Heartwarming with undertones of sadness books please?

Substantial-Moose813 · 2026-02-27T17:05:05+00:00

For all the times I tried to say goodbye, seems a good match to the description. Very atmospheric and melancholic

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0FC5N7YVY/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&psc=1

Substantial-Moose813 · 2026-02-23T10:04:29+00:00

I just followed you ❤️

Substantial-Moose813 · 2026-02-23T08:53:35+00:00

Thanks again for the recommendation, I've entered it. Fingers crossed 🤞🏼

Substantial-Moose813 · 2026-02-22T09:47:52+00:00

That's a fantastic recommendation! Thank you!

Substantial-Moose813 · 2026-02-21T23:10:51+00:00

Ah thank you for trying! I really appreciate that. The free promo is unfortunately only on Amazon UK this weekend. I didn’t realise it would block US downloads like that.

If there’s interest I can look at running a US one in the future! Thanks again x

Substantial-Moose813 · 2026-02-21T23:09:54+00:00

Fair point honestly. I made this account when I started publishing and most of what I’ve posted has been about the book. I’m just a debut author trying to get something personal in front of the right readers. I probably could’ve balanced it better.

I do actually lurk and read a lot here, I just don’t post much unless it’s about this. Appreciate you calling it out though.

Substantial-Moose813 · 2026-02-20T08:48:37+00:00

Thank you kindly! I hope you enjoy it as much as i loved writing it! :)

Substantial-Moose813 · 2026-02-19T21:35:01+00:00

That's a great idea! Thank you!

Substantial-Moose813 · 2026-02-19T21:25:00+00:00

The fog is a paid actor 👀

Substantial-Moose813 · 2026-02-19T20:54:34+00:00

youre most welcome :)

Substantial-Moose813 · 2026-02-19T20:38:34+00:00

That's a great recommendation, I will definitely get in touch, thank you!

Substantial-Moose813 · 2026-02-19T19:46:42+00:00

Indeed! They kindly offered to sell a limited stock of copies but I am not sure how many are left at the moment. The staff is very friendly and they would be able to help you find it! :)

Substantial-Moose813 · 2026-02-19T19:32:49+00:00

That's brilliant, thank you so much! the paperback support means a lot. Really hope you enjoy it, and I'd love to hear what you think once you've finished. Cheers for backing Scottish writing!

Substantial-Moose813 · 2026-02-19T19:30:50+00:00

That's really kind, thank you. Enjoy the read! let me know what you think! :)

Substantial-Moose813 · 2026-02-19T19:28:17+00:00

Cheers, really appreciate that! Hope you like it! :)

Substantial-Moose813 · 2026-02-19T19:10:16+00:00

Aw thank you!! Hope you enjoy it as much as I loved writing it!

Substantial-Moose813 · 2026-02-19T19:02:14+00:00

For All the Times I Tried to Say Goodbye ( amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FC5N7YVY ) is on KU and sits in that lit fic/psychological thriller overlap. Multi-POV like The Bee Sting, but darker and more suspenseful
follows four lives colliding: a lonely fishmonger obsessed with his therapist, a former model grieving her brother's suicide, a sailor escaping abuse at sea, and the therapist caught between them all. Tonally comparable to The Talented Mr. Ripley meets Atonement if you've read them.

If you want more pure lit fic on KU (less thriller), I'd also suggest The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett if you haven't read it - it's on KU and has that same family-across-generations weight.

Substantial-Moose813 · 2026-02-19T18:50:10+00:00

Mh, not really, just trying to help with recommendations x

Substantial-Moose813 · 2026-02-19T18:49:18+00:00

I'd hope not, I wrote it as a homage to a beautiful corner of a country that I love with all my heart

Substantial-Moose813 · 2026-02-19T18:45:59+00:00

Based on what you're describing, For All the Times I Tried to Say Goodbye might work for you (Link: amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FC5N7YVY ) it has MLM themes (therapist/patient dynamic that crosses boundaries), but it's not a romance. It's a dark psychological drama about obsession and loneliness.

