Having read Saturday’s at Noon and now this novel Rachel Marks has earned a spot as one of my favourite auto-read authors. Noah was a hot mess and unlikable at various points throughout this story but you could see the good man he was at his core, still rooted for him and wanted things to get better for him. It is a testament to the writing that he was so very human and relatable even when he wasn’t at his best. Watching him struggle to cope with his past, the loss of his marriage, attempts to hold on to Kate and the impact his mother and father had on the person he became was heartbreaking, frustrating and so real that I cried at various points when reading. I appreciated the struggle he went through, the effort it took to move forward and the people who helped him get to the other side. There were a lot of wonderful character interactions in this story but I think my favourite moments were those between Noah, and his boys Gabe and Finn, Noah and Mimi and Noah and Harley. All touching and delightful in different ways. There were a lot of funny moments in this book with Noah and Mimi (excellent banter) and especially with Noah’s job as a primary school teacher (patience of a saint!!). An engaging, unexpected story from start to finish. Strongly recommend and look forward to the next one from this author.

What a brilliant read. I loved every page. Noahs journey through heartbreak, a split family, to what happens next. Kate was a fantastic character and the author wrote her brilliantly. This book has made me realise how much I enjoy a male voice while reading books. Absolutely perfect. Would recommend to everyone.

This story is told from the perspective of a recently divorced dad of two young boys as he tries to cope with life as a weekend dad who still has feelings for his ex-wife and struggling with her engagement and approaching marriage to her new man. Noah basically seems like a decent chap, but he doesn't always make the best choices, taking solace from one night stands and drowning his sorrows in alcohol, often meaning he is too under the influence to pick up the boys for pre-arranged times which makes him unreliable. Oddly, I would previously have seen this sort of story from the ex-wife's point of view and would have felt cross and irritated by this behaviour, but interestingly, I now have sympathy for weekend dads and the struggles they face, seeing their beloved children only occasionally, seeing another man taking 'their' place' and winning the affections of their children. Noah starts chatting to the barmaid in his local pub, in between bouts of binge drinking and she offers great support and help to him as he comes to term with the loss of the life he once had and strength to begin the next chapter. A great read.

This is the 1st Book I have read by the author and i be looking out for more stuff from here . wow this book is amazing and the story is going to stay with me for a long time, This Book tells the story of Noah and his life that involves him being a Primary School Teacher, Dad to 2 school aged sons and divorcee and the adventures Noah and his sons go on through life. This Book touches on a lot of different subjects, I would recommend this book to everyone and would give it 5 out of 5 stars. With thanks to Netgalley & Penguin Michael Joseph UK for the arc of this book in exchange for this review.

I absolutely loved Rachel Marks' debut novel, Saturdays at Noon (Penguin, 2020), and with that comes an additional pressure on "the second novel", in this case Until Next Weekend, published 29th April 2021 by Penguin. I was very excited to receive a proof copy from the publishers and be allocated a stop on the blog tour, but I was also worried that it wouldn't be as good. Let me assure you: no one needs to be worried. Noah thought he was going to get his happily ever after with Kate when they married young and had two lovely boys, but things didn't pan as planned and now Noah lives alone in a messy flat, only seeing his boys every other weekend. He dislikes his job as a Reception teacher and regularly drowns his sorrows in the local pub. Marks' warm and witty writing style is like sitting down with your best friend for a cup of tea and a big piece of cake. But don't be fooled. As with all good friends, sometimes bad news needs to be imparted over strong cups of tea (with an extra sugar for the shock). Clues to the deeper issues underlying the break-up of Noah and Kate's marriage are carefully woven in to the story unfolding in the present. By the time the full extent of what has happened is revealed, we feel like we're grieving for friends, not characters. I thoroughly enjoyed Until Next Weekend and it's every bit as heartwarming, heart wrenching and hopeful as her debut.