Release date: October 4th, 2022

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of The Last Summer in Ireland ebook from NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warnings: suicide, abortion, death.

The Last Summer in Ireland 🇮🇪 is a tragic family drama told over past/present timelines and in multiple POV’s.

18 year old Iris Kelly take a trip to her mothers native Ireland after her mom passes away. Having lived her whole life with her single mom in the US and not knowing much about her moms family or the house/land they grew up on Swan Hall Lake.

Iris learns that her mom had two sisters having only heard about the one she is visiting. Aisling (Iris’ mom), Maeve, and Nuala have a dark history with each other and the Swan Lake. As Iris gets closer to learning the truth about her mom’s childhood and the sister who tragically died in the lake, she realizes that not everything was left in the past.

This was a decent story with a ton of potential but the characters were horrible people! Really tough to connect with them however that may have been the authors objective. I found myself believing in or rooting for different characters throughout the book however the story is a bit dark and moody. This is a 3 star rating for me and I would be interested in reading this author’s other books.

#NetGalley #thelastsummerinireland #noelleharrison

The story had an interesting premise, but I found the characters unlikable at times. I love the family drama aspect.

Three sisters, Maeve, Aisling and Nuala, loved living on the shores of the lake. Their favorite time together was swimming in the lake, splashing around and playing in the water. One afternoon, amongst the splashing and laughter, their lives are changed forever and they are devastated when Nuala drowns in the lake, Twenty years later, Iris, Aisling’s daughter, is scattering her mother’s ashes in Central Park. Iris is contacted by her mother’s sister Maeve, still in Ireland. Aisling never spoke to Maeve again after Nuala had drowned in the lake. Iris travels to Ireland and while she is enamored by the beautiful location of Swan Hall on the edge of the lake. She is wandering the halls and discovers a diary…Nuala’s diary that has been there since the summer she drowned. Aisling never told her daughter Iris about Maeve or Nuala and the horrible drowning. As Iris reads the diary, so many family secrets come to light.

This intriguing story was one that I found to be very unpredictable. I never knew what was going to happen from one page to the next. This story was filled with mystery, and the plot twists and turns were exciting. This time slip novel was entertaining while the storyline had me gripped. I recommend this book for anyone that enjoys time slip novels that contain mystery and family drama.

Thank you Noelle Harrison for such a dramatic and fascinating story. This story completely transported the reader to Ireland while staying absorbed in the book.

The Last Summer in Ireland is the 1st book I have read by Noelle Harrison. The premise of the book sounded promising, three sisters growing up in Ireland. One ends up dead on a hot summer day, recriminations all around. One of the girls, Aisling ends up pregnant and flees to the US. Twenty years later Aisling’s daughter Iris comes to Ireland after her mother’s death and finds the estranged family that her mother left behind. Iris learns her family’s tragic history and finds some wonderful family of her own and some awful ones as well, Uncle Conrad anyone?

I really enjoyed the story and the back and forth in time periods as the story unfolded.

I would receommen this book to anyone who likes a family saga with tragedy and redemption in the storyline.

Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and the author for the chance to read and review this book

The setting of this book in a mysterious house in Ireland drew me to it immediately. The story of the three Kelly sisters who grew up in Swan Hall is one which was both captivating and beautifully written.

Each sister Mauve, Aisling and Nuala have their own stories and secrets which are revealed throughout the story.

Told in dual timelines and from each characters own voice we learn of the sisters in the past and are then transported to the future were Aisling's young daughter Iris has left her home country of America to visit her Irish family to try and finding out more about her roots after the tragic death of her mother. She is desperate to find out why her mother left Ireland and never talked about her past or her family .

The book wonderfully explores the power of sisterhood.and the bonds which tie us together. The Irish setting explores many Irish myths and the complex history of Ireland. The secrets and heartbreak which tore the family apart were so well portrayed that I felt I knew each of them personally.

