Hattie gazes at her husband's empty green-and-white-striped deckchair, the fabric blowing in the breeze. Blinking away tears, she clutches her own chair's wooden frame with trembling hands. 'What will I do without him?'
Olivia's heart breaks watching her mother Hattie withdraw after her husband's sudden death. Without him, she's never been lonelier. Every morning, Hattie places a pair of tired old deckchairs looking out to sea. Staring at the empty chair beside Hattie, Olivia comes up with a plan: One deckchair for hire Must bring good conversation and have own flask.
Posting the advert in a beachfront caf , responses from other lonely locals start flooding in. There's psychic medium Miriam who, besides talking to the dead, finds it therapeutic to belt songs from musicals. Glamorous Glenda has a penchant for teapot wine and skinny dipping. And even a reluctant Hattie can't resist the endearing quirkiness of Jacob, walking the south-west coastal path in memory of his wife.
Everyone who sits in Hattie's deckchair has a little pearl of wisdom to share, each bringing a tiny bit of the familiar sparkle back to Hattie's eyes.
But as more and more visitors take up residence in Hattie's deckchair - and her heart - will Hattie ever find a way to return to the woman she once was? And in the process, can Olivia also learn a lesson or two about reopening her own heart to love?
The Lonely Hearts Beach Club is an absolutely heart-warming story about the power of the mother-daughter bond, family secrets and second chances, perfect for readers who love Jojo Moyes, Faith Hogan and Sheila O'Flanagan.
What readers are saying about Amy Miller:
'Wonderful... I literally could not put down... I loved every minute of it and I didn't want it to end... A heartfelt and truly wonderful read. A story that you will lose yourself in.' By the Letter Book Reviews, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Brilliant... I couldn't stop reading from the beginning to the end... I loved every page.' NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