I received a free DRC of this book through Netgalley. I used to be a mental health counselor so I am drawn to books about therapy. This group of people are brought together by a therapist who seems unsure of herself at the beginning, but gains more confidence as the group goes on. There is a major twist during the book and it made me raise my opinion of the book. I enjoyed the twist and the writing . The author did a great job with making each character seem complete and human in their grief. I found myself tearing up a couple of times while reading the book.

I struggled to make it through this one, but I think it was more of a 'me' issue as I was a bit burned out on reading. It was a good story with a good plot line, but the ending kind of took a turn that I didn't see coming and am not sure I enjoyed. All in all, it's a decent read.

This book is an absolute gem that took me on an unforgettable emotional rollercoaster. As the characters come together for an unconventional group meeting every Tuesday night, the author masterfully unravels their complex backgrounds and the mysterious reason they've been brought together. What truly captivated me was the raw vulnerability and authenticity with which each character shared their stories. The dynamic between the group members and their observant leader kept me hooked, eagerly turning pages to uncover the secrets that bind them. The themes of trust, courage, and the power of human connection are beautifully woven throughout the narrative, making it both a heartwarming and thought-provoking read. This book is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the profound impact of facing one's past to embrace the future.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an inspiring and deeply moving story.

The premise for this one seemed right up my alley but it was very slow and pretty easy to figure out what was happening pretty early on.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for a DRC of this fascinating book. I loved the premise of a group helping each other move through the grieving process. I loved seeing each character grow and change as a result of their friendship and love. I LOVED BEING GOBSMACKED 71% into the book!! Things that make you go hmmmmm. A terrific read!

3.5 Rounded up. As a psychotherapy junkie, I loved the early parts of this book. Four people gathered together to process their grief. Their personal stories and their reactions to their traumas were interesting and believable in the first half of the book. Very enjoyable. . Then the novel's true stories were revealed, and from that point on the story was unbelievable to me. I rejected the book's premise intellectually; however, I kept reading to see what happened. But I read with skepticism. Recommend with reservations.

It’s more of a 2.5/5 stars. At first I just didn’t gel with the writing style, or I needed to get use to it because I don’t typically read stuff in first person. Then the first 30 percent of the book was a slog to get through. And it picked the pace up at about 40 percent then they really tried to push this romance at the 45 percent mark that felt icky. It was at this point I jumped around in the story and decided to skim some bits of it.

The twist is good if there were any solid indications of the twist previously. But once the big reveal happens, it just one big info dump. I like the concept, but it could have definitely been done a bit more tastefully.

The pacing was weird too. And for how the story is structured, for the audience to believe that these four people had gone through horrible tragedies and had started this group therapy to work through it, and try to push a romance through the group therapy, it just left a bad taste in my mouth and there is no reason I should have to read another40-50 percent of the book before I get some semblance of justification for that.

I definitely feel there should have been a bit more sensitivity reading and editing regarding the romance. I also believe it should be marketed more supernatural and paranormal considering the twist. Fantasy/sci-fi implies something entirely different than what we got, in my opinion, and that tag is the whole reason I picked it up.

I don’t know if I would recommend it to anyone, and I do like the message of letting go and accepting things in your life you can’t control and whatnot, but something about it threw me off. And I do understand this is a debut novel, but that doesn’t excuse the editor/sensitivity readers from pointing some of these things out.

All in all, great concept and message, but the execution could’ve been remarkably better.

Clever, unique, and full of heartache and charm, this book is a welcome change. I found this book to be emotionally engaging, cleverly written, quick-paced, full of wonderful characters, and most importantly, I didn't want it to end. What she has in store for us next excites me!

I was so impressed with Amelia Ireland's debut novel! The premise of this book was really unique and made for a very captivating read. I was initially really drawn to this book by the cover and didn't know a ton about the book going into it.

Four strangers are brought together for a weekly group grief therapy session as part of a new experimental treatment designed to help them process and move on from their grief. The characters couldn't be more different - Victoria, a partner at a law firm; Callum, a wildly successful popular singer/songwriter who has hit rock bottom; Mischa, a fragile woman in her early twenties; and Freya, a beauty whose seemingly perfect life is unraveling. They've each experienced a profound loss or significant life altering event and the story is told from each of their unique POVs.