I really enjoyed this book which made me appreciate the bond I have with my own family.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read "The Last Summer In Ireland" in exchange for my honest review.

This is an emotional and timely story about the lives of the Kelly Sisters of Roscommon, Ireland. It is told through the eyes of Iris Kelly, her mother Aisling, her aunt Nuala (whom she had never met, nor ever heard of) and the last chapter is from the voice of Garda Ruairi Caffrey. Iris' story is told between 26 November 1991 and 5 August 1993. Aisling's story starts in 22 April 1973 and ends in 21 October 1991. Nuala's voice is heard between 17 June 1972 and 2 September 1972, with a final undated entry. Part of the story takes place in Brooklyn, New York while the rest is in Roscommon, Ireland.

Iris grows up with her single mother Aisling who never tells her much about her family or the life she left behind in Ireland. Iris has never been told the identity of her father either. After the death of her mother she is invited to Swan Hall - her mother's ancestral home - by her aunt Maeve and uncle Conrad. Everyone remarks on how much Iris looks like her aunt Nuala. Iris sets out to learn the family secrets - what happened to her grandmother, her aunt and her own mother. She learns that her grandfather was a mean bully who took his rage out on his daughters after the death of his wife. Iris learns about all the secrets and betrayal that went on in her family.

This book was incredibly hard to put down and I finished it in almost one sitting. I will look forward to more stories from Ms. Harrison in the future. Definitely worth more than 5 stars!

The last summer in Ireland is about Iris’s mother and why she had to leave her country and family and never look back.
Iris is eighteen years old now and after her mother passed away, she wants answers to a lot of questions that her mother wouldn’t allow. What made her leave and why everything was a closed subject?
This was an interesting and heartbreaking story overall. Her aunt Mauve is coming off as willing to help Iris to get her answers and maybe make pace with the past. But what Iris finds is a great deal of secrets that will surface and not everything is as smooth as it might look like.
There’s a lot of emotions in here, some disbelief and some scenes that are purely heartbreaking.
Overall it’s a great experience and many readers in looking for a good emotional book about family tides and past will enjoy it immensely.

This is a family drama told from multiple points of view, moving back and forth between past and present. After losing her mum suddenly in an accident, Iris travels to Ireland to meet her mums family and find out more about her background and how her mum grew up.

I loved the sound of this one but it did take me a while to get into it. I felt the first half of the book could be slightly unrealistic at times and was maybe a bit rushed but as the story developed, I was eager to see how it played out and who was responsible for the actions that happened in the past.

The book touches on important issues in Irish history including the troubles and the treatment of women, especially those who were unmarried and pregnant.

Book number 84 was great! Iris loses her mother at a young age and is convinced by her godmother to go visit her aunt whom she has never met nor spoken to until a phone call comes. She convinces her to go to Ireland to meet family and the place her mom ran from and didn’t discuss. @noelle.harrison5 is an engaging writer. This was great. Thank you to @bookouture and @netgalley for the chance to read this book early. Check it out when it comes out in October!

18-year-old Iris Kelly 's mother has passed away do to a tragic accident. Although her mother was from Ireland, she was alienated from her family. Therefore, Iris has never met any of her Irish relatives. However, she is about to travel to Ireland and there she will meet her Aunt Maeve. While Maeve seems accepting of Iris's visit, she has a very sad and distant demeanor.

Iris soon begins to learn that there were secrets and lies that caused the formerly close sisters to completely break ties In fact, Iris is soon made aware that there was a third sister named Nuala. Iris slowly learns what happened to Nuala, and also begins to piece together the tragedies that tore the family apart.

One that about Iris is that she has an uncanny resemblance to Nuala. This gives more than one person in Ireland pause. Also, there is at least one character who is greatly affected by Iris's resemblance to the aunt she never met. Iris wants answers. One of the answer she seeks is to discover why her mother Aisling left Ireland, never to return, never allowing Iris to meet any of her other family.

