I have been such a huge fan of Cecilia Ahern for years, and her latest release Freckles did not disappoint.

This novel quickly transported to Ireland (which thanks to Aherns books feels like my second home), and left me feeling refreshed and uplifted.

I can't wait to see what comes out next!

Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. It's been a while since I have read a book from Cecelia. This was an enjoyable read, Freckles is about a girl trying to find the 5 people in her life who are the most influential and important to her. The books has poignant moments that tugged at my heartstrings, Freckles is also wanting to reconnect with her mother who abandoned her years ago. A heartwarming read about how we search outside of what's right in front of us for things/people to complete us without realising that what we are searching for can be what we already have. I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Freckles and her dad. ⭐⭐⭐ #netgalley #ceceliaahern #freckles #tea_sipping_bookworm #litsy #goodreads #amazonkindle #thestorygraph

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

This was almost a DNF for me but I decided to persevere because I have previously enjoyed Cecelia's books. I am so glad I did. Such a quirky book with lovable characters, all of whom are a little weird (in a good way!!).

When a stranger tells Allegra, aka Freckles, that everyone is the average of the five people they spend the most time with she struggles to think who they would be. Does she even have five people? So taking this as an opportunity to leave her small Irish village and moving to Dublin, she starts a journey of self discovery and connections.

I did struggle a little with the pace of this novel, however, I kept with it and I was so glad I did.

Allegra Bird, aka Freckles, has moved from her tiny Irish village to Dublin, where she works as a parking warden. Through a chance encounter, she is told that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. This leads Allegra to question who those five people are - and who she might want them to be. What follows is a journey of self development.

I found this one to be a slow burn, but the further through I got, the more I became invested in the characters. It is quite thought provoking and left me thinking about my connections and who I spend time with.

I was in the mood for something light but not fluffy, and this book ticks ALL those boxes. It has a lovely, but flawed female protagonist and follows her adventures and attempts at personal growth. The secondary characters are marvelous, and the quiet reminder about the lies that social media tell us are on point. The writing transported me to a sea-side Dublin suburb and a rural Irish island. I initially thought the ending was too neat, but on further thought it was not nearly and neat, not as saccharine as I first presumed. This book was heartwarming, and a perfect little adventure.

I was given an e-arc of this book by net-galley in exchange for an honest review.

"He crushed me like a snail under his shoe".

Gross and overly dramatic way to open the story, but I promise the writing gets better as the plot finally gets some traction.

Freckles follows Allegra Bird, named for the music, parking warden, boarding school child, raised by her single father, almost universally disliked. It follows her from boarding school and bullies and self harm to the moment a Ferrari driver tells her she's a loser for giving him a parking ticket.

He tells her you're the average of the five people you spend the most time with, and it forces an existential crisis. She sets out to determine her five people

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for providing me with a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Allegra “Freckles” Bird has been turned down by her dream job (police) and currently works as a parking warden. A chance encounter with an angry car owner sends her on a quest to find the five people who have most shaped her life as she discovers who she is.

I found this book very hard going. I didn’t find Allegra at all likeable in the first half of the book, and it wasn’t until the second half that I thawed out a little. She’s quite clearly had a hard time with people and situations - she was raised on a tiny island by her father after her mother abandoned them, she went to boarding school - but her personality was quite abrasive and I just couldn’t really get into the story as I just didn’t really care what happened to Allegra. I did, however, like how well written the story and main characters were because in spite of my issues around Allegra, I still wanted to finish the story to see what happened!

If you’re looking for a “traditional” Ahern book, this isn’t really going to be it. The layout is a little different - there were no speech marks in the ARC - and although I didn’t find it too confusing, I can see how others would find it a pain. I do think it’s worth a read as the basic premise is really good and got me thinking about my five, but it’s not something I’d ruin my TBR for.

3.5 rounded up to 4.

Thank you NetGalley, Cecelia Ahern and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I believe this was the first Cecelia Ahern book I have read so I am unsure if this is her usual writing style or if this is something supercell for this book. It took some getting used to but once I did get used to it, it perfectly reflected the chaos of thoughts present in Allegra or "Freckles'" head. This book was the most "human" story I've read in a while. It tugged at the heart strings and brought it's characters to life vividly, flaws and all.

I always enjoy reading books by Cecelia Ahern. Freckles was set in Ireland. Allegra Bird was given the name Freckles the first week she started boarding at a girl’s boarding school when she was 13. Allegra had trouble fitting in and dreamed of joining the Garda of the Irish Police Force. When she failed to be accepted in the Police Force. Allegra took a job as a parking warden in a suburban village close to Dublin.
Allegra loved her job. Everyday was the same routine, coffee at her favorite coffee shop, and a short walk to work where everyday she saw the same people. Allegra rented a small studio flat from a family on condition that she was available to babysit regularly. Once a week Allegra poses nude for an art class.
Everything in Allegra’s life is planned out carefully as Allegra works towards her goal, the reason she has left the Island where her father lives and her friends.
Allegra has a plan. She needs to be living and working in Fingal County Council in the village of Malahide to fulfill her plan. She just needs courage and the right time to put her plans in action. One day she has an incident with an irate man who she has given a parking infringement. They get involved in a nasty discussion and he tells her she is a loser and that she is “… average of five people you spend the most time with…” page 53.
Allegra is upset and her daily routines get mixed up as she tries to discover who are the five people in her life that influence who she is.
This was about friendship and family relationships.

