Stepping Up: the joyful and emotional Sunday Times bestseller and Richard and Judy Book Club pick 2023. Adored by readers

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Stepping Up made me laugh and cry and cringe at various points. Beth started off as a character difficult to sympathise with but as the story progressed Turner was able to make the reader really warm to her.

Ondanks dat er ietwat voorspelbare wendingen in zitten + een open einde heb ik genoten van dit verhaal en vond ik het heel mooi hoe Beth evolueert en haar doel vindt. The instant Sunday Times bestselling debut from The Unmumsy Mum, rated 5-stars by readers. 'Marries comedy with deep and raw emotion. I loved it' Giovanna Fletcher A moving and beautifully-told tale of parenthood but not as you know it. I just loved it.' Gillian McAllister Until a tragedy forces her to stop quitting. Emmy, Beth's older sister, and her husband Doug are involved in a car accident that is fatal for one and leaves the other in a coma. Overall it weaves love, family, romance and friendship with a heartwarming deftness that makes the book almost unputdownable. I could have easily devoured it in one sitting but had to settle for three, even taking my kindle with me to supervise my lunchtime duty!But, nevertheless this was a funny, sad, happy and difficult read. I certainly felt all the emotions.

She's quit more jobs and relationships than she can remember, and she still sleeps in her childhood bedroom. It's not that she hasn't tried to grow up, it's just that so far, the only commitment she's held down is Friday drinks at the village pub. What a fantastic read - it had me in tears! This book grabbed me by the heartstrings and didn't let go! It has it all - warmth, humour and brilliant observations on love, life and loss. An emotional rollercoaster of a read and one that is well worth taking! Sarah Pearse, author of THE SANATORIUM Stop EVERYTHING and read this! Funny, tender and beautifully observed. Loved, loved, LOVED it! * Cathy Bramley * I really related to Beth constantly feeling lost and not really knowing what she wants to do with her life (anyone can relate? pre-graduation crisis things alshddkskak) Life is full of unexpected challenges but Beth has always avoided anything resembling responsibility. That is until the unthinkable happens. Emmy, Beth's sister and her husband Doug have been in a tragic car accident and it's time for Beth to step up. Overnight Beth becomes guardian for her teenage niece and toddler nephew and her own mother is hellbent on reminding her of her own shortcomings. Is this a step too far for notoriously flighty Beth? After all, up until now the only commitment she's ever held down is Friday drinks at the village pub.

Imagine having a carefree life, coming and going as you please, quitting things you didn’t enjoy. Then suddenly following a tragedy you take over caring for a teenager and a toddler.

I have just started writing novel two which is very exciting. I’m not able to give too much away at this stage but I can tell you it involves a big family get-together and some skeletons in closets. De auteur neemt je als lezer mee het leven in van Beth, een 30-jarige vrouw die baantjes, glazen alcohol en relaties verslind alsof het niets is en nog altijd bij haar ouders woont. Dit vrije en vooral onbezorgde leven komt alleen sneller dan gedacht op zijn kop te staan wanneer haar zus Emmy en dier man Doug een ongeluk krijgen en vanaf dat moment niet meer voor hun peuter Ted en puberdochter Polly kunnen zorgen. Die taak ligt dus plots in handen van Beth, die zij ooit hebben aangesteld als hun voogd. En uiteraard gaat dit met de nodige ups en downs. After graduating with first-class honours in Philosophy from The University of Exeter, she dabbled in careers in finance then higher education before a ‘warts and all’ parenting blog she’d started to let off steam gathered unexpected momentum and writing became her full-time job.With a little help from her best friend Jory (purely platonic, of course…) and her lovely, lonely next-door neighbour, Albert, Beth is determined that this time she’s not giving up. It’s time to step up.

It’s difficult to leave a review about this story that will do it justice, it was simply excellent. Do you go into a book completely blind? I follow Sarah Turner aka The Unmumsy mum on the socials and have followed her journey as a mother. Agreeing and championing what she reveals and says. So when I saw that she had written a novel, a work of fiction I knew I wanted to read it but also I had my preconceived ideas. I thought the book would be predictable, light and fluffy and a rom com. Why? I don't know why? I was completely wrong 💕 Written with such love and heart. Sarah has done an exceptional job of marrying her trademark comedy with deep and raw emotion. I loved it! Giovanna Fletcher A moving and beautifully-told tale of parenthood but not as you know it. I just loved it. Gillian McAllisterWithout going into too much, the tragic event was dealt with so brilliantly, it really showed the feelings across all characters in a sensitive and realistic way. The whole storyline was just written perfectly. I couldn’t help but feel for Beth, she was completely in over her head but the determination and loyalty she showed spoke volumes for her character. Whilst I could see how certain aspects were going to play out it was the reactions that I enjoyed the most.