On a Beautiful Day by Lucy Diamond

This is the first of two books I read on my holiday (I was pretty impressed that I managed to get through two in a week as I had two kids under 5 in tow!). This was actually a last minute purchase as I chucked forgotten toiletries in the basket at the supermarket amidst my frenzied packing panic! I am so glad I stopped by the book aisle and picked this little gem up!

I have never read a book by Lucy Diamond before, so I had no idea what to expect. The cover suggested that I was getting a lovely ‘chick lit’ type read – fun, easy and frivolous. What I didn’t expect was to be so emotionally moved as I was – at one point I was sniffling into my sangria (but in a happy way!)

On a Beautiful Day tells the tale of four friends who witness a shocking accident as they are enjoying a birthday lunch. This accident acts as a catalyst for each of them to reflect upon their own lives and sets the scene for the events which follow.

I loved this story. I enjoyed the relationship between the women and I was deeply moved by the stories each of them had to tell. Although sad in places, it was also funny and incredibly uplifting. I was drawn into the story from the first chapter, and I really liked the author’s warm and easy style of writing which made me feel involved. I could not put this book down.

Although I read the majority of this novel from the comfort of my sun lounger under the Spanish sun – I know that I could have read it bundled in blankets in Bognor, and I would still have felt the warm sunshine it exudes! Thoroughly enjoyable! I shall definitely be reading more by Lucy Diamond in future.

Synopsis

It’s a beautiful day in Manchester and four friends are meeting for a birthday lunch. But then they witness a shocking accident just metres away which acts as a catalyst for each of them.

For Laura, it’s a wake-up call to heed the ticking of her biological clock. Sensible Jo finds herself throwing caution to the wind in a new relationship. Eve, who has been trying to ignore the worrying lump in her breast, feels helpless and out of control. And happy-go-lucky India is drawn to one of the victims of the accident, causing long-buried secrets to rise to the surface.

This is a novel about the startling and unexpected turns life can take. It’s about luck – good and bad – and about finding bravery and resilience when your world is in turmoil. Above all, it’s about friendship, togetherness and hope.