This book was super cute and fluffy, exactly what you need when life starts getting a bit too much. I enjoyed it a lot. Liked the characters and the writing was good. Plot was exactly what you expect from this kind of story!

Roisin Meaney always writes a fantastic story, and this one is no exception! Lovely characters, and setting, with a great plot. Highly recommend to others.

Tilly can't wait to leave Australia and come back to Roone to stay with her sister Laura who lives next door to her boyfriend who she hasn't seen since last summer..... but will his ex Eve put a spanner in the works. Laura has been told a secret and one that she really doesn't want to know as it could really hurt her sister Tilly. Eve is devastated by the death of Hugh her foster father as he was the person who helped her most in the world but then she falls out with Immelda, Hugh's wife when she needs her most. What will happen at the birthday party when all of these situations come to a head?

It is great to be back in Roone and catch up with the characters from previous books and I always love to read a Roisin Meaney book, there was plenty of action and it works well being told by so many different characters so that you get everyone's view, lovely easy book to read

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.

I'm always delighted to read any books by the wonderful author Roisin Meaney and even more so when they are set on the very special and unique island of Roone. Any of the author's books which have featured this setting have been brilliant and even if you haven't read any of these you could still easily read this new book - The Birthday Party - as there is lots of back stories provided for new readers. Yes there are a lot of characters mentioned, and it could take a little time to get used to who is who and how different people connect to each other, but things do become clearer the further you progress through the story. As it had been over four years since my last visit to Roone, I'll admit it took me some time to settle back into the lives of the characters but once I did so I found this to be an enjoyable story following the trials and tribulations of the inhabitants and guests of the island. An island where on the surface everything seems idyllic and peaceful and everyone looks so contented and happy but underneath the surface there are stirrings of discontent for some and others are trying to come to terms with recent events.

As we arrive back on the island hotelier Henry Manning, even though it is only the beginning of the summer, is starting to plan his birthday/summer garden party in the grounds of the hotel which he hopes to hold at the end of August. He wants to give Roone a night it won't forget and he is hoping things will all go without a hitch. Being honest this was really the only mention of said party until we reached the end of the story and given this was the title of the book I was expecting it to feature more prominently. I understand the party does become the catalyst for secrets to be unearthed and for some home truths to be told but like I have seen with other readers it was a slight disappointment that the story didn't always connect back to the title as had been expected.

Pushing this issue aside and once I re-familiarised myself with the characters, I settled back into the relaxed rhythm of life on Roone and I enjoyed getting to know the main characters again. Although in this story they don't all seem as happy as they usually do and there is a lot of conflict and keeping secrets that really should have been brought out into the open much earlier on. Several of the characters surprised me with their actions and people I had loved in previous books I found myself really starting to dislike them. I suppose it shows that life can't always be a bed of roses and the author has tried to show that although life appears picture perfect on Roone there are still plenty of life changing events occurring.

Imelda came to the island as a tourist but fell in love with Hugh and has remained ever since but with the unexpected and devastating loss of her beloved husband, her life is no longer the same. She is trying to bear the unbearable and with the arrival of an unexpected visitor maybe this might be just the thing she needs to emerge from the wall of both sadness and anger that engulfs her. She is in a state of deep mourning and her grief is all encompassing so much so that she can barely manage to get through the days let alone help Eve who she and Hugh had taken into her home. Eve herself is struggling. She viewed Hugh as her real father and can't cope with the fact that the bond she established with him is gone forever. She is hiding secrets of her own but can't confined in Imelda as she thinks doors have been closed to her.

Eve was the character who I couldn't believe some of her actions. She had a secret that if revealed would be so explosive and affect the lives of so many others. To be honest this needed to be out in the open fairly rapidly for everyone to digest it and see how they could solve things but she kept avoiding that moment. Throughout the story she seemed very woe is me and I wanted her to buck up a bit and realise that many others had problems too and that we all have difficult situations to deal with in life. Instead of moping and being argumentative she should have been honest. People lie when they think the truth will not be well received and several characters adopt that attitude and maybe it's not the best way to be. The way the strand of her story developed until the eventual reasons were revealed was surprising and it provided plenty of food for thought.

Roone undoubtedly is a tight-knit community and the stalwart of that is Laura. She is not a native of the island but when she arrived, the island worked its magic on her and she stayed and married local man Gavin. She runs a guest house and her door is always open to everybody as she is great at offering a helping hand or just to sit and listen to someone's problem. Laura likes to keep busy with running the guest house and taking care of the children but that's not to say she hasn't had her problems in the past. She is a brilliant character who has been developed so well and she really is the matriarch figure of the books but here she feels under more pressure than usual. She has been told something very serious and the person with the secret has told her not to tell anyone. This is a heavy burden for her to bear and throughout the book I felt because of this she wasn't her normal happy self. Laura has a premonition that something bad is about to happen but little does she realise what is about to be exposed. Will she and the residents of Roone be able to deal with the fall out? Will the peace, comfort, tranquillity and warmth of Roone be shattered forever?

