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chelseadarling's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
sierraalvernaz's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
mamamac1's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
annarella's review against another edition
5.0
4,5* rounded to 5
Sometimes you need a heartwarming and uplifting book that makes you smile and travel to lovely places and this what happens when I read Sandy Cove books.
This one was no exception and it ticked almost all the check on my list.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and found it engrossing and entertaining.
Lydia is an interesting character that face a huge change in her life. Even if she’s a bit passive she also grows in the book becoming her own woman.
I liked the characters in this book and think they are well developed and interesting.
The descriptions of the setting are great and they made me crave to be there. I think that the place is a character on its own. one that always makes you wish to live there and be able to explore the coves and walk around.
It’s another good addition to this beloved series.
It’s recommended.
Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Sometimes you need a heartwarming and uplifting book that makes you smile and travel to lovely places and this what happens when I read Sandy Cove books.
This one was no exception and it ticked almost all the check on my list.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and found it engrossing and entertaining.
Lydia is an interesting character that face a huge change in her life. Even if she’s a bit passive she also grows in the book becoming her own woman.
I liked the characters in this book and think they are well developed and interesting.
The descriptions of the setting are great and they made me crave to be there. I think that the place is a character on its own. one that always makes you wish to live there and be able to explore the coves and walk around.
It’s another good addition to this beloved series.
It’s recommended.
Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
donnareadathon2021's review against another edition
3.0
I kindly received an eARC advance copy of this book to read and review though NetGalley.
This story starts in Dublin where Lydia finds out the her late husband Barry has left her in dire straits. He was involved in fraud and money laundering and had a heart attack on the way to the airport. Luckily Lydia’s solicitor reminds her of her great aunt’s cottage by the coast that has been let since her death and suggests that Lydia and her teenage daughter Sunny go stay there once they have packed up the family home.
Some parts of this story are such a stretch of the imagination - she doesn’t remember the house herself? Very little emotion around the loss of a spouse and father? And then conveniently there is a handsome tall and dark neighbour Jason next door who just happens to chat through the fence to Lydia and falls in love with her on this basis.
After being voted the best-dressed in Ireland the year before, Lydia now works two hours a day as a cleaner and finds a job washing hair in a salon. Shew. This feels a little like a few books I have read previously but it’s the slightly more washed out, insipid version.
The history part where Lydia and Sunny find out about the Great Aunt are cool and the other characters in town are nice too, if not too fleshed out.
This story starts in Dublin where Lydia finds out the her late husband Barry has left her in dire straits. He was involved in fraud and money laundering and had a heart attack on the way to the airport. Luckily Lydia’s solicitor reminds her of her great aunt’s cottage by the coast that has been let since her death and suggests that Lydia and her teenage daughter Sunny go stay there once they have packed up the family home.
Some parts of this story are such a stretch of the imagination - she doesn’t remember the house herself? Very little emotion around the loss of a spouse and father? And then conveniently there is a handsome tall and dark neighbour Jason next door who just happens to chat through the fence to Lydia and falls in love with her on this basis.
After being voted the best-dressed in Ireland the year before, Lydia now works two hours a day as a cleaner and finds a job washing hair in a salon. Shew. This feels a little like a few books I have read previously but it’s the slightly more washed out, insipid version.
The history part where Lydia and Sunny find out about the Great Aunt are cool and the other characters in town are nice too, if not too fleshed out.
eilidhcan's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
fonril's review against another edition
2.0
Romantic fiction is not my thing but sometimes I like to give a book a chance.
Newly-widowed Lydia and her daughter Sunny find themselves having to leave their plush home in Dublin to move to the coastguard cottage Lydia's great-aunt Nellie left to her. They have to create a new life among the small community of Sandy Cove in County Kerry, where everybody knows everybody else's business.
I'm conflicted as to what verdict to give on this book. I did find it enjoyable to read but maybe in the way that sometimes I find myself enjoying a celebrity magazine, it passes time and draws the occasional smile but I know I could be reading far better quality reading material.
The title "The Lost Girls of Ireland" seems rather too grand a statement for what the story is. An opportunity is missed in not telling the story of Great-Aunt Nellie and her dalliance with a German whose plane crash landed in 1944. The depiction of the residents of Sandy Cove - all seemingly related to each other - is all a bit twee and the romance in the book is very cheesy.
I'm sure there are people will love it, if that formulaic Mills & Boon kind of romantic novel is your thing, then I can see the appeal.
I'm not even ruling out reading another of the books in this series, god knows sometimes I need a firebreak in between books dealing with darker subjects or requiring more of my concentration.
It had potential but feels like something that follows a formula which gets it out there quicker but misses the chance to have really created a depth of story and character.
Newly-widowed Lydia and her daughter Sunny find themselves having to leave their plush home in Dublin to move to the coastguard cottage Lydia's great-aunt Nellie left to her. They have to create a new life among the small community of Sandy Cove in County Kerry, where everybody knows everybody else's business.
