Digital Reads Reviews

Many thanks to Kim Nash and publisher Bookouture for my spot on this Blog Tour.

Happy Publication Day!!

The Albie Effect took my heart by a storm and showed me how tender and caring some hearts were. Even after they were gone, their goodness remained forever.

Every Thursday, Maria Birch met Albie Young until one week when he didn’t come and she got a call from the lawyers. Albie Young was no more, but the list with his wishes were still live and pending. And it was up to Maria to fulfill them, and in the process, find her joie de vivre.

My first book by Ruby Hummingbird, the blurb told me to carry tissues. So I was well prepared. But this story didn’t need any. There was sorrow when I read about Maria’s life. She had undergone quite a bit in life. But Albie, his presence in the backdrop of the story, prodded her on when she wanted to give up. I liked how she found the courage to get up and live life. She made quite a few friends, more than she ever had.

The writing was poignant, filled with so many emotions that I slowly found myself wanting to live life along with Maria. Hope sparkled in every page like a rare diamond, showing me all the perfect facets. All that it needed was a bit of polishing.

Sometimes, we make these bonds with people in our every day life that we are not aware of. Every chapter, when Maria found the various people on Albie’s list, made me aware of how precious those bonds were. Family is not only by blood but also by feelings…

The book affirmed, through its simple yet emotional story, one simple thing – life is today and now. And every moment is a good time to start living. If Maria could start life once again at the age of 70, why can’t I?

I received a free ARC from NetGalley and publisher, and this is my journey into its pages, straight from the heart!! STRICTLY HONEST AND UNBIASED.

All my reviews can be read here

This unmissable, unforgettable book will crack your heart in two and piece it back together again. Have a packet of tissues handy…

Sometimes you have to hit the bottom before you can float to the top.

Maria Birch is seventy years old and, for her, every week is the same.

On Monday, she does her weekly shop. On Tuesday, she goes for a blow-dry. On Wednesday, she visits the laundrette. But Thursday is her favourite day of all – everything hurts less on a Thursday.

Every Thursday Maria walks to her local café. Waiting for her at one of the red gingham-topped tables is Albie Young, a charming man with a twinkle in his eye and an impressive collection of tweed flat caps. Every week, the pair share a slice of marble cake and a pot of tea.

Except, one week, Albie doesn’t turn up.

When Maria finds out what has happened, her perfectly ordered life is ripped apart at the seams. Suddenly, she is very lonely. Without her Thursday friend – her only friend – she no longer has the energy to circle the weekly TV listings, she has no reason to leave her apartment, no reason to laugh.

Then she discovers that Albie isn’t who she thought he was, and she’s left wondering if she knew her friend at all. But Albie has left behind a legacy – a handwritten list of wishes he never got the chance to complete.

Maria is resigned to facing the rest of her days heartbroken and alone. But fulfilling Albie’s wishes could hold the key to her happiness – if only she’s able to look past his secret…

This life-affirming and heartfelt tale is for anyone who has ever looked at their life and wanted more. Fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and The Keeper of Lost Things will love this poignant story, which shows us that for the truest loves, the end is never really the end…

Publication Date: 12th November 2019

Publisher: Bookouture