I’ve always loved Cecelia Ahern’s writing style, so when I saw she had a new book, I was beyond excited—and it did not disappoint!

I was hooked from the very beginning, standing with Enya in the storm as she cared for an injured boy on the road. From there, her journey to Abbeydooley to piece her life back together, surrounded by a cast of wonderful characters, had me completely engrossed.

The twists and turns in this story kept me guessing until the very end. A truly captivating read!

Into the Storm follows Irish general practitioner (family doctor) Enya Pickering, as her life unravels in the aftermath of a traffic accident, during which she rendered assistance to a seriously injured teenager.

Her marriage to Xander, who is also her partner in medical practice, already in a precarious state prior to the accident, crumbles completely and Enya goes to live with her beloved sister for a while, before accepting an appointment as the sole family practitioner in a central Irish town. The job comes with the rather ramshackle residence and garden owned by her predecessor, who - now retired - is now travelling the world with his wife. Prickly Enya gradually begins to bond with several locals and find some level of personal and professional redemption after a period of crisis. She also begins to accept the importance of local mythology and folklore in the psyches of her neighbours, after she commits great offence by deigning to prune some branches off a sacred "Rag Tree" that overshadows one of her windows and draws strange nocturnal visitors to her property.

Enya is deeply traumatised, not only by the accident, which seems to have been the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back, but also by her fractured relationship with her teenaged son, from whom her vindictive ex-husband is withholding contact on the dubious grounds of her psychiatric instability. Underlying all this is the existential crisis Enya feels as she approaches the same age that her mother was when she died an untimely death. Despite her own apparently robust physical health, she experiences a sense of dislocation as she approaches the great beyond- the years ahead that her mother never got to live.

I found the first three-quarters of the novel quite compelling, especially as I share some of the main character's preoccupations - in four years, I will reach the age when my own mother died, and it does prompt ruminations around mortality and a sort of "survivor's guilt". I also found the detail around the significance of "Rag Trees" (also referred to as wishing trees) in Celtic culture fascinating.

However, I felt non-plussed by the way that the narrative was brought to a conclusion. Without wanting to post spoilers, I felt the revelations were jarring to the investment I had made in understanding the motivations of the central character. While I'm all for the "surprise twist" in narrative fiction, I felt this one was ill-fitted to the character arc over the course of the book and left me feeling puzzled and dissatisfied. There were a couple of alternate endings that I felt would have been more satisfying.

My thanks to the author, Cecilia Ahern, publisher Harper Collins Australia and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Grief affects us all differently and Into the Storm explores what grief can do to a person and how it can affect us if not addressed. This gripping tale will keep you turning those pages and gasping at revelations made.

I am not very familiar with Irish folklore, and the inclusion in the story added an extra layer of interest. This book is perfect for those looking for a story that is emotional and inspiring.

Thank you @netgalley, @harpercollinsau and Cecilia Ahern for a copy of the e-arc.

Enya is a respected GP whose life falls apart one night when she comes across a young boy who has been seriously injured. Despite the odds, she saves his life but is one of the suspects along with her own son and a taxi driver who was first at the scene. Enya is also approaching the age of 47. The age her mother was when she dies. Enya's life proceeds to fall apart and she flees to a small town to find solace in a rag tree. A few twists and turns and not a bad read.

Thanks to Netgalley, HarperCollins Australia, and Cecelia Ahern for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed Into the Storm in parts, and in others, I found it dragged on a bit. It was a great concept, but the delivery fell a little short for me.

I was drawn into the story quickly, and I liked the main character, Enya. I found her very relatable.
I enjoyed the small town atmosphere, and the start and end of the story were interesting. It was the middle that lost my interest. I just felt like it focused too much on her job and not enough on the accident and the investigation.

Cecelia has a beautiful descriptive way of writing, and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

3 stars from me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins Australia, and the author for the chance to read this book.

This was an emotional story that delves into how grief affects us and some of the problems that can stem from not addressing it. Enya has not fully faced the loss of her mother, and that comes to a head when she approaches the age her mother died at. She is then involved with saving a young man at a hit and run incident, and her marriage falls apart. She is barely holding it together.

