Book Review - The Saturday Place by Alice Peterson

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Title: The Saturday Place

Author: Alice Peterson

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bedford Square Publishers

Publication Date: 14th March 2024

Rating: 5 Stars

Three perfect strangers who help each other to believe in love again

Holly's husband died, and she's lonely. She needs to do something to save herself, quickly. Next thing she knows she's interviewing for a voluntary cooking job, surprised to be ambushed by a scruffy man who looks like he has a past.

Angus has messed up. He's lost the respect of his family and has none for himself. If it weren't for his brother and friend who run the cafe, he'd be sleeping on the streets. Angus is about ready to give up - until he meets Holly, who sparks something in him.

Then Lauren arrives from the homeless shelter. She came to London with nothing but an old train ticket, a teddy bear, and the clothes on her back. With no family, no home, no friends, she doesn't know what love is. People scare her. She's terrified of Angus and Holly. At first.

Each of them finds themselves in the Saturday cafe at a time when they need something to grab hold of. It might have to be each other...

Well it has been many years since I last read an Alice Peterson novel, but this was definitely worth the wait. 

This was fabulous, and it's a book that has three very different characters that all have a few things in common, and about their growing friendship, and about how you can make changes in your life. 

It is also pro volunteering and its many benefits and not just the obvious of helping others. For Holly, Angus and Lauren are all volunteers at Soul Food which is only open on Saturdays and is a cafe designed to help the community, tackling food waste and offers meals to those in need too. 

We get to see characters who are living on the streets and Lauren's backstory is particularly harrowing.  Angus I just fell for, and Holly once she gets a bit of her groove back, is a really lovely character too. 

They are all volunteering for different reasons but as these three in particular bond, it is heartwarming to follow their story and a real joy to read. 

I was thinking about these characters well after I had finished the last page, and felt as though I was having to say goodbye to new friends when I ended the book. I wonder what they are all up now - that is how real these characters were to me! 

Utterly fabulous as always from this author, just don't make us wait so long for your next book please! 

Thank you to Bedford Square and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.