This sensitive read by Noelle Harrison shows the power of sisterhood all while showing the devastation of loss. More than that, secrets and lies are the backdrop of the story as it slowly unfolds. In fact, there is a surprising level of darkness in the story, but I never lost interest in this book. In fact, I was invested from beginning to end, all the while hoping that Iris would find the answers she was seeking and that she would land on her feet. Kudos to Ms. Harrison for writing a story with family and a bit of Irish folklore. This is one read that I definitely recommend.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

2.8 Stars

One Liner: Tries to tackle too many issues

Something happens twenty years ago that changed the lives of the sisters Aisling, Mauve, and Naula. Nalua’s death and the subsequent events continue to impact everyone related to the sisters.
Iris goes to Ireland after the death of her mother, Aisling. There is much she doesn’t know, and staying at Swan Hall (her mother’s family home) with her aunt Mauve leaves her with more questions than answers.
Things come to light when Iris discovers Naula’s diary. However, her own life takes a drastic turn when history repeats itself. Can Iris come to terms with the past and her present? Where does it take her?
The story comes in the limited third-person POV of Iris and Aisling and the first-person POV of Naula.

What I Like:
The setting, especially Ireland, is a tangible part of the story. It blends with the narrative to intensify the atmosphere.
Naula’s POV in the first person is done so well that she comes alive in those chapters. The writing style suits the character’s personality. I couldn’t help but feel her sense of urgency and get involved in her drama.
The story picks up pace in the latter half. Though none of the characters were likable, I wanted to read till the end.

What Didn’t Work for Me:
I don’t mind books with unlikeable characters, but this one made it hard to sympathize with the main character, Iris. There’s only one word to describe her- stupid. The plot depended on her being stupid. It might have worked better for me if this wasn’t the case.
The book deals with many dark themes like catholic laws when dealing with unmarried pregnant girls, abortion rights, homosexuality, dysfunctional families, alcohol abuse, domestic abuse, misogyny, postpartum depression, parental death, complex sibling relationship, single mother troubles, Irish politics (something to do with IRA), emotional instability, et al.
This overload of themes makes the book heavy and tiring. Furthermore, the issues relevant in the current scenario are overemphasized. It felt like being knocked on the head with a hammer.
Those pro-choice already know the ground reality. Those against it aren’t going to change their minds by reading a heavy-handed fictional drama. Speeches in fiction are not my favorite. When the similarities are clear as daylight, trust readers to connect the issues and think about them. That’ll be more impactful instead of forcing the issue.
The blurb and the story’s core focus don’t align. I went into the book expecting family drama (which I got). But I also got a lot of social commentary. Now, if I knew what to expect, I’d take it in stride and go with the flow. Imagine Iris flipping over in the last part of the book when she’s been nothing but annoying until that point.
There’s a happy ending of sorts, which also did nothing to make me happy. Iris finding out the truth about her parent didn’t even create the impact it should have because it wasn’t the focal point.
And finally, Iris wanted to be a writer. I was startled by her confession. Not being judgmental, but I didn’t associate her with writing based on the character arc. It was a shocker.

To summarize, The Last Summer in Ireland is a dark read dealing with many themes and a current hot topic. It’s a mixed bag that could have been better with a restrained execution.
I enjoyed The Boatman’s Wife by the author, but this wasn’t to be.
Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

I had hopes for this one. I thought it'd be a good domestic fiction with some drama reveal. Nothing really happens rill like the last quarter. Everyone just hated everyone which made me hate me everyone in return. It got quite draggy and then the reveals all happened at once. And there were some political notions thrown in too. I thought there was so much potential but the execution fell rather flat for me. It will be 2.5 for me.

