The blurb:
Tori Williamson is alone. After a tragic event left her isolated from her loved ones, she’s been
struggling to find her way back to, well – herself. That’s why she set up her blog, The Beginner’s Guide to Loneliness, as a way of – anonymously – connecting with the outside world and reaching others who just need a little help sometimes.
When she’s offered a free spot on a wellbeing retreat in exchange for a review on her blog, Tori is anxious about opening herself up to new surroundings. But after her three closest friends – who she talks to online but has never actually met – convince her it’ll do her some good, she reluctantly agrees and heads off for three weeks in the wild (well, a farm in Wales).
From the moment she arrives, Tori is sceptical and quickly finds herself drawn to fellow sceptic Than, the retreat’s dark and mysterious latecomer. But as the beauty of The Farm slowly comes to light she realizes that opening herself up might not be the worst thing. And sharing a yurt with fellow retreater Bay definitely isn’t. Will the retreat be able to fix Tori? Or will she finally learn that being lonely doesn’t mean she’s broken . . .
My Opinion:
*Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
The Beginner’s Guide to Loneliness is the blog our main character Tori Williamson started writing after she experienced a lot of grief and felt lonely. She went through a lot in her life and it’s difficult to deal with. Her three online friends and of course her blog help her get through it, or so she thinks.
And then she is offered a spot on a wellbeing retreat on a farm, in exchange for a review on her blog. Tori is very sceptical at first but decides to go anyway. She slowly starts to appreciate the wonderful things the farm has to offer and starts opening up. The other people there are lovely and very supportive.
Of course, that’s not here to stay. She has to fight her fears and deal with betrayal. On the other hand she makes great friends and even gets closer to one of the men. I will stop here, otherwise I’d spoil the whole story for you.
The story is full of ups and downs, Laura Brambery’s style of writing is very gripping and she created a wonderful atmosphere and storyline. She captured some beautiful moments and managed to include topics like grief and fear. It’s a warm-hearted and moving book with some authentic characters, lovely scenes and brilliant writing.
I loved following Tori’s journey and growth in this book and was very sad to leave it all at the end, I need more!
Rating:
Laura Bambrey on Twitter: @LauraBambrey
