ARC Review: Where I Found You by Emma Robinson
Your
daughter will not speak… But can she teach you how to live?
Ever since Ruby was tiny, she has been unique. Her smiles are magically rare, and she likes things done in a very particular way – her blocks are always colour-coded, and her toy animals stand in regimented lines. She’s also the daughter of Sara’s dreams – even on days when being a mother to a three-year-old is exhausting.
Not everyone understands Ruby like Sara does though. Not Sara’s husband Mike, and certainly not her disapproving mother-in-law, Barbara. So when circumstances force their family to move in with Barbara, Sara knows it’s going to make motherhood even harder.
Then Ruby’s pre-school suggest that her behaviour and refusal to speak might be the first signs of a bigger issue, in the same week that Mike walks out on them. And Sara’s world is blown apart.
Facing life as a single parent and trying to work out Ruby’s needs is more than Sara can face alone. There’s only one person she can turn to for help – Barbara.
But Barbara knows something Sara doesn’t. She knows what can go wrong if you don’t look after your children right… And she’s determined not to let Sara make the same mistakes she did.
Ever since Ruby was tiny, she has been unique. Her smiles are magically rare, and she likes things done in a very particular way – her blocks are always colour-coded, and her toy animals stand in regimented lines. She’s also the daughter of Sara’s dreams – even on days when being a mother to a three-year-old is exhausting.
Not everyone understands Ruby like Sara does though. Not Sara’s husband Mike, and certainly not her disapproving mother-in-law, Barbara. So when circumstances force their family to move in with Barbara, Sara knows it’s going to make motherhood even harder.
Then Ruby’s pre-school suggest that her behaviour and refusal to speak might be the first signs of a bigger issue, in the same week that Mike walks out on them. And Sara’s world is blown apart.
Facing life as a single parent and trying to work out Ruby’s needs is more than Sara can face alone. There’s only one person she can turn to for help – Barbara.
But Barbara knows something Sara doesn’t. She knows what can go wrong if you don’t look after your children right… And she’s determined not to let Sara make the same mistakes she did.
**ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review**
Where I Found You was a beautiful
and emotional read. It is about a mother's love and the struggle she will face
to provide a full and happy life for her daughter. Sara loves her daughter Ruby
with all her heart and only wants the best for her. But that isn't always easy,
especially if your husband is irresponsible. So when he walks out on them one
day, she will have to do everything on her own. Fortunately, her mother-in-law
Barbara is there and wants to help them the best way she can. However, the
relationship between Sara and Barbara isn't really good in the beginning. Ruby
is unique and does things in a particular way. My heart broke for Sara and her
frustration in not being able to fully understand what was going on with her
daughter. She wants the best for her, and felt like a failure many times when
she couldn't get through to her daughter. However, her determination was
beautiful to read and thankfully she had people who supported her.
The main reason I didn't give this book a higher rating was because it didn't feel like a complete story. Especially the last quarter felt a bit rushed and the story ended before I got to see Sara fully grow. I think a couple of extra chapters would've been better in showing what happened after the major decisions Sara made in her life. I also wanted more of Ruby and see her grow. The epilogue was nice but not nearly enough to satisfy me. I would love a sequel to this book, but overall it was still a very nice and enjoyable read as a stand-alone. I recommend this book if the blurb caught your interest. I don't read a lot of Women's Fiction, but have been enjoying this genre a lot the last year. I'll definitely continue to read more books in this genre, and I will check out Emma Robinson's other books as well.
The main reason I didn't give this book a higher rating was because it didn't feel like a complete story. Especially the last quarter felt a bit rushed and the story ended before I got to see Sara fully grow. I think a couple of extra chapters would've been better in showing what happened after the major decisions Sara made in her life. I also wanted more of Ruby and see her grow. The epilogue was nice but not nearly enough to satisfy me. I would love a sequel to this book, but overall it was still a very nice and enjoyable read as a stand-alone. I recommend this book if the blurb caught your interest. I don't read a lot of Women's Fiction, but have been enjoying this genre a lot the last year. I'll definitely continue to read more books in this genre, and I will check out Emma Robinson's other books as well.
About the Author
Emma Robinson thinks of herself as
one of the ‘Bridget Jones generation’ – who are now grown up and having
children – and writes novels for women who feel the same.
She also has a blog, Motherhood for Slackers, which takes a humorous look at parenthood, and includes poems such as ‘Dear Teacher’ about her son starting school which has been shared around the world. Emma is an English teacher and lives in Essex with a patient husband and two children who are an endless source of material.
She also has a blog, Motherhood for Slackers, which takes a humorous look at parenthood, and includes poems such as ‘Dear Teacher’ about her son starting school which has been shared around the world. Emma is an English teacher and lives in Essex with a patient husband and two children who are an endless source of material.
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