A heart-wrenching and heartwarming story of two strangers and one house

I enjoyed the first 40% but thereafter I started to realise that very little was happening / was going to happen. Beyond the inevitable. Skim read the last 60% and was glad I'd not wasted any more time Some really bad spelling errors in it and poor punctuation too. Glad it was on special offer.

Perfect for a rainy day. Follow the lives of Amanda and Tess. It's worth discovering what women will give up in order to "get their perfect life".

Looking back over the years, what have we given up? Are we truly happy?

It's worth reading, then taking stock of your life, quickly.

Wonderful book! Happiness is where you would least expect it. Two sisters, long estranged, find their happiness in communicating when it seems all was lost. Two women, not sisters also find their own way to happiness after many years of solitude. Love the writing and structure.

Loved the story, and how much Tess, and Amanda ended up having in common. Even though it took a while for the two to realize how much they were alike, what they both went through to get there was worth the read to see them become such good friends.
I gotta say though, the way it kept jumping back 40 to 50 yrs. in the story, and then at times it would go back 20 to maybe 30 yrs., depending on the character the author was referring to,would confuse me, (probably due to late night reading, and getting tired doing so,) but I got through it alright.
All and all, I enjoyed the book very much, and would highly recommend it!

This is a charming tale of two women, their friendship, missed opportunities and new beginnings based around a picturesque Dublin square.

It’s slow to start, but, as the characters become clearer the author moves the storyline along at a great pace. I also enjoyed the ‘look back’ chapters which help shape the story and engage you more in the women and their history.

It’s a good book to curl up with. An easy read.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Aria fiction for the opportunity to preview this book.

Tess and Nancy imagined life would different in Dublin than it was in Ballycove. Tess was going to be a great singer, her sister a protector. Tess takes a job in nightclub for extra money. She enjoyed the adulation and lost her focus of her goal by falling in love. Her life took a turn and isolated her until event brought her back to her true self. Great page turner. Love the book.

Loved this book! Sometimes sad but very realistic story about what bitterness can do to your life. Also covers some universal issues for women about love and identity. Explores the theme that we can change at any moment in life. Highly recommend!

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were so believable and I found it easy to relate to them. Tess was vulnerable and a people-pleaser where Douglas was concerned. So very often, trying to be who you think someone you care about wants you to be, turns out to make a mess of things. And you lose yourself.
That was true of Amanda too. Richard had ideas about who his wife should be and didn't even realize who she was. Shame on these men!
Loved this story. Way to go, Faith.

This was a fast, thoroughly enjoyable read. I loved the growing relationship between the two main female characters and the theme of the story being that it is never too late to make the most of your life. I highly recommend for anyone who enjoys character driven stories.

I truly enjoyed this book. The characters were so believeable you felt you knew them. I enjoyed the descriptions of the village and cottages Ballycove as well as Amanda's lovely home in Dublin. I will be visiting Dublin this fall so perhaps I will see a home that will remind me of this book. I am lookong forward to reading more of Ms. Hogan's books.

Good story, interesting premise. The stars are for the story. The lack of more stars is for the incredibly poor punctuation. It could be the author has no knowledge of where to use a comma, and had no copy editor to correct her. Or it could be that an intern copy editor just haphazardly inserted commas where none were required, and failed to use periods. It was very distracting; the reader had to keep rereading to try to figure out the meaning of the sentence.

We can learn from our mistakes no matter what stage of life we are in. It is so important to remain open to change and realize we could have mistaken a situation. We can all improve our lives of unhappy.

I had mixed feelings about some of the characters in the story. In the end, however I understood what the author wanted readers to see in each one. It was heartwarming to see Amanda and Tess become friends and the two sisters make amends. Overall, it was enjoyable reading.

I enjoyed the characters in that they were interesting and the story was faith affirming in that we,in general, can hate so passionately one minute and then find a bond and eventually love. Of course, there are some who just seem to have little merit for redemption. Lastly, I so love a happy ending.

I stumbled across this book on a Kindle referral and thought I'd give it a go on a rainy Saturday morning. The day turned sunny, and even though I had plenty of yard work to do, I just couldn't stop reading! This doesn't happen to me very often, so I can assure you, that means this book is a very good read!!!

A wonderfully lovely story. It brings a message that among what seems disastrous change, there is hope for a better tomorrow. Letting go of the old and embracing the unknown, and allowing things to unfold organically, brings many surprises.

A well written and engaging merging of two women 's lives, each who would never have believed they shared any connection other than proximity. Their stories are sad, vastly different, while similarly losing who they were decisions of the people they love.

There were many twists and turns in this book. I’ll admit that it took me a chapter or 2 to really get into reading it - but once I did I was hooked. Sometimes I don’t care for dual timelines, but they were well done in this book. It’s refreshing to read a book with a little substance that is not so predictable like romance novels out today. By the end of the book I was rooting for both women to find the happiness they deserved.

Great characters. Sometimes a bit frustrating but that makes it all the more real because I think we can all be frustrating in our life choices sometimes! I like that everything was wrapped up completely at the end with no loose threads to keep me wondering.

Maybe because this book’s description hit a nerve did I decide to read it. These type of stories aren’t generally my cup of tea, but I took a chance and enjoyed this book immensely. You may hear the words, “It’s never too late” a lot, especially as you grow older. It’s often accompanied by some other tagline or emphasis, but it’s true. At least in this story. Truly a delight. Take a chance.

Powerful story of how you can take control of your life no matter where you are at on it. Tess and Amanda are adversaries traveling on separate worlds. Tess isn’t really living and Amanda is on a life that is controlled by her husband. Both stay on walks that change their lives.

A very inspirational read, especially for someone in their sixties, or really any age. I was reminded how much we can each change and more forward for the best. I enjoyed every part of the book. Very intriguing and heart warming.

I enjoyed the storyline and the characters in this book. However, the run-on sentences and overuse and misuse of commas were very distracting to me. If you can overlook those things, you may enjoy this book.

This was heartwarming and truly lovely! I felt like I was there, on the journey of these women, and I kept going back to it, to read more. It was also beautifully written - another great book by Faith Hogan! Highly recommend it!

I have enjoyed this book immensely. I found myself reading while cooking, sitting in waiting rooms and eating breakfast. This is a story about second chances, reinventing yourself and realising that it is never too late to live your dream or even finding a new dream. This book made me very happy!

This book, makes you think about all the silly resentments and unimportant things that keep us from moving forward in our lives. It also makes us realize how other's expectations shape our lives and the choices we make.