The Hayes family are mourning the loss of Rabbit, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, and mother of Juliet. This follows the characters through their period of mourning, and shows that however difficult, life must still go on. Grace, Rabbits sister, discovers she carries the same gene as Rabbit, and makes a decision that causes further heartache. Juliet has been bequeathed to her uncle Davey, who takes her back to America with him. Matriarch Molly has her own secret, and has lost her faith in God. All of the characters have their own problems coming to terms with the Rabbits death. This is the story of how they all come out the other end.

This book is beautifully written and tackles a subject that we should all talk to our loved ones about but rarely do. I laughed and cried in equal parts through this book, which I read in one (late and long) sitting. I hadn’t realised this was a sequel, but I shall certainly get the first book. However that doesn’t diminish how much I loved this book, despite not knowing the background. I would whole heartedly recommend it.

Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.

Loved it. Absolutely fantastic piece of writing as good as if not better than the first book about Rabbit Hayes. Can't recommend it highly enough. Thank you Netgalley.

Poignant, heartfelt, funny and slightly mad. Welcome back to The Hayes family, whose love for youngest daughter, Rabbit continues to shine through even though she is no longer with them.

I loved the Last Days of Rabbit Hayes, so I put off reading this for a while as I didn’t want to be disappointed. What a silly thing to do, this book is every bit as humorous and full of quirky family traits now that Rabbit has died and the story telling is masterful.

Following Rabbits death we share the highs and lows with each family member, with each chapter giving life to a different voice. Molly, Rabbits ma who is beside herself, has lost her faith and uses the f word, a lot! Juliet (Bunny), Rabbits daughter who is struggling without her ma and is unsure of her place in the world. Davey and Marjorie who can only hope to recreate the true live Rabbit had with Johnny. Grace, who has difficult decisions to face after the death of her sister. And of course, Da who loses himself in the past but just in time manages to secure a future voice for Rabbit and reclaim his Molly.

I enjoyed this book so much that I feel a little bit lost without them, don’t put off reading it like me - read and enjoy!

Below the Big Blue Sky is a continuations of the Last Days of  Rabbit Hayes.  Heartbreaking and uplifting in equal measure. There may have been a bit of ugly crying on the train.  The family are coming to terms with the death of Rabbit.everyone deals with grief in a different way.

Poignant, heartfelt, funny and slightly mad. Welcome back to The Hayes family, whose love for youngest daughter, Rabbit continues to shine through even though she is no longer with them.

I loved the Last Days of Rabbit Hayes, so I put off reading this for a while as I didn’t want to be disappointed. What a silly thing to do, this book is every bit as humorous and full of quirky family traits now that Rabbit has died and the story telling is masterful.

Following Rabbits death we share the highs and lows with each family member, with each chapter giving life to a different voice. Molly, Rabbits ma who is beside herself, has lost her faith and uses the f word, a lot! Juliet (Bunny), Rabbits daughter who is struggling without her ma and is unsure of her place in the world. Davey and Marjorie who can only hope to recreate the true live Rabbit had with Johnny. Grace, who has difficult decisions to face after the death of her sister. And of course, Da who loses himself in the past but just in time manages to secure a future voice for Rabbit and reclaim his Molly.

I enjoyed this book so much that I feel a little bit lost without them, don’t put off reading it like me - read and enjoy!

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I enjoyed this story very much and felt like I knew each character personally due to the description of them. I enjoyed the storyline. This is not my usual genre but in this instance I am extremely pleased and grateful for opening up my mind to something totally different. Thanks again.

