A GP, a rainy night, a marriage in trouble and a distant teenager all come together in a storm to create this gem. Cecelia Ahern has brought together an eclectic group of characters and situations in a rural town and given us all someone to root for. The plot is excellent and there are a few twists and turns. The ‘rag tree’ was a new concept to me but such a beautiful aspect to include.

Thank you Ms Ahern for yet another great read.

I usually enjoy Cecilia Ahern books, but this one was just a bit off for me. I could appreciate where the main character was coming from, but it all just didn’t hit the spot for me. Mental health is always a tricky topic to write about in an engaging way. I liked the concepts around the rag tree and her mother’s writing, but how it came together was just a bit forced for me. It may have been that the main character was a bit unlikeable, but it was more that there were too many stereotypical characters that made it fall short. We never really got to know Enya or Margaret, so it felt lacking in depth. Enya's ultimate ending was very good however. Thanks to NetGalley for a chance to review this book.

You know that feeling you get when just a short way into a book you realise it’s going to be unputdownable? Into the Storm is that with bells on. The story delves deep into the psyche of its protagonist, deeply troubled Dr Enya Pettigrew, and the consequences of the choices she makes in her life.
Enya is driving through a wild, heavy rainstorm at night when she comes upon an accident. A young boy is lying on the road, the victim of a hit and run. Enya does CPR which keeps the boy alive until an ambulance arrives. That is the beginning of the story. The drama, the ups and downs and the twists and turns which follow are completely engrossing, and unpredictable. Enya has many issues she is trying to resolve by herself, and nothing comes easily for her.

The (mostly) dark, gloomy, wet Irish weather provides a terrifically atmospheric background, together with folklore in the form of old writings by Enya’s mother, and a mysterious ancient tree. There is no knowing which way the story is going to go, right up to the end of the book. I still didn’t want it to end, though. I could have gone on reading Cecelia Ahern’s fascinating words for a lot longer.

There are some brilliant Irish women writers, and Cecelia Ahern is one of the best. Readers of beautifully written, psychological fiction are going to love this book.

Published by Harper Collins

On the longest night of the year, frazzled GP Enya finds herself swept into a perfect storm. She must face her past and anchor herself in the present before she can find freedom in her future. This tale has all the charm of rural Ireland and weaves present-day pragmatism with ancient mysticism. It had me equally intrigued, giggling, and in angst from start to finish. A wonderful read that I know will stay with me for some time.
This was my very first read and review on NetGalley and I have loved the experience! Thank you so much HarperCollins for this opportunity. Can’t wait to keep reading!

Into the storm tells the captivating story of Dr Enya Pickering, who saves a young boy's life after he was tragically hit by a car.

Our introduction to Enya reveals she is unhappy in her marriage and feels disconnected from the son she dearly loves.

It quickly becomes apparent that Enya is experiencing mental and emotional distress, triggered by her 46th birthday, then exacerbated by this traumatic event.

In an attempt to heal, Enya leaves her family and moves to Abbeydooley, a small country town with an aging population, and becomes their sole GP.

This book is not action packed, nor is it filled with romance or humour. It's an intricate story focusing on Enya's emotional journey as she experiences anxiety, paranoia, acceptance, then finally peace. The storyline moves reasonably slow due to this, therefore will likely not be for everyone. A good portion of the book is dedicated to unravelling Enya's emotions, although the plot definitely picks up in the second half of the book as the investigation into the hit and run intensifies. I did not expect the reveal in the final few chapters and thought it was a good suprise.

There were moments where I struggled to understand why certain situations would negatively affect Enya's emotional state. In one instance, she has a panic attack after speaking with her husband; the reason behind this confused me, I was unsure why she reacted so severely to what he'd said.

I enjoyed the different references to Irish folklore, including the significant days throughout the year (e.g winter solstice). I hadn't previously heard of a rag tree, and I admired how Enya's perception of it changed. It was incredibly relevant to her life, and I liked learning about the symbolic meaning and importance of the tree to Irish culture.

Overall, this was a really good story.
Into the storm is the second book by Cecelia that I've read, and it has established her as an author I will continue to follow.

It's beautifully written, and I am rating it 4/5☆.

*Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advanced copy of this book*

My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

Enya Pickering is a GP who is struggling. Struggling in her relationship with her cold and selfish husband, struggling with maintaining a connection to her 15 year old son, and mostly struggling with approaching the age her mother her mother was when she drowned, and the feeling that she faces impending doom.
The book opens with Enya driving home in a fierce storm, with limited visibility on narrow Irish roads, when suddenly she comes upon a taxi driver flagging her down saying there is an injured person on the road. The person is the same age as Enya's son Finn, and whilst the paramedics eventually turn up and take him to hospital, the act of resuscitating him in the storm, the water, the cold, the feeling that the boy on the road was her son, and the oddness of the taxi driver and subsequent questioning by the gardai all lead to Enya leaving her husband and taking a posting in a small village.
Her house in the village has a 'rag tree' in the garden and it is this element of weaving Irish folkore into the story that gives it added interest. We can't quite figure out what is going on in Enya's mind, is she going mad? Or is something more sinister happening?
I read this book in one sitting, Cecelia Ahern is a very accomplished author and keeps the story moving, and I loved how 3 dimensional the characters were, with no one being all good, or all bad. I didn't predict the ending at all, but then again, I wasn't trying to, I was just enjoying the story and along for the ride.