I enjoyed this book. It moves between different timelines as we discover the story of three sisters growing up in Ireland, set against what happened in the past to her mother’s family and what’s happening currently to Iris, the daughter of one of the sisters who visits Ireland and her mother’s childhood home following her death.
Swan Hall is a dark place set beside a lake. This book not only revels the truth behind what happened to the family in the past but spotlights old and new attitudes in the country.
An enjoyable read as well as a look at both historical and topical issues.

2.5

I was given an ARC by NetGalley for an honest review.


…..

I want to tell you that I really liked this book, but I don’t know if it was the writing or honest to go the plot that I didn’t like.

The more I got into the story the more I understood that nothing was really going to make sense until the end of the book which was frustrating in itself.

I also didn’t like the fact that it jumps back and forth in the time frame/characters so much. It makes it very hard to follow at some points within the book.

Essentially this book is a story about Iris who goes back to Ireland after her mother passes away to figure out what happened all those years ago in Ireland.

Great idea not the greatest of execution

This one just didn’t work for me.

This novel started off so well, with so many of the elements I love in women’s fiction. A daughter facing the unexpected death of her mother. The journey from New York to Ireland, where the daughter, Iris, reconnects for the first time with the Irish family her mother fled two decades earlier. The setting of an atmospheric and crumbling lakeside home, where secrets and lies are slowly uncovered, heightens the sense of mystery.

There was so much potential, and I was loving the atmospheric details and Irish countryside at the outset, but by mid-way I was skimming. Iris was such an unlikeable character. Lacking imagination, quick to judge, slow to understand. Iris’ return happens in the early 1990s, with the interspersed story of her mother and her two sisters told in the early 70s. Although I preferred the earlier stories, even the three sisters weren’t particularly likeable. I can take unlikeable, but I need a reason to root for them, and I wasn’t finding it easy.

At a certain point, it shifted from storytelling to political grandstanding over a hot button issue. I didn’t need to reach the author notes to understand the author felt strongly about a particular social issue and found it cathartic to get up on a literary soapbox. As a reader seeking a compelling story, I felt bamboozled.

I don’t doubt other readers can find this engaging, but it was not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy - all thoughts are my own.

This is a story of family, of sisters and of lots of secrets. It also holds some Irish history and mythology and is in some places dark and intriguing. It takes you on a journey through the lives of this family which is not always easy. It is a story that grips you, you want to put it down but then you can't.

The characters in this book are those you love and hate, those who remind you of people in your own life and some you wish you didn't. They are well thought out characters and form such a big part of this story. There are plenty of intriguing moments, twists and of course those family secrets that unfold throughout.

I couldn't put this book down and would highly recommend. I will even read it again just incase I missed something as it is that kind of book!

Family secrets and lies, a sad story based in Ireland and the US. Good easy read. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy.

This story appears to have all the necessary elements to make it a page turner for me. I was instantly attracted by the cover.

A young lady is estranged from her Irish family after she becomes pregnant. She flees her family and Ireland for the US in order to make a new life for herself and her child. Years later she dies and her daughter goes back to Ireland to meet her mother's family. She discovers deep dark secrets and a dysfunctional family.

Sadly, this book was not for me. I just could not feel any empathy for any of the characters, They were just horrible to each other. I felt like if I had met them in real life, I would have run. The storyline itself was good but the character development was just not my cup of tea. I had to skim parts just to get through it.

I've always said that not every book is suitable for every reader. It doesn't mean that it is a bad book. It just did not appeal to me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an Advance Readers Copy.

'The Last Summer in Ireland' is a powerful story of true sisterhood that dives into the raw elements of pain, suffering, abuse, loss, division, deliberate separation and age-old misunderstandings. It does all this by embarking on a journey into the mystical realm of dark secrets. Ireland’s history and laws are examined through the eyes and actions of the Kelly Sisters. But, also, through the supporting cast on the fringes and those in the-thick-of these women’s lives. The events affect them all in one way or another. Along with this focus, is the powerful Celtic folklore that is entwined in the psyche of Irish minds and hearts. Through this medium, the characters seek answers and understanding of the world around them that constantly disappoints and enslaves them.

