I don't have a lot to say other than I really enjoyed this one! It had all the themes that I love... coming of age, hot mess twenty-somethings, dating, best friends, and a little scandal. I cannot wait to continue reading Caroline O'Donoghue for years to come.

Rachel is a vividly drawn, likeable funny protaganist. I feel like a lot of us will be able to see ourselves in her, and love her journey. The story took a different and more interesting path than I expected! Kept me turning pages.

I loved this one! There was so much buzz about this book and The Rachel Incident did not disappoint. I'm a sucker for any coming of age tale, and this one delivered beautifully with humor and relatability. Excellent writing that evokes those emotions of the complications of growing up and some added chaos of questions of morality and unrequited love. I'd definitely read anything by Caroline O'Donoghue again!

Engaging and immersive. This is a recommended purchase for collections where women's fiction is populalar.

I love the writer's style and the way the narrative flowed. But I couldn't relate to the characters; I didn't like them' I didn't want to know them better; I didn't think reading about them would add anything to my life. I dnf'ed the book about half way thorugh.

If you liked Normal People -> You'll love The Rachel Incident

The story follows two friends, Rachel and James, navigating their young love lives in Cork. When Rachel crushes on Professor Fred, James tries to help her impress him, and the three become tangled into a whirlwind of good, bad, and ugly. This book focuses on love, friendship, lies, secrets, consequences, and growth. Overall, I liked it but didn't love it. If you were a fan of Normal People, you'd be a fan of Caroline O'Donoghue's work.

So...I have very mixed feelings on the book.

Is it a lovely coming of age story? Yes.
Is it complex and layered? Absolutely. I adore Caroline O'Donoghue, which is why this was a must read.

But...did I love the characters? Not so much. I struggled with the book the entire way through - I wanted to care more about these complicated people, but found I just...didn't.

I loved the Rachel Incident, the main friendship was so nuanced and complicated. I appreciated the author's portrayal of being in your 20's and the chaos that often occurs.

Nope. No thank you. This was not the book for me. I did not enjoy the story at all; I found it poorly written and trying too hard. The content was just over the top for me as well. Such a disappointment because it came very recommended.

Adored this funny and fresh novel so much! Voicey, punchy and full of heart, The Rachel Incident is one of my favorite books of the year.

Rachel meets James at the bookstore that they both work at. Their friendship blossoms quickly and soon they are roommates. When Rachel tells James that she has a crush on her professor, they devise a plan to have a book signing at the bookstore. That is when things begin to change and the three lives are forever connected.

This is a great plot with great characters. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest opinion.

I thought this book was sensational. I was a bit put-off my comparisons to Sally Rooney but those are well-deserved and I'm still thinking about this book a long time after reading. It really captures that time of your life where you're so uncertain about so much. The characters were really well drawn and I really liked the framing narrative of Rachel in the present day thinking back.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-ARC of The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue.
The Rachel Incident is a slice of life book about Rachel and her experiences from her twenties. There are a few funny phrases that made me laugh, but overall the book was slow and did not keep my interest.

I loved this coming of age story set in Ireland. The friendship and relationships were so well written.

The Rachel Incident was, hands down, my favorite novel of 2023.

Trust me- you need to check this one out. I’ve already purchased two copies as gifts.

I love a good coming-of-age story. I am not really drawn to romance stories--and this is so much more than that. I love the humor and the strong sense of self. It is really well done and worth the publishing hype.

They say that friendship can change your life, and that's wholly apparent in The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue. Rachel and James become fast friends after meeting at the bookstore where they both work. They're so attached to each other that they become roommates. After they scheme to hook Rachel up with her married professor, Dr. Fred Byrne, the story escalates into something much more profound to both of their futures.

I'd never heard of this author and had no idea what kind of book to expect. I was so pleasantly surprised because this book is funny, sad, and interesting. The characters come alive off the page and sparkle. Even when the characters engage in something that you may not approve of, you like them so much and root for them so much that you empathize with their individual plights.

This book also serves as a testament to friendship. How far would you go to be a friend? How involved should you get when your friend is in trouble or engaging in behavior that could hurt other people? Rachel and James' friendship is so all-consuming and satisfying that you wonder if anything could break them apart.

Being a writer myself and having worked in a bookstore in the past, I could relate to that whole scene. I understood the struggles in both industries. But you don't have to be in these fields to understand. In fact, even if you're far removed from this time of youth and starting out your life, you still will be fully invested in these characters.

And I really enjoyed hearing about life in somewhat modern day Ireland. It was eye-opening yet familiar. It made me understand even more where these characters are coming from and how they may approach their problems from a different angle.

The writing keeps you moving at a spritely pace and doesn't expect anything extra from the reader. You're along for the ride, and if I didn't have a teetering stack of books and magazines to read, I could have zipped through this book. I can't wait to pick up this author's other books now. I really loved this book and was satisfied by the ending, which I could not have predicted.

I found it incredibly challenging to get through the first bit but whenever I did I was hooked. I hate comparing books to Sally Rooney when they revolve around Ireland but I am shocked I didn't hear more of the comparison here. I really liked this book a lot and felt like I related to the characters - I wanted to know how they fared and what happened to them to make them this way.

This is an incredible book! I could not put it down and I found it intriguing and warm. The perfect cozy read for fall!

Loved this book about friendship, love and growing up. Highly recommend. Looking forward to reading more by this author.