This rreview is written with thanks to Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read and review Em & Me.

Blurb:

A mother.
A daughter.
A secret waiting to be uncovered.

For too long – since the sudden death of her mother as a teenager, since the birth of her daughter, Em, when she was just seventeen – Delphine has been unable to let go of the past, obsessed with protecting Em and clinging to a secret that could ruin everything. She’s been living life in safe shades of grey.

The day that Delphine finally stands up for herself is the day that changes everything.

Delphine begins to remember what it’s like to want more: rediscovering her singing voice, opening herself to friendship, and reviving not only her mother’s roots, but her mother’s memories. As her life begins to fill with colour, can she be brave for herself and for Em? And what would happen if she finally told the truth?

A big-hearted, hopeful novel about finding second chances – and taking them.

Review:

After enjoying Saving Missy by this author, I’ve had Em & Me on my radar for a while, but sadly never managed to get to it until I saw it was available on Pigeonhole. I’m sorry that I waited so long, yet jealous of all the people who still have the joy of meeting Em and Delphine (and the other wonderful characters) to come. 

Em & Me is mostly a character driven novel, and what lovely characters they are. The central characters, who lend themselves to the title of the book, are Em and Delphine. They’re a brilliant mother and daughter duo: both very intelligent characters with a lovely sense of humour and I loved their relationship with each other and the love they clearly shared. I really hoped they would both find happiness after their struggles. Beth Morrey explores Delphine’s past in immaculate detail, which helps us to see how she became the person we see in the novel and really helps us as readers to see them sympathetically. They are surrounded by some amazing friends: Rosalind, Sanjay, Dylan and Letty, to name a few. These characters, too, all have their demons and I loved being part of their journey to overcome them. 

As part of Em & Me, Beth Morrey looks at several social issues that effect the lives of her characters, including teenage pregnancy, poverty and grief. The author does a wonderful job of showing us all aspects of these themes, allowing us to make our own decisions about how we feel. 

Although the novel is mostly concerned with the growth of its characters, there is a mystery element of the story and I was intrigued by this as the story developed. 

Em & Me is available from Amazon.