This is a wonderful Autumnal story about friendship, family and love. I’m ashamed to say this is my first ever Faith Hogan book and oh my I am sure I have missed out on some great reads.

The story follows Carrie who has just been dumped by Kevin (we hate him by the way…!) not only has she been dumped without a second thought but Kevin leaves her for a younger woman, here we meet Valentina a Columbian waitress who works at the restaurant Carrie and Kevin co own in Dublin. Awks!

First off, all of the characters are so well written, I liked them all apart from a few who I really disliked and after reading the synopsis I am sure you will know who I am talking about… ‘cough Kevin cough!!’ Of course my favourite was Carrie who by the way is the most nicest character I have ever met in a book. I really did feel sorry for Carrie when Kevin paraded his new romance in her face and she still had to work with him, how she kept her calm throughout the breakup of their relationship and still kept it business as usual at the restaurant I do not know! I salute you Carrie Nolan!

With Christmas soon approaching Carrie turns to some new friends for support. Jane who owns the pub across the road from the restaurant and also Luke who she happened to meet only by chance one evening. Oh and Teddy, cannot forget to mention Teddy a gorgeous dog who Carrie finds on the street and becomes Carrie’s confidant and shadow.

Both Jane and Luke have their own troubles which Faith touches on throughout the story. Luke a Historian back in town visiting his dad who has just moved into a nursing home and Jane, elderly and living alone in the pub she shared with her husband who has past; she finds herself feeling vulnerable, sad and very lonely. Thankfully both Carrie and Luke rally round to help fill the void for Jane and bring life back to the pub while learning some surprising secrets along the way.

I think the three of them came together at such a great time and were huge supports for each other, I really liked reading the scenes where the three of them were together.

Stopping briefly back to Kevin, Faith wrote his character perfectly. He came across as a very weak, pathetic man who actually relied on Carrie more than you first thought. Both characters Kevin and Valentina were portrayed so well that you have this dislike for them while reading which shows how well written they are. I won’t spoil the story for you but I love that Carrie stands up for herself and doesn’t let them run her out of her life and if anything gives her the opportunity to find the time to do all the things she loves in life, one of which is investing more time in her blog. (Love a blog!)

Ok so the story is a little predictable in parts but I never mind that in a book, a thoroughly enjoyable story from start to finish a book I would recommend to friends and family best read indoors on the sofa in happy clothes under a blanket with a big mug of tea and a constant flow of biscuits! Brilliant!

This is my first book by Faith Hogan. As it's been said over and over in the reviews, it's the perfect Autumn read. I'm giving this 4 stars because I loved most of the characters and even the ones I didn't like were written well. The book was just a nice read if that makes sense. Nothing earth-shattering, but I was happy to have read it. Thank you for allowing me to read and review this book.

Carrie has just broken up with Kevin and is in need of good friends and support. Enter Jane and Luke. Luke is a Historian visiting his dad who has just moved into a nursing home and Jane is elderly and lives alone in the pub she and her husband lived in together. They all rally round and try and lift Carrie’s spirits after Kevin ends up with Colombian waitress Valentina.

I liked Carrie, Jane and Luke. The portrayal of Valentina’s bubbly personality was good but as a Spanish speaker myself, I did feel slightly irked at the representation of her accent in writing (” eet, ees). I think descriptions of the sound of her voice would have been more effective with maybe the odd Spanish word thrown in. That for me would have made her character portrayal more authentic.

Kevin’s character was well-written but annoying. He came across as really pathetic and clingy. I thought the most real characters were Carrie (I was rooting for her!) and I also really liked Jane. How vulnerable and sad she was came across well and I wanted to be the one to visit her with Carrie. Luke was a very well fleshed-out character too.

What Happened to Us is a really good page-turner for anyone who has ever been in or out of love and shows what happens when friends are really on your side no matter what. 4 stars.

Thanks to Faith Hogan and Aria for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review and an opportunity to take part in the blog tour for the title.

I rated this book 4.5, but I'd rather round it up than down.

This book was the perfect autumnal read. Even under other circumstances it creates an atmosphere where you feel like you are actually curved under a blanket, drinking a hot tea and your pet is keeping you company. Even if you don't have one.

Based on the description (on both book and author) I expected some kind of easy chick lit, but it really wasn't, and thank god for that! This book has depth, it conducts real emotions, and it does it very realistically. I didn't even for a moment feel like it was cheesy. It's 'feelgood' not as in overly optimistic and shallow, but as in showing the beauty in this life.

