Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book and read it in one day. I loved the storyline and all the characters. I would definitely recommend this book.

This is a lovely, warm book that manages to be full of hope. It is an engaging read that manages to draw together family secrets and people in need of forgiveness and second chances. The whole atmosphere is one of small town charm and the weaving in of love, be it new and tender or long established made me keep turning the pages. There is a bit of intrigue that runs through the book which adds to the love of Alice and her friends.

Good story set in Dublin about three generations of women. Daughter, Mom, and Grandma. Love, laughter and exposing family secrets. Just you typical family.

If We Could Turn Back Time by Sian O'Gorman ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Three generations of women whose lives are centred around the family store in Sandycove Past secrets come to light and raise questions for all of them. Can they move past these secrets and become a stronger family?

A lovely Irish read!

Alice returns home to Ireland to spend time with her mother and grandmother. family secrets come to life. good story

Alice returns home to Sandycove in Dublin from Perth in Australia and gets involved in her mum Ciara's deli store. Her mum is fed up with having no life so when Alice starts helping with the shop she can take time to herself. Also helping is Alice's gran Eva who has retired but helps out when needed. There are quite a few secrets and they all start to come out

Alice is a teacher in Perth, Western Australia, living half a world away from her homeland. But when an unexpected break gives her time to return to Ireland and spend time with her mum, Ciara, and gran, Eva, she leaps at the chance.

Back in Ireland, Alice falls into a rhythm, working in the family shop, reconnecting with her family and friends, and is soon a fixture in the small town of Sandycove, forming a fearsome foursome with her bestie, Becca, Becca's boyfriend Conal, and the bookshop owner next door, Max.

Meanwhile her mum, Ciara, has a chance to breathe, now that Alice is taking on some of the shop. Being a single mum and running the family business has left her with no time to find herself, and so she and her bestie, Mary-Marg decide to reignite the old disco they ran in their younger days. And maybe some old flames, too.

Alice's arrival in town, though, is the catalyst for some big secrets becoming unearthed, and things prove to not be as they seem.

This was a multilayered book with lots of storylines crisscrossing over one another. We have Alice, settling down into small town life, and her potential romance; we have Ciara finding herself and her frustration at losing half her live to being a single mum and family business obligations; we have the mysterious Blake family and their secrets; we have the disco; we have the shop; we have a LOT of characters. There's a lot going on here, and I admit I did find myself struggling with this a little. It felt like there was backstory we should have known, but didn't.

The individual elements of the story were good, but I didn't feel it came together in a cohesive whole for me. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4

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

Three generations of women whose lives are centred around the family store in Sandycove. Told from the perspective of each woman, past secrets come to light and raise questions for all of them. A lovely Irish read!

I love everything about this story. I loved the sense of community. The romances were subtle and done just right. The mystery was well-written and kept you guessing. Loved the setting. Loved the main characters. Refreshing to read about people aged 45+ making the most of their lives. With thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was set in Ireland and was beautifully described. We follow the story of Alice, her mother Ciara, and her grandmother Eva. *I will admit in the beginning I kept getting Alice and Ciara mixed up because in my head Ciara should've been the younger name!* Alice has moved out of Ireland to Australia to be a teacher, because as most young people feel the need, she felt she needed to escape and find herself. She realized when she came home to visit that she loves Ireland and has thoughts of maybe staying and helping her mom run their little family owned deli/grocery shop.
In the story enters Max, who owns a bookstore next to Alice's family store. Friendship develops quickly between the two.
In the store Alice finds herself being drawn in to a life she at one time had loved to leave, now she's repainting, restocking, inventing new things like Irish Breakfast to make the store more successful.
In the last 3rd of the story we find out the family's secret that can either make or break them.
Beautiful story!!
Thank you to NetGalley, Sion O'Gorman and Boldwood books for the eversion arc copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