The story was easy to become engrossed in, and the mystery elements were well written. There were plenty of twists and turns in the storyline, and it was satisfying to read the whole way through.

Cecelia Ahern's Into the Storm is a masterful blend of heart, suspense, and vivid storytelling. Ahern's signature lyrical prose shines, drawing readers deep into the emotional journey of her well-crafted characters. The narrative is gripping, with twists and turns that keep you hooked until the last page. Enya, a GP, finds herself at the epicentre of a life-altering event when she saves the life of a teenage boy on a stormy night. This harrowing experience becomes a catalyst for her to break free from her unhappy marriage, seeking solace in the remote Irish countryside as a rural GP. The exploration of Irish folklore and mythology through the rag tree added an element of depth and intrigue. Ahern seamlessly intertwines themes of resilience, love, and self-discovery, making this book both thought-provoking and unputdownable. Ahern's ability to evoke such vivid imagery and raw emotion is unparalleled, cementing her as a literary gem. Into the Storm is a must-read for fans of compelling, heartfelt storytelling. A triumph by a brilliant author!

I found this book engrossing, trying to
piece together the puzzle of not only
the hit and run accident but also Enyas
life
Her family life is dysfunctional, and
unresolved grief is suffocating her,
affecting her mental well-being and alsc
beginning to reflect in her work as a
doctor. The accident brings everything
to a head, demanding that she face the
personal crises she is going through.
The inclusion of Irish folklore adds
cultural interest.


This is @official_cecliaahern 20th book,
and it certainly shows. Her writing is
absorbing, deftly capturing the
challenges and suffering people
experience and how they regain control
of their lives

Cecelia Ahern is an author that always surprise me. Probably most well know for writng in the romance space, or romance adjacent, here she is with a domestic thriller.

The storm is where the story begins, when Enya finds herself flagged down to help a boy who has seemingly been hit by a car. This one event then pushed Enya into upturning her whole life, moving away from her husband and their troubled marriage, also leaving her son behind, to take a job as a village doctor in another town. While navigating her new life, she keeps tabs on the boy she helped, and befriends his mother, but it soon becomes clear nothing is quite what it seems.

This is a slow burning, psychological suspenseful novel that will keep you guessing until the end

Enya is going through a midlife crisis - she is the same age her mother was when she died from a heart attack and is questioning everything in her life - from her marriage to her career as a GP. Returning home one stormy night, she comes across an accident where a boy her son's age has been hit by a car. She helps him but in the aftermath, while he lies in a coma, she is thrown for a loop. She leaves her husband, who keeps her away from her son, and moves to a rural outpost as a small town GP where she discovers herself essentially.

I found Enya to be quite unlikeable for the first half of the book. As her life and background are revealed slowly, she becomes more likeable, as if she is shedding her protective layer to reveal herself to the world. It's a clever technique by Ahern but I found it a challenge to stick with such a difficult character. I don't know if anyone really comes out of this well.

Into the Storm is the first of Irish author Cecelia Ahern's books that this reviewer has read. While it always takes time to become acquainted with an author's style, the book offers a quick showcase of Ahern's capability to shape her female characters by building conflicts into them.

The story's main character, Enya, is dreading the approach of her 47th birthday because it is the age at which her mother died. Already fearing for her mortality, she is also emotionally vulnerable due to a suffocating marriage and what she feels is an increasingly remote relationship with her teenage son.

Right on this juncture, Enya, a medical doctor, becomes involved in a shocking event on a remote mountain road. She saves the life of the victim of an apparent hit-and-run – a teenager who very much reminds her of her own son – but the incident leaves her deeply shaken.

As the story develops, we delve into Enya's mind and slowly gain an understanding as to why Enya feels she has to flee her old life. And it takes some convincing – why this rational, professional woman chooses to leave her family behind and move to a rural practice in the mountains. Specifically – why she desperately tries to find some peace that will put an end to her anxiety, confusion and increasing paranoia, but only ends up making a bigger mess in the process.

