Thank you Netgalley and Aria & Aries for the chance to read the advanced copy of The Ladies' midnight swimming club by Faith Hogan. I absolutely loved this book! This book was exactly what I wanted to read for 2021! Three women, three different stages of life, united by one thing: the chance to start again.
When Elizabeth's husband dies, leaving her with crippling debt, she turns to her friend Jo for help. Jo who has been hiding a secret of her own, calls her daughter Lucy in Dublin to help run the village surgery. Lucy, newly divorced, wants to leave the city, is determined to make the most of her fresh start.
In search of some solace, Jo and Elizabeth find themselves enjoying midnight dips in the freezing Irish sea. Here they can laugh, cry and wash away all their fears. As well as conjure a fundraising plan for the local hospice; to take a dip in the nip.
Faith Hogan is a new author for me, but I definitely will be reading more of her books! The characters of Elizabeth and Jo were written so well that you could feel their pain and grief, as well as their joy when they were out in the water. This book shares a lot of emotions, and maybe that is just what this world needs right now.

I loved this book , After visiting Ireland several times, I was particularly interested in the area where the novel takes place. Interesting characters are bought together in a small Irish town. I love the ritual of swimming at night, something that brings the town together for a common cause. Only disappointing part was that I figured out the connection between two of the main characters before the ending.

I loved this from the minute I saw its most intriguing- and brilliant- title, and once I'd read the first chapter was equally hooked. What a fabulous and emotional ride as the story of Elizabeth, Jo and Lucy unfolds. Ireland for me, unfortunately, has only ever been Dublin, but Faith's beautiful and descriptive writing is having me heading for the West Coast, once this damned lockdown allows!! Funnily enough, I was having a bit of a yen for some wild swimming - or at least would love the ability to swim in the sea every day - and now, having devoured every sentence, am totally envious of these three women's naked dips in the cold North Sea.

Faith writes beautifully, her words painting a picture as one reads: "... It was exhilarating, a baptism of biting cold that felt as if it might chew her up in no time. It rattled her nerve endings, sending an extravagant swell of emotion through her. It was initiation, a if she was being culled of her old staid life..." Just fabulous!!

And then there's Dan to add into the mix, secrets to reveal, emotional stories that will have you crying buckets...
A beautifully written, exceptionally well-told story that will pull on every heartstring and have you wanting more.
Five fabulous sparkling stars from me!

Julie Houston

A story about grief, hope and friendship set in a charming Irish village.
I really enjoyed this story and there were some interesting characters.
I read this book in one day as I didn’t want to put it down.
Thank you to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Fantastic read. I have been completely unable to put this one down. I cannot wait to read more by this author.
Full review to follow on blog tour.

The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club by Faith Hogan is a book that grabs hold of your heartstrings from the start and does not let go. As you may guess from the title, this book features a swimming club of women who do this activity at midnight. What the title does not share is the sheer volume of love and the emotional journeys these three women encounter. The encouragement and connection is also not highlighted. All are crucial elements that occur because they share this activity.

We fall in love with down on her luck Elizabeth, a recent widow, who finds herself in deep.debt thanks to the gambling her doctor husband his from her. Jo and her daughter Lucy also are endearing as they fight their own battles of health and starting over in a new place.

Ultimately, this book will make you proud of the healing that occurs. Female friendships are crucial to our well being and Hogan creates an unlikely trio of friends. The quirky supporting characters are also fabulous and add greatly to this book.

I loved the descriptions of the geography of the western coast of Ireland but would have probably been reluctant to join in with the swimming in Ballycove! The last scene of the book will have you cheering and crying all at once. Happiness and sorrow are intertwined with grace.

I was provided a free advance reader copy from Aria & Aries in exchange for my honest review on Net Galley. The opinions shared in this review are my own.

A dip in the Irish Sea is all it takes to wash away their troubles! After reading this phenomenal book, I just want to dive in there next to Elizabeth, Lucy and Jo – hooting and hollering, starkers crazy!

Faith Hogan has written an emotional, uplifting story set in the sweeping Irish countryside and I have high hopes that The Midnight Ladies’ Swimming Club will be a contender for first place as the best book I read in 2021. This is one of those books that sneaks into your heart instantly and you just know that it will stay with you for a long time. When I wasn’t reading, it’s all I could think about, wishing I could get back to Ballycove sooner rather than later. Being born in Ireland, I’m very familiar with ‘Ballycove’; a hybrid of so many of the little places dotted along the north west Atlantic coast that I’ve visited over the years. It was like going home.

The cast of characters was stellar ~ I loved every one of them. Hogan has put so much thought into each one, making them realistic and appealing to readers. The three main ladies may not have made all the right decisions in life, but buoyed up by each other and a common desire for midnight swims, they find that the solution to their worries isn’t so far away. Hogan takes us on a journey with them as they transform their own lives and the lives of those they love. Despite being different ages, they are united by a chance to start again.

When Elizabeth’s husband, the local doctor, dies, leaving her 62,000 Euro in debt, she turns to her bestie, Jo for help. Jo enlists the help of her daughter, Lucy, also a doctor, to take over the practice. Lucy is glad for the fresh start; unfortunately, her teenage son isn’t so sure.

Just as these lost souls create a life they love, Jo’s world is turned upside down with shocking news. The nightly midnight dips in the freezing Irish Sea give them a chance to forget life for a while and laugh as they wash away their fears.

“Don’t you feel alive? I feel the same thing every day I come here. It anchors me in a place that’s mine within the vastness.”

