As soon as I hear that Sandy Taylor has a new book coming out I don’t even need to ask what it’s about I just have to read it. So as soon as I heard about The Irish Boarding House I was so impatient to read it . As soon as I started it I was transported back in time to Dublin in the 1950’s, so good was the descriptions of Dublin back then by the author. Sandy Taylor’s books are like a warm comfortable favourite blanket that you just want to curl up with and enjoy. I was utterly enthralled by this book and although at times it made me cry there were also some laugh out loud moments. I adored it . 5 big ones for me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I love historical fiction and this one is set in Dublin in 1952.
Mary receives word that she has an inheritance from her mother who disappeared when she was a baby.
she has always wanted to know why she was left and felt neglected and abandoned . Mary decides to use the money to buy an old house in Dublin and open boarding house for shelter to other ladies .
This book is full of friendships and secrets.

Mary Kate grew up with her grandparents after she was abandoned by her mother as a newborn. She always felt something was missing from her life and never felt that she belonged to a family. As she grew up, she was even more frustrated that her mom knew exactly where she was, but never wanted anything to do with her life. Then, out of the blue, Mary Kate receives an inheritance from the very same woman she held a grudge against all of her life. Mary Kate decides to take the money and open up the Dublin Boarding House for Single Ladies. As someone who bounced between many boarding houses with crappy living conditions, she wanted to create a warm and inviting space for these women who needed a space to call home, no matter how short or long that was. What she didn’t expect would be the love and friendship that also came into her life as she opened her red front door.

What I enjoyed the most about this book is how there were several stories that intertwined with each other. The characters were endearing and very likable. You couldn’t help but want to see everything work out within each plot line. This book has mysteries, secrets and of course a side of romance. It was an enjoyable read and one that kept me hitting next on my kindle.

This was a very sweet, heartwarming and a perfect feel-good book if you need a little pick-me-up! The religious talk was a bit too much for me, but I suppose I should have expected it, as the book is taking place in Ireland. Apart from that, it was well written and I enjoyed following the characters' stories.
I'll try other books from that author, hopefully it will be as engrossing as this one, but with less religion :)

4.5 stars.

Thank you to the publisher who provided me with an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this lovely book

mary kate ryan had been left by her mother with her grandparents at a very early age and when they died her life changed dramatically....and some of it not for the good

before her grandfather died he made mary kate promise to keep a post office box for any red letter days and to keep buying a diary every year and this she kept up

that red letter day appeared one day years later and her life changed dramatically....

i have to admit i floundered at first with the plethora of people in this book but once they were sorted in my head it pulled me right in.... i dont want to give to much away but i was struck with one or two questions but they were answered as i kept reading this book

its a lovely story with highs and lows and some tearful moments in them... and i will be keeping an eye out for more of this authors works

Oh my heart! What a delightful read THE IRISH BOARDING HOUSE is! Sandy Taylor's easy style is both heartwarming and uplifting, making you just want to crawl into the pages and stay there. I loved every minute in the company of such an array of wonderful characters that I came to know and love through Taylor's gifted pen.

Set in Dublin in the early 1950s, Mary Kate Ryan was brought up by her loving grandparents in Tanners Row, an area of extreme poverty. But what they may have been lacking in riches they had in love, tenfold. Mary Kate's own mother Agnes was but a child herself when she gave birth and having spent just a few days with her, thus abandoned her baby to the care of her aging parents. Despite this, Mary Kate's childhood was happy one surrounded by the love of her grandparents and others living in Tanners Row.

However, when her grandparents pass away within months of each other, Mary Kate is evicted from the only home she has known with only a suitcase and the clothes on her back. But before he died, her grandfather gave Mary Kate to tasks: set up a post office box to receive mail and buy a diary to mark her red letter days. With this in mind, Mary Kate heads to Dublin where she drifts from a series of poor-paying jobs to pay for filthy depressing boarding houses run by horrible mean-spirited women. Each one being worse than the one before. Thinking her life could get be no better, she considers throwing herself into the Liffey and ending her sorry existence.

