I absolutely adored this book from start to finish. It was so well written and I loved the three different storylines. Usually I find it hard to stay interested when there’s more than one story to follow however this book was the exception for me. The connections between the plots were so cleverly thought out! I highly recommend giving this a read!

Thanks to netgalley for the copy of this.

So I'm not often a huge fan of more than 2 character narratives in the one book, however I did enjoy this book. Characters were linked both by the therapist they went to, and through other types of relationships. It was interesting to see relationships and sexual issues not usually spoken about explored in this book.

I would have liked to have seen how things panned out longer term for the characters, but I suppose you're supposed to draw your own conclusions :)

About Us is the fifteenth contemporary novel from Irish author, Sinead Moriarty, an engaging novel about three couples facing intimacy issues in their relationships.

Exhausted by the daily demands of caring for their four rambunctious young children, feeling inadequate and frumpy, Alice has an excuse ready every time her husband reaches for her. Niall, an ambitious lawyer, loves his wife but is hurt by her repeated rejection and desperate for something to change.

With her sixty fifth birthday approaching, her children living their own lives and her husband on the cusp of retirement, Ann is bored and restless but her husband is not the least bit interested in adventure or, it seems, her. Ken doesn’t understand why, after 39 years of marriage, Ann is no longer happy with the status quo, he just wants things to stay just as they are.

Orla has escaped her father’s boundless grief but not her mother’s legacy. She’s convinced that she’s a freak who will never have the only thing she wants - love, marriage and children, but Paul, the divorced father of one her students, wants the chance to convince her otherwise.

Desperate to improve their situations Niall, Ann and Orla make an appointment with American sex and relationship psychotherapist, Maggie Purcell, who helps them voice their deepest fears, disappointments, wants and desires.

Moriarty writes with honesty and sensitivity about issues related to identity, marriage, family, and intimacy at different stages of life in About Us.

I thought the couples relationships were relatable, aspects of the issues in the marriages of Alice and Niall, and Ann and Ken are likely to resonate with many readers. Moriarty’s insights were thoughtful and genuine and she was pretty fair to each partner, though I had more empathy for the women, particularly at first.

Orla isn’t in a relationship, but she wants be. The issue that prompts her to seek out Maggie is a little known condition and one I’m glad that Moriarty addresses. I had a lot of sympathy for Orla, who has a tragic background, and though I didn’t really relate to her, I wished the best for her.

I liked About Us, Moriarty offers a story with emotional depth, written with warmth, humour, and honesty.

Loved it!!! There were so many times that I laughed out loud. My husband kept asking me what I was reading. The George Clooney mask was definitely one of them. I give Ken points for coming up with that, even though it was a little creepy. The characters were all relatable with real life problems. I never heard of the problem that Orla suffered from. Her childhood must have had something to do with it. Her dad pretty much blamed her for her mom's death and never got over it. Alice and Niall were my favorite part of the book. (Really Alice, because I hated Niall.) Alice suffered from what so many women feel when they are a mom, wife and work or a stay at home mom. Niall was such a whiney man child. His role model was a man who left his wife and children so that he could party, wear obnoxious shirts, do drugs and date a women half his age. Niall never helped with the children and expected Alice to do everything. He wanted his wife to be waiting for him with a glass of wine when he got home for work. He was actually jealous of his children. Everything about him annoyed me. Alice's mom and sister were just as bad and gave horrible advice. Ann expected Ken to instantly change. He wasn't the romantic type and chose to show his love by being a provider. A dyson was not the perfect birthday gift. Loved the therapist, she gave great advice to everyone. I hated how the book ended. I wanted to keep reading and see what was next for everyone, especially what happened with Ken and Ann.

Definitely recommend the book. Loved the characters, story and writing style. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Penguin General UK - Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking, Penguin Life, Penguin Business Stories through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Three couples. One therapist. A whole lot of love.
Alice and her husband Niall are struggling to juggle life with four young kids and still have time for each other.
Ann and Ken have been together for 38 years and suddenly find themselves retiring and dreading having to fill the days together.
School teacher Laura has fallen for Paul, a parent of one of her kids.
All three couple have very different struggles but know that the love they have for each other will see them through.
I loved this heart warming story. I really cared about the characters and found myself thinking about them when I wasn't reading the book. Such a feel good, lovely story perfect for a beach/holiday read. I will definitely be recommending this to my customers looking for something easy to read this summer.