EXCERPT: 'He doesn't look as though he's having much fun. But then, who is?'
Dee thought for a moment. 'No,' she admitted, 'no one is. Brendan's sciatica dominates our lives. He can only sleep sitting up. And . . .' she dropped her voice. 'I think I might have social anxiety. Comes with age, apparently. I thought you got more confident as you got older but it's not always the case.'
'I'm a bit like that,' admitted Ciara.
'Me three,' said Jimbo. 'I like to go home after my shift and stay home.'
'That's what I do,' said Ciara, wrapping up Jimbo's sandwich. 'I watch Scandi-noir . . .'
'Ilike those home improvement shows,' said Jimbo. 'You know, when they begin with an unrealistically small budget, go years over schedule, and are shadows of their former selves by the end. But at least they have a fancy kitchen.' He took the sandwich from Ciara. 'See you, ladies. Don't get into any trouble, now, will you?' He laughed. 'Except that's exactly what we should be doing?'
Ciara laughed. 'Chance would be a fine thing.' One day, she thought, she'd be off having an exciting life. She just had to get off her arse and do something about it.

ABOUT 'IF WE COULD TURN BACK TIME': After another relationship disaster Alice Littleton returns home to spend summer in Dublin’s Sandycove with her Mum, Ciara and beloved grandmother, Eva at their family deli and grocers.

As Alice settles back into her old life with best friend Becca and her new boyfriend Conal Blake, she begins to fall back in love with the everyday rhythms of their family shop and Irish life. Is this the tonic she needs to mend a broken heart?

Single and with mid-life looming her mother Ciara is consumed with running the family deli and feels life is passing her by until best friend Mary-Marg suggests they restart the disco they used to run as teenagers. Could this be what Sandycove’s millennials need or will there be murder on the dancefloor?

But it seems all small-towns have their fair share of secrets and ultimately the past will always catch up with you.

Why does Conal’s grandmother insist on meeting Alice and what happened between her and Eva?
And why hasn’t Ciara spoken to Conal’s father, Paddy, for thirty years?

Is it time for the truth to be told so they can change their future?

MY THOUGHTS: Another absolutely delightful story set in Sandycove, Ireland.

I really relish my time spent in Sandycove with its eclectic mix of residents. I have read two previous books set in this community and loved them both.

If We Could Turn Back Time is a lovely read centered around the theme of family and friendship with just a little mystery flowing through the storyline. The answer to the mystery was a bit of a shocker!

Three generations of the Murphy family women are the focus of If We Could Turn Back Time. Alice, who is Ciara's daughter, Ciara, and her mother Eva. Ciara has lived all her life in Sandycove and, although she loves her home and family, feels she is in a rut. She remembers the dreams she and Mary-Marg had when they finished school; dreams that were never realised and probably never would be. Alice's return home from Australia for a holiday seems to spark all sorts of changes in the small community, but what is going to happen when she returns to Australia?

I loved these characters and the relationships between the Murphy grandmother, mother and daughter. I loved their backstories which provided the mystery and a lot of pleasure. Even the supporting characters are a hoot, and it is interesting to watch their attitudes to life change as the book progresses. Murphy's, the village shop, is an ideal setting for much of the story.

If you are wanting something warm and wonderful to read, you won't do better than pick up a Siân O'Gorman book. Sandycove is a wonderful place!

My favorite quote: . . . being able to be cranky and not all sweetness and light is the best thing about being old.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.2

#IfWeCouldTurnBackTime #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR: Siân O'Gorman was born in Galway and now lives just along the coast from Dublin. She works as a radio producer alongside writing contemporary women's fiction inspired by friend and family relationships.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Boldwood Books via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of If We could Turn Back Time by Siân O'Gorman for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

If We Could Turn Back Time by Sian O’Gorman

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

After another relationship disaster Alice Littleton returns home to spend summer in Dublin’s Sandycove with her Mum, Ciara and beloved grandmother, Eva at their family deli and grocers.

