The Family Gift by Cathy Kelly

From Goodreads

Freya Abalone has a big, messy, wonderful family, a fantastic career, and a new house.

But that's on the outside.

On the inside, she's got Mildred - the name she's given to that nagging inner critic who tells us all we're not good enough.

And now Freya's beloved blended family is under threat. Dan's first wife Elisa, the glamorous, manipulative woman who happily abandoned her daughter to Freya and Dan's care and left the country, has elbowed her way back into their lives.

But Freya knows that when life gives you lemons, you throw them right back.

Can Freya put her family - and herself - back together? Find out in Cathy Kelly's warmest, wisest and funniest book yet...

Some early praise for the book.

Everyone loves Cathy Kelly:

'Honest, funny, clever, it sparkles with witty, wry observations on modern life. I was IMMERSED in it. I loved it' Marian Keyes

'This book is full of joy - and I devoured every page of it gladly' Milly Johnson

'Filled with nuggets of wisdom, compassion and humour, Cathy Kelly proves, yet again, that she knows everything there is to know about women' Patricia Scanlan

'Packed with Cathy's usual magical warmth' Sheila O'Flanagan

'A lovely story of life and change' Prima

'Comforting and feel-good, the perfect treat read' Good Housekeeping

My thoughts

My thanks to Tracy Fenton of Compulsive Readers for the opportunity to take part on the Blog tour of this book.

This book has some glowing praise from some well respected Authors and magazines already.

Cathy Kelly has a way with words that draw you into the lives of the characters that she writes about. I was happy to give this 4 stars or 8/10.

It was an entertaining and humorous at times story about the lives of Freya, her husband Dan and their extended family. As family life and life in general take their toll, Freya outwardly seems to be coping, but inwardly she is imploding. These are feelings that at some time in our lives many of us will be able to identify with. To find out just how Freya deals with it, you'll need to grab a copy for yourself.

This is the perfect read for those long winter nights, with the curtains drawn and your comfiest clothes all curled up on the sofa in the warmth.