What a lovely book. I enjoyed it from start to finish. Robyn starts a bookshop in Ballycove where she grew up, something she has always wanted to do. The shop needs work and she inherited books in the shop and also paid for boxes of them from the last person who ran the shop. Fern is Robyn’s mother who is married but things go wrong and she comes back to Ballycove from Dublin for a bit of TLC. In the meantime Joy arrives in Ballycove from Paris. Joy was married but her husband died on a car crash. She was not injured but at the hospital her husband uttered his final words which shocked her and made her feel her marriage was not what she thought it was. Joy went to Ballycove to fulfil a legacy in his Will. Joy started to help out at the bookshop and eventually the story of the reason why she is there comes to light. The three women have their moments especially when Fern realises Joy’s secret. Some drama along the way but the book ebbs and flows with drama and love, it is a must to read. So far as the characters are concerned, I loved them all but Albie. I need an Albie in my life

A wonderfully uplifting story of the important things in life - family, friendship, community but also secrets, betrayals and consequences. Set mostly in Ireland this is a perfect summer read. I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend this book.

Joy is happily married and unfortunately could not have children, coming back from her husbands retirement party they are in a car crash and on the way to the hospital he declares he has a daughter then he dies. when the will is read he leaves a painting to his daughter Robyn who lives in Ireland.
So Joy goes to Ireland to take the painting to Robyn who owns a book shop that is loosing money, but things get out of hand and Joy ends up working as a volunteer in the shop and they start to get closer with her and the close community including Robyn`s mam Fern, but she still has to tell Robyn about the painting and who she is.
A brilliant book about friendships. very well written and very tearful.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC and I give my honest review.

When Joy Blackwood’s husband dies suddenly, she is shocked to discover that he has left a painting to Robyn Tessier. Becoming intrigued, wondering who she is, Joy decides to take the painting to the small village of Ballycove to discover the reasons why.

On arriving in the village, she becomes involved with Robyn, who runs a small unsuccessful bookshop. Developing a supportive friendship with her and others in the village, Joy doesn’t want to leave. Lots of great characters make up the storyline, with Robyn, who is shy and lacking confidence, Fern, her mother, and Albie, an engaging old man. Joy finds a welcoming community which draws her in. Chapters of the book are written by various characters, giving a more rounded viewpoint.

The book is about family, relationships, betrayal, and secrets to explore. However, when Joy’s secret reason for visiting the village is exposed, the atmosphere becomes tense and her visit seems threatened.

The book is well written with its twists and turns, and other stories woven into the main thread, it makes an engaging read.

This was my first book by Faith Hogan and I have to say that it was a delight to read. I loved the descriptions of Ballycove, and that amazing bookshop with all it's hidden cubby holes and shelves and shelves of books.

It was an interesting journey that Joy had to take, from learning at the very last moment that her husband had a daughter that she knew nothing about. I liked the little flash backs so that we got to see what really happened, and how it all interlinked and was woven together so well. Robyn never felt like she fitted in and now she knows why.. Joy enters her life and helps and supports her before Robyn is even aware of who she is and the significance she holds. Joy allows Robyn to flourish and believe in herself and open herself up to love, and to get rid of past dead weight relationships that she couldn't see were toxic for her at the time.

It was told beautifully and Joy was really taken into the family by Uncle Albie long before she told everyone who she was. I loved how the notion of family wasn't just linked by blood, but by love, and Joy was excepted and loved by all.. I was totally invested on the characters right from the start and I loved every minute of it.

This is the first book I have read from this author and I will definitely be looking to read more. The story had everything I look for in a great read. Interesting plot with wonderful settings. The characters are interesting and people who I would love to meet. All in all an excellent read which I thoroughly recommend.

A great feel good book outlining the strength of the female characters. At the end of the day family comes first. Not your typical romantic novel but it ticks all the boxes.
Thank you to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for the advance copy of this book.

A real celebration of the warmth and charm you get from the Irish. Set in a small village on the west coast of Ireland, three women with seemingly nothing in common forge an alliance that strengthens and enriches all of their lives. Definitely escapism of the highest order. My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this advance digital copy. This is bound to be a hit.

Joy's husband's last words were to tell he he had a daughter. Joy is devasted and is left wondering how her husband could have done this to her.
During the reading for the will Joy finds out that an expensive painting has been left to Robyn,her husband's daughter.
Robyn's address is a village in Ireland so Joy decides to travel from France to deliver the painting in person and find out about Robyn and who her mother is.
Robyn has opened a bookshop and its not doing very well, this has been her dream so she is anxious to make it work.
Joy plucks up courage to enter the bookshop and is somehow roped into becoming a bookshop volunteer before she can even tell Robyn who she is.
Joy loves the bookshop and is determined to help Robyn make it a success before she has to return to France. She also keeps it a secret who she is and why she is there.
This is such a good read. It was nice to read a feel good book where people want the best for those around them. The people in the village are so neighbourly and helpful. Joy and Robyn are great characters.
Faith Hogan never fails me by writing a book that captures my attention and imagination from the first page.