And then the most extraordinary thing happens. She receives a letter. And not just any letter. One that changes her life dramatically. And so Mary Kate finds herself with a considerable inheritance and so much money she has no idea what to do with it...until she does. She wants to buy 24 Merrion Square and turn it into a boarding house for single ladies. And she instructs her builder to paint her a bright red front door. To remind her of her red letter days.

Soon Mary Kate begins to receive tenants from all walks of life and she warmly welcomes each and every one of them hoping that her house will feel like a home. Doing her level best to help others by giving them a second chance and getting to know her boarders, Mary Kate soon realises that she has finally found the family she had been looking for since leaving Tanners Row.

Each woman who passes through the doors of Mary Kate's boarding house have their own tales to tell. As their landlady and their friend, she embraces them and becomes like a mother hen to them all.

And then comes a shocking secret that has the power to destabilise her now stable life. Will it be too much for her to bear? Or will she survive the truth and draw strength from it?

What a truly delightful read. I was totally immersed in the story from the very beginning and really didn't want to leave at the end. I embraced every character just as Mary Kate did and found them equally endearing in their own unique ways. Most of them bring secrets with them or a past from which they are running and at the boarding house they find love, acceptance and kindness...regardless of the mistakes they may have made. There is such warmth to everyone it was hard not to like them. Even Moira Kent.

I loved everything about it. The story. The characters. The drama. The intrigue. The romance. The ending.

A beautiful story of kindness, hope and second chances THE IRISH BOARDING HOUSE is the perfect feel-good story that is filled with love, laughter, tears and joy. I truly and thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is an exceptional read that I highly recommend.

I would like to thank #SandyTaylor, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheIrishBoardingHouse in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

Many thanx to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for allowing me to read and review this book.

Having never read any books by this author before I wasn't sure what to expect! I was hooked from the 1st page and found this book to be such a happy, uplifting story.

Should be a lesson to us all that, no matter what life throws at us we must get back on our feet and move on.. The characters were so believable and the situations were so true to life. What a wonderful lady Mary Kate Ryan was and she seemed to bring out the best in everyone she met.

A very easy to read book with no great plot but very enjoyable, I hope there may be another book following from this one.

Many thanks to Bookouture, and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of The Irish Boarding House.

Mary Kate Ryan receives a surprise inheritance from the woman who abandoned her as a tiny baby and finds herself a wealthy woman. Unsure of how to spend her inheritance, she elects to use the money to give people a helping hand, just as she has been helped. She remembers a large old house she has walked past and decides to turn the run-down place into a boarding house. It brings Mary Kate love and friendships beyond anything she had ever imagined.

The Irish Boarding House was a very sweet, somewhat religious, and slightly romantic book to read. After a while, it started feeling too sweet to me. It seemed as though every renter was troubled, had a secret to hide, or a past they were running from. Mary Kate, with her empathy, kindness, and her inheritance, did her level best to give each one a helping hand.

Readers looking for a feel-good, happily ever after book to read will absolutely love The Irish Boarding House.
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The Irish Boarding House was an easy read, an uplifting story about second chances. I enjoyed reading about Dublin during this time era (1950’s). This read is perfect if you need a feel-good story. Mary Kate was a person that helped others from a rough spot. I found this to be very representative of the Irish culture, because the Irish are one of the nicest people you will ever come across. I wish that there was more content to some situations/emotions that were described in the book. I wanted to know more in depth in order to feel connected to what was happening. Overall, this was a great read! Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Sandy Taylor has done it again!

I was very excited to read another Sandy Taylor book because I know I will be drawn in on the very first page and kept intrigued until the very last. Taylor has a way of making each of her books feel like coming home.
Her characters are well developed and memorable, the banter is spot on! A wonderful story about life’s ups and downs and being able to help out those in need.
Highly recommend any of Sandy Taylor’s books and look forward to reading many more!