There are lots of other characters that feature but one last one I will mention is Tilly, the sister of Laura, who first arrived from Australia three years ago looking for her sister. Since then she goes back and forth to Roone every year and always looks forward to her time there. She is maintaining a long distance relationship with Andy but hopes to put things on a more firmer footing. She arrives for her holiday with plenty of goals in mind but life might just have other things in store for her. At times it seemed to me as if Tilly had her head in the clouds and needed to be a little more realistic about things. She needed to be that little bit more aware and in tune with what was actually going on but saying that I was desperately sad for what befalls her and I don't think she deserved what came her way. Things went out of her control and I wondered could she claw things back again?

Overall The Birthday Party was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I really enjoy Roisin Meaney's writing but that little bit of sparkle and magic that is normally so evident in the Roone books was absent. There were parts I really enjoyed but others felt a little flat and maybe it's because the characters themselves weren't always experiencing the best of times. Saying that, there was a very good exploration of family relationships, grief, parenting and friendship and how keeping things guarded and close to ones chest is not always the best option. There is definitely room for another story set on the island as there were many questions left unanswered and I feel we need more of a conclusion with regard to some storylines. I hope if we do return to Roone in the future that there are happier times in store for the residents.

A feel-good, sweet summer read! Highly recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Lovely feel good story. It was well written and flowed well. Easy to read and hard to put down. Perfect on these summer nights

Roisin Meaney knows her characters so well. Her books have always been incredibly readable and this is no exception.
The story moves from one person and their life through to another, each connected to this lovely island of Roone. the birthday party is at the centre of the book, but many twists and turns will be gone through first.
Thank you to NetGalley for a review copy.

The party heard through the Island! This was an easy read about an island off the coast and it’s inhabitants...I really enjoyed reading this one!

Another wonderful book from this author.
Well written and this captured my attention from the beginning to the end.
Can’t wait for another book from her

It's been awhile since I read about the characters in Roone. All the characters were a bit confusing and I had to remember who they were and their backstory. I would probably rate the book 3.5 stars. The beginning was slow for me and I had a hard time getting into the story. Eventually, I became reacquainted with the characters and really enjoyed the book. I loved Italian Walter. He was so sweet and helped Imelda. He was exactly what she needed. Poor Tilly. Her trip to Ireland is not what she expected. She had such high expectations. I love how the book alternates between characters. This book had a sad feel to it. I love the author's writing style and always enjoy the characters (even of they weren't their usual happy selves.)

Definitely recommend the book, especially if you read the previous books about Roone. I look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Hachette Books Ireland through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a lovely feel good book, set in Ireland and let's you in to the lives of all the characters. I enjoy Roisin Meeneys books and this one did not disappoint

The Birthday Party by Roisin Meaney will carry you away to spend summer days on the island of Roone. Friends and family have gathered to celebrate a milestone birthday in honour of one resident, but for some, the pending celebrations will become secondary to their own trials and tribulations as they pertain to love and friendship. If you are looking for a summer read that will transport you, a visit to this charming Irish island might be exactly what you crave.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Books Ireland for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. I adored the story line and loved the main characters. I read this book in one sitting and would highly recommend this book.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I devoured this book in one sitting outside in the sun with a glass of something chilled. A great summer read with good characters and storyline.

Yet again another wonderful story by Roisin Meaney going back to the people we love from the island of Roone. We are back on this small island with Nell and her family, Laura and her family and others we met in the previous books. I adored this book and was actually sad when it ended. I hope there will be more books from Roone. Highly recommend.

Very good book, once I was able to get into it. A lot of characters and trying to figure out who was who.
picturing the island of Roone, where Henry owns a hotel was left to my imagination, never having been to Australia, so that was a nice change.

A first read from Roisin Meaney, I will definitely follow this author.

Such a lovely summer read about family, friendship , love and self acceptance. I enjoyed it from the very first page. A lovely read which keeps you turning the page

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I fell in love with cover, lovely and with a summer feeling. I liked the book, well written and perfect for a summer afternoon.
It's an engrossing and entertaining read, heartwarming and full of lovely characters.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

A lovely summer read set on the island of Roone-a place I'd very much like to visit. There's a range of characters (perhaps one or two too many at the start until you sort them out), all of whom have an issue or two. It's Henry's birthday party and he's the one who did the inviting (his family is coming from all over) but there are also summer visitors and local people. No surprises but this will make you smile. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.