It’s the late 70s in Ireland, and Meg’s got a lot on her plate. It’s her final year of secondary school. She needs four honors to get into university, and no one is great at English, particularly because their teacher is kind of terrible. All of that changes when Harriet Stewart takes the position. Everyone gets interested in the subject matter, and Meg can’t stop thinking about her teacher. After graduation, an accidental kiss leads to Harriet pushing her away and Meg questioning her entire existence. Four years later, Meg is super excited for her new teaching post, until none other than Harriet is the head of her department, and Meg’s feelings don’t seem to have diminished over the last few years.

This book covers a lot of ground, and I was surprised at how quickly it moved. I started it yesterday morning and was done by mid-evening. It’s not perfect, but I really enjoyed this book. I was a tad wary when the first part was at a high school and involved a teacher and student, but it was handled very well, not creepy at all, and anything other than a rush was dealth with as consenting adults, a very important fact.

I really loved the characters. The tension and build up was legendary. The tension is really what gets me in romance. If it’s broken too soon, I feel like the story suffers a bit, and the push and pull not only of the characters, but Meg’s internal struggle and self-exploration really rounded out the story.

I was rooting for the two of them, and that’s really the highest compliment in romance. You have to want the characters to make it, particularly when everything seems against them. If you’re looking for a quick read that is dramatic and sweet, definitely check this one out.

I RECIEVED MY FAITH IN WLW BOOKS ENTIRELY!
I love books set in Ireland. I love historical fiction, even though this one was not as much set back in time as I usually prefer to. Nonethless - this book was lovely. I am usually not a big fan of student/teacher-relationships, but this book was just so beautifully written - not to mention all the little irish dialected words put in it, which made this book a wonderful authentic experience. I devoured this one in one go. It was very easy to read; the characters were likeable and the plot - which was technically very small - was interesting enough to keep me fascinated. The characters were absolutely amazing and if I am being honest, I loved the book much more after the time jump than the school part. I could ease into the characters more and fully enjoy this sweet experience of a book. Another huge plus from my side: Little sex on page and it wasn't as graphic as it could have been.
I would definetly recommend it! The only issue I had was that it was too short for my taste. I am looking forward for more books written by Maggie Doolin, because I really loved her writing!

I received a free copy by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

There was lots to like about this book, it was one I kept returning to and finding time for, which is no mean feat. The story of Meg and Harriet has stayed with me. It was an engaging read and the tension in the relationship between the two women was well-handled. The book was a bit on the short side -- at times I felt the writer was glossing over details which would have rounded the story out a little more, in order to get to the highest-tension scenes, but overall a great read.

Great book! I was hooked from the start, thank you so much for providing me a copy of this book to read. This is something I would love to purchase.

Firstly, there is no Harriet Smith in this story. (As per the blurb) There is a Harriet Stewart. Secondly, this story is set in the small village of Tullybawn, not the small close-knit village of Curramore - also in the blurb.

Nine Star Press might want to fix that. There are other editing errors, but this is an ARC, so they didn't factor into my review/rating.

Thirdly, this is not a debut novel. It states at the end that the author has written extensively in many other genres - which is clear from the caliber of writing.

Those things aside, I thoroughly enjoyed this story, in particular, the era it's set in. This story is told in third person and completely from Meg's point-of-view. Technically, this could be seen as young adult, given her age, but it doesn't have that vibe. I think, in part, it's due to being set in the 70s where teenagers seemed to grow up a lot faster than nowadays. (Just my experience)

It was excited to see this marketed as teacher/student, but it's barely that. After the first uncertain, tentative kiss, the story jumps ahead four years. By that time, they are teacher and teacher, so no controversy to be found here on that front.

The driving force of the story is assumptions and miscommunication. I get that, to a point. But assuming someone is sleeping with someone just because they hugged (both heroines did this) rubbed me the wrong way.

The epilogue jumps ahead 30? odd years to 2016. While I loved their happy ever after, some of the dialogue felt like the author's agenda (the rant about how abysmal the LGBT community was treated, something I don't dispute) rather than the natural flow of conversation.

