It's That Time of Year

This is my first Roisin read but definitely not my last.

I was expecting a real Christmassy book but this is set at Christmas with foster mum Annie in her 60s leading up to her wedding to Matt.

She invites 3 out of over 100 previous foster children who are now all grown up. Why just those,? You will have to read to find out, as I don't want to spoil it for you.

When I first started reading this book I struggled a little as there were so many characters I couldn’t keep up with who was who, each of the chapters is set with Steph, Julia, Eddie and Annie before and now so it took me a while to find out about all the relationships, but I was soon drawn in and absorbed in the story.

As time went on I really enjoyed this book, a perfect little cosy winter treat to devour by the warm fire with a hot chocolate.

Worth a read and looking forward to reading more from Roisin.

Thank you Hachette Books for this ARC.

Everybody has their secrets and this is the theme in this emotional powerhouse of a novel. This is a popular aspect of Women’s Fiction, but not many authors can weave together such a captivating and sparkling story as Roisin Meany. She is more than a talented writer with the ability to create and merge together magical threads with seamless ease. She will move your heart between laughter and tears as she usually does, creating a really feel good and satisfying story. She writes with fluency and compassion about everyday issues that need to be resolved, creating authentic fiction that tugs at your emotions and quickly eases you into the story, absorbed, totally invested and turning the pages with eager anticipation.
Julia, Eddie and Steph are traveling from their homes spread far and wide to attend the wedding of their former much loved foster-mother Annie. At last Annie and Matt are coming together, tying the knot that has held them together as good friends throughout their entire lives. The wedding is all planned for Annie’s sixtieth birthday in the run up to Christmas. Although hundreds of foster-children have passed through Annie’s house, she has selected only three as guests for their wedding, along with relatives, friends and neighbours. Both Annie and Matt are second time seekers of a chance at love. Annie was deserted by her first love as a teenager living away from home and desperate to achieve her ambition to be a teacher. Matt’s wife has sadly died, leaving him with a young family. Loving children as Annie does, she is his wing lady, always there to help him with the intricacies of family life. They are meant for each other, and soon they would be man and wife
Julia is flying in from France. She became an overnight sensation as a lyricist and singer and lives in luxury in the loveliest area of Paris. She was Annie’s first foster-child and their relationship was dear and precious for them both.
Her next foster-child attending her wedding is Eddie who flew in from England with a stupendous wedding cake for the happy couple. He lives in London and is a celebrated Chef in one of the top restaurants of the city. He is the only child that Annie had fostered as a tender toddler, and they are especially close, Eddie remembering her as his mother of his early years. These ties last forever.
Arriving from her home on an isolated Greek Island where she helps her boyfriend, a published author of two books; Steph is on the same flight as Julia from Paris, where she changed planes. She helps her boyfriend host writing retreats and also worked in a Potters’ shop. She was Annie’s most challenging foster-child, having left Annie’s tender care six years ago as a truculent teen, and her last foster-child.
They arrive one after another to stay for the weekend in the home where they always felt loved, cosy and safe. It is an emotional time for everyone in Annie’s house that night; memories whirling around and stories swapped and enjoyed.
As the wedding morning draws nearer to the next day, sparkling snowflakes flutter down and begin to pile up, every one of them as unique as Annie, Matt and her returning foster-children. But all is not as it appears, far from it. They are not as happy as they pretend to be. They are all keeping deep, sad secrets, and who better to help them than Annie, who is wise, trusted and has always been there for them? These three threads are recited by each foster child and Annie divulges her own massive, closely guarded secret with her proposed and longed for marriage vows looming ahead. It’s a weekend of festivities, celebrations and love, but will they all be brave enough to embrace their own second chances and build themselves their own happy ever after stories?
I received this book through my membership of NetGalley and from publisher Hachette Books Ireland, in return for an honest review. Thank you for my copy. These are my own thoughts and I have read no other reviews before writing my own. This is an unmissable novel coming with my top ten novels award for 2020.

