A little slow in places that didn't have me sitting on the edge of my chair but it came together for the ending. There were a few unknowns I didn't see coming like the character Mark and fundraising page. It made me think about how amazing our subconscious is and how it can block things. I would have liked to Finn to play a part earlier as I enjoyed his character towards the end. I liked the rawness of Enya and Margaret especially when dealing with tough subjects including separation, addiction, grief, anxiety and panic attacks.

Gripping from the start.  Thank you to the author and netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy.

Following Enya a doctor on a journey to find herself by moving to a remote village where she hopes no one knows her., to her dismay at finding a large tree covered in rags outside the window of her rental and upsetting the locals who initially welcomed her by having branches cut off. 

Enya is strong willed but in someways also weak, putting up with a cold unfeeling husband who tries to isolate her from her son. 
Her son is difficult to reach, a 15yr old who isn't interested in his mum's thoughts or love and embarrassed by affection. 

Just when Enya is starting to find her feet her past comes back to play havoc on her life.  The outcome and conclusion I didn't see coming. I did feel a bit like Alexander was a bolt on, a husband because Enya's character needed one. He worked well at the start but seemed to fade away halfway through.  Marks character was unlikeable from the start and he really was just a distraction to create the right timeline for the accident.  
Margaret was hard to visualise,  the body build still puzzles me, she obviously looked quite an odd character.  And Finn, the link to everything,  an awkward 15yr old who is easy to visualise and understand as he struggles to navigate between two high achieving parents.   

It was nice to read a book that the main character didn't get a cosy outcome. I so wanted Enya to have the life she'd created but the author had other plans and gave Enya the life she deserved.

‘Even with her knowledge of the roads, she knows she should stop, pull in and wait for the rainstorm to subside.’

Dr Enya Pickering is heading home in a violent storm when she is flagged down by a taxi driver at the scene of an accident near her home in Enniskerry, Ireland. A teenaged boy is lying on the road: the victim of a hit and run accident. Dr Pickering performs CPR, and the boy is still alive when the ambulance arrives and takes him to hospital. Dr Pickering, who thought for a moment that the boy was her son Finn, continues home.
Before the accident, Enya’s marriage to fellow GP Alexander (Xander) was struggling. After the accident, with her life in turmoil, Enya chooses to relocate to the small village of Abbeydooley. The village needs a GP and Enya needs a break to deal with a growing number of issues.

The story that unfolds involves a diversity of characters, has many twists (some more believable than others) and touches on the Irish folklore surrounding rag trees. But the accident in which the teenager was critically injured is key to this story and the tension builds as the truth is slowly (and finally) revealed.

While I’d rate aspects of this story highly, my sympathy for Enya shrivelled as the drama increased. I found other characters more engaging. And, yes, I went looking for more information about rag trees and read that they are often ‘… hawthorns that have been decorated with rags or cloths as part of a custom in Ireland and Scotland. The practice involves tying a rag to a branch of the tree while making a wish, usually for healing, good luck, or protection. The belief is that as the rag disintegrates, so too will the ailment or worry that it represents. Rag trees are seen as a way of connecting with the land and with the spirits of the natural world. ‘(copied from The Brehon Academy)

Although Ms Ahern is a prolific author this is the first of her novels I have read. Will I read others? To be honest, I am not sure.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

This is my first Celia Ahern novel, and I was quite impressed - in that I found the book hard to put down. GP Enya is driving through a storm after a late night call out when she comes across a hit and run. She saves the boy, who reminds her of her difficult teenage son. This novel deals with topics such as family relationships, mental health, folklore, and mystery. I have to say I didn’t really like Enya. She was a bit annoying. However I loved Margaret, thought she was a strong likeable, real character, with wit and strength.

A good read, with a twist. Thanks to netgalley for a chance to review this book.

A emotional mystery that will grip you so tight that you can't breathe. She is a GP and she fights to keep a young boy alive in the pouring rain. I love how intense the plot is and becomes as the characters developed. It's a emotional ride with twists that tear at you.

To be honest I'm not sure how I feel about this one. When I began it I was wow wow wow I don't want to stop reading this but then I reached the middle and I was a bit meh. I loved the parts where the "old" seasons were tracked using her mother's articles, and I loved the Irish folklore peppered throughout. Also, there were images that stayed with me long after I was done - and kept me awake - so I must have enjoyed it more than I thought. For that reason I'm giving it 3.5 stars.