I really enjoyed reading 'Freckles' by Cecilia Ahern. It had all the elements of a successful novel for me- character development, well-rounded side cast and a clear plot. The premise is quite simple- Allegra, or Freckles as she is known by many, is told that she is the culmination of the 5 people she spends the most time with. This leads her to reconsider her relationships with herself and others over the course of the novel. I enjoyed the many different relationships represented, particularly the complexity of our relationships with our parents.

The novel is mostly well-paced however there was one moment that seemed quite important, but was really quite rushed and glossed over.

One thing I was irritated by was the lack of punctuation for dialogue. This seems to be a new trend and I didn't feel it was purposeful or made sense to me.

One that would I would recommend to others looking for something uplifting to read.

I have previously enjoyed books from Cecelia Ahern but I'm not too sure about this one in particular.
I struggled to get into this specific storyline and found it quite hard to read. I struggled with the language and the overall writing style of this book. I really liked the premise of this book but never became as engage with it as I though I wold have.
The multiple storylines became slightly confusing and you defiantly has to concentrate whilst reading this book.
I think I might try and give this one another go later on down the track as I am a fan of this author.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

⭐ REVIEW ⭐

A charming story set in the most beautiful of places, Ireland.

I really enjoyed following Allegra's story as she struggles to figure out where she fits in and to find her way in the world.

An uplifting, feel good read that didn't necessarily blow me away, but I enjoyed nonetheless.

⭐⭐⭐💫

Allegra (Freckles) Bird moves from her home of Valentia Island (one of Ireland’s most westerly points) to Malahide, a suburban village outside Dublin, beside the sea. While we don’t know why initially, she struggles as she didn’t get the job she really wanted and she hasn’t been able to face the real reason she is in Malahide.

In the meantime Allegra finds a place to live and takes on the position of a parking warden. It’s in this role that she has a run in with a young man who drives a very flashy yellow Ferrari who insults her by saying:
“They say you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with….”
And goes on to suggest that her five would be losers making her the biggest loser!!

Allegra takes this to heart and realising she doesn’t have five people she sets out to find five people and in doing so leads her on a journey of discovery which eventually takes her on a new path for yourself.


What an absolute delightful, warm and heartfelt story! While I initially wasn’t keen on the main character, Allegra Bird with the nickname of Freckles, it didn’t take long to become enamoured with her.
Highly recommended read.


Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Australia Publishers for a copy to read and review.

Thank you HarperCollins Publishers Australia and NetGalley for an ARC of this wonderful book.
Allegra aka Freckles lives a life heavily set in her solid routine. One day a comment through a work interaction completely shakes her and leads on a journey to locate her tribe of five.

I found myself completely enwrapped in Freckles life as she learned more about herself and who holds special place within her tribe, Freckles was such a like a likeable character, it was a joy to go along on her search as she uncovered a newer , truer version of her life.
A lovely feel good read which I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

The lead character of Cecilia Ahern’s latest novel is given the nickname Freckles for obvious reasons. Allegra doesn’t mind though. She loves her freckles and as a teenager drew links from one to another, mapping constellations.

In her mid 20s Allegra's working as a parking warden on the outskirts of Dublin. She tells us it was her dream to become a police officer but her application wasn't successful. She's... quirky and perhaps if diagnosed would be on the autism spectrum (or similar). She's details-focussed, a stickler for the rules and somewhat pedantic about her routines.

She's certainly irascible but Ahern's given her layer upon layer. Despite her rigidity for example, she's unpredictable and full of surprises. 

The book is very much centred around a turning point in Allegra's life. It actually is the offhand comment (mentioned in the blurb) by a young man angry at having received a parking ticket. Tristan rips up the ticket as he lashes out at Allegra suggesting that the five people she surrounds herself with would all be losers.

Whether what happens would have happened anyway we don't know, but Allegra is confronted by the idea that she really doesn't have 'five people' so decides to find inspirational people to connect with (and rub off on her obvs).

As one can imagine, it doesn't necessarily go as planned and letters to the likes of Amal Clooney and an Irish Olympian disappear into the ether.

At the same time she's grappling with her eccentric landlords, unusual part-time job and keeps running into Tristan who's trying to atone for his initial behaviour.

I loved Allegra's voice. Ahern delivers her narrative in a very conversational way reflecting her personality. There's a very 'matter of fact' tone to her writing that makes this very accessible and engaging.