A lovely book about families set in Ireland. A great cast of characters and a lovely story too. Highly recommended.

Set in France and Ireland, this is a,true page turner. A storyline full of deceit, surprises, and love. An atmospheric and emotional book with vivid descriptions and characters .I enjoyed reading it immensely.

I discovered Faith Hogan last year and have read a few now. I really like her writing style.
Joy is returning home with her husband Yves when they are involved in a car crash. As he is being rushed into hospital, his dying words to Joy are 'I have a daughter'.
Joy is shocked.
Yves has left a painting to a woman called Robyn. So Joy sets off to Ballycove in Ireland to track down this mysterious woman.
Robyn has taken over a bookshop. She is quite a shy young woman who lacks many friends. Her best friend is Kian, who she has been in love with forever. Her mother, Fern, has her own marital woes
She returns to Ballycove to get some headspace and decide on her future.
I loved this. I really enjoyed the way the author brought all the characters together, and they really are a lovely bunch. I really liked Albie, full of wisdom.
The ending was a little predictable. I knew straight away who the culprit was. This does not take away the enjoyment of the story.
I really look forward to Ms. Hogan's next book.
Thanks to Netgalley and Aria and Aries for the ARC in return for an honest review.

this book had me hooked from cover to cover. everything about it was just so beautiful. I really enjoyed the characters and the depth of the story. so beautifully written.

A sweet book about female friendship. Perhaps the plot is a little predictable, but entertaining and a nice read. Set mostly in the West of Ireland, the book centres on Robyn , a young woman who has taken over a bookshop.
I like the characterizations in yhe book, though some of the problems are perhaps too quickly resolved. Certainly entertaining though
Thanks to Net galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

When Joy’s husband dies, she travels to Ireland to meet the step daughter she didn’t know existed.

This is the story of three women:
Joy, an American living in Paris who has been recently widowed and needs a purpose in life.

Robyn, a shy young girl whose dream of owning her own bookshop, is about to come true - but owning the bookshop is just the start; now she has to make it successful.

Fern, Robyn’s mother, a successful artist whose marriage is not what it seems.

The author writes lovely stories with strong characters. This is the story of how these women meet and form an unlikely friendship, in a small Irish village. The village itself and all the minor characters who come and go, are as much a part of the story and I ended up feeling as though I knew them all personally.

I really enjoy Faith Hogan’s books and this one did not disappoint. I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A very enjoyable book that i won’t hesitate to recommend to others. Thanks for the opportunity to read & review it.

This was my first book by Faith Hogan but it certainly won't be my last! I will be adding her other books to my TBR pile and marking her as a favourite author.

What a gorgeous story this was. I was drawn to it because of the title and picture on the cover. I love bookshops so of course I just had to read about Robyn and her bookshop.

Faith has created such wonderful, real characters that I became to care for very early on. I was totally invested in their lives and laughed and cried along with them.

Love the twists and turns of the story and would love to see a sequel to this to see where everyone ends up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria for the digital ARC. All opinions are my own.

Having enjoyed previous titles from Faith Hogan, I was eager to read this latest offering. This is, yet again a beautiful tale, set in Ireland with easy to get to know characters and a wonderful plot.

I enjoy Faith Hogans books and this was no exception. I was completely caught up in this warm and engaging story and loved the way it developed. Absolutely recommend this as a great summer read.

I do love a Faith Hogan book, and this was no exception. We're back in the beautiful town of Ballycove and this time the story is set in a struggling bookshop, with a little mystery about a painting left to the owner, Robyn.

Robyn is the owner of the bookshop, although her family have owned the whole building for many years. Robyn has always dreamt of owning a bookshop but isn't great with people and is struggling to make her dream viable and the bookshop profitable. Her mother, Fern, is a well known artist and lives in Dublin with her French husband, but ends up back in Ballycove after trouble in her relationship.

Then we have Joy, who had been living in Paris, but has recently lost her husband in a tragic accident, and has travelled to Ballycove to solve a mystery and give a valuable painting to Robyn that her husband left her in his will.

There are a few secrets that people are hiding in this book, mainly Joy by not telling anyone why she is there, but of course Fern too, as she knew Joy's art dealer husband many years ago. But Joy gets sucked into life in Ballcove and ends up working in the bookshop quite by accident, helping Robyn with marketing and making the bookshop very popular.

There were some lovely side characters, the main one being elderly Albie, Robyn's great uncle. He was full of gentle wisdom for everyone and the one that everyone went to for advice. Fern wasn't my favourite character, I found her quite hard to like, but I really loved Joy and Robyn and how their relationship developed. Of course the secrets were eventually revealed and everyone came to accept the past was the past, and they moved on with their lives much happier. In the end everything tends to happen for a reason and Joy found her 'family' in Ballycove. Really lovely book.