I loved the characters! I always love a character-driven book, and here I felt like they were all actually alive. Carrie was a wonderful main character, not a stereotypical 'strong female lead' and not the equally clichéd damsel in distress. She could be any of us, and what's the best about it is that the way this book tells about her, we are able to see how awesome she is. Kevin was not less great a character, he was a man we all know at least one (or many...) alike, and he was repeatedly stepping on my nerves, but that's what was so amazing about him as a character. He was human, fallible, many times an arrogant ass, but then again, I could pity him, I could feel for him, and he felt painfully real. And don't let me start on the sweet old neighbor, Jane, and the nice and handsome Luke who is so much more! And Teddy! I wanted to hug that doggy so much!

I could say that the story was somewhat a cliché (but honestly, what isn't, at least a little bit), but to be honest, I didn't feel like it while reading. With my head, yes, I know it, but it was all so realistically and beautifully executed that I didn't really notice. It didn't matter. There were also several storylines, and they all added up nicely in the end.

It was all sweet and warmed my heart.

One of this author’s great strengths is her characters – created and drawn with love and believability – and I defy anyone not to be immediately engaged by the wonderful Carrie. She’s a great central focus for the story, as other half Kevin seems intent on destroying everything they’ve worked for, lured by the excitement of sexy Colombian waitress Valentina. There’s a real depth to those two main characters, and I particularly liked the way we get to see their lives from both sides – the pub chats between Kevin and his remaining “friend” are just wonderful, as he slowly realises, his life slowly falling apart, that he might just not have made the wisest of choices.

Alongside that main story though is another that I found equally engaging – the sad story of Jane, alone at the pub over the road from Carrie and Kevin’s restaurant, grieving for the loss of her husband and living her days in fear. The author always has a perfect touch with her older characters, getting their thoughts and feelings absolutely right – and I really loved the supportive friendship that develops with both Carrie and the lovely Luke, wrestling with the problems of his own elderly and ailing father. The introduction of Teddy was an extra touch I loved – a dog with immense character, a catalyst for some of the action, and he has a real starring role during one of the book’s particularly dramatic moments.

The whole story is wonderfully convoluted, with some real surprises towards its end, and I loved the sureness of its emotional moments set against the humour – and occasional horror – to be found in Kevin’s situation. Lightness and dark are impeccably balanced, the cast of characters people you take to your heart (yes, unlikely as it seems, even hapless Kevin!), and the twists and turns of the story handled with the assurance of an author totally comfortable in her writing. Don’t miss this one, sheer enjoyment from beginning to end – and without question one of my books of the year.

I’m always so excited when a new Faith Hogan book comes out. It’s guaranteed to be fabulous. Faith’s books are so real, it’s just like stepping into someone else’s life for a while.

The characters are, as always, superb. I really liked Carrie. She’s kind and dependable and sensible. When Kevin leaves her for Valentina, she is hurt, but after a while it makes her look at her life, and move on to a better one.

Valentina is shallow and manipulative, using her stunning looks to get her own way. Kevin is nice, but not the best judge of character when it comes to women, so he falls for her flattery. Little does he realise what he had until he has lost it.

There are other wonderful characters, such as Jane, the old lady who lives nearby, and Luke, who is a true gentleman. Her little dog is adorable too!

The book is set in Dublin, where I’m from, so I could picture the surroundings perfectly. She depicts winter, and the lead up to Christmas, so well.

A wonderful book, with a perfectly woven plot, and excellent characters. It’s one to savour and enjoy, and will leave you with a smile on your face. Highly recommended.

Carrie and Kevin were joint owners of The Sea Pear restaurant and long-term partners until Kevin announces that he is having an affair with Valentina, their Columbian waitress. Carrie is devastated when she hears of the affair but she can't just move on because her life is so tightly interwoven with Kevins through their jointly owned property and highly successful business.

Faith Hogan has created a perfect character in Cassie. She is warm and strong and thank goodness, not going to let her vacuous ex push her out of the business she worked her socks off to achieve. Although deeply hurt she sets out to rebuild her life, make new friends and look to the future. Carrie handles herself with such dignity I wanted to give her a massive high five.

Part of me was so glad that Carrie was no longer romantically involved with Kevin. If he hadn't had his head turned by the young and beautiful Valentina they would probably have stayed together and 'Oh Carrie, you deserve so much more!'

I loved the Dublin location but this book is firmly about the characters. Not just Cassie, Kevin and Valentina but neighbours, new friends, and family. All were highly believable and gave the book a refreshing warmth against the winter cold. I can't leave without mentioning the little stray dog Teddy who Carrie found in the snow on the night her life changed forever. Teddy came along at just the right time and his relationship with Carrie is truly enchanting.

