An absolutely fabulous debut novel by Sarah Turner. I couldn’t help but love Beth and her adorable family of Polly, Ted, Emmy and her Mum and Dad, as well as Jory and the wonderful Albert. This book made me laugh, cry and appreciate my own family. You know you’re reading a good book when you start casting the characters in the film version! A wonderfully warm and adorable book. Highly recommended!

Beth is thirty years old and has always flitted from one job to another though she currently works for Malcolm. She has a sister, Emmy. One day, Emmy and her husband, Doug are involved in a car accident that kills Doug and leaves Emmy critically injured in hospital. Emmy had requested that if anything happened to her and Doug, then Beth would become the guardian of their children, teenager Polly and three-year-old, Ted. But is she up to the job? I loved the author's style of writing and the way she brought all of the characters to life. I laughed and cried with them as they gradually overcame their problems. Albert very quickly became my favourite character in the book, stumbling to understand modern conventions and the younger generation. I adored the way he supported Beth from the sidelines. All of the characters were expertly drawn and brought great things to the terrific plotline. A really good read jammed with humour and emotion. I read Stepping Up in staves with other Pigeonholers as part of a group. A special thank you to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Bantam Press, Sarah Turner, NetGalley and The Pigeonhole for a complimentary copy of this novel at my request. This review is my unbiased opinion.

I loved Sarahs writing with The Unmumsy mum and this is a fantastic debut novel. I fell for Beth instantly and have laughed out loud, cried, gasped and felt sick to my stomach (the bow tie)! The way the book makes you veer from “smiley widely” to “lump in your throat-tears in your eyes” and back again is wonderful. I fell deeply for all the characters instantly who are recognisable and flawed so you can’t help but root for all of them. I devoured it, catching moments to read just a little bit more and definitely had the “I’m desperate to carry on reading but don’t want it to end” feeling you only get from great books. This is a great holiday, weekend away book but also really brightened a gloomy grey January. I look forward to reading all her stuff in the future and I’m excited I have a new author to look forward to reading

An absolutely fabulous debut novel by Sarah Turner. I couldn’t help but love Beth and her adorable family of Polly, Ted, Emmy and her Mum and Dad, as well as Jory and the wonderful Albert. This book made me laugh, cry and appreciate my own family. You know you’re reading a good book when you start casting the characters in the film version! A wonderfully warm and adorable book. Highly recommended!

This is a book I will find very difficult to write a review for as I don't want to reveal any spoilers - suffice to say I absolutely ADORED and DEVOURED IT! I instantly fell in love with our main character Beth which I often feel in the crux of a book. The story was so well written, it's almost like you could see it happen in front of you like a tv show. There were funny bits and sad bits, all of which contributed to the enjoyment of the story. Overall a thoroughly enjoyable, emotional, uplifting read that I would recommend to anyone (p.s. Arthur - what a man!!)