Review: The Moon Over Kilmore Quay by Carmel Harrington

When your heart belongs in two places, can you ever truly find home? 

Brooklyn, New York.

Bea has grown up in the heart of the Irish community, always hearing stories of home. When she discovers a letter from her younger self, written years before, it sends her deep into her own family history.

Kilmore Quay, Ireland.

Years earlier, Lucy Mernagh leaves her much-loved home and family in search of the New York dream. The Big Apple is a world away from the quiet village she grew up in, and the longing for home aches within her.

When Bea uncovers a shocking secret, it takes her back across the water to Kilmore Quay, where - finally - long-buried truths will come to light. But fate has one last twist in store....

Review: You know a book is going to be a favourite of the year when you're chilling out listening to the audiobook and suddenly sit up and gasp at something that has just happened. This book has some of my favourite features of a novel, multiple timelines, multiple narratives and revelations you never saw coming!

One of the other things I truly and deeply loved about this book was that it deals with the immigrant experience. I know a lot of books deal with people who have been through the immigration experience and have a language barrier or a cultural barrier but it can be just as tough and experience when you move from one English speaking Western country to another. There are still cultural hurdles to tackle and still immigration worries to face and so I was so pleased to find those written about in such an in depth and sensitive way as they were as part of this story. 

I really loved reading both Bea and Lucy's stories. I loved that we got to switch between the two of them and yet we always got to keep in tough with the location and family that unites them. I was pleasantly surprised that we don't just get to hear about Bea in present day Brooklyn but also past Bea whether that was one year ago or many years ago. I felt like we got to know a lot more about Bea as a fully formed character than we did Lucy but that was for some VERY good reasons. We get to meet Lucy when she first boards the ship to Ellis Island and the experience of being a young Irish Girl in The Big Apple for the first time. I felt like I could really sympathise with Lucy and I loved getting to know her story as the novel progressed. 

Although there are a lot of adventures to be had in this book there is some sadness and tragedy too and so this book overall could definitely be described as a bitter sweet novel but as a first time reader of this author I was just so impressed by the depths that this story goes into whilst still keeping up the pace of the breadth of the novel. I really loved this book and I highly highly recommend it. 

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Review: Our Little Secret by Claudia Carroll

A sparkling story about what happens when you let someone into your life… but they turn out to want more than you’d bargained for!

Sarah Dee has the perfect life. A high-flying job in a law firm, a beautiful daughter and a house to die for. So how does she find herself looking in through the kitchen window while another woman enjoys it all?

When Sarah takes pity on a struggling young graduate who can’t get a job, she thinks she’s doing the right thing. She’s being kind, generous and helpful to others, as she always is. But as Sarah allows the younger woman into her home, her law firm and even her family, is there more to this pretty youngster than meets the eye? And could this be a good deed that goes further than expected?

 

Review: This book was an absolute delight. I have always loved the witty way in which Claudia Carroll writes. She creates these funny women who are easy to love and puts them into settings we can recognise, but throws so much at them. We get to see how they handle everything that is thrown at them and then some. 

I expected this book to be a typical saga about women whose lives are interconnected and various things that happen to them, but this book was so much darker than I was expecting it to be (serves me right for not reading the synopsis!) Let me tell you though, Claudia Carroll can definitely do darker. She weaves some serious webs of deceit and intrigue in this novel and it was a joy to watch the characters try and unravel them. 

Sarah is a great character to read about. She is the kind of person we all want to be. She is good at what she does, she has an amicable relationship with her ex-husband and her daughter loves her. She is also the kind of person who will go out of her way to help people, even if that means putting herself out. Obviously we get to see her suffer the consequences of that in this novel. Daughter Darcy is also a really interesting character to read about. She is at that stage where not everybody takes things she says seriously and she is stuck in a kind of middle ground because of that. She is a very impressionable character and it was a joy to watch her develop in this novel!

And then of course we have Lauren, the girl with more sides to her than we can possibly imagine. I loved reading about the many facets of this character and she really does add so much intrigue to this story and ties the whole thing together. 

Every moment of this novel was believable and it was refreshing to have something a little darker that still has a family at heart and the humour that we have come to expect from this author. 

I listened to the audiobook of this novel and it was very well narrated, I highly recommend that format!

