I was kindly sent this book by netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

My first read by this author and one I thoroughly enjoyed. Will be looking out for more books by this author.

If Only by Melanie Murphy is the charming story of a life re-imagined. This is a compelling and thought-provoking premise that is beautifully executed with warmth, wisdom, and humour, and will appeal to anyone who has ever wondered, 'what if?'

Erin 'Beggy' Beglan has reached a point in her life where she begins to question the role that past decisions have played in contributing to her present circumstances. Unable to secure fulfilling employment, having ended things with her fiance, and still relying on her father for financial support, Erin asks herself how she could possibly have ended up where she has. But everything will change when a family heirloom, passed on from her beloved grandmother, provides Erin with a chance to explore the roads not taken, and to see a glimpse of an alternative reality. Will regrets be amplified, or will Erin find content in the here and now?

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

I absolutely loved the premise of this book, who hasn't occasionally thought "what if I'd have done this" or "If only I did that"
The book centres around Erin, an almost 30-year-old waitress who's just left her fiance. On her birthday her grandma gives her a family heirloom, a necklace passed down to the women in the family. Only this necklace isn't a regular piece of jewellery it has the ability to show the wearer what could have been.

Such a great story where I found all the characters really likeable and thought they were all thoroughly layered. Most of all though I really loved the touch of magic in the book which I think makes it slightly special and not just an average contemporary fiction. My only criticism is that to me the ending felt slightly rushed but overall a great first novel by Melanie and I'm intrigued to see what she will do next.

Such a good read! I loved the story, the characters and all of the music references! Finished it quickly, and recommended to all my friends. A perfect summer read!

Perfect chick lit! I loved the premise and the characters were well developed! I recommend this for anyone looking for a light and fun read!

If you loved 'About Time' you will love Melanie Murphy's 'If Only' !
We follow 30 year old Erin 'Beggy' and the many ups and downs of her life. She's just broken up her engagement and spends some time pondering on If she made the right choice. She's scared to tell her beloved granny incase it upsets her, but how her granny reacts and what she presents her with is not at all what I was expecting. All she has to do if ask 'If only....' and see where the special necklace takes her.
The idea is so perfect, the book is so well written and easy to read. It took 3 chapters for me to get hooked on this book and I read it in one night! I laughed, cried and fell in love alongside Erin.

I find the book really hits home in certain parts, Erin and her best friend Reid are exactly like me and my best friend. I think many people will relate to plenty in this book. It relates to many modern day issues and plenty that a lot of readers can relate to.

Big congrats to Melanie on this stellar debut fiction novel, I really really hope we get a part 2!

This book was just so-so for me and would give it 2.5 stars. It wasn't what I expected. I really didn't care for the characters, especially Erin. She made such a big deal about telling her grandmother about calling off her wedding. There could have been more about Dan. Although after meeting his mother, i probably wouldn't marry him either. Why did that child have a pacifier ?? She was four or five and clearly not a baby or even a toddler. I hated how Erin and her grandmother referred to the two cats. It was repeated so many times. Reid's obsession with his boss was so over the top. The most interesting parts of the book were when Erin got to do her "If Only Wishes." They only lasted a day, so those moments were over pretty quick. Erin wanted to be a writer but did nothing about it, she couldn't even manage a blog. I felt like there could have been more background history on some parts and I never got to really know the characters.

This book just wasn't the for me, but encourage people to give it a try. I found the cover of the book to be very cute.

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

My heart is in pieces once again as I come to the end of my latest read from debut fiction writer Melanie Murphy.

The book is all about Erin who is entering her thirties and feeling stuck. She's an Irish gal in London, with a brilliant best friend, but a fiance she's unsure about. Her career has stalled and she desperately misses her Gran back in Ireland. When she goes to visit for her birthday, her granny passes on a family heirloom which changes everything. The necklace she is given is special. It has the power to allow Erin to live a full day in an alternate life. All she has to do is say the words 'if only' and she can live out past decisions made differently.

What I really found special about this book is just how relatable it was. I immediately felt a connection to Erin and I liked the realistic way she reacted to being handed a magical necklace which allows her to essentially time travel! It really makes you think about what you would do in her shoes! She blows a few 'goes' on silly things but it's the sort of things we all wonder about and so it was fun to see these different scenarios play out in Erin's life.

It's also a romance. But unlike so many romances, this one really is a slow burn and builds so gradually and naturally, I genuinely didn't know how things would end. The book features so many different modern issues. Friendship, sexuality, mental health, health problems, grief, money... all the diversities of life are explored. It all comes together in such a beautifully magical way... I didn't want it to end!

If Only is my first read from Melanie Murphy, who is a Youtuber/Online Personality I am not familiar with. I had high hopes with this book because of the cutesy cover and the intriguing blurb.

Unfortunately, I can some up my reading experience in this four words: I didn't like it.

