It is always a joy to spend time with the sprawling, gregarious, witty Walsh family, and this book is no exception. Following Anna's triumphs and travails in the US and back in Ireland, this is a lovely balm of a story, with a large, well-rounded cast of characters. It's a lovely book, and a delightful escape.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced readers copy!

Both main characters in this novel are reinventing themselves either personally or professionally. I enjoyed a 48-year-old as a main character. Anna is dealing with perimenopausal brain fog and struggling to have a doctor prescribe HRT but also has the strength to say what she’s thinking. Joey’s love for his kids is also a high point, but my favorite part of this novel is the community of Maumtully (pop 1271). It was fun to see them through Anna’s eyes as they responded to the creation of a new high-end retreat. The mystery of who was trying to stop the build was also intriguing. While there are character cameos from previous books, this easily stands alone. Recommended.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Marian Keyes! How do I describe how excited I was to read this title! Have been reading her from the beginning, love all her characters, how real she is and how humour plays into the story line. Thank you for this

Marian Keyes is one of my favorite authors and I always look forward to a new release by her. Especially when it’s a Walsh Family book. Getting to peek in on how my favorite family is doing is always a treat. And it’s wild that we have gotten to see 25ish years of this family’s life! While this supposedly can be read as a standalone, I think it’s a huge disservice. You’ll be really confused and lacking the backstory to truly appreciate these characters. So I recommend reading this mainly to those who have read the other books, but at the very least you should read the companion novel Anybody Out There (Anna’s story, set about 15 years prior).

While Rachel is still my #1 Walsh, followed by Helen, I’ve always enjoyed Anna. She’s a gentle soul and you can’t help but root for her. She had it bad in Anybody Out There so I was very curious where her life went, and it didn’t disappoint. I loved this small town read about not being afraid to start your life over when it’s just not working and Anna proves what a strong, resilient character she is. Again, I don’t think people who haven’t read the previous books would be too invested in this so definitely read the others and come back to this one!

What's this book about? Rachel's life from the ages of 47 to 50. She breaks up with her long-time boyfriend, leaves New York, moves to a small town in Ireland, tries to get her life back together. If this description sounds boring, you'll probably be disappointed with this book.

I read Watermelon in the summer of 2000 and became a devoted fan of Keyes's writing. The subject matter of Watermelon (and all her subsequent books) was heavy, a woman being left by her husband at the literal moment she gives birth to her first child. But despite the seriousness of the subject, the book was very funny and it was refreshing to see Claire get her feet under her and become this powerful, independent woman. The series follows each of the five Walsh sisters as they go through similarly difficult situations and while none of them quite recaptured the vibe of Watermelon, they were all good reads.

All this to say that while I hate to give a less than shining review, and in general I'm a big fan of Keyes's work, this book was a slog. The story goes back and forth between the current time and Anna's history, reflecting on past relationships that were dynamited into oblivion. I had a hard time following that and I struggled to get immersed in the story when so much of it was being told like a story over a cup of coffee, a story being recounted by an acquaintance all about people you've never met and frankly aren't all that interested in.

Part of the issue for me was that it's been many years since I read the first five books in the series and I've forgotten the stories of the five sisters. In this book every chapter we get a list of all the people who showed up at the bar, went to the parade, came to visit for the weekend, sent her flowers for her birthday, crashed in her hotel room, attended the art show, etc. It's not just a handful of people each time, it's a dozen or more and I don't know if they're Feathery Strokers, Beardy Glarers, members of the Walsh family, one of Anna's million friends, or a resident of the town. Before I can get my bearings they're off for ice cream, here's who all is going.

There are a lot of good things in this book, the town of M'tully is wonderful, there are loads of amazing people, Anna is finding herself as she approaches 50 and trying to set the right course but approaching it not as a dire mid-life crisis but in an uplifting, you're-never-too-old kind of way. I just didn't feel that this was Keyes's best work. In Watermelon I felt so immersed in Claire's story, my heart broke right alongside hers, in My Favorite Mistake I felt like I was watching it unfold from the window of an airplane flying overhead.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Funny how the things you need are often found at home. When Anna needs to help her family avert a disaster, she finds the life she actually wants is in the place she never imagined. Joey’s character shows growth through out the story but he forgives Anna a little quickly. Not bad for my first time reading the author.

This book is a lovely story with both heart and humor. It’s hard to describe since there is a backdrop of sadness in a couple of the major plot points, but the sweetness, humor, and “Brit lit” (Irish lit ◡̈) of it all pushes forward and it doesn’t end up a sorrowful read.

I loved the characters, as obnoxious as some could be, and wanted to hang out with them and visit them - saying I want to live in Mtown might be pushing it a bit, but it sounds like such a fantastic community.

Overall a delightful novel with some deeper thinking/feeling aspects, but will leave you missing everyone once you finish the last page.

Yay another Walsh family book! While Rachel's Holiday will forever remain my favorite Walsh family book, I always enjoy stepping into their vibrant and busy lives. Yes again, I enjoyed spending time with Anna and her new crew of friends living in her new quirky small Irish town Maumtally which is likely not a real place but is sure one I hope was. As she navigates her late 40s, Anna comes to terms with herself, her choices and finally truly reconciles her past and moves forward into her future. Did I enjoy all her choices and somewhat frequent moaning about how people don't change and things just don't always work out? No....but I like the notion of still growing up into your middle age and not always knowing how to truly give something a chance until it's staring you in a face and asking to anyway.

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.