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Guest Review: Kings of the Boyne by Nicola Pierce

Two kings, Three young soldiers. One battle to end all battles.

Eager to prove his courage and defend his family honour, young Irish noble Gerald O'Connor rides his warhorse Troy north in King James’s cavalry.

Brothers Robert and Daniel Sherrard march south from the once-besieged city of Derry with King William’s army.

The chosen field of battle – the Boyne – lies waiting, where victory will decide who rules the lands of England, and of Ireland.

And the fighting will decide who survives the deadly game of war. 

Review: This book is a historical novel based on the lead up, the battle itself and the immediate aftermath of the Battle of the Boyne in July 1690. The battle was fought just outside Drogheda in Ireland between two armies commanded, respectively, by James II of England (and VII of Scotland) and William III. Just 20 months earlier, James had been deposed by what has come to be known as the Glorious Revolution, and the throne had been offered jointly to William and his wife Mary. James was Mary's father, but he was also William's uncle. James went into exile in France but the following year, with the support of Louis XIV of France, he landed in Ireland with French soldiers and raised an Irish army with the aim of reclaiming his throne. The book's title comes from the fact that the battle was the last time two crowned kings of Britain commanded opposing armies.

Interwoven into the account of the battle are the stories of four young soldiers, two on each side. Robert and Daniel Sherrard, two brothers from Londonderry, who featured in a previous book by the author based on the siege of Londonderry entitled Behind the Walls, are infantrymen in the Williamite army, whilst Gerald O'Connor and his friend Jacques are cavalrymen in the army of James, also known as the Jacobite army.

The book is a dramatic account of the lead up to the battle and of the battle itself, and does not shy away from the brutal aspects of warfare and its effects on the civilian population. It also gives an insight into the political and religious motives behind the participants, of how the battle plans were drawn up and how these plans were executed on the day.

To order your copy, just click the link: UK or US

Blog Tour! Review: The Summer of Serendipity by Ali McNamara

You'll find a warm welcome in the latest novel from Ali McNamara, bestselling author of The Little Flower Shop by the Sea and From Notting Hill with Love, Actually

One summer, property seeker, Serendipity Parker finds herself on the beautiful west coast of Ireland, hunting for a home for a wealthy Irish client. But when she finds the perfect house in the small town of Ballykiltara, there's a problem; nobody seems to know who owns it.

'The Welcome House' is a local legend. Its front door is always open for those in need of shelter, and there's always a plentiful supply of food in the cupboards for the hungry or poor.

While Ren desperately tries to find the owner to see if she can negotiate a sale, she begins to delve deeper into the history and legends that surround the old house and the town. But for a woman who has always been focussed on her work, she's remarkably distracted by Finn, the attractive manager of the local hotel.
But will she ever discover the real truth behind the mysterious 'Welcome House'? Or will the house cast its magical spell over Ren and help her to find true happiness?

Review: I was so excited to read Ali McNamara's latest novel. It has been a little while since I delved into her world and it was so great to be back. The stories that this author writes are feel-good reads with strong female leads with just a little hint of magic about them. This was no exception 

When I mention magic, this might be the fates aligning or might be something more but it really does give you, as a reader, a true sense of escapism. You have to put real life and any sort of cynicism or disbelief you have to one side for the duration of the book and let this author whisk you away into her world. I read this book in just 2 sittings and I'm sure I can say the same thing about her previous novels too because they really do just envelope you and allow you to hide away in whatever world lie within for 300 or so pages!

This is a little bit of a spin off from the last Ali McNamara that I read 'Breakfast at Darcy's' and it was great to be back in Ireland again and to revisit some of the characters from that novel. This is by no means a sequel though and you can definitely read this book despite not having read breakfast at Darcy's. For fans of that book though, it will be lovely to be back in that setting and surrounded by the same kind of Irish legends that we enjoyed in the first book. 

I really enjoyed getting to know Main character Ren over the course of this novel. She is incredibly easy to get along with and easy to relate to because she is her own person and has her own business but we know she has been hurt in some way in the past and therefore has her guard up. I loved reading about someone so really and yet someone I could so easily see myself being friends with. She and her partner Kiki are on this journey together and I loved meeting Kiki too, she is definitely the Ying to Ren's Yang and so the two of them really work well as a team. If anything I would love to read a spin off finding out what happens to Kiki now this novel is over-please?