Three couples need help, in love, marriage, life and sex. So when they see the opportunity to save what they have or maybe fix things they feel are broken they contact a therapist.

But can she really fix things, or will wounds be opened, expectations realised and will more be broken than fixed?

I enjoyed the themes that were explored in this novel. The main characters were different ages, exploring different issues within relationships; and it was good to explore something different such as the female's point of view on vaginismus, rather than the usual male point of view on erectile dysfunction.

The narrative and point of view kept switching in the actual chapters which were annoying; as the reader, you then became confused about which characters POV we were following due to the switch.

I found the book slow at the beginning but, rushed at the end. I understand the reasons it was slow at the beginning was to build up the storylines; however, the conclusions seemed rushed. These needed to have flowed better. It may have been due to being over-ambitious with the three storylines.

Although I could relate to some of the characters, especially Alice, I found some of the writing quite cliché.

Really enjoyed this story set in Ireland. Centred around three women who are loosely connected and their stories as they undergo therapy for marriage/relationship issues.
This was a deceptive book, very easy to read but the issues were very topical and for me extremely relatable and each relationship is at a different stage of life.
There is Anne and Ken who are in their 60’s. Ken is retiring soon and Anne feels lost and unseen. Alice and Niall are parents of four extremely energetic children, Alice has always wanted to be a stay at home Mum but feels she is failing miserably. While Niall has been concentrating on becoming a senior partner and has disengaged with his family. Finally Orla is a young woman who has struggled with childhood trauma that makes it quite difficult to form a loving relationship.
Their stories wove in and out seamlessly, I found the therapy sessions fascinating and how they were worked through.
Highly recommended, Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy to read.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin for the opportunity to read and review this story. I have read several of Sinead Moriarty’s books previously and have enjoyed them all.

In this beautiful book, three couples at different stages of their interlinked lives all end up seeking help from the same therapist.

Ann and Ken are at retirement age, and she is realising that things cannot continue in the same way they have been. They have become set in their ways, and Ken is happier to sit in his easy chair watching sports than he is keen to do do anything with Ann.

Alice and her husband Niall’s lives have changed since they became parents to four children under age 10. Alice is a stay at home mom whose life revolves around her children and Niall hides out at work rather than come home. Their marriage is at an all time low with both not getting what they need from their relationship.

Orla is the young teacher to Alice and Niall’s youngest children. She is also the flat mate of Ann and Ken’s daughter Zoe. Her mother died in childbirth and Orla is reminded constantly by her father that not only did she grow up motherless but that her being born killed her mother. When she meets the single father of one of the children in her class, her secret leads her seek help from the same therapist that Ann, Ken, Alice and Niall are seeing.

This is a beautiful story dealing with the issues that affect us at different times of our lives. They are dealt with honestly and with sensitivity. At the end, all three couples find resolution and healing through being honest with their partners and themselves. A stunning story! ❤️

Really enjoyed this one. A great story packed with three very different relationship scenarios, and one very brilliant therapist.
I liked the blend of the relationships and how they all linked back to Maggie.
Very clever. Some heartfelt moments, frustrating, infuriating and giggly ones too.
A wonderfully easy read.

This was my first Moriarty, and let me explain the shallow motives that drawn me to this book.
First of all the name of the author sounded so Irish, and I was in the mood for an Irish read. Secondly: Moriarty is a character in Sherlock Holmes, impersonated in the series by the wonderful actor Andrew Scott, aka the hot priest in Fleabag. So yes, my motives were very, very shallow.
But from shallow motives can come wonderful surprises, like this one!
What a delightful book! The characters are so relatable and well described you have the sensation you've known them all your life, the problems they have in their daily life and in their relationships are also your own, and their path with with therapist Maggie is somewhat healing also for the reader.
I must add other Moriarty's to my TBR pile, I absolutely love her style.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’d like to thank Penguin UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘About Us’ by Sinead Moriarty in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Ann and Ken have been married for 38 years but all the romance has gone from their relationship and now their children have left home Ann is left wondering where her life is going. Niall and Alice have four demanding children who leave Alice exhausted as Niall takes no part in their day-to-day care yet expects Alice to be enthusiastic on his late return from work. Orla is a teacher and has fallen in love with Paul, the father of one of her pupils, but she has major problems with relationships and doesn’t want to hurt him by promising something she can’t give. These three couples have one thing in common, they’re all meeting Maggie Purcell, a relationship therapist, in the hope she can help them.