The story of a 30 year old newly single woman with an opportunity to answer her life's "what if"s and "if only"s sounded good. Sadly, I did not feel the promised humor and lightness. I don't know if it's a cultural divide or I just find the characters, especially the main one, quite boring.

Even the execution of the "if only"s were served a little weak. Which was sad because it is the books main premise.

I loved the 80s song recommendations, though. I'm a 90s baby through and through, but I always go crazy for the music of the 80s.

I guess, all in all, this was not bad. It just was not for me, and I can see that some GR reviewers loved this. Maybe, I'll love the next one?

☁ THE CRITERIA ☁

🌻 Blurb:⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌻 Hero:⭐⭐⭐
🌻 Heroine:⭐⭐
🌻 Support Characters:⭐⭐
🌻 Writing Style:⭐⭐
🌻 Character Development:⭐⭐
🌻 Romance:⭐⭐
🌻 Pacing:⭐⭐
🌻 Ending:⭐⭐
🌻 Page Turner:⭐⭐
🌻 Book Cover:⭐⭐⭐⭐

☁FINAL VERDICT: 2.45/5 ☁

What a great debut novel by Melanie Murphy! I rarely comment on a book's cover, but I think this book has so much more to offer than what I initially thought from first look.

If Only introduces readers to Erin as she is on the cusp of turning 30. She's just called off her wedding, she hates her job, and she's not sure where her life is going. #beenthere What makes the book so appealing is that so many readers will have been in Erin's shoes - feeling the ennui of life, wondering about the decisions that they've made.

<Minor Spoiler Alert> With a dash of magical realism, Erin's given an incredible gift in the form of a pendant from her grandmother that allows her to answer those "what if?" questions. What if Erin could go back in time and make changes? Would that make her happier?

It's a book about making decisions and growing from them and learning along the way. It's a delightful summer read.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Erin has just broken up with her fiance, has a job she hates, and is jealous of her new flatmate who is basically everything she isn't. On the bright side, she has a fantastic friend in Reid, has just discovered her childhood friend Finn has moved to the same building, and is about to celebrate her thirtieth birthday with her beloved grandmother in Ireland. But her granny has a surprise for her: a special pendant that can give her the opportunity to briefly live a life she could have had that will change how she sees her reality.

I love the premise of this book. Who hasn't wondered what their life would have been like if they'd made a different decision? I wouldn't mind my own pendant, though I think it would drive me as nuts as it did Erin when she first received it. It is eye opening, though, what a glimpse into another life can give you. At the same time, it can also help one see how right reality can be for one. I loved that Erin explored a few possibilities, but kept coming back to how different her life in them was from what she loved about her reality. As a reader, I will always wonder about the if onlys, but reading this also makes me appreciate where my choices have led me and makes me think this is where I'm supposed to be.

The majority of this book takes place in London, and the characters feel like regular people out walking on the streets. Their speech was sometimes a little hard to follow and figure out since it just felt so very British, but I was charmed by the authenticity and how the author didn't try to clean up their speech to make it more clear. It felt like I was listening in on someone's life, and I loved it. One thing that bothered me a little, though, was when other characters would point out how Irish Erin was at times. As an American who doesn't know the fine differences between being Irish and British, I had no clue what the character was talking about. There was no way I could tell what was British and what was Irish.

One interesting thought that kept striking me while I read, though, was how much it kept making me think of the movie Love, Actually. I don't know if it was the setting or how the characters spoke or how, in it's own way, the story revolved around love and friendship, but it made me smile and want to keep reading.

I really loved how the structure was very different from what I had expected. When Erin was presented with the pendant and told she would only have seven views, I expected the chapters to, more or less, alternate between views and reality. Instead, I got an Erin who was torn between being terrified of using the pendant and wanting desperately to glimpse what different decisions would have brought. Most of the book was spent with her debating whether to use it and her living her life and moving forward, creating her own unique family and place in the world. What I didn't like were the time jumps immediately after the chapters detailing her pendant use. I would have liked a bit about her digesting and unpacking what she saw and how it might impact her reality.

Overall, this was a delightful novel, one I would probably read over and over. The characters felt familiar in that they could be anyone with the same problems and questions and regrets. I loved the way Erin used the pendant and how it impacted the way she saw her reality, and I commend her lack of impulse to use all seven tries. I loved how this book highlighted the fact that we all have wondered "what if" or "if only" and suggested that perhaps the life we are currently living is the one meant for us anyways and that we must continually move forward.



Thank you so much to Netgalley and Hatchette Books Ireland for a free copy. All opinions expressed here are my own

This was a sweet slow-burn romance about second chances, "if only's", and learning about oneself. It was an easy read but I felt like the plot dragged on as well as being pretty predictable. I had some problems with the story and characters that kept me from fully enjoying it but it was by no means a bad read. I think I'm just really picky with my romances! It was also a lot more emotional than I had expected it to be but I appreciated the rawness of some of the emotions throughout.