There are of course a few male characters to get to know in this novel too, always a happy co-incidence. I loved hotel manager Finn and his fabulous dog Fergus. He is very like Ren and so I had high hopes for the tow of them from the start of the novel-not giving anything away though! There are also some real characters in the village and possibly some people to help Ren along her way. 

This is the perfect summer read because of the location and the little touch of magic that lies within the pages and so i highly recommend adding this to your summer TBRs. I am sure you will have just as much fun as I did hanging out with Kiki and Ren and helping them along on their quest to find the perfect house!

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Review: Asking For It by Louise O'Neill

It's the beginning of the summer in a small town in Ireland. Emma O'Donovan is eighteen years old, beautiful, happy, confident. One night, there's a party. Everyone is there. All eyes are on Emma. 

The next morning, she wakes on the front porch of her house. She can't remember what happened, she doesn't know how she got there. She doesn't know why she's in pain. But everyone else does. 

Photographs taken at the party show, in explicit detail, what happened to Emma that night. But sometimes people don't want to believe what is right in front of them, especially when the truth concerns the town's heroes...

This book/review has trigger warnings for rape, bullying and non-consent.

Review: this is another one of those books that has been on my wish list for absolutely ages and I don't know why it took me so long to read! I was warned before I started this book that it would be a challenging read and it is an intense book but I wouldn't necessarily say it is right to warn someone of this before they even pick up the book and I wouldn't necessarily say that I agree. Yes this book packs a real punch and I did find it intense but just because it was such a good read I couldn't put it down!

This books is definitely for older readers and concerns an 18/19 year old protagonist. I loved the fact that this book was set in Ireland, it has been so long since I have read a book set there and so i definitely appreciated the setting of it. Although I did read the US edition of this and some of the language changes were definitely unnecessary, I couldn't see some of the Irish characters using some of the US words they were using!

Obviously we have the story of something happening to Emma at a party and her not remembering most of it until her brother points out the photos on social media. For this author to tackle something which DOES happen and which IS commonplace but which is NOT talked about was amazing. This is such a hot topic, people thinking that if girls are dressed in revelling clothing or are drinking too much and having a good time, that they are 'asking for it'. The whole subject of consent should definitely be discussed more and I hope that it spurs people who have read or have even heard of this book to ensure that people know what consent is and isn't. 

Nevertheless the topic was dealt with extremely well in this book because we see it all through Emma's eyes. Emma is a popular girl and so hasn't always been nice to everyone, you could say she was a bit of a bully and yet, because the story is told from her point of view, we immediately align our sympathies more easily. Emma's friends and acquaintances all play a big part in this and yet I didn't really warm to any of the other characters except Emma and her brother. There are also all sorts of family dynamics which are covered in this book as secondary story lines and also as contributing factors and it was great to have something other than just this main storyline to focus on. 

One of the other aspects of this book that I thought really worked and made it stand out from other books concerning this same topic is that it deals with the before and the after, not just the immediately after, but the long term. Emma might not be able to do her exams, she is afraid to go out, she clearly has PTSD and I don't think that people often explore the long term effects of something like this and how it can end someones life and the lives of those around them. 

This was a powerful book, incredibly well written and deals with this subject extremely effectively. I love when a book leaves me asking questions and wanting to challenge what I have heard and what I know and this book did that for me. Yes it was an intense read but definitely a worthwhile read and I urge you to pick this one up whilst being sensitive to the content and prepared to asking the question as to whether anyone is ever 'Asking For It'.

To order your copy now, click here!

Review: Secrets of The Lighthouse by Santa Montefiore

Summer is not complete without a new novel from top ten bestelling author Santa MontefioreEllen Trawton is running away from it all - quite literally. She is due to get married to a man she doesn't love, her job is dragging her down and her interfering mother is getting on her nerves. So she escapes to the one place she know her mother won't follow her - to her aunt's house in rural Ireland. Once there, she uncovers a dark family secret - and a future she never knew she might have.

Meanwhile, Caitlin Macausland is mourning the future she can never have. She died tragically in what the village thinks is suspicious circumstances, and now she is stuck in a limbo, unable to move on.

And between the two of them is an old lighthouse - the scene of so much tragedy. Can each woman find the peace she so desperately longs for? And can they find the way to live again?