Below the Big Blue Sky is the continuation of the last days of Rabbit Hayes which I loved so I was interested what happened next. This is another moving and emotional story about the Hayes family who are struggling to comes to terms with Rabbit’s death and each member grieves in their own way. Her mother Molly is doubting her faith doesn’t want to talk with her Husband jack. While jack goes into the attic and reads the old diaries of Rabbit’s life. Whereas Sister Grace has the same gene as her sister Rabbit’s and what she does to not end up like Rabbit. Also, Davey, coming to terms with Rabbit’ s death but also looking after her 12-year-old daughter Juliet and bringing her on tour around America. Taking her away from her family in Ireland.
This is another beautiful written story which is just as good as the previous book, which I also loved. They where sad moments in this book with the family trying to come to terms with everything. But also, funny moments, especially with Rabbit’s mother Molly.  I highly recommend.

I read Anna McPartlin’s last novel The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes just last year and remember being profoundly moved by the story of Mia ‘Rabbit’ Hayes and her love for Johnny Faye. Johnny was the singer in her older brother’s band and Rabbit went from lurking around to catch sight of Johnny to becoming the band’s sound engineer. Sadly they didn’t have much time together as Johnny was diagnosed with MS in it’s most aggressive form and he died. They had a short but glorious time in love, but then Rabbit was diagnosed with cancer and also died young leaving behind her daughter Juliet. This sounds like a really heavy, issue led, novel but somehow the author managed to keep it light by bringing in the exploits of the band and the Hayes family. The Hayes family are a boisterous Irish clan who are as funny and fierce as they are loving and supportive. I really enjoyed the novel, so when I had the chance to read this sequel I couldn’t wait to get started. 

This novel follows the aftermath of Rabbit’s death, from organising her funeral it covers a time period of two years. The entire Hayes family is in shock and everyone reacts in different ways. Her father Jack retreats to his attic and tries his best to get his daughter’s diaries published. Her mother, the formidable Molly Hayes, struggles with some of Rabbits final decisions. There’s the question of who Juliet will now live with, whether any of her other children have the ‘gene’ and firstly what on earth they will Rabbit wear for her funeral? All of which is told in well researched detail and with a hefty dose of black humour.

The author explores how people grieve differently. Some people shut themselves away and wallow in nostalgia. Others might put in a brave face to support others but feel like they are dying inside. Some get lost in distractions to avoid the pain. The author is very skilled at presenting family dynamics and how each person, although seemingly very different, fits into their place.. As a family the Hayes often argue, storm out and have to take time away to see things more clearly. It shows how grief is as individual as the relationship every character has had with Rabbit. Each character is trying to find a way to keep Rabbit close, relevant and present in their day to day lives. This could be through their faith, by talking to her still or by publishing a book so that every one of them can spend time with Rabbit between those pages. 

Finally, the author shows that life truly does go on despite most of the characters not being ready for it yet. Grief can make us feel like our life is on pause, but around us things are changing and we can’t stay still forever. So we see Rabbit’s best friend Marjorie struggling to build a relationship with her mother, who hasn’t always been there for her. Now she needs help and Marjorie needs to decide whether she can do it and whether she will always be in love with Rabbit’s brother Davey. Juliet has to start a whole new life with her guardian and starts to feel the stirrings of first love. Grace, the eldest sister, has a huge secret she knows will further devastate the Hayes family and can’t bring herself to tell. Molly’s exploits, including protesting the introduction of water charging in Ireland, are loud, comical and unexpected. She is an absolute powerhouse, supporting and feeding everyone, taking on waifs and strays and constantly pulling the family together. Yet she seems dogged by guilt and struggles with her faith, wondering whether Rabbit was right and there really is nothing after death. These are big subjects but I found myself laughing more than feeling sad. I loved the black humour that’s common where people are facing dark times and the warmth of the Hayes family. I could imagine each family member vividly thanks to the author’s skill in creating these characters. Once the novel was finished I knew I would miss them all.

I loved this. I’d read The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes years ago and I re-read it before starting Below the Big Blue Sky so the characters would be fresh in my head. 

Anna McPartlin writes beautifully and her characters are sublime. I loved them all and I’d quite like to be part of the Hayes family! 