I absolutely adore Faith Hogan's books so I was really eager to read her latest book, What Happened to Us? With a main character that you will instantly take to your heart, this is a beautiful story of relationships and friendship with a surprising twist of fate.

Carrie and Kevin seem to have the perfect partnership: a long standing relationship and owners of a prestigious restaurant in Dublin. When Kevin drops a bombshell that he is dumping Carrie for their sexy Columbian waitress, Valentina, Carrie thinks her world has ended. With Valentina eager to get her claws into Kevin's business too, Carrie feels more and more pushed out.

Taking a step back from the restaurant, Carrie spends more time with Jane Marchant who owns a pub over the road. It may seem like an unlikely friendship but fate has played a hand in this one, especially when handsome Luke and cute dog Teddy enter Carrie and Jane's life. It just shows that some things are meant to be.

I loved the characters in this book, from lovable Carrie to detestable Valentina with spineless Kevin in between. Carrie has such a huge heart and Kevin clearly didn't deserve it so I was delighted when he gets a taste of his own medicine with Valentina. I also loved the story around Jane who has kept her pub running after being widowed despite being scared to be on her own. The growth of her friendship with both Carrie and Luke left a warm fuzzy glow around my heart; something that Faith Hogan always seems to manage to do through her beautifully emotive writing.

What Happened to Us? is a heartwarming story of love, loss, friendship and new beginnings that completely captivated me and effortlessly spirited me away to Dublin for a short while.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

Three and a half stars.
This is one of those books that you get comfortable, snuggle up in a blanket and read on a cold night. All characters are likeable apart from the "beautiful Valentina and her cousins".
Not my favourite Faith Hogan book but worth a read.

“What happened to us?” was a delightful, feel good read. I was hocked from the first page. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough and I did not want to put it down. Faith Hogan is a terrific writer. Her characters are so well crafted, you genuinely will care for them. I wondered how a book containing such devastation at the very beginning, could be referred to as “a feelgood story”. You will soon find out. There is lose, but there is love, second chances and the cutest dog you ever want to meet. What more can you ask for?

Ms. Hogan has a great ability to make a settings come to life. A perfect example would be her first paragraph.....“The first night of winter and it was wet, very wet, and she knew the rain was pouring in drops down her face, could feel them drip, drip, dripping off the end of her nose. She could feel the tears too, hot and stingy in her eyes.” I so enjoyed this book. I would say it is a must read.

I received a copy of this book from Ari through NetGalleys. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I loved this book first I’ve read by thus author but I will defiantly be reading more. Perfect autumnal read, lovely characters would highly recommend thanks for the preview.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I really like this author and it was a perfect read for the season of the year we are in.

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

Carrie is in a personal and business relationship with Kevin when he delivers the shocking news that he is leaving her for Valentina the much younger Colombian waitress in their restaurant. Carrie iss devastated but has to swallow her pride and continue to work with them.

She becomes firm friends with Jane the old lady across the road who runs a pub albeit with very limited opening times and very few customers.

Carrie and the secondary list of characters are wonderful and I loved the relationship between the different generations.

Kevin was someone I loved to hate, a grumpy selfish spoiled man-child but oh how I loved his friend Jim. Their conversations and his obvious disdain for Kevin and his choices made me laugh.

Valentina and her fellow Colombian immigrants were a tad stereotypical hence the deduction of a star.

Altogether a lovely story of friendship and love.

I am a big fan of Faith Hogan's writing having read and really enjoyed all her previous books. Despite the wintry looking cover this isn't a Christmas book as such, although some of the book does take place around Christmas time. I think it's a book you can read and enjoy at any time of the year.

When Kevin reveals he has been having an affair with a beautiful Colombian woman, Valentina, Carrie can't help but wonder 'What Happened To Us?'. The book follows them in the months following their split and, unusually I think, includes the points of view of both main characters. As the joint owners of a successful Dublin restaurant, The Sea Pear, the two had to work together closely which must be a difficult thing when a relationship has broken down.

Kevin seems to have been the archetypal fool blinded by the beauty and attentions of a younger woman. He was also blind to what a good woman he had had in Carrie. Even though all his friends were quite shocked and tried to share their concerns about his new relationship, he seemed blinkered to any of Valentina's faults. As the cracks began to show in their relationship, he still didn't want to admit to his foolishness. It really was hard to feel sorry for him at all.

Carrie is not however the archetypal woman scorned. After her initial devastation and shock at Kevin's betrayal, she soon realises that actually, the love had fizzled out of their marriage a long time before their split. Much to Kevin's surprise she begins to create new opportunities for herself and I was cheering her every step of  the way.

