A lovely uplifting story. I loved the characters (except one and you'll know who that is when you read it) and along the way we find out what secrets and lies connect the Murphy and Blake families.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Three generations; Two families; One secret.
Grab this one or any of the author’s books at curl up and enjoy the wild ride. You won’t be disappointed.

I have read a few of Sian O'Gormans previous books and I was looking forward to this. And it lived up to expectations.
The story follows the three Murphy women from Sandycove. Detailing their friendships and relationships which have been formed and lost over decades. There's A huge surprise at the end. Have to say I really enjoyed it. Some lovely characters and one not so lovely

ive not been to Sandycover before. or this authors books. and throughout my read i was constantly questioning myself as to why this was?
and i need to remedy this pronto.
i loved how the book was so layered with all the key characters parts. each chapter told from the main character POV. but no one had an over bearing part and it all weaved together to give you a lovely book about family, friend and that love and support that is so essential to life. especially when something comes out for one of our main characters. and of course the family and friends rally.
i love a good Irish based tale when done well. it seems to have a lyrical flow to it. and a cheekiness to it too,
this book managed to mingle in all generations too which im finding more and more important to be included in the books i venture towards.
Alice has returned from spending a long time in Australia and i loved how she described coming home. and how everyone soon helped her settle back in to helping at the family deli and getting to be part of the community again. especially with her best friends.
a few secrets and misunderstandings soon come about.

Great to be back in Sandycove with all the residents old and new. Alice returns home to sandycove for an extended visit from Australia where she has been living for years but it’s not home. She is helping her mother and grandmother run their local village shop and has some bright ideas to modernise it . Her best friend Becca is in love with Conal who supplies the shop with his brewery beer, his dad is an old friend of the family.
Her mother Ciara and her friend Mary are resurrecting the disco they hosted in their teens and everyone is loving it. Then Conal finds out s shocking truth needs his friends to rally round him.
Brilliantly written as usual and loving my time spent in Sandycove.

Set in a small town in Ireland this has many layers weaving throughout but in my opinion is ultimately about family, friends and the community. Alice returns home for the summer to Sandycove, Dublin after living for 10 years in Australia. She is soon back into life in the small community, reconnecting with fan and friends, and helping out at the family deli. However it soon becomes clear that there are secrets and that they don’t always stay in the past. I loved the interactions between all the very interesting and individual characters. Each of the chapters are written from the point of view of one of the main characters. The fact that it is multigenerational, makes you laugh and cry as well as there being romance really appealed to me. Very easy to follow and become absorbed in.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC.

Alice Murphy, 30, originally from Sandycove in Ireland, has spent the last ten years in Australia but is back for a month long holiday because she misses mother Ciara and grandmother Eve.

Sandycove is a small town near Dublin and the location in a few other books by the author which I haven't read. I'm sure you can read it as a standalone but it might be better for the understanding of the community to have read others. For there is a big community and it took me a while to learn the big players. Apart from the three generations of Murphys, we have the Blake family: Paddy, son Conal and matriarch Dolores, now in supported living, plus friends Becca and Mary-Marg.

There are secrets and lies connecting those two families, and I had a hard time detangling it in my mind once it was all revealed. It's an incredibly Irish story, and the romance subplots were very predictable.

I mainly got this book for the gorgeous cover, and it's well-written but it didn't grab me as much as it could have. There is much talk about the resurrection of a disco for the over 45, and the modernisation of a general shop and deli, something I didn't find terribly interesting.

However, I liked how it gave middle-aged women a voice (menopause is mentioned frequently) and painted a lovely picture of all the scrumptious Irish food to be had.

It's an uplifting story of friendship and second chances. Recommended if you love small town communities with long-held secrets.

3.5 stars

Couldn’t put this book down. Totally flew through it and was gutted it was finished. Lovely easy read with mix of emotions

If We Could Turn Back Time by Sian O’Gorman was an interesting book. The descriptions of the store and the characters stick with me.

Alice has returned home from Australia for a month’s holiday. She misses Dublin and her childhood friends but loves the life she has on the other side of the planet- the sun and the beach. She helps out in the local shop owned and run by her mother Ciara, and finds herself a whizz at marketing, bringing new customers to the shop and encouraging old ones to spend more time there as well as money, which is a good thing as it had been getting a little stale. Her friend Mary-Marg suggests they bring back the disco they ran when at school. Will the over 45’s be up for a night with a disco ball? There are relationships that have soured over the years and secrets being held close to the owners chests.

This is a beautiful Irish story of friendships and adventures, perhaps of the small variety. Of how the little things can mean the most and that a good friend is a real gem. As with all of Sian’s books the characters come to life and are instantly likeable. The descriptions put the reader right into the heart of Sandycove and what is going on. Each chapter is from either Alice or Ciara’s perspective. It’s a read that gave me a warmth and a smile and I’d love to try one of Alice’s Irish breakfasts and wine tasting evenings. A read that made me smile and yes, it made me cry. The warmth of human kindness.

For more reviews please follow me on X (formerly Twitter) @nickisbookblog
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I love love love when a book gets into different professions than the regular office job and shows life revolving around it all. This book was absolutely lovely. Easy read and quite quick. Loved learning more about this small town and getting cozy. Was sad it ended so soon!

Alice returns back to her roots after spending ten years in Australia. Whilst living in Australia definitely has it’s own appeal, being back home in Sandycove with her mum and grandmother has it’s own draws. I adore Sandycove, whilst a lot of the authors books are set there, they are all standalone novels.

The story alternates between Alice and her mother Ciara. I really enjoyed the chapters with Ciara and her best friend Mary-Marg. With Alice being back home and helping run the shop, it gives Ciara a new lease of life being able to go out more and do things. It was lovely to see her becoming more relaxed and having fun with her best friend as well as their plans to make it more fun for not just themselves but for the other residents in the area that are over forty five.

From the beginning there seems to be some sort of history between Alice’s family and Conal’s family. What though is anyone’s guess. I had so many thoughts going through my head as what it could be. When all is revealed it left me feeling a mix of emotions as it does both families.

If We Could Turn Back Time is ultimately an uplifting read. It’s full of warmth, family, friendships and romance. It’s hard not to be swept away by the author’s writing and be drawn into the character’s lives. The secrets just add more to it’s appeal. A gorgeous novel to lose yourself into that will leave you with a huge big grin on your face!

“If We Could Turn Back Time” is by Sian O’Gorman. This book takes place in a small town in Ireland and mainly focuses on Alice and Ciara - daughter and mother. Alice has returned from a ten year stint in Perth, Australia. Ciara has been working at the family grocery store, Murphy’s. Eva, Ciara’s mother, makes appearances. This book mainly deals with family but also a family secret. At times I found this book a bit long and slow, but I think part of that was due to the author’s writing style. There is some romance - but it’s all very clean and chaste. One of the problems of living in a small town is that so many people know each other’s business, but in this case, there are still some secrets kept close to the chest. Some of the twists I saw coming, but overall this is very much a feel good, things work out in the end sweet book about family and small towns. If that’s your jam, this book may be a great fit for you. It wasn’t quite my cup of tea, but I appreciated stepping into the town and meeting its residents. 3.5 stars bumped up to 4.