I received this one from the publishers via Net Galley in return for an honest review.

Into The Storm is a slow burn that is mor drama than thriller. I thought because of this I would struggle to finish it. However, at some point I realised I was hooked, and I had to see it through.

The story was not predictable in how the plot would go. The first half, besides the hit and run, has no action, rather it focuses on Enya's character development. Or rather the unraveling of her character. You see her become paranoid, and anxious and keeping Irish folklore at arms length. The second half of the book sees Enya come to peace and accepting of her situation . This is also where the investigation into the hit and run picks up. I did not expect the reveal in the final few chapters and thought it was a clever suprise!
I loved the colourful characters, the Irish folklore and superstitions and the emotional journey with a twist at the end.

This might not be a book for everyone but I certainly loved it!

My 6P review: Publication, Plot, People, Place, Prose/Pace, Praise

I was excited to receive this ARC as I love Cecilia Ahern‘s books although I haven’t read any in quite some time.

I could relate to Enya and the milestones of her mother’s death as I also lost my mother at a young age. I didn’t really like Enya though, she came across as a bit of a wet mop.

I did like Margaret though, and it was her that kept me reading.

I also like the town of Abbey Dooley, the Irish folklore and Enya’s mother’s notes.

I’m not too sure about the main topic of this story though. Was it the grieving of lost family, family relationships or mental health?

The prose was nice, but the pace was a little bit too slow for my liking and at times I skim read, hoping to finish the book quicker.

I also DO NOT like mental health as an excuse.

I’m not sure how many stars to give this one. I’ll settle on three.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review .

“Into the Storm” served as my introduction to Cecelia Ahern and I look forward to reading more of her work.
Dr. Enya Pickering is a woman with issues that are creating problems in her professional and personal life….in a marriage that has lost its lustre and feeling disconnected from husband and son, she is about to turn the age her mother was when she drowned after suffering a heart attack. This weighs on her mind and when she is flagged down by a taxi driver at the scene of a probable hit and run in the middle of a raging storm, she renders first aid and is instrumental in saving the young boy’s life. However the police investigation threatens to unravel aspects of her life and she makes a move to a country practice to try and regain some perspective and control.
I found Enya a not particularly likeable character who perhaps because of her depression and anxiety made some dodgy decisions and treated friends and family if not harshly, then lacking in warmth and empathy.
The setting and exploration of local culture was interesting
The “rag tree” at Enya’s new abode comes wrapped in history and legend (literally) and until Enya can feel a part of the community and understand the healing power of the tree, it seems she will continue to suffer.
I did become invested in her journey and the twist was not one I saw coming. I kept reading to find out if she could weather the storm and create a new start and wasn’t disappointed with the ending. I would have liked however to have explored the perspectives of other characters in the book more, particularly her husband and sister.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and I leave this review voluntarily.

I appreciate the opportunity to provide feedback on "Into The Storm" by Cecilia Ahern. The novel offers a compelling premise, centering on Dr. Enya Pickering, a GP in Ireland, whose life unravels after she encounters a hit-and-run accident on a stormy night. Here are my detailed thoughts:

Strengths:

Depiction of Rural Ireland: The book authentically captures the essence of small-town rural Ireland. As someone from a small village in Ireland, I found the portrayal of a close-knit community, where everyone knows each other and the GP is a respected pillar of the community, to be a good reflection of village life.

Character Development - Margaret Rochford was my favourite! The friendship that develops between Enya and Margaret is one of the book's highlights. Margaret’s character, with her sarcasm, strength, and personal struggles, added depth and a refreshing dynamic to the story.

Areas for Improvement:

Enya as an Unreliable Narrator: While Enya is intended to be an unreliable narrator, her obvious withholding of parts of the story felt more overt than subtle. I have read books with unreliable narrators before, and they typically maintain a delicate balance, revealing their unreliability in a more nuanced manner. In contrast, Enya's mental ruminations and fragmented storytelling were more transparent and sometimes hindered my engagement with her character.