Sinead Moriarty has the amazing gift of being able to tell a story about ordinary folk and bring them to life. In ‘About Us’ there are seven down-to-earth people, nothing special about them, yet I’ve been so transfixed by their stories that I’ve had to keep reading to find out more. My heart went out to each of them as I could totally see where they were coming from and although at the end of the novel they were able to go forward with their lives it wasn’t quite what I was expecting. It’s been a thought-provoking story, beautifully written by a very accomplished author who has concluded the story with a lovely ending full of promise and hope. I enjoyed this novel and can recommend it without hesitation.

This is a new author for me and like any time I read an author for the first time I’m always a bit nervous, what if I don’t like the book and cannot finish it, Well I needn’t have worried on that score. This book was out and out awesome, It’s not a thriller but a book telling us a story of 3 couples and the different situations they are in and how they are getting help from a counsellor. The characters in this story were written so well that I felt like I knew them all personally. A wonderful read.

This book was extremely addictive and so easy to read. A perfect summer read!
I loved each of the character's different stories and dilemas. A very enjoyable, happy read. I finished this book in two sittings. I am a fan of Sinéad Moriarty and I was not disappointed by this book.
Thank you to Sinéad Moriarty, NetGalley and Penguin General UK - Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking, Penguin Life, Penguin Business for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Awesome read - relatable, fun, with enjoyable characters to read. I've read Sinead Moriaty books before, and they're always great books. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Loved About Us found it immediately relatable from the first pages.A clean kitchen that used to be full of kids the empty nest syndrome.Three women in Dublin one therapist so well written so involving will be recommending.#netgalley #Aboutus

I loved this book, relatable and laugh out loud funny. The book spans between different people whose lives lead to needing help from Maggie, a counsellor and sex therapist. This book invokes a myriad of emotions, hilarious yet sad and happy for the characters in the book too. Heart warming as the characters go on a journey of development and acceptance. Would highly recommend.

For me Sinead Moriarty never fails. I flew through this book. Sinéad has a real gift for storytelling and her writing brings all these characters to life. I got really involved in their lives especially the women.

About Us is a novel about two couples and a single woman who turn to a therapist for help. The couples need help with their marriages and the single girl with her life in general. I related so much to Alice in some ways and was really rooting for her through this book. And Orla’s story really moved me. I got completely wrapped up in each of the storylines and just enjoyed the book from beginning to end. I have read a lot of books by Sinead Moriarty. She has a wonderful storytelling ability. I adored this book I would recommend to everyone.

This is a good book, I enjoyed it. It’s not a “I can’t believe what happens next”m book - more a gentle burner but with a nice story and I would recommend it. Very real to life and well written.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Penguin Books UK for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
Great read, Ann who is approaching 65 is finding her marriage stale and feels she needs to have some adventure, Ken her husband is quite content in his armchair and can’t understand why Ann is suddenly so unhappy after 30 odd years together.
Alice & Niall have 4 young children, Niall works constantly & Alice is struggling to be the super stay at home mum she envisioned herself.
Ora is single, her past is preventing her having a relationship.
Both couples and Orla all find themselves on the couch of Maggie who is a sex therapist.
This is a light hearted enjoyable read, as relationships are explored and looked at from different perspectives.

I had to force myself to finish this I'm afraid. Fair play to the author for taking on three under discussed sexual relationship issues but at times it was just cringey especially the scenes set in the pop psychologists office. I can't believe any men could be as blind to their wive's distress as Ken and Niall and as for Orla........