Enya often seems clumsy and self-contradictory, and her attempts to confront life's many inconveniences are not always successful. Her numerous troubles are mainly her own doing, piling one lie on top of another in her efforts to avoid the truths and their consequences – until the whole castle in the sky collapses.

In other words, she is just an ordinary human being.

Which is an indicator of the author's considerable skills in laying bare the complex nature of seemingly simple concepts such as love and responsibility. We cannot help but like Enya, so much so that when we finally learn the reason why she is fleeing, hiding and lying along the way, it no longer matters. What matters instead is the PROCESS in which she learns to be true to herself, including and especially all her flaws, mistakes and insecurities.

Enya's relationship with her mother and sister is perhaps the most endearing part of the story. Also eye-catching is the character Margaret, whose life is similarly burdened by her love and responsibility for her family. An equally brilliant character is Enya's mother, whose transformation from Brigid to Brighid is both informative and inspiring.

In comparison, the male characters in this story are rather peripheral and one-dimensional. They are there as threats and shadows throwing Enya's life into disarray. Even Finn, Enya's beloved son, turns out to have his own agenda, although he does serve as the source of her strengths.

Ultimately, Into the Storm is about women's self-empowerment and mutual support, about facing the consequences of their own decisions, and accepting the fact that they are far from perfect. There is no vanity in this story. Instead, it shows us it is never too late to admit our weaknesses, faults and failures.

Into the Storm - Cecelia Ahern

Into the Storm is a powerful story, so brace yourself for a raw emotional journey dealing with trauma, resilience and Mother Nature.

On a wild December night, during a storm, Dr Enya performs CPR on a young teenage boy in the middle of the road. He is a victim of a hit and run, but it stirs up emotions of Enya’s son, leading her to make some changes in her life.

The boy survives, but Enya’s life spins out of control and she leaves her husband, her son and her life to start anew in a remote and rural town in Ireland. Enya has to fight her demons, find herself and build the strength she has buried inside her.

The storm of that fateful night, haunts her. Running away won’t solve the emotions she is trying to hide from. She needs to face her demons and renew her resolve for a peaceful and rested life, before it consumes here totally.

Into the Storm published by HarperCollins Publisher Australia. It is worth a read if you are wanting to go on a raw, emotional and inspiring journey to the heart of despair and find hope.

 #IntotheStorm #NetGalley #books #booktok #bookgram #bookish #fyp #booknerd #CeceliaAhern #emotionalread #

I found Into the Storm to be such a compelling and emotional read.

The writing was beautiful and I felt immersed in the story of Enya as she grappled with issues of grief, mortality, morality and motherhood. While deeply flawed, there were elements of her character that were both endearing and relatable. At times the story felt so claustrophobic, and the writing was beautiful and engaging.

While part mystery, I think this is also a story of self discovery, family, female friendship and trauma. I feel somewhat conflicted about the ending, but did find it through provoking, and I think this is a story that will stay with me for some time.

Thank you HarperCollins Australia for a copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

This book challenged me in so many ways, including in setting a path that had so many twists and turns that I hadn’t expected. Filled with the depths of mental anguish and suffering, the torments of paranoia, the bonds of friendship and a glimpse into the richness of Ireland’s history there was plenty to tease out within this story. In a story that had Enya as the main character; it was instead her friend Margaret who kept catching my attention with her perfectly timed sharp wit and her offered friendship despite her own brokenness.

While reading this book, I did find it fascinating to learn a little more about the rag tree and the significance it plays, and the way that this and the storms helped shape the story. Other details like leaving a place at the table for dead relatives, and the stories shared in Brighid’s columns also gave rich insight into things I know little about.

Meanwhile lies, deceit and confusion feature heavily within this story and it did make me hope to avoid ever having a GP like Enya or her husband. Scary really thinking of what conditions some practice under when really they are needing more help themselves than what they can offer, and hints at the possibilities for so much harm to be done.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for letting me read an advanced copy in exchange for a review. Available now for purchase.

