I really enjoyed this book. Written in a way that you feel submerged in the beautiful place it is based.
As strangers travel to Ballycove, be it for a much needed holiday or an escape from their real life, they don’t bank on the invaluable wise words of guest house owner Esme. After suffering a serious injury and facing her own list of trouble, the sweet older lady helps change the lives of all of the people who visit her guest house.
I love how all these strangers are brought together and help each other to move on with their life’s once they go home.
I lovely story to get lost in for a while.
I would definitely read stories from this author again.

This sweet and airy book started a bit slow, and the plot was unclear. I expected something different from what the blurb shared, where these stories would be interwoven, but it failed to deliver for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, for a copy of this in return for my honest review.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I absolutely enjoyed reading this book.

The Willows Guest house in Ballycove is run by Esme.

But, her eyesight isn’t that good, which causes her to have an accident. So now, she’s got to rest and accept help.

Whilst she rests, she gets to know the guests that are staying for the summer. Each one have their own issues that they are dealing with.

Esme tries to help them if she can and hopes that the place and area will also help them to reach the right decisions.

I highly recommend this book.

I enjoyed Faith's previous book and this was also delightful. It was a lovely read and showed the kindness of people and how problems can be solved with thought, work and time.

Definitely a good holiday read

This is a lovely read, with a nice storyline. I enjoyed the premise of everyone coming together with their individual needs to escape and coming together to help each other. The writing is good and brought the Guest House and its occupants to life for me.

This book is full of great characters, of all ages and all with their own difficulties in life. I thought they were well written and enjoyed the way that the Guest Hout and Esme gave them a way forward. I loved Esme and her determination despite her age and a broken leg. It was a pleasure to read a book with characters spanning the age range too.

At times I felt the story dragged a little but this didn't reduce my enjoyment of the book. I think this is a good read and would recommend it.

What a wonderful book.
Esme owns The Willows, a guest house by the sea in Ireland. One summer a number of people visit, some to find themselves, some to find purpose, some to find clarity, some to create memories. Esme is a good listener, she has to be this summer!
Heart warming, gentle, yet also heart wrenching. Happy and sad. But a thoroughly engaging read. I loved it.

I’ve read a few books now by this author set in Ballycove and this latest story did not disappoint. A range if well written characters, all with their own stories but underneath it a tale of string women, friendship and love. A warm, comforting read in a beautiful setting.

3.5 ⭐️

This was such a comforting read! I feel like I can picture exactly how Ballycove looks and sounds. It follows multiple characters, each chapter focusing on one in particular. I loved the backstories each character had and the development they all went through. Definitely should be aware of the TW of child loss/abortion, as this is a potentially a sensitive topic for many people.

The one difficulty I struggled with in this book is the lack of plot. There is no build up to anything really. It is solely a character development type of book, which is enjoyable.. personally I do just enjoy a really great plot.

Love reading books by Irish authors, I really enjoyed the writing style of Faith Hogan. I would pick up more of her books in the future❤️

Thank you to net galley for kindly sending me a copy of this book.

This was an excellent story,very emotional. It was set in Ireland with a number of different storylines, all very believable. I would recommend this.

Esme has run her guest house for years, with increasing support from her faithful friend Marta. Now illness and poor sight has reduced Esme to sitting quietly chatting to guests and gently helping them sort out their lives. From deciding whether to keep an unplanned baby to starting a new relationship or ending a faltering marriage, she listens to everyone's problems. A lovely book, perfect for a holiday read.

This is not my usual genre of preferred reading, but I found this book a delightful read.
Esme has run her guest house for years, but due to an accident just before the season begins, she is forced to take things easy and a back seat, literally.
From her chair in the hallway, even though her sight is not as good as it once was, Esme misses very little. Her guests arrive, a married woman without her husband, a young professional woman who has a major decision to make, and a grandmother who feels her family is slipping away from her in various ways.
As Esme chats to her guests, not only does it give her an interest in life again, she gets to know them and their various problems, and hopes she can help in some way before the season ends.
A love story in part, a story of strong friendships, and strong women, I enjoyed this book very much.

This is a beautiful read. It is gentle and full of the sea air and a faded guesthouse that is a balm for those that come to stay. Each visitor sucks you in to their take and their pain and their needs and the book weaves them together so well making me care so much for how each come out the other end of the summer season when the wind turns colder. A feel good read that made my day.

This is one of those stories where your faith in humanity can be restored. Where one
feels there is still innate goodness in all of us- even the slightly cynical hardened
beings found in modern society.

We have the guest house in idyllic surroundings in summer (closed during winter not so
idyllic) then the old owner presently incapacitated, thefaithful retainer more family
than anyone else and then the habitual returnees to the guest house. This time around
for most of them its a bolt hole from the pressures or problems of life. They want think
through solutions in a quiet place.