I don't want to give anything away, but the twist that happens about two-thirds of the way through the book I definitely didn't see coming and was so interesting! Definitely try to avoid any spoilers before reading this book. The pacing of the story really picks up after the twist happens and I didn't want to put it down. I can't wait to read whatever Amelia Ireland writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, this book! At first, it seemed to be about one thing, then it just flipped everything on it's head when you figure out what is actually going on and what it is really about. Wow!
Four different grieving people are brought together for group therapy. They all resist at first, but as the weeks go on, they begin to open up, to each other and to themselves. Then, boom, the script gets flipped when they figure out why they are really there. I won't share that part, I don't want to give it away to anyone reading this review...
The relationships these four people form is sweet, two fall in love, the other two form a mother-daughter type bond.
The lengths they go to help and support each other is beautiful.
I loved this book!

What a stunning read, so unlike any book I’ve read. The Seven o’clock club explores the concept of grief and its presence in our lives. This story follows four different people, Callum, Freya, Mischa, and Victoria and their journey through a grief support group. These characters jumped off the page for me, I could see them and loved visualizing their journey through the grief process.

I loved how there was a variety of examples of what grief is and how complex it truly is. This story redefined what grief was in my head, it’s not as black and white as being sad over a death- it’s letting something go and then processing your place in what remains. You can grieve anything, and I suppose I hadn’t realized that before. Anyway, what an amazing story and I recommend everyone read it.

Thanks to Berkeley, NetGalley and Amelia Ireland for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

The visually appealing cover art complete with satisfying symmetry caught my gaze and I could not forget this book. When I got approved for the ARC I was ecstatic!! This debut was engaging and the further I read the more I loved it. I knew very little going in and so I was taken by surprise many times throughout making for memorable jaw dropping moments. Avoid spoilers!!

The story is told from five alternating POVs. Four people who are bereaved and their therapist tasked with helping them process loss and move on. The therapist has put together an unconventional program with experimental group therapy sessions. Each character has an individual voice that stands out. The chapters open with identifying the perspective, but even if they didn't the characterization is so incredible I would've known who was speaking anyway. The characters' stories while all poignant held vast differences. I wanted to see every of them succeed even in their darkest moments. I enjoyed each POV. There wasn't one I dreaded or a favorite. They all brought important food for thought to the table. Becoming invested in the plot felt like second nature. Short punchy chapters kept the pace moving at a clip. Well timed humor added dimension and as odd as it may sound gave the story a sense of grounding. Humor shows up both as a coping mechanism and also at the strangest sometimes inappropriate times in real life and I liked how that was shown here.

I love when I haven't the foggiest idea where a narrative is going and this shining debut delivered. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻Ireland is one to watch!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

All the stars!!⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for providing an Advance Readers Copy for review. These are my unbiased opinions.

I read the blurb on this and thought it would be a very thought provoking book so I jumped at the chance to read it. Grief is so personal and can be so defining that it is hard to find a central theme that encompasses all - except sadness. So the idea of a grief meeting with the suspense of why each of them was picked to "join" this group really fascinated me. I loved the character development a lot and when they each ended up telling their "story" I was deeply moved.

I guess I missed the "sci-fi" part of the description of the book and after reading so much of the novel that takes place "in the present" it was a big surprise when all of a sudden it kind of turned a bit. I still found it incredibly interesting and I thought the author did a great job of surprises throughout the book but I wasn't anticipating the big twist and the concluding chapters.

At times I was confused by the narrators in the chapters - I couldn't tell who was narrating it at times.

This would be a great book club book b/c there is a lot to discuss and lots of differing points of view.

Thank you to NetGalley, Amelia Ireland and Berkley Publishing for the e-Arc in exchange for an honest opinion.

What a ride this book was! It was a bit different than I was expecting going into it but the characters inside are so compelling. I loved how it was all woven together and the twist along with it. A GREAT READ.