Such a beautiful story. Love this time era so much and the characters were so likable. As someone who is adopted and spent time in foster care, I’m always a sucker for the orphan type books. Well done!

This is a lovely story, one to make your heart sing. Mary Kate is left alone when her grandparents pass away. She has never known her mother as she disappeared when Mary Kate was a baby. After she is evicted from her grandfather's house she moved to Dublin and spends the next 15 yrs living in the worst boarding houses there could be. When she comes into money she uses it to buy a big house and make it the best boarding house around for young women.
Her boarders become her family and Mary Kate continues to help people in need in extraordinary ways.
Who couldn't like Mary Kate? Such a lovely woman and Polly and Orla were hysterical. I would like to have read more about them in their job at the department store, probably no room in this book for it but it would make a good follow up book. The way we left Moira and the end would make another follow up book too. There are so many characters in this book who still have a story to tell.
Loved this book and was bereft when it ended.

If you are looking for an easy read with a feel good story this is perfect for you.

When Mary Kate Ryan receives a surprise inheritance from her mother she invests the money in people. She was abandoned by her mother as a baby. She grew up with her grandparents but since they have passed she realized that she really does have anyone. No family and no friendships.

Determined to make good use of the money, she fixes up an old beautiful home in Dublin and makes it a boarding home for young women. The women who come into her life become her friends and eventually her family. She graciously takes care of the people in her life. Often without them knowing that she is financially involved.

It takes place in Ireland which is always a huge plus for me. It’s the reason I was drawn to the book in the first place. This being said, the “irish-ness” of the book felt a bit forced at times.

I found the shifts between character stories hard to follow. I also felt like there wasn’t significant character development. Story lines progressed and ended quickly just to get a point across or move the character to a certain point.

All of this aside, it was a lovely book.
An easy, feel good read with a happy ending.

Thank you @netgalley and @bookouture for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Heartwarming,historical drama with many wonderful characters. A strong main character who has to make her own way through life,lots of how and downs. An engrossing read.

Lovely story about the people living a boarding house in Dublin and how they overcome their past trials an tribulations. Both a happy and sad story.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for an honesty review.

I liked the idea of this book, the premise, and even parts of the story. The main issue here is the pacing of the story. Everything felt incredibly rushed to the point I couldn't connect with any of the characters, and there are several. The main character is Mary Kate and it briefly delves into her life before coming into a sum of money. From there she decides she is going to help others with her good fortune. What isn't to like about Mary Kate?

The story was just too nice. What I mean by that is everything falls into place for every single person. Though a few minor bad things happen to a few characters, it is never delved into enough to make you care. For example you can tell someone "Yeah I have depression" or you could explain "I do have depression. Often it feels like a weight is on my chest making it almost impossible to breathe. Every day is a struggle to do the basics, to even care...." There is a difference. Unfortunately this book for me was like the first example. I feel like I am just being told one thing after another is happen without any real detail into the character themselves.

I will say that when the author does take a moment to describe something, she does it well and I wish she would add a little more into the story. Make the reader feel what the character is feeling. Otherwise you just get a little bored.

Mary Kate Ryan had lived with her grandparents on Tanner's Row in Dublin since her mother had abandoned them all when she was a baby, and when first her grandmother, then grandfather died and she no longer had a home, she felt lost and alone. The boarding houses she went to were dingy and dirty, nothing felt right anymore. The day she received a letter from a solicitor, her life changed - the money that was now hers saw Mary Kate buy a beautiful old home that had been left to ruin. Mary Kate had it renovated and turned into the Dublin Boarding House for Single Ladies.