The haven is quite busy though and everyone finds something to occupy them, apart from
their own issues. The influence that one has on another helps one to see things clearly
and all of them are much more clear headed than when they started.

A lovely read.

What an uplifting beautiful story! It quietly wrapped around my heart and tugged on my emotions through its kind and caring atmosphere and messages. I could not help but fall in love with the Irish setting and characters. After reading The Guest House By The Sea, even I wanted to run off and stay in the charming Ballycove accommodation to experience the breathtaking natural beauty, soak up the warm community spirit and enjoy the friendships that abound! This haven is more than just fresh air and Atlantic sea views. It is a place where broken souls can go in need of contemplation, healing, direction and support. It offers a chance to start again.

Esme, the hostess, provides sincere insight for the guests who casually seek her advice. They may not know what they need but after a chat with her, things fall into place and questions get answered. These gentle nudges are more about giving her guests courage to follow their hearts, and to do what is right for themselves—rather than making decisions to please others. Esme’s advice always seems correct and her words flow naturally from one incident to another: through the stories she shares-- based often on her own experience or that of others she has known. Age and experience are wonderfully drawn upon to offer uplifting solutions. I loved the random opening of the guestbook to a page that offers a phrase for the day. Each line always seems appropriate. Is it coincidence or spiritual revelation? Maybe both but there is an interesting story of how these sayings came to be.

The Guest House by The Sea is not only told by Esme the hostess but also through Cora, the wife who has lost passion in her marriage. She arrives after a quarrel with her husband who is stunned by her announced grievances. Cora needs space so goes to the guest house to think about what to do next. Then there is Niamh, the city professional in a forbidden relationship that is disrupted by an unexpected discovery. She retreats to make a tough decision—one that will radically alter her life. Then there is Phyllie, the best friend of Esme. Her husband has received a bad mental health report. She returns to a place of happiness to make more lasting memories before too much slips away.

I was completely engrossed in the happenings of these characters. To see each one grow and find their feet and fulfill their dreams was satisfying. There is true depth and meaning in this story. Friendship, love, self-worth and self- achievement are just a few enriching themes that develop. The advice freely given by Esme is available to all who stay at Willow’s Guest House. She is like a wisdom wizard with the ability to see what others cannot. She reminds us all of the rewards of sharing burdens, the need to be honest with others and ourselves, and the belief that things that are meant to be will work out and people will return to where they belong. These clever truths are all clearly visible on the pages and between the characters who were once strangers until they came together through grief, confusion and loss to find joy, clarity and life. The gift of connectedness came through having the courage to be vulnerable at the right moment with the right people.

Faith Hogan paints a vivid and heart-warming picture in The Guest House by The Sea, that releasing burdens is easy if you have good friends to share with. And that sometimes a little escape to a haven can put things into perspective. And like these guests, let the worries roll away on the waves of the shore under a bright luna sky. Free to live again. 5 Healing Stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Many thanks to publisher Aria and Netgalley for my review copy.

Such a charming story set in a beautiful, Irish coastal town. We've all stayed in Guest houses and hotels but have probably never given a thought to our fellow guests, why are they here? what's their story? Faith manages to tell this through Esme, the wonderful owner of this most lovely guest house
.

A rare 5 star review for me - I just loved this book. A gentle heartwarming read - to be recommended.

Esme runs The Willows Guest house in Ballycove but with her eyesight failing and after a fall, she is forced to take a back seat for the first time. This allows her to have an impact on the guests who join her and Marta over the summer season - all of whom need time out to deal with their personal dilemmas - all helped by the beauty of the location and the wise advice dispensed by Esme.

The author’s focus on connectedness, vulnerability and the benefits of sharing a burden will stay with me.

Just delightful.

A very sweet book about the guests at a bed-and-breakfast by the sea in Ireland.

The book takes place over one summer season, and everyone there is grappling with decisions to be made as they deal with various big life events – children, marriage, retirement, dementia, etc.

The owner, Esme, has been running the place for decades and has suddenly been sidelined by a broken ankle and, while chair bound that summer, is forced to grapple with old age, but still able to give out lots of helpful advise to everyone coming and going. A charming slice-of-life story about everyday people that you want to root for.

Esme is an elderly woman who owns a guest house in Ireland alongside Marta who helps Esme as she’s losing her sight. A new season is upon them as a bunch of new guests arrive. Watch the guests find themselves and interact with each other and Esme. Great book. Lovely characters. Thanks to Faith and her publisher. Thanks also to NetGalley.

Another beautiful heart warming read set in Ballycove by Faith Hogan.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Lovely book about 3 visitors to a guest house in Ballycove and about their stories and what happens to them