New Life

The Best Is Yet To Come by Katy Colins is a wonderful, heartfelt contemporary novel that will swell your heart and leave you smiling.

The novel is set in a small cul-de-sac. There are people around but two of the residents feel invisible.

New mum, Izzy, is finding motherhood tough. “She wanted to scream she was drowning.” Every other new mum seems to be perfect with perfect babies who sleep at night. At a time when she should be happiest, Izzy feels on the edge and unable to share her feelings. Katy Colins has perfectly and sensitively captured postnatal depression. It was easy to empathise with Izzy.

Octogenarian Arthur was the quiet half of the marriage. He misses his wife who died two years previously. “There were some people you never stopped loving and missing.” He, too feels, invisible and is easy to empathise with.

The story is told in alternating chapters from these two points of view. We get to know the characters intimately. We know what they are thinking, what they are not saying and where they see the future heading.

A chance meeting by Arthur and Izzy throws them together and the reader witnesses the birth of a beautiful friendship. Each brings out the best in the other. As they begin to blossom so the cul-de-sac also comes to life.

The characters have been wonderfully created by Katy Colins. The reader is enchanted by their dialogue as the love and care radiate outwards.

This was a beautiful book about friendship and expanding worlds. I absolutely loved it.

I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

JULIA WILSON