Stepping Up: the joyful and emotional Sunday Times bestseller and Richard and Judy Book Club pick 2023. Adored by readers

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Turner has a firmly established fanbase from her blog The Unmumsy Mum, which documents the highs and lows of motherhood in an approachable way. Imagine having a carefree life, coming and going as you please, quitting things you didn’t enjoy. Then suddenly following a tragedy you take over caring for a teenager and a toddler.

But this isn't just an extended blog post with some new names. As a fiction book Stepping Up is an assured debut - well-paced, tightly plotted and has a host of believable characters who you can't help but root for - with a special mention for Beth's lovely neighbour Albert. Vallen en opstaan is een ontroerend verhaal over groei, steun, het rouwproces, volwassen worden en vooral hoop.I couldn’t help but feel for Beth, she was completely in over her head but the determination and loyalty she showed spoke volumes for her character. Whilst I could see how certain aspects were going to play out it was the reactions that I enjoyed the most.

Then there is Jory. Beth's best friend of over twenty years. A connection so strong, that ends up fraying, through a difficult time, as they both find it hard to talk about the crux of the matter. There was also a mysterious theme throughout that I enjoyed because it added a unique flair to the story✨ The characters around her are also so interesting!! I LOVED Albert (so wholesome and pure omg the way he always uses CAPS FOR HIS TEXTS and he calls emojis THE LITTLE PICTURES 🥺🥺) She's quit more jobs and relationships than she can remember, and she still sleeps in her childhood bedroom. It's not that she hasn't tried to grow up, it's just that so far, the only commitment she's held down is Friday drinks at the village pub.She has to contend with a teenage niece, Polly, who is hormonal, emotional and has so much she is holding in, away from everyone else. The way their connection develops and goes from breaking point to a true sense of connection is wonderful.

Stepping Up made me laugh and cry and cringe at various points. Beth started off as a character difficult to sympathise with but as the story progressed Turner was able to make the reader really warm to her. But, nevertheless this was a funny, sad, happy and difficult read. I certainly felt all the emotions. She's quit more jobs and relationships than she can remember and she still sleeps in her childhood bedroom. It's not that she hasn't tried to grow up, it's just that so far, the only commitment she's held down is Friday drinks at the village pub.A moving and beautifully-told tale of parenthood but not as you know it. I just loved it.' Gillian McAllister, author of THAT NIGHT Ondanks dat er ietwat voorspelbare wendingen in zitten + een open einde heb ik genoten van dit verhaal en vond ik het heel mooi hoe Beth evolueert en haar doel vindt. Stop EVERYTHING and read this! Funny, tender and beautifully observed. Loved, loved, LOVED it!' Cathy Bramley, author of THE LEMON TREE CAFE Until a tragedy forces her to stop quitting. Emmy, Beth's older sister, and her husband Doug are involved in a car accident that is fatal for one and leaves the other in a coma.

Somehow, in her debut novel Sarah Turner manages to do both with a deftness of touch that makes for a memorable and lovely read. Stop EVERYTHING and read this! Funny, tender and beautifully observed. Loved, loved, LOVED it!' Cathy Bramley, Sunday Times bestselling author It’s difficult to leave a review about this story that will do it justice, it was simply excellent. I loved how Beth stepped up in her own way. Yes, she had to adapt, and she got it wrong a few times as most of us do, but she didn’t give up, and it was inspiring to see her grow. An unspeakable tragedy turns Beth’s life upside down, and she finds herself guardian to her teenage niece and toddler nephew, catapulted into an unfamiliar world of bedtime stories, parents’ evenings and cuddly elephants. Having never been responsible for anyone – or anything – it’s not long before she feels seriously out of her depth.After graduating with first-class honours in Philosophy from The University of Exeter, she dabbled in careers in finance then higher education before a 'warts and all' parenting blog she'd started to let off steam gathered unexpected momentum and writing became her full-time job. Al jaren roep ik dat schrijfster Dani Atkins (naast Colleen Hoover) mijn favoriete auteur is en dat niemand qua niveau ook maar in haar beurt kan komen, maar toen ik dat zei had ik duidelijk 'Vallen en opstaan' van Sarah Turner nog niet gelezen. Wat een pareltje is dit! STEPPING UP is a heart-blasting triumph of a novel - wise, witty and wonderfully human.' Isabelle Broom, author of A YEAR AND A DAY