I absolutely LOVED this book. A brilliant read that wasn't all happiness - I have to admit it also had me in tears a few times, the ultimate emotional rollercoaster.

Our main character is Annie and we meet her just before her 60th birthday, the same day as she is getting married. We also learn that she was a foster carer and has invited 3 of her former foster children - why those 3 we will learn later in the book.

I loved many elements about this book. We learn about the younger Annie in flashbacks to her younger days. One of my favourite characters was her best friend Cora, everybody needs a Cora in their life!

Another aspect was the story telling from the 3 foster kids (now adults). Their descriptions of their journeys to Annie's and how they intertwined were lovely.

Annie's house sounded so inviting, As a reader you could definitely see yourself in the kitchen, having a coffee and catching up on the news!

Overall a lovely read that I will definitely be recommending to others. Congratulations Roisin, this book will be staying with me for a long time.

When the past and present, which are neatly interwoven in this heartwarming book, finally coalesce, rest assured there is a perfectly satisfying ending. The author gives us a cast of broken characters; Annie, the former foster mother and three of her former wards, gather for a special occasion. Can they finally put the past to rest and make the changes needed for a better future?

I received an ARC from NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an honest review. I love a story that takes place in Ireland. Annie was a foster Mom to over 100 foster children and she was getting married at age 60. She decided to invite 3 of the children she had. As we meet them, we learn of their struggles, their choices, and how their lives were going. We learn why she chose the ones she did and having over 100 children throughout her life, we find out if they had even met each other before. The author weaves everything together, with sprinkles of Ireland, the making of tea, and the hominess of the kitchen. I wished I was there, it just flowed so smoothly. When I finished the book, there were no loose ends but I was sad to see it was the end. This was the first book I have read of Roisin Meaney but I will be reading more of her books.

With thanks to netgalley and roisin meaney for an early copy in return for an honest review.
Well what can one say, utterly beautifully written and crafted.
From the beginning I knew it was going to be another OUTSTANDING book.
The story of Annie and her faithful friend Corra for over 40 years the ups and downs of there life in Ireland I want to give nothing away but just to say how I laughed and cried (a lot) just such a soul searching book that I truly loved .

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.


Another fabulous book from Roisin.

This book is about Annie whose in her 60s and a foster mum. This book is set at Christmas with her and her forthcoming wedding to Matt.

Annie invites 3 out of about over 100 of the foster children she’s had over the years who are all now grown up.

There are so many and each chapter is about them - Annie,Steph, Julia and Eddie. Telling the story of them at the time they were with Annie and what happened then to their lives now.

What happened to them then and what happens now when they come for Annie’s wedding is an interesting read, and I won’t spoil it by giving any hints.

This is perfect to read with a mug of hot chocolate and by a roaring fire.

A wonderful read by an author that I absolutely love, This story wasn’t just your usual Christmas feel good book. It was a lot more. A fabulous read with wonderful characters, I adored it.

It's That Time of Year is a wonderful story about life and family and our past. I loved all the characters, they all really gave something to the story. The plot is very well done and even has a few surprises. The Irish setting was lovely as were the seasonal touches. Because it is so good, it is a very quick read. I can't wait to check out more by this author.

A very well written and entertaining book. Good plot and character development. Loved the setting. I highly recommend this book. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

Loved it!!! Love Annie. She is the heart of the book. She was so sweet and a wonderful mother to all the children she fostered. I was sad to see the book end. I wanted to keep reading about Annie, Julia, Steph and Eddie and see what they were up to. My favorite part of the book was reading about Annie in the past and how she ended up fostering so many children. She had such a wonderful friendship with Cora. They would do anything for each other. It was a beautiful story. The wedding ended up being perfect, even though it wasn't what they expected or planned for.

Definitely recommend the book. Loved the story, characters (even though Steph was really hard to like) and the writing style. The book was full of love, friendship, forgiveness and so much more. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Hachette Books Ireland through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.