Reading over my review, I realize it might sound more negative than positive, but I really did enjoy the story. This is one you need to pick up for yourself and draw your own conclusion. Even if there are a few things you don't like, there's a lot to like.

Copy provided by the publisher, NineStar Press, via NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this book.
This is a story that covers some decades and is more than the description let us know. When reading the blurb I thought, well, it is another teacher/student romance, but it is set in the 1970s and in Ireland, so let´s see where it take us, but I repeat, it is much more...
The book tells us a story that starts in 1975 and from the beginning it brings, for example, the church's role in determining people's lives, specially women's lives and this is an important and still valid discussion.
We also have pictured the struggles of reaching adulthood, the coming out before the 1980s and how some things regarding same sex marriage changed over the years. I mean, we know it changed in many places, but it is good to be able to experience it through Meg and Harriet.
Many problems in our lives are caused for lack of communication and this is also present in this reading and being able to feel the characters struggles and agonies gives us a nice touch of reality. It was a different book from the most popular contemporary romances and I liked the change.

“You have to love with your whole heart,” she’d said. “Be true to who you are. Nothing but pain and heartbreak comes from trying to be who you’re not.”

When 18 years old Meg Mitchell met her new English teacher, Miss Harriet Stewart, she was enamoured with her enthusiasm and ability to breathe life into the classroom for the otherwise dead subject. Though indifferent to the affections of the opposite sex, her conscious efforts to impress Miss Harriet left her confused till an incident shook her entire being and everything she knew about herself.

A love story spanning over 40 years, the book empathically captured the questionings and struggles with one’s sexuality through the inner monologues of Meg Mitchell. Slumped in the valley of doubts, judgement and unknown fears for who she suspected she was, the book made an impression by how real and realistic one’s fear of the big reveal could be.

Anyone who has had to come to terms with coming out and taken an arduous journey of self realisation and discovery will find this book a great read. It is liberating, the end is fitting and a book you should pick.

I just reviewed Love in the Shadows by Maggie Doolin. #LoveintheShadows #NetGalley

Love in the Shadows is such a gripping and wonderful story of forbidden love. It follows the life of Meg Mitchell from the age of eighteen and through life, as she comes to turns with her sexuality and learns to accept herself and fight for her right to love freely. It’s also a wonderful story of friendship and bravery, and has some of the most amazing parents I’ve ever met in any book.

Growing up in a small Catholic village in rural Ireland in the 1970s when homosexuality was still a crime and repressed by both church and society, Meg has heard whispers about “lesbians” and freaks, but never thought those words would be about herself. But when she gets a new young English teacher in her final year of secondary school, she feels herself inexplicably drawn to the elegant Harriet Stewart. Her attempt to show her affection ends in disaster though, and going away to college, Meg does everything she can to put her first crush behind her. She even tries to convince herself to try and be straight and date a man to get an easier life for herself and her parents.

The characters in this book were amazing and so relatable. I immediately rooted for both Meg and Harriet and their struggles. Meg was so incredibly brave and I just kept wishing for her happy ending all the way through the book. Given the fact that homosexuality was a crime and heavily condemned by the church, all angst and mixed feelings of love and excitement with anxiety and tension was all too understandable, and the bravery it took to choose the path Meg did despite the almost insurmountable difficulties, is admirable beyond words. I also loved so many of the secondary characters, especially Meg’s amazing and supportive parents, and Aisling and Liz, who were so wonderful, strong, courageous and fun friends that always stood by Meg no matter what.

Some parts of the book felt a bit rushed, especially the first part leading up to Meg’s graduation, and the writing was a little bit too much telling us about Meg’s feelings rather than letting us understand and feel for ourselves. I’d also loved some more background when it came to Harriet and some more information about her friends and family and past experiences to better understand why she reacted the way she did. But overall, this was truly a wonderful debut by Maggie Doolin!