I would recommend this to people who like more emotional contemporaries, sweet, slow romances, and a little bit of magic.

If Only... Who hasn't thought, "If only I'd..." or, "What if I had..." I think it's only natural for us to consider how different choices might have led to different outcomes - be they big or small. And that's what Erin (the main character) does here.

I went in without knowing anything and enjoyed that experience, so please allow me to be purposely vague: If Only focuses on Erin, her granny, and her friend group. I loved them all. The characters were really well-developed.

Erin's living in London, and has just walked away from her fiancé. Woof. Y'all - this part was NOT easy for me to read. Murphy really captured the emotions you might feel at the end of a long-term relationship - one you thought would lead to marriage. But that's where I think this author shines: SO much of this book made me *feel* things.

Also I wanted like another 300 pages. Don't get me wrong - it's not a cliffhanger or unsatisfying ending, I just wanted to hang with these characters longer. (Oh and there's a bit of magical realism, which I only mention because sometimes that ruins a book for me but I felt that it worked well here.)

Have I said enough yet? Really recommend this one if any of the above sounds interesting & you're not allergic to romance.

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Books Ireland for an e-arc of this title for review!

Melanie's first novel was a total delight and a compelling page-turner. The premise is something we've all surely wondered: what if I'd made some other choice at a pivotal moment in my life? It's Sliding Doors with agency. Watching this novel's heroine visit alternate versions of her life, learning something crucial from each one, was heart-wrenching and heart-warming. The cast of characters is diverse and charming, the voice is alternately thoughtful and funny, and the pacing is crisp. I look forward to more novels from Melanie!

This is not the kind of book you'd expect when you see the cover. It is a little more brutal than that. I would not say that is the reason it was not the book for me, because it was the main reason I liked it at all. It does not go the way you expect it to.

Erin is stuck in a rut. She hates her daily life, the choices she has made and is being bolstered emotionally by her best friend and financially by her father. Now all of this, as well as her attitude does not endear herself to the reader. She is meant to be a conflicting protagonist who learns her lesson through a magical gift. I liked every instance of the 'If Only's and the lessons she learns( the explanations of which are a crucial part of the book). I had a problem with some of the repetitive instances which bothered me and I am not used to disliking the main character as much as I did. The highlight of the story is the friendship and the ruminations regarding it but a couple of things I thought should have been left the way they were initially only because that would have strengthened the author's narrative. 

The language took some getting used to but was an interesting addition since I have read very few Irish based tales(in comparison to certain other parts of the world), and although I was not comfortable with the tone of a lot of the conversations, I understand its place in the narrative. I recommend this book to those who are looking for a 'different' take on the contemplation of how the choices we make changes our daily life and/or the people we are.

To be honest I didn't really love this book. I thought the plot was weak and very implausible. It was also very easy to predict how the story would end. However the biggest problem was the central character was extremely unlikable. She is so fickle and self centred that I found it very difficult to finish the book.. I think the author is talented and will produce better books in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the wonderful chance to read 5his book for an honest review in return.

Have you even wondered what would happen if you'd taken a different path in life? How it would change your whole world and to see if it would have been better than how you live now?

Erin has been given this chance.

With a necklace gifted to her by her grandmother on her thirtieth birthday, she is able to discover what would have happened if she had decided to go other ways in life by taking the road not taken. Not all outcomes may be what she expected, but they all teach her something in the end.

A new way to learn about life and yourself, 'If Only' is a wonderful read. Emersive and relatable, and not wanting to put it down, I would gladly recommend this book to all.

Melanie's characters bring a sudden life to themselves that I felt I was there beside them through it all. Heartfelt, gripping and answers questions you may not even have know you wanted answered, I already can't wait to curl up and delve back into this beautiful read.

Thank you Hachette Books Ireland for the review copy.


This book just wasn't for me. Cute premise but lacked follow through which was really disappointing. The idea behind the necklace was interesting and original but the 'if only' parts were boring and rushed. The main character Erin has also got to be one of the frustrating characters I've read about this year and I absolutely detested her by the end of the book.

This book really hit me in the right place, being older than the Erin I think I connected with her so much. A story about second guessing your choices and what ifs in life. A lovely story with a nice touch of humour , this book pulls you in from the first page , a wonderful debut, can’t wait for more from Melanie.


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

This is such a good book and I will admit I wasn't sure whether I would like it or not!

This is a story about getting older and second guessing every decision you have made and I must say that it is so real and brings so many issues into it that we all go through at some stage that I found it to be a refreshing read.

Its very well written and I absolutely love the cover!

Thanks to Netgalley and Hachette Ireland for an arc copy in exchange for an honest review.