The story starts directly after Rabbit dies and takes us two years onwards. It’s a story of love, friendship and a grieving family struggling to come to terms with their loss. I think we are given the right amount of detail for each character and while I’d have liked a little more closure on the Trevor storyline, I could see why the author chose to leave it there. 

I was intrigued by the mentions of symphysiotomy and had to look it up. I was shocked to read about this procedure and including it in a book such as this can only help the poor women who are still fighting for justice. 

This is a great book and I’m certain it will do well. I will look for more of this talented authors works in the future. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

Having read and loved The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes a few years back I was delighted to be approved for this sequel. I will admit to being slightly nervous about starting it,  would I enjoy it as much ?  Well there was nothing to fear, this book was just fabulous.   There was sad moments and there was also laugh out loud moments.  From the first page I was absorbed by this book and as I was getting nearer the end I just wanted to savour it and for it not to end.  Without a doubt a massive 5⭐️ read for me.

The only thing that could have possibly made this book better was, if it had never ended. It feels so real, so raw, so emotional, so hilarious and beautiful that it's easy to forget its not true. I laughed, I cried, I laughed until I cried. I didn't want it to end

Brilliant follow on from The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes. Anna McPartlin writes brilliantly just wish there wasn't so much bad language!

Absolutely adored this , it follows straight on from the last days of rabbit Hayes and it’s like we’d never left, it flows seamlessly. This is an emotional read, I laughed, I cried and  inhaled a box of tissues. The characters are still wonderful, well developed and there development still carries on here. This is just of a magic book as the first and if you haven’t read it, why not, go read it and then this. Highly recommended.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I laughed and I cried reading this.  It was beautiful, I was captivated from the first paragraph, I adored the characters and how they played out, they were all so relatable.   An honest and open portrayal of grief from an incredible talent.   Thank you for giving me the pleasure of reading this book.

This was a fabulous follow on novel, I’d really enjoyed ‘The last days of Rabbit Hayes’ and this catch up with her friends and family both in the immediate aftermath of her death and the couple of years following was a mix of every emotion with a good chunk of humour thrown in. I think I would have liked a better timescale of events, there was quite a focus on the few days after her death and around the first anniversary but year 1 and 2 just told through key details. I personally found the detailed parts had more personality although both aspects were relevant. All in all though this is as much of a gem as the first book, definitely a worthy sequel.

I read 'The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes' a couple of years back and I loved every moment. It was heart warming and sad and full of life. This is no different. Picking up from the aftermath of Rabbit's death if follows the cast of wonderful characters as they face the world without her. Truly a wonderful follow up .

Thanks to Bonnier Books and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this amazing book. Not having read the first one I did not know what to expect from this follow on but what a ,lovely surprise I had.. I absolutely fell in love with the Hayes family, just a normal everyday family that you can laugh with and at and share their ups and downs. A Thoroughly recommended read.

Thank you Anna and Bonnier Books for the wonderful opportunity to read and review this book.  Below the Big Blue Sky is a sequel to the  Last Days of Rabbit Hayes by Anna, a novel based on a family coming to terms with a loved ones imminent death.  Fear not the story is so well told  well balanced with laughter and bittersweet moments   Under the Bug Blye Sky picks up in the Hayes' life upon Rabbit 's passing. Each family member suffering in their own way. One in two will get cancer and each family will know someone effected. A poignant,  lovable,  sad novel.

Thanks to Netgalley and to Anna McPartlin for this advanced reader's copy. I loved, loved loved The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes so I was absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to read this follow up. This book was written with huge empathy and showed how everyone deals with bereavement and grief in their own way. Grab the tissues for a beautiful and emotional read.

I loved this sequel to The Last days of Rabbit Hayes.  It has been years since I read the first book but I was able to pick up with the Hayes family very comfortably.  It felt like visiting old friends who you haven’t seen for a long time! The subject matter is extremely sad but the way it is written would have you laughing one minute and crying the next! Thank you so much Netgalley for the chance to read this book.  I would highly recommend it to all.