Characterisation of Enya's Mother: The integration of Enya’s mother, Brigid, through interspersed articles, did not significantly enhance her character. in my own personal opinion Brigid is depicted as a free-spirited, hippy type, interested in druids and being a free spirit. This felt somewhat one-dimensional, and the articles did not add much that couldn't have been summarised more concisely.

Rag Tree Symbolism: The rag tree in Enya’s rented accommodation, intended to symbolise healing and forgiveness, felt forced into the narrative. Despite its constant presence in the story from about the one third mark, the symbolism did not resonate with me and seemed more of an imposed element rather than an organic part of the plot.

Pacing and Structure: The book's pacing felt slow initially, only picking up once Enya moved to Abbeydooley. While the novel did gain momentum, the initial sluggishness and fragmented storytelling affected the reading experience.

Despite these criticisms, I am grateful for the opportunity to read and review "Into The Storm." Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for providing me with this opportunity.

Enya Pettigrew Is an amazing creation. Not particularly likeable, she is nonetheless compelling and I found myself swept right into her world and concerns. This author knows how to create back stories which compel the reader to keep reading and this is no exception. The setting is almost gothic at times and, with the family history, it is truly engaging.

I just struggled to get to grips with this book
I didn’t really find one character throughout who I found I could like, it was a quick story line at the beginning, only to drag on, I just didn’t connect with this book.
Thank you to @HarperCollins Australia and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early addition.

Dr Enya Pickering is married to fellow GP Alexander and has a teenage son Finn. One night in December she's driving home, the weather is terrible and visibility is poor, when she finds a boy in the middle of the road, she gives him CPR while a taxi driver calls an ambulance. The teenager reminds her of her son Finn, what's he doing on a remote mountain road near Dublin and it appears to be a hit and run?

Enya’s life has been spiralling out of control for a couple of months, she feels trapped in her marriage, and her once happy and loving son spends most of his time in his room. Enya moves to a remote a village called Abbeydooley in the Irish Midlands for a break and to think, she rents the former doctors house and surgery.

Enya's expecting peace and tranquillity, instead it's pitch black outside, spooky and a tree branch keeps scraping the window. The Hawthorn Tree or Rag Tree is sacred, a ritual going back to Celtic times, it’s believed if a person ties the cloth to the tree, whatever sickness or ailment their suffering from will fade away as the rag rots and they will be healed.

I received a copy of Into The Storm from HarperCollins Publishers Australia and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I have been a big fan of Cecelia Ahern's books and writing style for years, but her latest novel left me feeling somewhat perplexed and confused. I think it’s a story about dysfunctional families, not dealing with the loss of a loved one, superstition, making bad choices, secrets, mental illness and regret?

Three stars from me, I do understand both Irish and Scottish people believed in folklore and have done for centuries, my mother’s from Scotland and the information about the Rag Tree is interesting and please read this book for yourself and see if it makes any sense to you!

Well written book with great intrigue but I was let down by the ending and overall theme for this one. It felt a little wish my washy for me & there was not a single character to really root for.

I have read, and enjoyed, a number of Cecilia Ahern's books. I don’t feel this was one of her best, though I still enjoyed it for the most part. The main character, Dr Enya, is struggling with many aspects of her life, and makes some poor decisions. She sometimes comes across as not very likeable which can be challenging in a novel.
At times the pace of the book was a little slow. Choices made by characters had me wanting to shake them and tell them not to be so stupid. But I think the ending saves this book. I will admit it didn’t go where I was expecting, and I liked that. The issues often facing women of ‘a certain age’ were deftly handled. Into the Storm is well worth a read.

This is an enjoyable read that discreetly brings to light some of the issues that face many women of about the age of the main character, Dr Enya Pickering. While it seemed at times to get bogged down fortunately the author in building the plot gives it a surprise ending.

Dr Enya and her husband, also a doctor, run a very sophisticated medical practice but it's becoming quite noticeable that Dr Enya isn't coping, once a highly organised person, now things are getting a little ratty. Some of the reasons for her unhappiness and muddled mind are easy to identify, she is now living in her deceased mother-in-law's house bequeathed to her husband knowing that it wouldn't be sold as it would have been had it been left to her husband’s siblings, he is a class snob, one who insists on keeping all the expensive decorative pieces (dust collectors) on show for all visitors to be in awe of. He is a controller and shows little empathy for his wife. The house is uncomfortable, so different to their previous home they had built together that allowed interaction with their son Finn. Finn is growing up, independent of mother and father but for whom Enya doesn't recognise, rather she wants to hang onto him like he was as a child. She has an obsession with her forthcoming age, one that will mirror the one at the time of her mother's death. Her mother, a strong swimmer, had drowned at the age Enya is approaching. Her body has well and truly started her change of life and for a doctor it is strange that she doesn't recognise this.

