An extremely enjoyable book. Fantastic characters who become real to the reader and a plot which draws the reader in from the start. Set in Ireland, the locations were beautifully described, the book flowed well and community and friendship were strong themes. The supporting cast of characters could have stories in their own right .
A book I would highly recommend.
Thank you to Netgalley, Aria and Aries and Faith Hogan for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Take the plunge
I stated this book and it seemed like a light romantic read, I did not realise that it's insights and revelations would leave me in tears.
West coast of Ireland, a little town loses its Doctor, the repercussions are enormous and far reaching.
Chief characters are Elizabeth the Doctor's long suffering widow, Jo a kind, community minded friend of Elizabeth, Lucy Jo's daughter and her son Niall. All of these people have overwhelming issues to contend with.
Although we may guess at the outcome we can't be certain of a happy ending.
Well written with skilfully described warm characters, just delightful, thank you Faith and NetGalley.

Very slow to get going and not a book that I enjoyed so I didn’t finish it. Looked great from the description but just wasn’t the right book for me.

Loved the chracters, the storyline, the flow of the story. Great easy read, a good feel good book. It brought all emtions to the story

I know that I am in safe hands when it comes to a Faith Hogan book and this one did not disappoint. I was warmly welcomed in like an old friend and caught up in the most sincere story imaginable.

Three ladies take us on a truly moving tale of love, loss and friendship that had me smiling one moment and crying the next. Each character captured my heart and I was fully invested in their stories from start to finish. Their narratives beautifully entwined around one another to showcase a stunning story that moved me beyond all measure. It ebbed and flowed at a gorgeous pace and kept me hooked from start to finish.

Character creation has always been a strong point for Faith and we were not left disappointed with Elizabeth, Jo and Lucy who managed to touch every emotion imaginable. I loved Jo's witty and meaningful take on life, Elizabeth's awakening and Lucy's new beginning. They came alive at the turn of a page and left me wanting more.

I don't want to delve into details regarding the narrative as I feel that would spoil the reading experience that Faith has carefully created. But each and every page will pull you further into a story that will leave you moved. There's humour and heartache a plenty and I know I won't be forgetting these three ladies any time soon. The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club is a beautiful book of life and love. It's heartwarming and a true delight. Well done Faith, yet another beauty of a book.

3.75 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A sweet story about friendship and family, set in Ireland. Many different narrators and a beautiful setting make this a fun read!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club is an impressive and thoroughly enjoyable read about three women, Elizabeth O'Shea, her lifelong friend Jo and Jo’s only daughter, Lucy.

Set in the fictional small village of Ballycove along the northwest Atlantic coast, the reader learns the stories of the three women. Elizabeth is recently widowed following the death of her husband, Eric, a GP who she has just discovered had a huge gambling addiction. She is at risk of losing their home. Jo has lived in Ballycove all her life and is a prominent figure in the community, though she has received some bad news concerning her health. She may be able to help Elizabeth. Lucy is an A&E doctor at a Dublin hospital who has recently divorced her husband, Jack who has headed off to Australia to be with someone else. Lucy goes to Ballycove to be near her mother and the sea and hopefully turn her life around.

Faith Hogan's fantastic contemporary tale gives the reader a wonderful slice of life in Ireland. I enjoyed its themes of friendship and the strong sense of community. It is a story of loneliness, grief, heartbreak, forgiveness, second chances, and more. The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club is divine, engaging, escapist reading that many will find appealing.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Aria & Aries via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

The Ladies Midnight Swimming Club is a heartwarming story about three women facing difficult life changing events that will impact their lives forever. Jo, her adult daughter Lucy, and the neighbor Elizabeth, find themselves forming a special bond. Somehow Lucy and Elizabeth promise to join Jo in her usual midnight swim in the cold ocean. This all takes place in the quaint Irish Village called Ballycove, which is Jo and Elizabeth’s home and was Lucy’s home in her younger years. This little swimming adventure brings them closer together as they share their fears, circumstances and dreams and as a reader you come to understand what each woman’s life was like before they formed the Swim Club.
I enjoyed all three of these likable characters . The story left me feeling a bit nostalgic for the special connection between a mother and daughter and for the special friendship women often form with each other.

