My Favorite Mistake was a bit of a head-scratcher for me. Where do I even begin? Marian Keyes was one of my original favorite authors. I can distinctly remember reading her books when I was in high school and college (I believe I even included one of her books in the Independent Study I did as an English major on Chick Lit) and loving all of them. I was so disappointed when she stopped publishing new material for so many years and was positively delighted to see a new one available to requrest on NetGally! I read it shortly after approval, and I'm just not really sure how I feel about it. DId Keyes' writing style change? Did my reading style evolve? I don't know for sure, but I felt that My Favorite Mistake was a letdown. There were multiple places throughout the book where entire sentences were repeated word-for-word making me feel like I had deja-vu. I did not love how the narrative switched back and forth between past and present without obvious indication of that being the case. Between the deja-vu and the tense switching (oh and a lot of Irish words/phrases thrown in), I felt lost half the time. Yet, Marian Keyes can still put a smile on my face with her Irish humor and slightly ridiculous characters. Overall...still a fun read with a satisfying ending.

It’s wonderful to be back with the Walsh family in the newest novel by Marian Keyes. Anna’s story is heartbreaking, inspirational and funny all at the same time. Great to have new updates on the family members and the friends and I really enjoyed the new location in this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the advanced reader's copy of My Favourite Mistake by Marian Keyes.

I have been a fan of this author's work for many years. Particularly the Walsh family series. If you too are a fan of this series you won't be disappointed by this latest installment as we follow a story about Anna. If you've not read any of the previous 6 books in this series that follows one of several sisters in the Walsh family, they each can stand on their own.

I think this book was a great mix of seriousness and comedy to keep the story line moving along.

My Favorite Mistake by Marian Keyes is the 7th book in the Walsh family series. I've read this series from the beginning and unfortunately, you can tell it's been 20 years. It was hard to remember the particular quirks of the characters, though the book expected you to. Anna's story is told in present day and then flashbacks to different points in her life. She is having a mid-life crisis and returns to Ireland after breaking up with her long term boyfriend and quitting her job. She has friends who hire her to help disagreements in their town over their new luxury resort that is being built. And wouldn't you know, the man who got away is the broker on the business deal. This town is fuuuullll of characters. I mean that in both senses of the word. So much quirky charm and it was hard to keep them straight. There must be 40 named characters in this book!

I really wanted to pull for Anna, but she just kept being immature and getting in her own way, while thinking she was mature. I really liked the character of Joey who was nuanced and interesting. He grew a lot over the course of the book. But, bevause of Anna's maturity stagnation, at some point in their arduous slow burn I stopped rooting for them and started screaming internally, "just talk to him you nitwit instead of deciding what you think he wants and feels!"

My favorite side character was Courtney. She was multi-layered and I liked her arc. On the whole I liked this book enough. Maybe if I hadn't such high hopes I would've liked it more. I'm glad I read it but probably wouldn't read it again.

Anna, a widow and successful business woman, decides to leave New York City and return to het native Ireland. Although she is loved by her family, they question her decision to give up a career when she doesn't have financial stability. In the midst of these changes, Anna reconnects with a rogue of sorts. Drama ensues.

This is a fun novel. I enjoyed it! It has romcom vibes.

Keyes once again delivers a heartfelt novel of identity and relationships. A lovely escape to rural Ireland with characters that become like friends. Fantastic read, especially if you’re looking for a little escapism.

WOW! A new Keyes is always a treat, but she has really outdone herself with this book.

Anna Walsh has left New York and returned to Ireland, where she isn’t sure what she wants to do with her life. Age 48, she is perimenopausal and feeling slightly adrift.

Joey Armstrong (one of the Real Men) is back in Anna’s life, and there has clearly been some history between them. But Anna is forced to work with him when she takes on a PR job for Brigit in Maumtully. This town has a vast array of characters, and Marian has written each one so brilliantly, I actually felt part of the community. And, ohh, Anna. She is my favourite Walsh sister, and she is beautifully written, with a huge amount of compassion and understanding. Joey, also. I defy anyone to read this and not want their own Joey Armstrong.

If you like romance that is slightly edgier than other romances, this book is for you. In fact, this book is good for everyone. It’s a masterclass in writing.

“My Favourite Mistake”, the latest book by Marian Keyes, starts out with the Covid 19 pandemic and lockdown. First mistake for me, as I was not interested in revisiting that intrepid time period. My second mistake was not knowing that this was the 7th in a series by Ms. Keyes. All that aside, I moved forward and was quickly pleased that the pandemic became just a part of the setting and not an actual character, and the fact that I had not read the other books was of no bearing in following the plot and storyline in this book. My Favourite Mistake ended up being a lovely and funny story that was proven to not be a mistake at all.

Unfortunately, this book just didn’t connect for me. I didn’t realize it was the 7th book in a series. That could be why I felt so disengaged throughout. I gave up and DNF’d around the halfway mark.