I was getting a bit concerned towards the end as to exactly how the story would resolve but I'm pleased to say that it left me with a smile on my face. I had even started to feel a bit sympathy for Kevin after all!

With Faith Hogan's trademark exploration of her characters' emotions, What Happened To Us? is a gentle and quietly absorbing story of second chances and new beginnings.

Once again Faith has pulled off another
FULL-THROTTLE TRUMPET-TOOTING EXTRAVAGANZA.
This was such a fantastic book to review I read it in one day totally enthralled from the first couple of pages.
A Tale of is the grass greener on the other side.
Carrie and long term partner the lack lustre Kevin living together and running a very successful business start having doudts the very entertaining Valentina deceides to spice up life and takes us on a path of destruction theft and total selfishness intertwining with the meeting of the gorgeous cuddly Teddy who brings The rather dashing Luke into the equation, life is certainly action packed in this 5*++ book i can highly recommend this book it deserves more * than I can give.
Thank you for an early copy from net galley in exchange for a honest review.

The first thing in this book that caught my eye was the main character, Carrie, was intelligent, loving, trusting, and somebody I could identify with. And yes, she was not the vapid, simpering, damsel in distress who didn't know how to deal with realities of life... Thank God for that... Actually thank Faith for that.

The situation was real life, Carrie's business and life partner, Kevin, after ten years of togetherness, suddenly broke up with her as he found himself in love with the hot Columbian perfect bodied waitress (mid life cliché). She was devastated till she decided to pick herself up and find a way out.
Carrie knew him long enough to read him like a book. What a pity she hadn't kept her eyes on the pages....

As life always showed a way, Carrie too found a way with people thrown in her life, a handsome dish Luke, a neighbor/friend Jane, and a pup Fred. The story then followed both Carrie and Kevin's lives.

My first book by Author Faith Hogan had me scampering for her earlier books. Man, I want them all!! Few things captured my heart in this book, I loved Carrie's fortutide, the way she dealt with her hurt with both pragmatism and strength. Yes, she wasn't the one to lie down in bed for days with a poor me attitude. She got up, dusted herself, and did what needed to be done, did not shirk her responsibilities.
She found that somehow she was filled with an uncertain feeling that she was too scared to name as hope, but it was strong and pleasant and she luxuriated in it anyway....

I loved the way Faith had shaped Carrie's character. She was real, she was strong, and she was open. She was ME!! She didn't force a situation but just went with the flow standing up quietly for her own wishes. She was everything a woman ought to be in the face of heartbreak. I loved that Carrie had no false airs about herself. She was just like you and me, without a perfect figure and a perfect life, yet finding a happy way out!! I could totally identify with her!!

Kevin, on the the other hand, was clearly going through his mid-life crisis with a hottie who wanted a ring on her finger, but put a ring through his nose and dragged him on a merry trip... Ah the realities of a bloated credit card. As a woman, I loved it when he saw the truth of life without the film of lust, and realized what he had lost and whom he really loved.

The story had friends banding together, neighbors becoming friends and more, a strong yummy hunk, a marriage in a castle, hooligans, fire in the shop, a break-in, scams, thievery, and lots more... All set in the beautiful Dublin, Ireland...

Then came my teeny tiny niggle; the story was a bit of a cliché (but the delivery wasn't), it was a bit slow (maybe it was the right pace, but I wanted to know what Carrie did next faster)

Overall, I had fun reading it in one sitting in three hours.... Totally recommended especially in heartbreak. Carrie's magic unbroke my heart... Or should I say, Faith's magic?!!

There is a lot to unpack in this book! Carrie and Kevin come to the end of their 10 year relationship when Kevin declares his love for Valentina. Very soon you begin to almost feel sorry for Kevin as the reader can clearly see that Valentina is only after what she can get. Meanwhile they must all work together in the restaurant owned by Kevin & Carrie. The feelgood part of the book involves Carrie as she realizes that the breakup is the perfect chance for a new beginning, new romance, a pet, and new friendships.

This is my first by this author but it won't be my last.

Carrie and Kevin live together, owning the house and a restaurant together. They've been together for years but never got around to getting married. Kevin is the chef, but Carrie does everything else front of house and in their lives, i.e. mortgage, bills, etc. This is obviously something that hasn't really crossed Kevin's mind when he starts an affair with a waitress in their restaurant, but as the book progresses he quickly realises it!

It's up to Carrie to rebuild her life, finding time for the things that she loves and time for herself. Carrie soon finds new friends to help her. Jane a widow who is struggling to run the pub across the road from Carrie's restaurant on her own. Teddy, an absolutely adorable dog who has chosen Carrie to be his new owner, and Luke, a historian who has stopped drifting temporarily to settle his father into a local nursing home.

