This was a real Irish story with a lot of the book set in the years of The Troubles in Northern Ireland. That was very interesting and scary. I did really enjoy this book but got very frustrated with Mary. I found it very hard to believe that after 25 years of marriage they never spoke about anything. Very sad but readable story.

An amazing debut novel. The characters are well developed. They are full of character. The story is both funny and heartbreaking. A great read

I loved this book so much! It gived me major Sally Rooney vibes. It was sad throughout but the strong female character, who refused to give up throughout despite what life threw her way, really made this un-put-downable!

A beautiful , sad , poignant novel set against the backdrop of the troubles in Northern Ireland. Simply excellent writing. Loved this one

This was beautifully written and very poignant but not the kind of book I would normally read. I think fans of Irish writes like Marian Keyes and Maeve Binchy would enjoy this more

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I read this forever ago but clearly forgot to review it at the time. Despite it being a year (ish) since reading, I still hold this up as one of my great recent reads and recall how bereft I felt when the book came to an end.

I found this book quite difficult to read. I’m not sure what it was- wether it was writing style or the way it flowed. Sadly I was unable to finish this book. But by no means is this a reflection on the author

I absolutely loved this book and the images evoked. I did not love the treatment that Mary Rattigan received at the hands of her harsh and demanding mother. The father was completely under the mother's thumb so she got no help from him, even though he did feel some sympathy for Mary.
This book was set in County Tyrone in Norther Ireland at the time of the "troubles". The family is Catholic so when Mary becomes pregnant she is forced into marriage with a neighbour, John. They have a very strange hot and cold relationship. Her children are her everything and Mary is fulfilled in that way. She is a hard worker with no time for frivolities until her children have grown and no longer need her 24/24.
A beautifully written book.
Thanks to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately I couldn't get into this one. I tried really hard, several different times, but it just didn't click with me. I wish the author the best.

I reqllt liked this book and I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. It was really beautifully written. One of those books to savour and I was sad to finish.

I can’t believe it took me so long to get round to reading this book. I can honestly say it’s one of the best I’ve read in a long time. I loved the way the story was told and how it unravelled over so many years yet it felt like Mary, the main character, was stuck in time. The writing was beautiful and all of the emotions really shone through. The author perfectly capture the isolation of her life, and although frustrating at times, I felt I got to know Mary very well and truly felt for her. I didn’t want it to end, but do think it had the perfect ending. The story was wrapped up well and I had no unanswered questions. Highly recommend.

Such a heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time story.
It’s beautiful written and while I couldn’t get a full grip on some events from the past , I feel like it’s a wonderful read that many people will enjoy.
Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

This character driven novel is beautifully written and heartbreakingly taps into all the emotions. A wonderful debut and I cannot wait to read what comes next from Tish Delaney!

I started this book twice before I persevered and read it. There was nothing obviously wrong that stopped me reading - I think I just hit the point where I could not consume another novel that started in Ireland in the mid nineteen hundreds. But start it a second time I did, and for that I’m truly glad. This is a gorgeously written, witty, atmospheric and at times profoundly moving yarn. Mary (that would be her name, wouldn’t it?) is a young, spirited girl from an impoverished and strictly religious family. She dreams big, and those dreams would probably come true were it not for the fact of her simultaneously burgeoning sexuality, an act of which derails her life, setting her on a different path instead. Pregnant and now an embarrassment to her family, she is married off to John Johns, the town’s darkly brooding bachelor, and must forgo her ambitions while her erstwhile best friend leaves to live that life instead. The novel opens with Mary already middle aged, alone and in the middle of a crisis, looking back on her life and the events - you can’t really call them choices - that have led to where she is. The writing, as I already said, is impeccable. Delaney is a hugely talented novelist. If there is something that stops me giving this five stars, it’s the unbelievability of the characters’ motivations, of their mindset (I spent much of the novel screaming at them inwardly, as I’m sure other readers did, unable to accept that they could really be that blinkered). Nonetheless, an enjoyable and richly rewarding read.

Set against the backdrop of The Troubles, Tish Delaney's novel 'Before My Actual Heart Breaks' is an absolute gem. Painful, funny and sad, it hits all the right notes. I found it a great, unputdownable read.

⭐️ 4.5 ⭐️
Rounded up to 5 stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Did I enjoy this book?
Yes Siree, Bob!

A beautifully written debut novel, featuring a cast of fabulous, well-drawn, colourful characters - characters so real and with such personality.

I was completely engrossed from start to finish; I laughed, I cried and experienced every other emotion in between. The frustration I felt towards Mary and John was immense, I just wanted to bang their heads together!

A wonderful, bittersweet read. So funny in parts and so very sad in others. One I will certainly remember for a very long time.

Before My Actual Heart Breaks ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mary is growing up in Northern Ireland during ‘the troubles’. She has big plans for her future and can’t wait to get away from her cruel mother and silent father, but life has other ideas.

This book was so good that I actually sat in a cold bath for 20 minutes so I could finish it!!

There are many heartbreaking moments, but it’s also full of lovable and entertaining characters, as well as enough humour to stop it from becoming too grim, despite the bombs, violence and heartache.

Will be very surprised if this doesn’t make it onto my top ten of the year

This account of a couple in 1960s Northern Ireland is honest, funny, sad and beautifully written. Mary Rattigan, a covent girl with big dreams, gets pregnant and is forced to marry local farmer John Johns. Set against the backdrop of The Troubles, the novel touches beautifully on so many topics: regret, loneliness and friendship. As heartbreaking as it is absorbing. Thank you to Random House, Cornerstone and NetGalley for the ARC.

Not my usual fare, I sat and read this on a pillowfort weekend, and I've got to be honest, it really affected me in many ways. I felt like Mary was an old friend and I was right there with her.
A laugh and cry book, and well worth the read if you're looking for something that'll move you and leave you feeling and thinking a little differently, putting you in the shoes of another life.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.