed Charley has clung to familiarity and avoided change like the plague. Then, out of the blue, her mother-in-law Pam pitches up in need of a place to stay after walking out on her 40-year marriage.

Together, Charley and Pam find themselves at a crossroad. It’s not easy to move on after The One, but they can’t stand still forever.

Review

There are certain days in the year that Charley finds hard to cope with. She shuts down completely on any kind of anniversary that reminds her of her husband and his premature death. Her friends are eager to try and awaken her from her deepest despair.

When Charley is made redundant she and others believe it is time to move on to a different career, which is the start of the reboot of Charley's life.

I liked the way the author combined Charley with Pam, giving the readers different versions of loss. The comparison of one helps the other person to deal with her own loss. Death, betrayal and having to reimagine a completely different life for yourself - those similarities are what draw them closer together and simultaneously help them to get on with their lives.  

It's a story about new beginnings, about understanding that the death of a loved one doesn't mean your life comes to an end too. There has to be way forward. Equally it is also a story about grief and working through the stages of grief and then finding a way to cope. 

It's a heartfelt read with an emphasis on friendships, support and fresh starts.

Buy After the One at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Canelo pub date 5 April 2021. Buy at Amazon com.