First Jessie and Abby arrived from the convent to help Mary Kate. Gradually the boarding house filled up with the young and not so young and it wasn't long before the peace and tranquility of the beautiful home seemed to them all like family. Polly and Orla now worked at the exclusive department store in the city, while Mrs Lamb and Eliza did the cooking. Colleen and Rosa couldn't have been happier - but there were secrets behind each person's closed doors. And would the new guest - one that puzzled Mary Kate - uncover more secrets or just be passing through?

The Irish Boarding House is another exceptional read by Sandy Taylor which I enjoyed very much. I've read 6 books by this author so far, all 5 stars - this one will be no exception. Mary Kate is a kind, gentle and caring character, and those who surround her feel happy in her presence. The Irish Boarding House is a lovely read, and one I recommend highly.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Mary Kate Ryan was abandoned by her mum as a baby. Her grandparents raised her and made her the young upstanding woman that she became. Following her grandparent’s death, Mary Kate leaves the family home in Dublin and moves from one boarding house to another, the conditions of each one being worse than the one before. Mary Kate considers taking her own life, before something thankfully stops her.

Mary Kate is contacted by a solicitor, Mr Renson who brings her news of an inheritance. She has been left a considerable amount of money by her mother who has recently passed away. With the experience of the terrible guest houses in mind, Mary Kate falls in love with a derelict house and buys it. With the help of Mr Renson’s friends and family, Mary Kate renovates the house to become a boarding house of her own, with much better conditions than the ones she experienced. Soon the tenants arrive and Mary Kate warmly welcomes them, and they start to become part of her new family.

Mary Kate decides that she can do much more good to help people in such terrible circumstances and with the help of Mr Renson she sets out to use her inheritance to change peoples lives forever. This includes knocking down the terrace of houses that she grew up in and rebuilding much improved homes for the remaining residents. Mary Kate does this anonymously and doesn’t want to take any credit for her generosity.
The ladies who reside at Mary Kate’s boarding house are unique and have their own tales, some of which are terrible pasts. Mary Kate embraces them all and becomes the mother of the boarding house. Then she uncovers a shocking secret of her own relating to her mum, and leans on her boarding house family for support, but will she survive the truth that has been uncovered?

I have read and enjoyed all of Sandy Taylor’s books and her latest book is no exception. This is another enjoyable book, which embraces you as you lose hours of time enveloped in the story. The characters are realistic and likeable and are well set out to give you a clear picture in your mind’s eye. The story is heart-warming and a pure joy to read.

Mary Kate Ryan was abandoned by her mother when she was small and she was cared for by her grandparents. Before her grandfather passes, he gives her two things to do: get a postal address and buy a new diary in which to write about her red letter days as well as her hard days. After her grandfather passes away, Mary Kate is no longer able to stay in her family home and heads to Dublin to start a new life. In Dublin, she moves from terrible boarding house to terrible boarding house unsure of how to make her way in the world. One day, thanks to the postal box she has established, she is contacted by a solicitor who asks her to visit as he has something important to tell her. When she arrives, she is given the surprise of a lifetime - she is now a wealthy woman due to the money left to her when her mother dies. Mary Kate decides to use that money to open a boarding house for single women that she hopes will feel like a home. As she gets to know her boarders, she realizes that she has finally found the family she was looking for.

I have never seen a boarding house more filled with intrigue and drama than this. It seems all of the renters have a secret to hide, a past they are running from or an issue that they need to overcome. There are far too many issues in this story for me to have enjoyed it. While everything is tied up nicely with a bow at the end, it felt as if some of the individual stories were short-changed in the telling. I have read a previous Sandy Taylor novel and enjoyed it so I am hoping that my feelings on this story are just a one-time thing.

I loved The Irish Boarding House, a beautifully written story that hooks you in, in the first few pages. Telling the story of Mary Kate and her boarding house with bright red door, which she opens to single women in Dublin. She ends up with different characters living there, who all gave their own story, who in time become friends that turn into family. A tale of hardship, heartache and love. I didn’t know any y to I finish this book I enjoyed it so much. A well deserved 5 ⭐️