Pure Cathy Kelly. As always Cathy Kelly has written a brilliant story about family, love and friendship. Sam, Ginger and Callie all have problems and challenges in their lives and in one year they learn a lot about themselves and each other. This is a book to curl up with and escape. The characters seem so real and it is so easy to get caught up in their lives.

Lovely read, a little predictable but easy read and i thoroughly enjoyed it!

Cathy Kelly doesn’t disappoint us. The year that changed is another really enjoyable, light hearted novel covering a range of emotions.

I really enjoyed this book and as usual Cathy Kelly does not disappoint. A story of three strong women who go through struggles but come through them at the end. Likeable and well rounded characters.

A lovely book with a nice twist at the end. Highly recommended and very readable.

Three women celebrate their birthdays, all significant birthdays; 30,40, and 50. Ginger is 30 and at her best friend’s wedding as her bridesmaid and she hoping this is the start of something good. An amorous wedding guest and an overheard conversation, devastate her, and Ginger makes a few changes in her life. I loved Ginger, she made me laugh and cry, and I enjoyed reading about her life after 30.
Sam is due to give birth and it is her 40th birthday, this is what she has waited for. Things changed that year and I again loved reading about Sam, her relationship with her mother and her hopes and fears.
Callie is 50, and is attending her lavish party organised by her husband. It isn’t really how she would have liked to spend her birthday, but it’s being arranged with love, she is sure. The doorbell rings and brings changes that Callie and her daughter aren’t ready for.
All of these women are special and this is an easy five star from me.

The Year that changed everything by Cathy Kelly a four-star read that is warm and full of wisdom. I don’t know if it was because I was expecting so much from this book as I have read and loved the author previously or what as I enjoyed the read but it wasn’t what I was hoping for. I will be honest and I did have to re-start the read twice to get into it, but third time was definitely a charm as I enjoyed it. So if like me it takes a time to get into, keep at it, I promise the story of these three women will warm even the blackest of hearts. It shows us that one year can change everything, and sometimes you need solidarity and strength to get you through.

I didn't love this book but I didn't not enjoy it either. It was a middle of the road story of three women dealing with different events in their lives and how they came together. It felt very rushed and I couldn't connect with the characters as much as I would've liked although Ginger was my favourite.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher & Cathy Kelly for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I've always enjoyed Cathy Kelly's books and this was no exception. The story starts with 3 women who are all celebrating a so called 'big' birthday. Callie is 50. Her husband is a very successful businessman, and her birthday is being celebrated in high style, However, her party ends in chaos when the police arrive to arrest her husband on fraud charges , and he has disappeared. Sam is 40. After years of trying for a baby, and some unsuccessful IVF treatments, she unexpectedly found herself pregnant. Her baby arrives on her birthday, but she is convinced she will be a bad mother. Ginger is 30. She is a large lady and has very low self esteem. At her best friends wedding she overhears the so called friend slagging her off, and trying to get a mate of the groom to divest her of her virginity. The story follows these 3 women, and how they each manage to overcome their difficulties and find a better life. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

I love Cathy Kelly books, shenhas a great way of making you feel like you know and want to be friends with the characters. The individual stories of Giber, Sam and Callie, with no apparent link, were all brilliant stories as a stand alone, but the coming together of thenthree ofnthem was an added bonus. I really enjoyed the story of them indivudally, laughing and feeling sad for each of them at different times. Cathy’s books always entertain, and this one is just great too. Highly recommend.

The Year That Changed Everything is about three women each celebrating a significant birthday on the same day.

Callie is turning 50, her husband is throwing a big party which she doesn’t want, she wants to celebrate quietly. In the middle of the party the police arrive to arrest her husband for fraud but he has suddenly disappeared leaving her to face the fallout.

Sam is turning 40, after several years of struggling with infertility she has finally fallen pregnant and on her 40th birthday she is about to give birth.

Ginger is turning 30, her best friend is getting married and Ginger is her chief bridesmaid, Ginger struggles with her weight and when she overhears her best friend talking about her at the wedding she is devastated.

The story follows the three as they struggle to come to terms with the changes in their lives, they way they eventually meet and become friends.

An enjoyable easy read which you expect from Cathy Kelly.

Another great book from Cathy Kelly with 3 different main characters from distinctly different backgrounds, The 3 women all had believable back stories and it was easy to empathise with them. Nice neat ending. Highly recommended.

I was really looking forward to reading this book as love the author so much and she certainly didn't disappoint me at all very well written with three main characters who have to find happiness with themselves and life's. Excellent characters and has you hooked from the first page and I struggled to put it down.
It's based on three main characters Sam, Callie and Ginger and they all share the same birthday but all are unhappy with life. You have Sam who has always wanted a baby and finally she arrives on her 40th birthday but she panics and really isn't sure if she can be a good mother she wasn't given a very good example from her own mother so how does she cope. Then you have Callie who is 50 and lives a high life but has a massive big party for her 50th and the police turn up and turns her life upside down can she chance how things are and be happy then you have Ginger who isn't happy with her weight but always thought her best friend was a best friend till on her 30th she's a bridesmaid and I've relaxed hears her friends talking about her and can she move move away from them and be happy or can she just not change.
Fate brings all three girls together and can they move forward and be happy either with themselves or on their own. This is a perfect book for curling up and reading to cheer you up.

I’m sorry I’ve really struggled with book. I’m not sure if it’s just the time of year getting in the way so will try again soon and post reviews to amazon ect

Three Irish women, unknown to each other, celebrate significant birthdays on the same day...

Callie’s wealthy husband is throwing a lavish party to mark her fiftieth birthday, but as it turns out not everything goes according to plan.

Sam is marking her fortieth by giving birth to a long awaited baby after years of fertility problems.

And journalist Ginger is spending her thirtieth as chief bridesmaid at her friend Liza’s wedding. But Ginger is about to discover painfully that not everybody is what they seem.

All three women, although they don’t know each other, have some sort of connection to the small town of Ballyglen – at some point their paths would clearly cross, but how and when?

Whatever happens, after the events of the year, life as they know it will never be the same again.

As I’m rapidly approaching my own fiftieth birthday this sounded like an irresistible read, though I do hope my party ends a bit better than Callie’s!

It’s a long time since I have read a book by Cathy Kelly, but I found this to be a very enjoyable read with engaging and relatable characters. The structure was initially a little confusing as it started with the birthdays, then moved slightly back in time to the period leading up to the birthdays, before returning again to the “present”. However this was a minor issue.

There were a couple of possible loose ends – I kept expecting some sort of reveal as to who the Ballyglen volunteer was who had embezzled money from a charity, anticipating some sort of connection to one of the characters, which never came. And while Ginger’s story was very engaging, I did feel it ended a little too neatly with an all too convenient – and rather too perfect - love interest.

All in all a fun and escapist read which I enjoyed.