With Christmas fast approaching and a catastrophic series of events unfolding. How far do you need to fall to be able to realise the true meaning of family and friendship? And is it ever to late to start your life over again?

I absolutely loved this light, easy to read, romantic book, about finding out who you are, how strong you can be when your world is falling down around you and the importance of friendship.

The story handles all kinds of complicated emotional issues... loss, grief, loneliness, starting over when you are at your lowest and still holding onto your dignity.

Thank-You Netgalley for my ARC.

This is the second book I've read by Faith Hogan and I absolutely loved the first one I read (The Girl I Used to Know) so I was worried that this one wouldn't be as good, but actually this one was equally as good - if not better, so Faith Hogan has now definitely gone onto my favourite authors list!

Carrie and Kevin live together and own a house and restaurant together. They've been together for years but never got around to getting married. Kevin is the chef, but Carrie does everything else front of house and in their lives, i.e. mortgage, bills, etc, etc. This is obviously something that hadn't really crossed Kevin's mind when he started an affair with a waitress in their restaurant, Valentina, but as the book progresses he quickly realises it!

Kevin and Valentina come clear about their affair (Valentina's idea) and move into a swanky (expensive) new Dublin apartment, leaving Carrie in the house. Carrie is obviously initially devastated, but carries on regardless at the restaurant, but gets Kevin to sign over the house to her - great move, especially as she had always paid the mortgage and loved the house. I don't think it took long for Kevin to start feeling bulldozed by Valentina into everything, her spending habits spiralled (his money), and he then ended up somehow planning a wedding to her (even though he never remembered proposing!) so she could stay in the country. It served him right for cheating and not appreciating what was right under his nose. All he'd done for years was be the 'wonderful' chef at their restaurant (with the big ego) but every other part of his/their lives had been handled by Carrie, even visiting his own Mother every day as he was 'too busy'.

The rest of the book is about Carrie and Kevin slowly disentangling themselves from one another financially and emotionally and moving on. There are some other really great characters, Luke who is in town between jobs (historian) visiting his Father who has just gone into a home, and Jane an elderly lady who owns the pub across the road from The Sea Pear, although she hasn't run it as such for years since her husband died, and only opens when friends pop in these days. Jane has a fall and ends up in hospital and Luke and Carrie visit and end up helping her, and get closer, helping Jane feel less isolated and she also gets a new lease of life. There is a slight sinister element too as both The Sea Pear and the pub are broken into.

I absolutely loved this book and wanted to keep reading it at any spare moment I could get, just to find out what happened next. Kevin was an cheating idiot and deserved everything he got - he even hated dogs which says it all in my book, especially as there was the wonderful Teddy in this book who Carrie rescued from the street. Carrie was well rid of Kevin and gained a much better, happier life by the end. I do love it when the wronged party in a relationship ends up much happier than the cheater - karma always wins out in the end. Fabulous, really good feeling book that I would highly recommend.

The perfect autumnal read - on a rainy & windy few days, I curled up under a blanket snuggling my dog and reading this compelling novel.

We meet main characters Carrie and Kevin with supporting cast of Jane, Valentina, Luke and my favourite Teddy. Carrie and Kevin are long-term partners, both in life and business until Kevin declares to Carrie one day that he is in love with their restaurant waitress, the fiery Valentina, and walks away from his relationship with Carrie.

I thought Carrie dealt with the relationship breakdown very stoically and couldn't help but sympathise with her situation. It must be so difficult to have to see not only your ex, but also his new love practically flaunting herself in front of Carrie daily when she went to work. Kevin was certainly not a pleasant character - he was basically weak - but I *almost* felt sorry for him however his stupidity didn't appeal and ultimately he did not deserve Carrie's kindness or humility!

Of course this book wouldn't be the same without Carrie making some new friends along the way - whilst I have already declared Teddy (a dog she finds on the street who simply worships her) my favourite, a close second has to be Jane who is an elderly neighbour looking out for the best for Carrie and she just warmed my heart. Her tale was so solemn and I was delighted she also found a good friend in Carrie - they needed each other.

With Christmas just around the corner Carrie has to contend with Kevin, Valentina and then some mysterious goings on occur at the restaurant and local area. With all this going on can Carrie ever find true love - Luke (who apoears to have a heart of gold) turns up at just the right time when Carrie needs friends around her, but can her broken heart repair for another man?

Honestly I simply adored this book, at times melancholy but overall so touching how Carrie, Jane and Luke formed friendships, looked after one another and how their lives intertwined. I absolutely recommend this book!

My thanks to Aria and NetGalley for providing me with this advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.