As Alice settles back into her old life with best friend Becca and her new boyfriend Conal Blake, she begins to fall back in love with the everyday rhythms of their family shop and Irish life. Is this the tonic she needs to mend a broken heart?

Single and with mid-life looming her mother Ciara is consumed with running the family deli and feels life is passing her by until best friend Mary-Marg suggests they restart the disco they used to run as teenagers. Could this be what Sandycove’s millennials need or will there be murder on the dancefloor?

But it seems all small-towns have their fair share of secrets and ultimately the past will always catch up with you.

Why does Conal’s grandmother insist on meeting Alice and what happened between her and Eva?
And why hasn’t Ciara spoken to Conal’s father, Paddy, for thirty years?

Is it time for the truth to be told so they can change their future?

My Opinion

Alice returns home to Sandycove after living in Australia. It was really nice to be able to follow the three generations as the story progressed. If We Could Turn Back Time was an uplifting read and I was hooked from the very beginning. Sian O’Gorman has once again written a delightful book that I would highly recommend.

Rating 4/5

I really enjoyed this one. It follows three generations of the Murphy family Eva Ciara and Alice and the events that have shaped their lives in their slop in Sandycove. Some great plots in this one and some great friendships. I especially enjoyed the over 45s disco they set up. I would love to attend one like that with my friends.

I loved the title of this book and hoped it would as good as it sounded. In fact, it was amazing. A lovely, cosy read for those winter nights.

This is a book to read and thoroughly enjoy. The lives of three generations of women are related as time and experiences have changed them. Relationships are renewed from past divisions. It is a story that is simply delightful and touching.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’m ashamed to say that it’s only quite recently that I’ve discovered this wonderful author and I am now hooked on her books. This book is set in the popular seaside town of Sandycove in South Dublin. Being from Dublin myself I can really relate to this book and the wonderful descriptions. After the first few chapters I was completely lost in the story and was so eager to find out how things would work out for all these characters. The story is based around Murphy’s shop which has been in the Murphy family for generations as is now run by Eva Murphy and her daughter Ciara. I just loved the description of the shop and all that went on and it just felt like going back in time where customers felt like actual customers and the shop staff had time to speak to them. I loved Alice as a character in fact they were all great , well apart from one ! There quite a few characters in this book but it didn’t take me long to know and understand them all. Some of them were holding onto secrets from the past that had me guessing at what they could possibly be. Whilst this book is an easy read it’s also one that is both emotional and uplifting and I adored every chapter.

The main character in this easy to read tale returns from her travels in Australia to her family and home in a small town in Ireland. Will she settle back into the familiarity of it all, or are there some secrets to discover. Beautifully written, thoroughly enjoyed it.

Absolutely wonderful!

Alice Murphy lives in Australian but you can take the girl out of Ireland but you can't take Ireland out of the girl. She returns home from time to time to her mother and grandmother but this time feels different. Coming home on the back of yet another break-up has made Alice a bit introspective and she can't decide what she sees in her future . . .

This has everything I love in a book! Family, a dash of mystery, memories - from different generations - and friendships, old and new and a stunning location. Never a dull moment with this one and a few surprises along the way. As always, Sian O'Gorman writes beautifully and keeps her readers in the palm of her hand from first to last. Terrifically enjoyable and one I'm very happy to highly recommend and give all five sparkling stars.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley.

Three generations, Eva, Ciara and Alice lived together in Sandycove until ten years ago when Alice left her grandmother and mother to go travelling. Alice is now, aged thirty, visiting Ireland from Australia, and is wondering where home is for her. She reconnects with her friend Becca, and helps out in Murphy’s, the family shop. This is an interesting and intriguing story about family, friendship, and buried secrets. At the 70% mark things start to unravel. The fallout from people’s actions of thirty years ago is felt by later generations. There’s mystery and confessions. Huge repercussions.

I enjoyed reading If We Could Turn Back Time by Sian O'Gorman. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!