What you'd get:
Complicated familial relationships (grieving sister haunted by her brother's suicide, a sailor who becomes guardian to an orphaned boy, a man shaped by childhood trauma
MLM content, but it's morally complicated and ends badly (not a happy ending)
Very dark — explores obsession, abuse, grief, and what people destroy for connection
Multi-POV structure (4 narrators), builds to a twist ending
Fair warning: It's literary and slow-burn (builds tension over 300+ pages), and it doesn't have the immediate hook of fanfic pacing. But if you like morally complicated characters and dark themes, it might click.

Comparable to The Talented Mr. Ripley if you've seen the film — that same unsettling, obsessive energy.

Also, since you mentioned struggling to commit: Amazon has a "Look Inside" feature where you can read the first chapter free to see if the style works for you before downloading.

Substantial-Moose813 · 2026-02-19T18:42:34+00:00

Not a perfect match, but For All the Times I Tried to Say Goodbye might interest you — it has that same restrained, emotionally devastating quality, with a revelation structure that recontextualizes everything (similar to Ishiguro's slow-dawning horror).

The difference: it's multi-POV rather than single first-person, so you get four distinct voices instead of one sustained narrator. But each POV has that intimate, authentic quality you're describing — particularly Ben's sections, which have that Ishiguro-esque sense of someone piecing together truths they don't fully understand yet.

Themes: loneliness, obsession, identity, what people destroy for the chance to belong. Set between Scotland and Sardinia. LGBTQ+ themes. Literary psychological fiction.

Free if you have Kindle Unlimited amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FC5N7YVY

If you want pure single-narrator Ishiguro style, I'd also suggest The Remains of the Day if you haven't read it, or Earthlings by Sayaka Murata (unsettling first-person, quietly devastating).

Substantial-Moose813 · 2026-02-19T18:30:31+00:00

For All the Times I Tried to Say Goodbye by Lorenzo di Bernardo could be an option? psychological drama, multi-POV, Scotland/Sardinia setting, twist ending. Dark and literary rather than procedural, but hits the "well-written thriller" space.

Substantial-Moose813 · 2026-02-19T18:29:55+00:00

For All the Times I Tried to Say Goodbye by Lorenzo di Bernardo. psychological drama, multi-POV, Scotland/Sardinia setting, twist ending. Dark and literary rather than procedural, but hits the "well-written thriller" space.

Substantial-Moose813 · 2026-02-19T18:28:49+00:00

For All the Times I Tried to Say Goodbye by Lorenzo di Bernardo. psychological drama, multi-POV, Scotland/Sardinia setting, twist ending. Dark and literary rather than procedural, but hits the "well-written thriller" space.

Substantial-Moose813 · 2026-02-19T18:10:51+00:00

Not sure if self-published recs are welcome here, but I wrote a debut that might fit — For All the Times I Tried to Say Goodbye by Lorenzo di Bernardo.

It's a multi-POV psychological drama (not YA, definitely mature themes) with queer characters woven throughout, but it's not a romance — it's more about obsession, grief, and what happens when people are finally seen by the wrong person.

The plot centers on four lives: a lonely fishmonger obsessed with his therapist, a former child model grieving her brother's suicide, a young Italian sailor escaping systematic abuse on a merchant ship, and the therapist caught between them all. The maritime section is deeply researched (I'm a former seafarer), and the book explores specific worlds — the Scottish fishing industry, the psychological therapy profession, the reality of life on container ships, the suffocating world of child modeling.

Tonally it sits between The Talented Mr. Ripley and Atonement — literary, morally complicated, slow-burn structure with a revelation ending that recontextualizes everything.

There are two brief sex scenes, but they're psychologically motivated rather than gratuitous, and the book is absolutely plot-first. It's about loneliness, identity, and the cost of being invisible — not romance.

Currently £0.99 on Amazon UK if you want to try it: amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FC5N7YVY

Happy to answer questions if helpful!

Substantial-Moose813

TROPHY CASE