The swan image is a big part of the Kelly sister’s lives. Even their home is named Swan Hall where there is a lake filled with deep, dark secrets. But this property and landscape are not willing to give up easily its horrendous past events. The Swan in Irish mythology often symbolises light and purity. Maybe that is why these ladies are drawn to its image as they seek to be freed from the darkness that surrounds them in their home and land.

This story, told from four perspectives, has a dark edge that can make you feel uncomfortable – especially with its tone of despair often filtering through the plot. Yet, there are beautiful moments as well, when the waters are less mirky and when vision is sharpened by the timeless beauty that surrounds the location’s dark core. The swan image reappears, like a phoenix, not only on the lake but also in the gift that Iris carries from her mother and aunt and later finds its match in Ireland in a most surprising way.

Another creative tool used in 'The Last Summer of Ireland' that enhances the plot-- is music. Though the three Kelly sisters are littered with discord, when they come together to perform their instruments and sing, it brings unity between them. Not so strange really, for music has a way of touching hearts, quickening bodies, rejuvenating and healing souls—even surpassing prejudices, jealousies and fears.

There is a surprising twist in the mystery thread of this story of what happens to the youngest sister Nuala and also, an exciting revelation of Iris’s dad. The climax offers up all the answers to the haunting questions posed throughout the book and delivers a positive resolve. Out of the darkness, light comes shining through the mist, fire and smoke that has clouded these characters’ lives with grief. There are beautiful moments of rebirth, freedom and love followed by breathtaking descriptions of Ireland, its folklore and music. If I may, I would like to quote Nuala’s inspiring words from her diary (a few selected lines from my favourite chapter in the book) of what the lake means to her in conveying Ireland’s troubled history, its transcending folklore, music and ancient beliefs:

“The lake is the well of our sorrows. Filled with tears of all the women of Ireland who did not get to sing their song. You can hear us if you listen hard. Our sighs in the gentle lap of water upon land, our chagrin in the wild waves the wind whips up…

…we spin together the old legends of Ireland with the silken threads of our wet hair…hear the echo of our calls. We are what has passed, what is to come, what is present…

I am Nuala of the Lake of Birds. My spirit free in the flight of wild swans, and my truth sown in the destiny of my descendants. As a raindrop is to lake, so we are a part of each other, each of our souls a glint of gold...”

What more can I say after that! The above poetic passage certainly captured my imagination and made the journey with these troubled, tortured souls a worthwhile, unforgettable experience. Speaking as a poet, I can say Noelle has a way with words for sure and 'The Last Summer in Ireland' delivers a huge message that is obviously dear to the author’s heart by virtue of the passion that resonates across these pages. Definitely get a copy when it is released and be prepared to battle some despair that emanates from the characters but also be expecting a turn from the darkness to the light as the story takes flight to higher realms.

5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for a review copy.

Enjoyed the story but hated the characters. It didn't seem like anyone actually liked each other in the book. The Kelly sisters were dreadful to each other. Maeve was the worst. Her actions at the lake with her sister were horrible. I don't feel bad that she ended up having to take care of her father. She made excuses for his constant abuse and never stuck up for Aisling or Nuala. Iris was extremely book smart but didn't seem to have any common sense. Her mother worked so hard to send Iris to Berkley and not have to worry about loans and Iris was just throwing it away. It wasn't a shock about what Iris discovered about herself while she was in Ireland. I'm not sure why she told anyone her secret and what her plans were going to be, especially her aunt and uncle. Connor was the creepiest (he was actually tied with the priest), especially how he acted around Iris. There were so many secrets hidden at Swan Hall. So much bad stuff happened there. It was interesting reading about Ireland and how women were treated. Sadly, I guess some things never change.

Definitely recommend the book. So many family secrets. Look forward to reading more books by the author. Loved the cover of the book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.