With a year like we’ve all just experienced, isn’t this what we all need? Grab your swimsuits and meet me at the water’s edge at midnight. Come on, you know you want to!

Quite possibly one of the best books I’ve read in years, this emotional story about taking chances, finding new friends and living life to the fullest needs to be on your radar come May 6, 2021.

A heartfelt thank you to Faith Hogan, Aria & Aries, and NetGalley for this five=star advance copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

Reading Faith Hogan comes with a familiar reassurance. She writes incredibly insightfully, does family dynamics exceptionally well and is one of those writer's that you're only reminded of how brilliant they are when you pick up their latest book.

The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club centres around three women: Jo, Elizabeth and Lucy. Elizabeth was the local Doctor's wife, who was cruel in life but even worse in death. She is left with a crumbling Doctor's surgery and crippling debt. Jo, her best friend, sees her own life unravelling before her eyes when she receives an awful diagnosis. Lucy, Jo's daughter, is burnt out from working in Dublin's hospital, recovering from a divorce and doing her best with their son. They each find solace in the shallows of Ballycove.

The warmth that I felt for these characters really crept up on me. Jo and Elizabeth, as we learn more about their friendship, have been each other's rock throughout their lives and are fiercely protective of each other. As Lucy joins the surgery as the new local GP, she also befriends Elizabeth, who is rebuilding her life after Eric leaves her with nothing. Their friendships, old and new, provide not only warmth and support but the solutions to each of their problems, and there is more than one new start for our characters.

Alongside three women, we also meet Dan, a writer who has been fired from his day job in London. He comes to Ballycove to find out more about his birth parents and to finally write his novel. He falls for the rolling hills and open shores, and one night happens upon Elizabeth and Jo taking a dip in the sea. They inspire his story, and thus their story becomes immortalised through his words.


The charity dip at the end of the book had me in tears. The strength, the friendships, and the finality of it all were so uplifting and beautiful, and the way it was written was truly breath-taking. I'm pretty sure my friends will hate me as I try to convince them to come open water swimming with me! It sounds like the most invigorating, freezing thing to do and I can't wait. Another thing you shouldn't wait for: reading this book!

Another fantastic Faith Hogan book. Great characters and story line that gets you hooked straight away. Emotional ending that had me sobbing into the pillow. Thanks Faith.

This was a well written book and I loved it! Loved reading about the place and all the wonderful characters whom make the story.

A feel-good, moving, emotion-filled story placed in a sea-side village in Western Ireland.

Three women, all very close but all in different phases of their lives. Jo, the spunky elderly woman and mother to Lucy, whose life is about to be turned upside down. Lucy, a doctor and a recently divorced single-mother, looking for a new lease on life adventures to her hometown before hoping to send much needed time with her son Niall. Elizabeth, with a recently deceased husband who provided a loveless marriage and mountains of debt on his passing, tries to find her way with help from Jo and Lucy. Throw in the new addition to the town, Dan, and you have quite the story that ends with making your heart swell and yours eyes water.
The characters in and their stories were relatable; we all know people who are like these people or maybe we see ourselves in them. Bits and pieces were a bit predictable, but that didn't take away from the greatness of the story. This is the first book I've read by Faith Hogan, but I am now very interested in reading more from her!

Thanks to NetGalley and Aria and Aries for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
#succeedingatreading2021

Maeve Bunche or Amanda Prowse meets the Calendar Girls.

I loved this gentle tale of a small community in Ireland. When Elizabeth’s GP husband dies she is horrified to discover that he ran up thousands of pounds of gambling debts, leaving her virtually penniless. Needing to find a way to keep the practice running in order to generate income, she turns to the daughter of her best friend Jo. Lucy is working unhappily in a hospital in Dublin but agrees to act as locum for a couple of weeks to tide Elizabeth over.

Gradually, secrets are revealed and although it was fairly easy to guess the connections between characters, the way they were revealed was done in such a lovely way. I admit to shedding a few tears at the beautiful writing.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author but I will definitely be reading more. I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An emotive read which captures the heart. The characters depicted are wonderful, plus the trials and tribulations they face are . Faith Hogan's descriptions of Ballycove so real hat the reader is immediately transported to a beautiful coastal village on the west coast of Ireland. True empathy depicted between friends and the wider community that I was left wanting to read more.. A truly uplifting and heartwarming book to immerse oneself in..

With thanks to faith hogan netgalley for a truly outstandingly humbling book. I wept buckets at certain times , the care and love shared between Elizabeth lucy and her mum jo was heartwarming ♥ Dan who had come to ballycove to write a book witnessed something very special i really can't praise this book enough and highly recommend it.

I didn't want this book to end! A true celebration of life, and whatever it brings us: the good, the bad and the ordinary. Because that's how lives are lived. Strong characters, a beautiful setting on the Irish coast, and ultimately, uplifting and inspirational.

Thank you NetGalley for this incredible book, The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club by Faith Hogan. I loved everything about this book. It was a bittersweet story with lovable characters. The setting was described in such vivid details that you could envision it as if you were there. The writing style was also so enjoyable. I knew I was hooked as soon as I started it. This is a "must read" and I will be recommending it to everyone.

Book Clubs: Ply your members with THE LADIES’ MIDNIGHT SWIMMING CLUB, cold Guinness, hot Shepherd’s pie, crusty soda bread, and melt-in-your-mouth Baileys truffles as you gab about grief, friendship and the healing power of the Irish Sea. Sure and begorra, you’ll have a grand time!

4 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 06 May 2021
#MidnightSwimmingClub #NetGalley

Thanks to the author, Aria & Aries, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.