Enya and her sister are close but her sister has chosen a very different lifestyle. Married with children, the couple homeschool, have an alternative lifestyle, herbalists etc very much down the same track as their mother. Life is harmonious, one of deep contrast to Enya.

It's at a particular time that Enya against her better judgment is driving in an unrelenting storm, one where she should stop and wait for it to beat itself out but instead she keeps going. Out of the blue she is stopped by a taxi driver who has discovered an injured boy on the road. The boy is badly injured but Enya in the middle of this tempest is able to revive him in time for the ambulance.

The read now gets a little heavy with a lot of emphasis on the hit and run and the developed relationship Enya pursues with the boy's mother. Because of her profession she is able to keep tabs on the boy's condition and improvements. Without the family's consent she crowd-sources funds for them, she becomes too involved with the boy's mother which eventually turns sour. The taxi driver stalks her, he is naturally concerned that he may be blamed for the accident. Enya decides to move away from the family home and takes over a country practice but her demons are still there.

The rented house she moves into adds to her instability with a Rag Tree of Irish spirituality background which is practically growing into the house. She is condemned when she tries to have it cut down. It has served many people in times of need and so in leaving it she understands with the change of season how it begins to regrow and show its magnificence. Finn, out of the blue visits her where he reveals to her why all her calls and texts had not been answered. He also reveals his involvement with the injured boy, the Garda are investigating the hit and run incident with the truth eventually revealed.

I have to say that I really struggled with this book as it was so slow and seemed to drag on woth not much happening. I didn't feel any real suspense and to be honest didn't feel like anything was happening a lot of the time until maybe 3/4 way through when we started to seem some things unravelling through the doom and gloom.

I don't really know if Into the Storm is a mystery/ thriller or a woman's literary fiction. In short, I think Into the Storm tries to be too many things and ends up being mediocre in all. This feedback is mainly because I have read most of her books, and this one misses the mark for me.
For me, Enya Pickering is a fractured soul that makes little sense in what she is doing. She's a doctor, but yet she has certain beliefs that, if it were her patient, would yield a different outcome.

Enya is the main character of the story, and her narrative seems mostly reliable. Even when she moves to Abbeydooley, the things that haunt her seem to be just that: hauntings. After all, Ireland is full of lore and stories about the other folk. After she finds a victim of a hit- and-run, Enya's life takes a turn and lands her on a journey to self-discovery.

Into The Storm is a literal and figurative title to a story, but it falls a little short on the delivery. I didn't mind it, but I know the author can do better.

I haven’t read Cecelia Ahern before so I jumped at the chance to read an ARC. I struggled to put it down.

It’s about Dr Enya Pickering who, while driving home in a storm, comes across a teenage boy hit and run victim and she comes to his aid. Meanwhile she is fighting her own demons which affect her marriage and relationship with her son resulting in her moving to a regional town to take over a practice there.

Into The Storm has some colourful characters, explores some Irish folklore and superstitions and is a rather emotional journey with a twist at the end.

I enjoyed it and will definitely be reading more of Cecelia’s work as a result.

Thank you NetGalley.

Dr Enya Pickering is a mess - her marriage is breaking, her relationship with her son is distant, and then she experiences a traumatic event in the middle of a storm that she can't seem to move on from. Added to this, she's approaching the age her mother was when she died. What follows is a nostalgic journey through grief and the tearing down of a life to build something new. It's a haunting, looking-over-your-shoulder read: who was that at the window? Is her husband going to turn violent? Is that guy stalking her? Are we witness to a woman falling into madness?
There is small town warmth, too, with characters like Margaret being allowed their own development, as well as Enya's sister Flora and her family.
The Irish countryside and pagan folklore become their own characters, and are woven through as we journey with Enya, waiting for something sinister to happen, and trying to unravel the story.

Although a very slow burn, it was a very enjoyable page turner!