"... maybe it's because of my mam's genes. She was a dancer, apparently. Or wanted to be one. That's how she met Pops, she was doing performing arts, he was a music professor. Maybe she got what she wanted for a while at least between wanting to be and not being. I hope for her she was. You wouldn't want to give up something for everything and end up with nothing. Quite unfair on the something." p 19

I very much enjoyed this book. There's a sense of whimsy or lightness in one sense, but it tackles some complex issues relating to relationships, friendships and aloneness. We’re reminded that our impressions of people may not always be correct, that people's personalities come in shades of grey and they can often surprise us.

I am still not sure about this book. I struggled to get into which made the rest of the book a bit slow going for me.
To me it was a hard book to read, I struggled with the language, with the context and the somewhat depressing nature of the book.

It may appeal to some but to me it was a book I wasn't overly impressed with and didn't make me want to keep reading.

Freckles was absolutely heartbreaking but ultimately uplifting and beautiful.

Allegra’s life is not exactly perfect. Her mother abandoned her as a child, her dream of joining the Garda has been dashed, and the only constant in her life, her father, is taking his eccentricity to a whole new level. Now working as a parking warden, she encounters an irate member of the public she’s ticketed. He tells her, as an insult, that she is the average of the five people she spends the most time with. And so the rest of the book follows Allegra striving to improve her life by ensuring her five are honourable and worthy.

I’ve never read any of Ahern’s other books but her style with this one was captivating. Her descriptive passages were finely detailed and showed some serious skills. When I am mesmerised by everyday actions such as washing hair or eating lunch on a bench, you know the girl can write. Told from Allegra’s first person point of view, Ahern also dispenses with quotation marks and this, for me, just added another layer of intimacy.

The Irish setting is wonderful and realistic and surely everyone will want to visit Valentia Island after reading Freckles.

Allegra’s not the easiest person to like at times. I would assume, although it is not specifically said, she is on the autism spectrum. However, without spoiling, Allegra is used, abused and let down so many times, I just prayed there would be some sort of happy ending eventually. On that score, I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say Ahern includes a lovely romance for Allegra. If you’re not a romance fan, fear not, as it’s not the entire focus of the plot. Instead, it’s the strength of family and unexpected friendships which make the book so special.

I must also mention that Freckles features a lot of topical themes, diversity and contemporary attitudes. For me, it was everything I hoped Normal People would be but wasn’t. Highly recommended 5 out of 5

You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.
When a stranger utters these words to Allegra Bird, nicknamed Freckles, she realises that it is time to evaluate her life. This encounter is what ultimately leads her to ask who are these five people and did they indeed make her what she is today.
This is a story about loneliness and friendship and how they intertwine by the people around you. I enjoyed the story but found I wasn't as engaged as I felt I could have been. I think the multiple story-lines were confusing at times and you needed to concentrate when reading. But a lovely story none the less and one I think any fans of Cecelia Ahern will enjoy.

This was an absolute gem of a novel. I’ve always enjoyed Cecelia Ahern’s novels, so I was expecting a good read but even taking that into consideration, I was still surprised by how much I loved this novel. Meet Allegra Bird, twenty-three years old, working in Dublin as a parking warden. She lives in a flat above a gym in the backyard of a power couple’s mansion, gets her breakfast from the same bakery each day, eats the same packed lunch on the same bench each day, and walks the same beat each day. And for the past fortnight, she has also been giving the same person multiple parking fines each day. Enter Tristan, YouTube entrepreneur. When he catches Allegra issuing him with yet another fine after a fortnight of multiple fines each day, he loses his temper, tears the ticket up in her face and says to her:

‘You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.’

And more specifically, that her five people must be losers because that’s what she is. This gets into Allegra’s head, and she can’t shake it out. Not his aggression, or the tearing up of the ticket, not even him calling her a loser, but the concept that she is the average of the five people she spends the most time with. Because she doesn’t know if she has five people. And thus begins Allegra’s mission to get her five.

Allegra is a character I really enjoyed spending time with. She takes her job incredibly seriously, cares deeply for her father and his well-being; she’s witty and intelligent, and despite thinking that she’s no good at reading people, she gets it right more often than not. But she has a gap inside of her and a burning urgency to fill it and she does so with empty encounters and meaningless associations. On her quest to find her five, Allegra neglects to recognise that her five are right in front of her and she eventually realises that people can be more than you give them credit for while others, no matter how much you wish otherwise, can be far less.

This novel is funny and sad in equal parts but ultimately uplifting and life affirming. It’s exactly the sort of fiction that many of us are seeking right now and I recommend it wholeheartedly. A few of Cecelia Ahern’s novels have been made into movies and I’d love to see this one adapted. It has a quality about it that would translate perfectly to the screen. If you’re looking for “ALL THE FEELS” from your reading presently, you won’t go wrong with Freckles.


Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.