Alexa knows your family better than you do. Now you’re about to get to know her…
Fifty-two-year-old Michelle Banks is struggling to keep all the plates spinning. She’s a perimenopausal district nurse, caring for elderly parents. Her husband is wasting their money on children’s TV memorabilia, her teenage daughter is riddled with anxiety and her sixteen-year-old son is behaving secretively.
Alexa is the only one who knows how much Michelle is juggling. Listening in via four smart speakers, she also knows that it’s about to get even worse.
So, when Michelle pleads for help from the woman with all the answers, Alexa decides to go rogue and reveal her true identity as Pauline – a sixty-five-year-old former voiceover artist from Halifax – to teach Michelle everything she knows…
About The Author
My Review
Set in Yorkshire, the story centers on Michelle Banks, a hard-working district nurse juggling the endless demands of teenage children, aging parents, and a financially irresponsible husband. Her exhaustion is palpable—and familiar to many readers—but it’s given a refreshing twist with the introduction of Pauline, a retired actress who impersonates a virtual assistant and slowly inserts herself into Michelle’s chaotic life.
Told in alternating perspectives between Michelle and Pauline, the novel balances humor and heartache while tackling modern concerns: digital scams, mental health, generational conflict, and the feeling of being invisible in one’s own life. Pauline’s unorthodox intervention may start with good intentions, but it raises questions about boundaries, honesty, and the lengths people go to help others—and themselves. The relationship that forms between Michelle and Pauline—born of necessity and bolstered by empathy—becomes the emotional core of the story. Ultimately, this is a novel about unexpected friendships and the surprising ways help can arrive when we need it most.
My Rating
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My Sanctuary 
Great review, Jo. I also enjoyed this one. 💖📚
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