This book was such an important eye-opener as to how lesbian love was forbidden as late as in the 1970s and 1980s, and the injustice in how society treated homosexuals. But most of all, it was a swooning, sweet and emotional rollercoaster for a love story, that I recommend with all my heart.

4.5 shining new stars rounding up to 5.

Thank you NetGalley and NineStar Press for the opportunity to read this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars

A solid novella set in Ireland following Meg from her final year of high school through to the vote on the marriage equality act in 2015. I often find that when I’m reading a novella I wish it was longer - but this one is done well in that it covers the subject manner in just the right amount of detail, but provides a clear narrative so there’s nothing else to wish for.

We open with Meg at high school, where she’s undertaking her Leaving year. She realises that she has a crush on her high school English teacher - leading her to explore how she feels about girls in general. Whilst enjoy isn’t the right word because there’s a lot of introspection on the topic of boys and feelings, I thought this section was done really well.

As the book centres on Meg we follow her through leaving school, to her first job as an English teacher herself. She’s had the opportunity to explore her sexuality at college, but running into someone from her past causes her to look at the realities of being a lesbian in Ireland, working at a Catholic school. Again the feelings side of this is explored really well.

The parts of the book I liked the most were the interactions. I felt they gave a realistic depiction of how it must have felt living in Ireland during this time period (I hope anyway).

It does have a happy ending and I’d recommend to anyone looking for an interesting narrative spanning a large number of years and how a couple grows, whether together or not.

I received an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Am I the first to review this book? Gosh, the pressure!
I'll err towards slightly generous with a 4.5 star rating, especially upon realizing that this was a debut after setting the book down. Maggie Doolin already has the polished writing of a seasoned author.
There is quite a bit of angst throughout the story, but none of it is uncalled for. Meg is just barely an adult, after all, and still finding her way. Harriet's qualms are to be expected of any professional in her position, and in their time period. Considering the circumstances, Meg is remarkably brave, certainly braver than I might be in her shoes. She only makes the one mistake after being thoroughly chewed out by her crush, but I think that impassioned rant would make anyone re-evaluate their priorities. I mean: "You're supposed to stay hidden, keep to yourself, and you are certainly not mean to fall in love like normal people." Ouch! Especially when that's coming from someone she cares for.
I suppose that's the one issue I found with the story. I don't think Harriet properly apologized or explained those words. It sounds more homophobic than any warning from someone who understands Meg's position should be willing to give. If she's jealous, that could have been clarified. Otherwise, it seems that she has her own issues to work through, and we should have gotten to see those. The same goes for her explanation of the post-kiss reaction. I would think that there should be a visible difference between disgust and regret/self-loathing. My immediate assumption was that Harriet was mad at herself, but as time passed, I came to see it through Meg's eyes. I don't know why Harriet wouldn't have picked up on that, seeing as Meg literally bolted. She could have tried to clear that up with Meg later, especially when she sees Meg with Liz and makes her assumptions about their relationship. If she really thought she had "marked Meg for life," she could have made some sort of apology, so Meg would have known where she stood. Of course, that would have been too easy.
The book is on the shorter side, only a little longer than a novella, so while it is technically a slow burn, it doesn't feel like we have to wait all that long. I would have liked to see more of who Harriet is, and why they are right for each other, instead of being in Meg's head all the time. When they finally make up, I didn't think there was enough for us to go off of, to accept that they fit well enough to spend the rest of their lives together. At least their feelings are always clear and even reciprocated to the same degree.
I liked the last chapter/epilogue. It feels surprisingly relevant to the story, despite the time-lapse, because so much of Meg's internal turmoil is about fitting in. It's heartwarming to come back to the characters at such a different point in their lives, and note that they still make each other so happy.
Hopefully that's an adequate amount of feedback. I enjoyed the read thoroughly, even if I only got an hour and a half of it. And since I'm the first reviewer, maybe there's hope that someone will notice when I point out that the blurb has Harriet's surname wrong, and the village's name is Tullybawn. Kudos to the author on a great debut.