I love all of Marian Keyes' work, but especially love her stories about the Walsh family. When I requested this ARC from NetGalley, I didn't know it was another book about the Walshes, I just wanted to read another Marian Keyes book. I was so excited when I started reading and got right back into their family story!! This book was a bit slower than some of the others in the series, and lagged a bit in places, but in the end it was still a feel good story about a very flawed but relatable family.

My Favourite Mistake by Marian Keyes is an absolute 5 star read. Catching up with the Walsh family is always like meeting up with my crazy family. I love them all but Anna's dealing with perimenopause and the stage of life she is in, created such a safe place for me to relate to her. Anna is comfortable not being perfect and her character growth over the two books that focus on her should be a study in how to do it for other authors. I loved this book and Narky Joey, go-boy, Joe-boy so much. Keyes also creates secondary characters that you can fall in love with, and each one is strong enough to carry their own book, I am hoping Keyes continues on with the Walsh Family.

Thanks to Penguin Random House Canada | Doubleday Canada and NetGalley for this ARC. Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I've read Marian Keyes before and always loved her books. I cannot say the same for this one. I think I finally for halfway through and just could not do it!! The story felt like it was going nowhere. I couldn't even tell what the point was and what they were planning to achieve. And while I very much appreciate having a main character who is in her 40s, the amount of times she had to reference her perimenopause and the medicine she was seeking out was simply annoying and repetitious. The rest of the characters weren't necessarily unlikable but there was nothing stand out to make me care. A disappointing partial read for me.

I didn’t realize this was part of a series until after started reading. Nevertheless, I enjoyed Anna’s story as she navigates post pandemic life as a single perimenopausal woman who moves from NYC back home to Ireland.

What a fun fast paced book! I loved the premise of headed back to one’s roots. I loved each and every character and the quirks of country life In Ireland. With a mystery, a love story, and a family tale, this was a terrific summer read. Highly recommend!

What a wonderful book! I loved the story ... taking the main character from NYC back to where she is originally from in Dublin, Ireland, and then on to the small coastal Irish town of Maumtully, or M'town, as the locals call it. From her high pressure, high profile job in the beautycare industry to working for the small business her sister's friend owns and is expanding. The book follows Anna Walsh through the ups and downs of life, from her young girl crushes to her adult relationships that don't always turn out as she expected. Can she help her friend get the town on the side of their new business venture, can she work with their business broker with whom she has a long and complicated history, can life turn out sweet and wonderful for Anna? Read this book and fall in love with the characters just as I did. Long to visit the places the author writes of so well that you picture them so clearly you can nearly smell the sea air. Get to know Anna's crazy, boisterous, loving family and the quirky, wonderful residents of M'Town. And join me in rooting for Anna!
*I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I've read a lot of books by Marian Keyes in the past, and I enjoyed all of them. But "My Favorite Mistake" was hard for me to get into and hard for me to keep interested in. I didn't like the way the story jumped back and forth in time, and the series of events were very confusing. It might be that I just wasn't in the right frame of mind to enjoy this book. However, I WILL read more books by this author in the future. But this one just didn't do it for me.

Thank you to Net Galley and to the publisher for an ARC of this novel. My opinion is my own.

Awwwww I am SO happy that Marian wrote another book about the beloved Walshes! This is just like catching up with some old friends.

Loved this story about Anna on her adventures from her return from NYC. So good and definitely add to your list!

Anna had a dream job in NY doing PR for a beauty company. She had enjoyed lots of freebies i.e. all the serums and lotions that you could use.

Anna also had a great boyfriend - Angelo. She thought he was everything she wanted, until the pandemic forced them together without escape for over a year. She realized that he was not to be her lifetime partner. She had lost the love of her life, her husband Aiden, a decade before.

The pandemic also forced her to abandon her usual visits to Ireland to her family. She misses them, she misses Ireland!! She decides to quit her job and flies to Ireland without even informing her family.

When she arrives she is forced to live with one of her sisters as she can’t find a job! She’s either over-qualified, too old to start with a new company (she’s only in her 40’s) or just isn’t the right fit.

One of her sister’s friends is going through a hard time. Their daughter is very ill and they need help!! They are launching a new luxury retreat and have found that the locals are not too happy about it. They hire Anna to please, please find a way to appease the locals to allow them to continue with their building plans.

I found this more like a story being told to me than a novel. There isn’t really a plot to hold it together but it was still entertaining. I did find the middle to be a bit slow moving and the ending predictable.

If you are a fan of this author, or just looking for a good story, than this is the book for you.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to read and review this novel.

I lost interest in this book - maybe just poor timing. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This is a delightful Rom-Com. This book is true to Marian Keyes' style with her witty humour and heartfelt romance. It is the fun, feel-good romp you didn't know you needed.
Anna has come through Covid and lockdown and realizes she wants more from her life. She leaves her boyfriend and her high-powered job and moves back home to Ireland. She soon finds herself helping a friend with a PR job in a small town. Turns out it puts her face to face with a man she has lusted over her whole life.
This book was such a warm feel-good read. Like all of her books, they are a fantastic escape. This is one of a series of books about the Walsh family but it can be read as a stand-alone.
This is sure to be a best seller and hit with her fans. Pick this up for your perfect summer indulgence!
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.