Review: I was drawn into this book right from the word go, the idea of someone running away to Ireland to escape what's going on in their life was really intriguing to me and then there were all the secrets. Family secrets, her secrets, secrets of what went on in the lighthouse, it was so compelling and I wanted to find out what was going on. The setting of the book was also great, roughest coastlines and quaint village feel, a roaring fire and a good old pub thrown in for good measure too, what's not to love?

In terms of the characters in this novel, I wasn't particularly drawn to any of them. Ellen was a good heroine in that she knew she didn't want to be in London and so had taken herself off to Ireland to escape. She was strong e nought o fright for this things she wanted, as big or as little as they were. I loved aunt Peg, she was a brilliant character and a real lynchpin to the story. Obviously I wasn't keen on the set Ellen had left behind in London, but neither was I that keen on the new love interest she fond in Ireland or the overprotective uncles and cousins that she had out there, they all seemed a bit bland or stereotypical for my liking. There were some crazy animals in the novel, characters in their own rights and they add up to a lot of funny events in the story! 

Although the pace at the beginning was pretty fast and compelling, i did feel it dropped a bit towards the middle-end of the book. Whilst things were being revealed left right and centre at either end of the book, the middle was a wee bit pedestrian for my liking. This didn't spoil my enjoyment of it, it just meant that I didn't really feel driven to carry on turning the pages and so it might have taken me a bit longer to get through than it could have done. This book would be fabulous to read if you are holidaying in Britain this year because it will make you remember the true beauty and diversity of the country. If you are a fan of this author, or like me this is your first novel written by her, I am sure you will enjoy this book! 

Review: Things We Never Say by Sheila O'Flanagan

The irresistible new novel from No. 1 bestselling author Sheila O'Flanagan. Abbey Andersen is the last person to go looking for change. Yes, it's tough that she barely sees her mother these days - but in San Francisco she has great friends, a steady relationship and a job she enjoys. When Abbey is contacted by Irish lawyer Ryan Gilligan she learns in an instant everything she believed about her roots is a lie. She must travel to Dublin to find out more - but she's scarcely off the plane when she's plunged into a new crisis. One that will change everything not just for Abbey but for the family in Ireland who had no idea that she even existed. Now Abbey has to make a choice that will affect everyone she knows. How can she be sure she makes the right one? And can life ever be quite the same again?

Review: I found this book to be really compelling from the outset and actually read this alongside my mum so we could discuss it and predict what was going to happen next. I actually find the storyline to be quite shocking, how greedy people can be and how unaccepting of change too. It was something quite different to the storylines I usually experience and that was definitely a good thing for me. In terms of pace, it was a bit of a rollercoater, sometimes moving super quick and being a real page turner, but there were other moments where it seemed a little relative and that slowed it down for me a bit. Thankfully this all balanced out to give a good pace overall and entertained me over a couple of days. 

I actually really didn't like the characters in this book. Now this didn't pose a problem to me because I still wanted to find out how they all fared and how each of their stories wrapped up, but I think it was obviously excellent story writing on the part of this author, to write character that I had such an aversion to, it's much better than being apathetic towards a character and have no feelings at all evoked! I found every member of the family involved in this book in Ireland to be greedy and selfish. They had passion and drive, but only if it bettered themselves and their aspirations of what a 'good life' should be. There was the daughter of the family who wasn't entirely dislikalble, but even she got my back up at points. 

Abbey who travels from the states to Ireland, although not selfish, was rather bland. She seemed to have strong points of view on some things but seemed weak willed with other decisions she had to make. This inconsistency made me dislike her, but I had to find out what was going to happen to her. Her mother had a similar character. She has some secrets herself which make for interesting reading, but overall she was just a bit too wishy washy for me. Do not fear though because there is a rather hunky Irish lawyer in the novel who was worth reading on for. He was really fun to read and I was rooting for good things to happen the entire way through. 

I really enjoyed the dual setting of Ireland and San Francisco, although the description of Ireland was a little less than I was hoping for, perhaps there were more scenes in San Francisco initially that were cut out and so that is why they are both described less than expected. Overall I definitely enjoyed reading this book and fans of Sheila O'Flanagan won't be disappointed. If this is your first novel by this author then it can definitely be read without reading any of her previous novels but there are some really good novels in her collection that you should elfin timely check out too.