I had a problem with Leni, though, because the picture of her, painted by the characters, was totally different to this what the author showed us in the first chapter. I didn't like her too much, to be honest. The story, on the whole, was very character driven and the author did a good job with describing them, yet I still think that Leni was really the weakest link and I'm guessing it shouldn't be like this, I was supposed to like her and because I didn't, well, the whole story was already from the beginning spoiled for me.

Through the novel we follow the four people closest to Leni, her mum Belinda, father Tony and sister and brother Alice and Will. Each is dealing with their grief in very different ways throughout the story. The way Diamond weaves each characters stories throughout works so well. Never do you feel lost or confused by what is happening. This is a story about grief, love and healing and as such the journey the family goes on is very special and yet also difficult. Diamond’s analogies of the butterfly having to fight it’s way out if it’s chrysalis and the way a river will learn to flow around a pebble we’re absolutely beautiful ways to explore how we might move forward after tragedy. Belinda is dealing with her grief in a different way and her partner Ray is extremely worried about her. Hours spent talking to Leni through a psychic hotline may be bringing Belinda comfort but deep down surely she must know that this is not real at all? She may be finding short term comfort but long-term acceptance seems very far away. As her ex-husband Tony seems to have had a revelation/wake up call when it comes to his own life situation Belinda starts to realise things from the past which she desperately wanted kept hidden could be about to break through the surface. Can a lid be kept on something she and someone else have been sitting on for years? Or will a new can of worms be opened up? Tony, their dad, who is divorced and remarried, is dealing with the feelings of becoming a father again. Everyone is keeping secrets and the thing about secrets is that they will all be revealed in the end.Leni drives the narrative, making her relationships with the other characters shape them and bring them to vibrant life. I loved meeting them all because they are messy, flawed and human. This was a beautiful story that contained so much heart and lightness amongst its tragedy, such is the skill and warmth of Diamond’s writing. Its characters were written with depth and real humanity and as such their grief was raw and palpable and yet this is a novel that still manages to leave you uplifted by the end. Will Lenis brother is really struggling to come to terms with everything and has fled the country. Alother this doesn't go quite as to plan as he hopes. There are touches of mystery and romance woven into the story too so that it really is a mesmerising read. It keeps the reader guessing every bit as much as Alice as she tries to piece together Leni’s last few weeks. Given the nature of this book it may be triggering for some, there is loss of a sibling and the loss of an adult child. There are also issues relating to infertility and complications in pregnancy. Whilst these are very heavy issues Diamond handles them with the upmost care and respect.

The different imprints that the central incident has on all the main protagonists is thoroughly explored and differs widely but comes across as very real, giving the readers something that they can relate to, as I doubt they're will be a Lucy Diamond reader who won't have found themselves in this situation regardless of the part they played. The turmoil amid the changing of relationships was astutely unravelled and the somewhat predictable conclusion that you may expect from a 'family re-united' narrative actually ends up as something a lot more thought through, uplifting & satisfying. Books about grief seem to have their moment right now and it's ok, though I think I'd rather read about cupcakes and bookshop in Cornwall. Whatever. This one was written by Lucy Diamond, so I had to give it a go. Last few books by this author didn't gel with me so much, but "The Best Days of Our Lives" turned out to be a poignant yet funny, touching story about a family dealing with the worst - with grief. Favourite things: beaches, holidays, chocolate, wine, reading, Green Wing, bubble baths, sunshine, hearing my children laugh, babysittersBelinda, their mother is obsessed with her clairvoyant friend, wanting answers from the other side. What follows are chapters from each family’s members viewpoint, her sister Alice, her brother Will, her mother Belinda and her father Tony. As there were so many characters to get to know I thought things might become quite confusing but it was easy to follow each of their individual storylines and I enjoyed seeing how at some point they were bound to come together. The absence of Leni is felt keenly by her family and by the reader too. You are desperate to get to know her and to read things from her perspective but you know this can’t occur but the further the story develops you do get a sense of who she was and how integral she was to the family and how loved she was. The Nottingham-born writer took her first draft to the agent she’d worked with on her children’s books. “He told me not to give up the day job,” she reveals. “I tried another who was intimidatingly posh. She asked me, ‘darling how can I market you, are you poor?’ So, I went with someone else who signed me up with a publisher. It was a happy ending.”

Leni and her sister Alice were best friends as well as siblings.Alice always thought they were close and she knew everything about Leni I love books by Lucy Diamond and this one was just as good as the others I’ve read, with lots of characters to keep you interested. Belinda Lenis mum is having a hard time dealing with the death of her daughter. She is in touch with a clairvoyant who she believes she is convening with Leni through. She is also thinking of selling the family home and setting up a b&b with her new boyfriend.Oh how I treasured this precious novel by Lucy Diamond. Sure, it's majorly weepy for the most part but also enduringly uplifting. Wayyyyy too many feels to contend with!! But I found this one to be just ok, I didn’t love it and I didn’t dislike it so I guess I’m somewhere in between.