Publication date: 23 May 2025
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Pages: 306
Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction
Format read: ARC – e-book
What would you do, if you met your double?
Debbie Jones thinks life is an adventure. Even having lost her husband a year ago, she’s ready for whatever the world might throw her way. Being in her sixties doesn’t mean it’s all over for her yet, and she loves her new job doing neighbourhood support for a charity. Then she knocks on a stranger’s front door.
Ruth Waverley doesn’t like surprises. Her life isn’t perhaps all she once dreamed off, but what other options are there for a woman in her sixties? She’s proud of her home and children. And she likes her life well enough. Then she hears someone knocking at the door.
As the door opens, both Ruth and Debbie get the shock of their lives. As their eyes meet – the recognition is instant. Not because they’ve met before. But because they have the same face. They’re completely identical.
And everything is about to change, for both women. In ways they couldn’t possibly imagine…
Rating: ★★★★
My thoughts:
Laura Pearson has written yet another beautiful and thought provoking novel. With a compelling plot line of family secrets, self-discovery and growth, The Woman Who Met Herself is uniquely centred around two women in their sixties who unexpectedly meet and change each other’s lives.
Debbie, a charity fundraiser, knocks on Ruth’s door and unexpectedly comes face to face with someone who looks exactly like her. Stunned, both women are filled with questions and set out together to uncover how they are connected and how they came to be separated. For Debbie and Ruth, this is a deeply personal journey that explores identity, memory and the strength of familial bonds.
Written with heart, Debbie and Ruth’s story is handled sensitively and honestly. I especially liked the way the author handled the topics of what it means to be a women, of motherhood and mental health and would recommend this book to anyone looking for a heart-warming, emotional read.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.
Bookish Me 
Fabulous, I really like the idea of this story.
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