The Lonely Hearts Beach Club — Amy Miller

Hattie gazes at her husband's empty green-and-white-striped deckchair, the fabric blowing in the breeze. Blinking away tears, she clutches her own chair's wooden frame with trembling hands. 'What will I do without him?' Olivia's heart breaks watching her mother Hattie withdraw after her husband's sudden death. Without him, she's never been lonelier. Every morning, Hattie places a pair of tired old deckchairs looking out to sea. Staring at the empty chair beside Hattie, Olivia comes up with a plan: One deckchair for hire! Must bring good conversation and have own flask. Posting the advert in a beachfront café, responses from other lonely locals start flooding in. There's psychic medium Miriam who, besides talking to the dead, finds it therapeutic to belt songs from musicals. Glamorous Glenda has a penchant for teapot wine and skinny dipping. And even a reluctant Hattie can't resist the endearing quirkiness of Jacob, walking the south-west coastal path in memory of his wife. Everyone who sits in Hattie's deckchair has a little pearl of wisdom to share, each bringing a tiny bit of the familiar sparkle back to Hattie's eyes. But as more and more visitors take up residence in Hattie's deckchair - and her heart - will Hattie ever find a way to return to the woman she once was? And in the process, can Olivia also learn a lesson or two about reopening her own heart to love? The Lonely Hearts Beach Club is an absolutely heart-warming story about the power of the mother-daughter bond, family secrets and second chances, perfect for readers who love Jojo Moyes, Faith Hogan and Sheila O'Flanagan. What readers are saying about Amy Miller: 'Wonderful... I literally could not put down... I loved every minute of it and I didn't want it to end... A heartfelt and truly wonderful read. A story that you will lose yourself in.' By the Letter Book Reviews, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Brilliant... I couldn't stop reading from the beginning to the end... I loved every page.' NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