I'm conflicted as to what verdict to give on this book. I did find it enjoyable to read but maybe in the way that sometimes I find myself enjoying a celebrity magazine, it passes time and draws the occasional smile but I know I could be reading far better quality reading material.
The title "The Lost Girls of Ireland" seems rather too grand a statement for what the story is. An opportunity is missed in not telling the story of Great-Aunt Nellie and her dalliance with a German whose plane crash landed in 1944. The depiction of the residents of Sandy Cove - all seemingly related to each other - is all a bit twee and the romance in the book is very cheesy.
I'm sure there are people will love it, if that formulaic Mills & Boon kind of romantic novel is your thing, then I can see the appeal.
I'm not even ruling out reading another of the books in this series, god knows sometimes I need a firebreak in between books dealing with darker subjects or requiring more of my concentration.
It had potential but feels like something that follows a formula which gets it out there quicker but misses the chance to have really created a depth of story and character.
lynnski723's review against another edition
3.0
Whereas I fell in love with the small oceanside town, I found much of the storyline to be predictable and felt the characters and their relationships could have been developed more. With that said, it is an enjoyable story of picking yourself up after a devastating loss with a wholesome (G rated) love story thrown in as well.
Note – this is the 7th book in a series but felt like a stand alone story. I don’t feel like I was missing out on a backstory by not reading the other books in the series first but since that is a possibility I wanted to mention it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of this book to read and enjoy.
Note – this is the 7th book in a series but felt like a stand alone story. I don’t feel like I was missing out on a backstory by not reading the other books in the series first but since that is a possibility I wanted to mention it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of this book to read and enjoy.
cvia3's review
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
4.0
This book was an emotional roller-coaster for me and I felt like I was right there in the cottage with the main characters. I loved how it was modern but in a small town that still operates like pre-internet times.
robinlovesreading's review
5.0
From a grand home in Dublin to a cottage in the small village of Kerry. In this touching read by Susanne O'Leary, Lydia Harrington and her daughter Sunny experience a humbling experience when Lydia's husband suddenly passes away. Their home, expensive cars, clothing and more are now a thing of the past due to her husband's unscrupulous business practices that left them all but penniless.
Lydia is not left completely in the lurch as she had an inheritance from her great aunt Nellie that would at least provide them a home, although they would have to move away from everything they've known. For starters, Sunny would have to start in a new school. If only that would be the only extent of the many changes they would have to make. Lydia and Sunny being to settle into their new lives. The move was only the first change. Going back to her maiden name of Butler and working for the first time in twenty years clearly showcases Lydia's strength and resilience.
Both Lydia and Sunny adapt to the changes in their lives with great aplomb. Meeting new neighbor Jason O'Callaghan is one thing that begins to give Lydia a sense of belonging. While inexplicably drawn to Jason, Lydia is concerned that it is too soon to start over when it comes to any hint of romance. Also, while Lydia and Sunny fall into their new lives they take on an interesting project. Who was Lydia's great aunt and why do the village's members speak so highly of her? The research they begin proves to be a very nice distraction for Lydia and Sunny.
Oh how I have loved this Sandy Cove series! Meeting all the characters in the charming village has left me with a warm feeling of contentment. The Lost Girls of Ireland was a wonderful read. With endearing characters, a beautiful setting and a bit of romance, this book truly touched my heart. Impossible to put down, this moving story kept me tapping the screen of my Kindle deep into the night until I reached the heartwarming conclusion. From despair to hope, this fulfilling story of starting over was a stellar read, one that will be with me for a long while.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Lydia is not left completely in the lurch as she had an inheritance from her great aunt Nellie that would at least provide them a home, although they would have to move away from everything they've known. For starters, Sunny would have to start in a new school. If only that would be the only extent of the many changes they would have to make. Lydia and Sunny being to settle into their new lives. The move was only the first change. Going back to her maiden name of Butler and working for the first time in twenty years clearly showcases Lydia's strength and resilience.
Both Lydia and Sunny adapt to the changes in their lives with great aplomb. Meeting new neighbor Jason O'Callaghan is one thing that begins to give Lydia a sense of belonging. While inexplicably drawn to Jason, Lydia is concerned that it is too soon to start over when it comes to any hint of romance. Also, while Lydia and Sunny fall into their new lives they take on an interesting project. Who was Lydia's great aunt and why do the village's members speak so highly of her? The research they begin proves to be a very nice distraction for Lydia and Sunny.
Oh how I have loved this Sandy Cove series! Meeting all the characters in the charming village has left me with a warm feeling of contentment. The Lost Girls of Ireland was a wonderful read. With endearing characters, a beautiful setting and a bit of romance, this book truly touched my heart. Impossible to put down, this moving story kept me tapping the screen of my Kindle deep into the night until I reached the heartwarming conclusion. From despair to hope, this fulfilling story of starting over was a stellar read, one that will be with me for a long while.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.