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Messy, Wonderful Us

the most uplifting feelgood escapist novel you'll read this year

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About The Book

ESCAPE TO ITALY WITH THE PERFECT UPLIFTING AND EMOTIONAL SUMMER READ

'An impossibly seductive love story, underpinned by a heart-breaking secret' ROSIE WALSH

‘What a stunning novel. That hot, sultry setting - Allie's refreshing straightforwardness, Ed's absolute swooniness - I loved it’ BETH O'LEARY


‘An emotional and uplifting book about secrets, family and identity. Such a joy! So rich and engaging, 5 stars’ ADELE PARKS

In late 1983, a letter arrives from Italy, containing secrets so unthinkable that it is hidden away, apparently forever.

More than three decades later, it is found . . . by the last person who was ever supposed to see it.


When Allie opens an envelope in her grandmother’s house, it changes everything she knows about her family - and herself.

With the truth liable to hurt those she loves most, she hires a private detective to find out what happened to her late mother in the summer before Allie was born. Taking leave from her job as a research scientist, she is led to the sun-drenched shores of Lake Garda, accompanied by her best friend Ed.

But the secrets that emerge go far beyond anything they were expecting. Now, Allie must find the courage to confront her family’s tangled past and reshape her own.

From Richard & Judy Book club author Catherine Isaac comes the emotional and uplifting story of love, loss, friendship and a letter that changes everything.

*** OUT NOW: CATHERINE ISAAC'S NEW EMOTIONAL FIVE-STAR NOVEL, THE WORLD AT MY FEET ***

Praise for MESSY, WONDERFUL US

‘If you want a book that’ll keep you hooked, make you cry...this is the perfect read’ Fabulous Magazine

‘Uplifting, emotional and surprising’ Hannah Beckerman

‘I adored it… a gorgeous sunny setting, exploring love, friendship and the twistiest of family entanglements’ Jill Mansell

'A gorgeous location, a story full of twists and turns and tension and some heart-stopping romance – what more do you want from a love story?' Red

'Intriguing and pacy' Libby Page

'Family secrets and hidden love – the perfect combination for a mesmerising read' Santa Montefiore

‘A gorgeous book saturated with sunshine that will fill your heart with joy’ Milly Johnson

'Secrets come to the surface in this tale of love and loss' Woman

‘Intricately crafted, beautifully written, an emotional roller-coaster' Iona Grey

'Such a good book. Tender and evocative' Andy Jones

'I fell head over heels in love with this book! A page-turning mystery, a wonderfully uplifting story about love in all its forms and characters so real, I still wonder what they're doing' Katy Regan

'I absolutely loved it, what a rich and engaging story' Dani Atkins

'This novel is a delight' Goop

About The Author

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Catherine Isaac was born in Liverpool and was a journalist before she became an author. She wrote her first novel, Bridesmaids, under the pseudonym Jane Costello and her eight subsequent books were all Sunday Times bestsellers. You Me Everything was her first work writing as Catherine Isaac. It was selected by the Richard & Judy Book Club, has been translated into twenty-four languages and a movie adaptation is in development by Lionsgate and Temple Hill. In 2019 she won the Romantic Novelists’ Association award for Popular Romantic Fiction. She lives in Liverpool with her husband Mark and three sons.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK (November 28, 2019)
  • Length: 400 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781471178061

Raves and Reviews

‘Uplifting, emotional and surprising… another sure-fire bestseller’

– Hannah Beckerman

‘I adored it… a gorgeous sunny setting, exploring love, friendship and the twistiest of family entanglements’

– Jill Mansell

'Intriguing and pacy'

– Libby Page

'Family secrets, hidden love and Italy – the perfect combination for a mesmerising read'

– Santa Montefiore

‘Intricately crafted, beautifully written, an emotional roller-coaster. It's the kind of book that you read for the first time with your heart in your mouth and for the second time with a greater sense of appreciation for the story, characters and Italian setting'

– Iona Grey

'Such a good book. Tender, evocative, measured – it really is a fantastic piece of writing'

– Andy Jones

'I fell head over heels in love with this book! A page-turning mystery, a wonderfully uplifting story about love in all its forms and characters so real, I still wonder what they're doing'

– Katy Regan

'I absolutely loved it, what a rich and engaging story'

– Dani Atkins

'This novel is a delight'

– Goop

‘A gorgeous book saturated with sunshine that will fill your heart with joy’

– Milly Johnson

'A gorgeous location, a story full of twists and turns and tension and some heart-stopping romance – what more do you want from a love story?'

– Red

'Secrets come to the surface in this tale of love and loss'

– Woman Magazine

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More books from this author: Catherine Isaac