Book Review - The Birthday Party by Rosin Meaney

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Amazon UK

Title: The Birthday Party

Author: Roisin Meaney

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Hachette Books Ireland

Publication Date: 27th June 2019

Rating: 4 Stars

Another summer is in full swing on Roone, an island off the west coast of Ireland, and preparations are underway for a big birthday party at the local hotel. But before then, love and friendship will be tested ...

Who is the stranger who arrives at Imelda's door, just weeks after her world falls to pieces?

How long can Eve hide her secret from Andy?

And will Nell and Laura's friendship survive the storm that's about to hit the island?

The Birthday Party is the spellbinding new novel from the queen of summer reading

It has been far too long since I last read a Roisin Meaney book, especially one set on Roone.  And as much as I recall loving these Roone books,  the specifics weren't coming to mind and as a result it took me a long while to completely get into the swing of things. 

There were hints which helped give me some reminders, but I do feel that this book could have done with a cast list at the front, explaining how everyone was related or connected which would he helped people like me that read large numbers of books a year, to get back into the swing of things, or give new readers a reference  if things were confusing. 

But once past that I was very much interested in the various story lines in this story. There are secrets which some people know but other's don't which came out in the most fabulous way! 

There are other secrets hinted at throughout the book that only get revealed towards the end, without a major fan-fair but with enough oomph that I suspect this won't be the last book set on the island. 

In fact I think this (and the other Roone books) would make a wonderful soap opera, with all the various drama, friendships, families and step families, or at least a few series of a great TV drama. 

I really enjoyed the writing, and there was plenty of story to sink your teeth into.  Within moments of picking up the book I had the image of Roone back in my mind, and I did feel at home amongst the pages. 

I just really hope there won't be such a long gap before the next book set on this fabulous little Irish Island, with the quirky community. 

Thank you to Hachette Ireland and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Filter This by Sophie White - #HolidayReading Mexico

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Amazon UK

Title: Filter This

Author: Sophie White

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Hachette Books Ireland

Publication Date: 6th February 2020

Rating: 4 Stars

Ali Jones is hell-bent on achieving her #lifegoals: 10,000+ Instagram followers and a win at the upcoming Glossie Awards. So when she inadvertently leads people to believe she's pregnant and immediately gains thousands of followers, she realises that riding the 'Mummy Influencer' wave could be her ticket to Insta-success. But then Tinder Sam, Ali's one-night-stand, resurfaces, determined to take his new role as baby daddy seriously.

Elsewhere on Insta, Ireland's biggest influencer (and Ali's idol) Shelly Devine has it all -- at least on screen. But beneath the immaculately curated feed, Shelly harbours a secret from her followers -- and her husband --- but who will be the first to discover what she's been hiding?

As Ali's lies spiral out of control, and Shelly starts to take a hard look at her life choices, what will it take for them to realise what's truly important before they lose what matters most?

I do love a book that features social media influencers and the assorted tricks they use to make their lives looks perfect. 

And Shelley and Ali are just two such influencers, both who seem to live on Instagram a lot more than in real life and thus have lost all track of reality. 

Especially Ali who capitalises on some misunderstandings that suddenly give her a big boost in followers. I was amused to see just how this comedy of errors for her would pan out,

While at the same time she is also regularly visiting her father who unfortunately no longer recognises his daughter, and all the associated feelings that go with that. In fact if it wasn't for all the light hearted hi-jinx in the rest of the book, this could have been quite a different tone of book. 

Meanwhile Shelley not only has her own Insta, but she manages her husbands, who is reluctant to do anything but likes the payoff, and also her 3 year old daughter, who seems almost like an accessory than a daughter initially. 

This is a contemporary really up to date story that had me smiling, laughing, gasping at some of the goings on, and generally feeling good about myself. 

I did at one point while reading wonder if I should start taking 100s of photos to find the perfect one with perfect lighting, before using filters and editing software to improve it further before posting to my own Insta... but then I remembered life is far too short, so I'll stick with the followers I have!

An incredibly entertaining debut novel and I'm delighted to see at the end of it that there will be a sequel, and it means I don't have to say goodbye to Shelley and Ali just yet, as I need to see what they get up to next. 

Thank you to Hachette Books Ireland and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Book Review - The Reunion by Roisin Meaney

Amazon UK

Title:  The Reunion

Author: Roisin Meaney

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Hachette Books Ireland

Publication Date: 6th April 2017

Rating: 4.5 Stars

It's their twenty-year school reunion but the Plunkett sisters have their own reasons for not wanting to attend ...

Caroline, now a successful knitwear designer, spends her time flying between her business in England and her lover in Italy. As far as she's concerned, her school days, and what happened to her the year she left, should stay in the past.
Eleanor, meanwhile, is unrecognisable from the fun-loving girl she was in school. With a son who is barely speaking to her, and a husband keeping a secret from her, revisiting the past is the last thing on her mind.
But when an unexpected letter arrives for Caroline in the weeks before the reunion, memories are stirred.
Will the sisters find the courage to return to the town where they grew up and face what they've been running from all these years?

The Reunion is a moving story about secrets, sisters and finding a way to open your heart.

I'm fairly sure that around 18 months or so ago, I read my first ever Roisin Meaney book and promised myself it wouldn't be the last, and that I would even make inroads into the giant stack of her books that are on my kindle... well fast forward to now and I have finally read The Reunion, and am going to re-pledge that I really need to read more books by this wonderful author! 

What can I say about The Reunion, other than it was a fabulous story, and that I was hooked from the first few pages. The story was a reasonably quick read and when I first looked up I couldn't believe how much I had already read, and how much I was enjoying the content too. 

This is the story of two sisters, and it spans around 22 years since they were teenagers to the adults they are today. It is predominately spread around two particular time frames, although there are additional flashbacks in places. Thanks to all of this by the time you get to the main section about the present day, I felt very connected to both Eleanor and Caroline and was fully engaged with their stories. 

Equally I loved the section based in Ireland in the early 1990s, as it really shows how times and attitudes have changed over the years, with regards to certain issues. It was Caroline's early story that I was most interested in, and just why it was she went to England and turned out how she was. And by the present day though it was perhaps Eleanor that attracted more of my interest. 

In each segment of the book, the story would alternate between the two sisters, and I just had great sympathy for the family as a whole. The other character I really enjoyed reading about was their older cousin Florence. She isn't the easiest of ladies to get to know but had a wonderful group of friends and was a massive unexpected support to Caroline.

The Reunion is all about family, although the title refers to a school reunion which triggers the sisters reminiscing, there are some secrets to come out of the woodwork, and a whole variety of mini reunions going on throughout the book too. It is great to see a title that really does sum up some of the theming of the novel. 

I'm so glad I finally got around to reading The Reunion, and taking another chance on a  Roisin Meaney book. I will be mentally adding her to my much loved Irish Women's fiction authors list and will try to remember to read more books from her in the future, as I definitely love her writing style and way she tells a story. 

Thank you to Hachette Books Ireland and Netgalley for this copy of the book which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.