The Seven O’Clock Club is an intriguing exploration of grief and vulnerability, as five strangers confront their deepest losses in a group therapy setting. The characters are well-developed, and the use of the five stages of grief adds depth. While the story is compelling, a shocking twist divides readers—some find it riveting, others feel it disrupts the narrative. A unique premise with emotional weight, though uneven execution may not land for everyone. Perfect for book clubs looking for meaningful discussion.

When I started The Seven O'Clock Club I was immediately pulled in. I wanted to find out what the stories were of these characters. When all the characters finally told their stories I wasn't surprised by many the clues dropped allowed me to figure out what happened to all but one. Then, there was a change and. I have to say for me the story went downhill from there. Overall, this is a good read. The characters are well developed and the concept is interesting.

Imagine sitting around in a therapist's office sharing the deepest feelings of loss that have left you in the extremist depression, to the point where your daily living routine is rocked, your behavior is atypical, you've sequestered yourself from friends and family. Then imagine doing this in front of 4 other people, all strangers to you. Could you really open yourself up and be vulnerable?
This is the experiment that Genevieve attempts with 4 patients lost in grief. It is her hope that these 4 people can come to terms with their loss and understand that the behavior that followed is understandable and with the help of these new co-patients, that their experiences can help others in the group. And so the bonding this group has which includes a famous rock star, a lawyer, a carer, and an office worker begins and over their several sessions, they come to depend on the friendships that evolve and in the case of two of them, an even closer relationship. Their behaviors change on so many levels for each of them, they become open and hide less from who they are in their outside lives. They care more, are less obnoxious, show more compassion to each other and don't hide behind behavioral barriers that normally they use to protect themselves. As they each come to terms with their losses, their anger is managed and understood. So the experiment seems like a success. But then, a huge twist that had this reader's mouth dropped for a solid minute trying to wrap my head around it!! When I say I didn't see it coming, it was like a freight train coming through my living room!
What a novel and completely unique concept. I am not going to say much about it because to do so will spoil everything. But, I will say that writing is easy to digest. The characters are really well rounded even though at the same time, complex. The author has really done a great job building the tension for what is to come and while for some, it might be a bit out there, it is actually comforting to imagine what she conjures. She titles each section with the 5 stages of grief as was adopted after Kubler-Ross presented these behaviors for dealing with loss whether with death or some other form of abnormality. I will only ding it in a small way-- Genevieve was the only character that needed to be more fleshed out. I didn't feel she had as much substance or backstory as the other characters did and I think it could have added so much more to know her better.
An interesting book, unique premise and would be fun thing to discuss for a book club.
Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the ARC of this book for my unbiased thoughts.

4.25 stars - WOW!!! This was an absolutely stunning read. All of the characters were magnificently written and had so much depth and nuance to them. Watching them grow closer and grow as people was so mesmerizing and tugged at my heartstrings. Plus, the “revelation” was truly shocking and made all of the moments leading up to it so worth it. This was an excellent debut novel!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the arc!

Wow wow, this was different and in the first 70% of the book, the author did a phenomenal job, creating characters in life situations that I as a reader could really relate to, and feel for and felt engaged in. Clearly, there’s some fantastic writing talent here. But at the 70% mark, the plot took a sharp right turn and personally I didn’t care for it. I wouldn’t ding an author just because the way the plot goes isn’t necessarily what I enjoy reading, but I noticed that the writing or story dropped off. That deeply engaged feeling and caring about the characters and how this part of their journey would go almost seemed an afterthought and not very well developed. There is a clear difference in the writing, almost as if someone else wrote that last 30%. Other reviewers have mentioned an improbable, plot, twist, etc. as a writer I think one can make almost anything work in a book. I hope the author has time to redo or think about doing something with that part of the book before it’s published because this has the potential to really go somewhere.

#TheSevenOClockClub #NetGalley

This was a really enjoyable book until about 70% when a sudden event spoiled it for me. 4 strangers meet every Tuesday at 7 to talk about grief. The four people couldn't be more different and everyone eventually talks about what happened to them. 2 people in the group fall in love. The person running the group is hoping to help them overcome their problems. Until this point, the story was very enjoyable and quite humorous at points. Then it became weird. I guess some people may enjoy the revelation.