On a wild winter’s night, GP Enya finds herself doing CPR on a teenage boy, performing CPR, an apparent victim of a hit-and-run. The boy survives, but Enya goes to pieces. She leaves her husband, her son, and everything she knows to start a new life in remote rural Ireland. However, the quiet life of Abbeydooley, fails to diminish the anguish felt by Enya who is still haunted by that night in the rain.
The impact of the event on Enya, causes her to reflect on her life. Her grief is palpable, as she also struggles with her mother’s death and her own mortality. This was a heavy read but the gradual reveal of Enya’s past, made this an interesting read. Whilst Enya as a character was difficult to like, her emotions are raw and truthful.
This book I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

CW: Car accidents; death of a parent;

It's a dark and stormy night in the Eniskerry mountains when Dr Enya Pickering is pulled over to assist at the scene of an accident. The victim: a boy the same age as her own son. While she renders first aid, she is wracked with guilt because she wasn't where she said she was before the accident and anxiety over her upcoming 47th birthday - the same age her mother was when she died.

Heading for a fresh start, Enya takes up a GP position in the village of Abbeydooley, but the accident and the aftermath keep its hooks in Enya until it all comes to a head on another dark and stormy night. Can Enya overcome her fear of her upcoming birthday and resolve the ghosts of the past?

While this had a bit of a slow start, it soon became an un-put-downable read as the pace picked up faster and faster.

It is a tale of relationships and families, of secrets and lies, of redemption and reparation. Woven through is the folklore of the Rag Trees and the healing they bring, and Enya's mother's newspaper columns about the seasons and their spirituality. It's a dark tale of mental illness and crime and retribution, with so many red herrings and wrong turns that the reader is left bewildered

This was a fascinating, twisting turning tale that kept me guessing to the end.

~Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review~

Into the Storm is my second Ahern book and I was really looking forward to it. I kept my knowledge of the book to a minimum as I didn’t want to spoil the story for myself and I’m glad I did that.

The story follows Enya through some difficult times in her life and comes back to the event of her saving Ross’ life by doing CPR late at night and in a storm. She moves to a new town to become the local GP but the troubles still follow her, physically and mentally. I felt that the story flew by and I was always keen to keep going with it, which is always a good sign in my book. I was a bit thrown by some of the time jumps of months but once I realised it made sense since the book went through about a years period in such few pages. I felt the ending wrapped up things quite well and I will be recommending to friends.

This was an intense and emotional read although I found myself caring less about the main character as the story unfolded. I did like the connections with Celtic traditions and there were moments of great atmosphere.

In a stormy night, Enya, a GP comes across a boy who has been the victim of a hit and run. She performs CPR and the boy survives. She can’t help but think of her own son, who is the boy’s age. This night provides the catalyst for Enya to forge her own path, away from an ill-fated marriage, while she continues to be haunted by the events of that night.

The beginning of the book starts off with a bang, as she comes upon the accident and saves the boy’s life. But then the story becomes quite slow going, and repetitive, and I had to make myself read on. About 3/4 into the book the pace picks up again as the mystery unfolds.

I found Enya, the MC, annoying and narcissistic. I found the whole “I’m going to die at 47 because that’s the age my mum died” hard to believe. She was a train wreck making one bad decision after another and maybe that’s the way someone in her state of mind would behave.

I loved Margaret’s character even though she had her own issues going on. The inclusion of the rag tree was interesting as well as the Irish folklore intertwined in the story.

There were a couple of interesting twists throughout but there were also overly used characters like the taxi driver and Mark, that added little to the story. I had a hard time buying into the premise of the story and connecting with its characters. I felt the story dragged on and the ending was quite rushed, although satisfying. This was my first Cecilia Ahern book and after seeing glowing reviews of some of her other books I will try her again.

A book where not one character is really likeable, and the ending rather predictable, but there are a few gems to be discovered along the way.

This was an intriguing read, if somewhat confusing at times. There's so much deception & depression which does get you into the head of the main character, but it's not a place I wanted to stay for very long, so I found it slow going. It does, however, depict battles with mental health really well, especially as the various truths begin to reveal themselves.

This book is a lot, and won't be for everyone.