This Thing Called Love by Debbie Howells
A truly heartbreaking but ultimately uplifting story about family, friendship, love and serendipity.
When Bee loses her job, home and boyfriend – all on the same day that a man accidentally spills coffee all over her; she decides life can’t get any worse. So when her mother finally tells Bee the name of the father she’s never met – a musician named Luke Friday – she decides to take a risk and go in search of him.
Meanwhile, Alex – who accidentally bumped into a pretty girl earlier that day, spilling his coffee all over her – returns home, where his mother is increasingly dependent on him.
He wants to help her find some of her memories again. But the only person he thinks can help is a stranger to him. A man called Luke Friday, who his mother once played music with.
As Alex and Bee start their search for the same man, Luke’s nine-year-old daughter is also looking for something – anything – that might help her father with his grief. Little does she know her prayers might just be about to be answered… as a little thing called love starts to bring their lives together in ways none of them could possibly have imagined.
I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Review
They say bad things come in threes, and for Bee, that couldn’t be more true—dumped, jobless, and couchless all in one day. But life has a funny way of throwing in surprises… like a charming stranger who spills coffee on her at her lowest point. Enter Alex: devoted son, full-time caregiver, and quiet hero whose life revolves around his mother, Rachel, who is living with early-onset dementia.
This book is so much more than a romance. Yes, there’s a sweet and slow-burning connection between Bee and Alex, but the heart of this novel lies in all the other kinds of love it celebrates—between parent and child, between old friends, between neighbors who show up, and between a little girl and the universe. It’s about grief and healing, about selflessness and sacrifice, and about the beauty in taking small steps toward joy, even when life feels impossibly heavy. Mack, Alex’s daughter, is an absolute standout—wise, funny, and heartbreakingly sincere.
What I loved most was how this story handles heavy topics—dementia, loss, strained family dynamics—with incredible sensitivity and hope. It doesn’t shy away from reality, but instead shows that love, in all its forms, is what keeps us going. There’s kindness and connection on every page, and while I wish we had more on the band storyline and a bit more romance at the forefront, this book completely won me over with its sincerity. A moving, compassionate novel that celebrates love in every shape it comes in.
Meet the Author
About Debbie Howells
Debbie Howells’s first novel, a psychological thriller, The Bones of You was a Sunday Times bestseller for Macmillan. Four more bestsellers followed, including most recently The Vow, published by Avon. Fulfilling her dream of writing women’s fiction, she has found a home with Boldwood and her first title with them, The Life You Left Behind, was published in February 2022.
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