The Best Days of Our Lives: the big-hearted and uplifting new novel from the bestselling author of Anything Could Happen

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Will Lenis brother is really struggling to come to terms with everything and has fled the country. Alother this doesn't go quite as to plan as he hopes. Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review. Given the nature of this book it may be triggering for some, there is loss of a sibling and the loss of an adult child. There are also issues relating to infertility and complications in pregnancy. Whilst these are very heavy issues Diamond handles them with the upmost care and respect. she tries to put together the last few weeks of Leni's life.......Only to find secrets she did not know about her.

Given the subject matter of The Best Days of Our Lives, the new book by Lucy Diamond, you’d be forgiven for thinking this story would be all doom and gloom and extremely difficult to read. Especially as we all know dealing with the aftermath of losing a loved one can be a challenge and have such a long and devastating impact. But thankfully this story wasn’t all misery, anguish and sadness as it could have easily descended into this vein. Instead, the author provides the reader with a snapshot into the year of a family following the loss of their sister Leni and in doing so provides moments of hope and courage to all who read the book. I appreciated the honesty throughout and although the characters are each fractured and torn apart by their loss they have to learn to come to terms with the fate that has befallen them. Through many experiences and an extensive journey they learn lots about themselves and several secrets are also revealed too.Lucy is at the top of her game with this wise and wonderful book. It's deeply moving and truly uplifting. No-one does real life better than Lucy Diamond * Veronica Henry * Alice is Lenis sister and one of her best friends. Alice is trying to navigate the world without her sister in it. She is also finding out lots more about her sister things she kept hidden from people and what happened to her in the last week of her life. Alice is also trying to find her own path in life now that her sister has died and is trying to find out the things that she wants out of life for herself. This is well-written but it will not appeal to everyone. There is a lot of focus on the grief suffered by Leni's family following her surprising death. She has the uncanny ability to look right into a person’s heart and convey the most hidden secrets and feelings they harbour, in ways that feel innovative and natural. The Best Days of Our Lives takes all those features and delivers an outstanding read that is simply fabulous.

The Nottingham-born writer took her first draft to the agent she’d worked with on her children’s books. “He told me not to give up the day job,” she reveals. “I tried another who was intimidatingly posh. She asked me, ‘darling how can I market you, are you poor?’ So, I went with someone else who signed me up with a publisher. It was a happy ending.” UK popular contemporary fiction author Lucy Diamond pens a family drama saga that fans will appreciate. The story is essentially about the grief her family feels when Leni dies following a bicycle accident. Lucy Diamond explores how guilt, despair, loneliness, isolation, anger and vulnerability reverberate through those left behind. Humour, love, excitement and joy Another absolutely gorgeous book by the best selling author Lucy Diamond. Oh how I loved this precious book.

However, I had a feeling that the story, all the feelings and emotions are a bit over the top. It was a bit overdone and the characters' behaviour was too extreme, to over the top.

Where Lucy Diamond does excel is in her character creation. Main or supporting, old or young, female or male…they’re all so well written. And the extended family as a whole. It’s a great exploration of a dysfunctional family without straying into the pantomime. The Best Days of Our Lives is one of those books that makes you reassess how you live your own life. Deeply moving but ultimately uplifting, you won't regret reading this * Katie Fforde * A compelling and beautifully written tale of love, grief and family. This book touched my heart * Sarah Morgan * Alice, her sister and best friend, riddled with guilt over their silence following an earlier argument, tries to piece together the last days of Leni’s life, while baby brother Will is living fast and lose in Thailand trying to forget the part he played in their sister’s death. Meanwhile, mum Belinda falls into an unhealthy relationship with a clairvoyant as her ex, Tony, struggles with becoming a father again after a trio of failed marriages.Everyone blamed themselves in their own way for Leni's death, even though it was no-one's fault. The only one who annoyed me was Alice, as what Leni was up to in her last days consumed her to the point of obsession and took over her whole life. I’ve never read anything from Lucy Diamond before, but I’m definitely going to dive into her previous work. If they’re half as good as The Best Days of Our Lives, I’m going to read a Collection of Greatness. One thing I really liked was how everyone’s stories were interconnected. It’s unsurprising that the parent’s and children’s stories link as they’ve all lost the same person, but there are some secondary characters that pop up here and there that help tie it all together. It helps create this sense of community and the importance of friendship and love.

Even better is the sensation of being let into other secrets not all the characters know, but I won’t spoil the story by saying more! Reminding us how to fly Books about grief seem to have their moment right now and it's ok, though I think I'd rather read about cupcakes and bookshop in Cornwall. Whatever. This one was written by Lucy Diamond, so I had to give it a go. Last few books by this author didn't gel with me so much, but "The Best Days of Our Lives" turned out to be a poignant yet funny, touching story about a family dealing with the worst - with grief.Belinda Lenis mum is having a hard time dealing with the death of her daughter. She is in touch with a clairvoyant who she believes she is convening with Leni through. She is also thinking of selling the family home and setting up a b&b with her new boyfriend. The different imprints that the central incident has on all the main protagonists is thoroughly explored and differs widely but comes across as very real, giving the readers something that they can relate to, as I doubt they're will be a Lucy Diamond reader who won't have found themselves in this situation regardless of the part they played. The turmoil amid the changing of relationships was astutely unravelled and the somewhat predictable conclusion that you may expect from a 'family re-united' narrative actually ends up as something a lot more thought through, uplifting & satisfying. A brilliantly observed slice of family life full of joy, sorrow, happiness and hope, I loved it * Alex Brown * I guarantee that anyone reading The Best Days of Our Lives will find it hugely relatable and take solace, pleasure and joy from it. Reading this one might just inspire you to try something new in your own life. Oh how I treasured this precious novel by Lucy Diamond. Sure, it's majorly weepy for the most part but also enduringly uplifting. Wayyyyy too many feels to contend with!!