A sweet story of friendship in an Irish village. On the whole nice characters and good conversation, though the plot was predictable and a little shallow in places. Niall's (the teenage son) story could have been better fleshed out in places, but at other times it was fine. I think my main criticism is that at times the characters feel a little two dimensional But the book is a light , feel good read leaving the reader to fill in the possibilities in the future of the characters.
The version I read was unedited . There were several instances which could benefit from editing (Mother Agatha regularly became Mother Agnes, sometimes in the same sentence !)
Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Calendar Girls meets Long Lost Family! Lots of great characters to get to know in this book, and the connection between each of them is heartwarming. This book covers friendships, secrets, starting afresh, and hope. Characters develop and grow in a beautiful way, particularly Niall and Elizabeth. I also enjoyed the setting and understanding how babies born out of wedlock and their mothers were treated.

This wonderful novel took me through a whole gamut of emotions while I was reading it. It was so emotional, heart-warming and poignant that it broke my heart and mended it in one swipe. Be prepared for tears, but I assure you that you will be smiling through those tears.

This was a beautifully constructed story of sisterhood, of the friendships women find with other women, and of hope. The community around the women in this story was warm and welcoming to anyone who arrives in the village. It sounded like the perfect antidote to the stresses and strains of city or even town living, and made me want to head to Ireland forthwith.

I loved the idea of swimming at night in the bracing sea, although personally as a person who doesn’t swim, I found myself desperately wishing I could swim, and wondering if I have left it too late to learn. Just after I had finished this touching novel, a friend of mine was on holiday in Cornwall and found herself invited to join in with a group of women who went swimming every day together. The first day she acted as a spotter for some of the women, but the next day found herself braving the chilly waters and not thinking about the onlookers, to join in with them and swim for a few minutes. She found it both liberating and exhilarating, and it just made me feel even more inspired.

In addition to Lucy, Jo and Elizabeth, we also get to know Lucy’s son Niall who is struggling with being moved from Dublin, and coping with his parent’s divorce. We also see Dan, who is visiting the area in order to write a book, and to look for his birth mother.

This book touched me so much that for a few days afterwards I couldn’t read anything else, because the characters and the location were so firmly in my head that I almost didn’t want to part with them. The importance of friendship, and the value of sisterhood and community was so moving and so real, that I was left feeling bereft at the end of the book. The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club was one of my favourite reads so far this year, and one that I can’t recommend highly enough!

Favorite Quotes:

To be honest, I think we were all a little in awe of your extensive vocabulary when it came to telling her where to go. The parish priest had to run into the pantry to hide his smirk.

The walls held charts that looked as if they could belong in a museum. The blinds that had stuck closed many years earlier had a tatty, neglected air about them. Even the doors creaked onerously as they were opened; it seemed they too were ready to hand notice in.

I’m sorry, Lucy, but consider yourself stepping into the TARDIS and re-emerging somewhere in the early 1970s.

‘It should be in the nip. A dip in the nip! That’s what I’d enjoy most, thinking of all of you, down here, in the altogether and jumping into the water… Think about it, Elizabeth, even old crabby boots O’Neill… herself.’ And they all began to laugh at the notion of Eric’s former receptionist pulling off her interlocking knickers before diving into the cold Atlantic.

What’s she thinking? The sight of her in the buff will be enough to frighten every fish from the bay.

‘I’ll strategically add in a pink ribbon to cover everyone’s jiggly bits at the end,’ she intoned to the startled Elizabeth as she began to unpack a fairly complex-looking camera.

My Review:

I adore Faith Hogan and her latest missive was yet another one to savor. I read it slowly and enjoyed every storyline while keeping my fingers crossed for a happy ending that tied them all together, and of course, she delivered in spades. I am enamored with Ms. Hogan’s agile craft and nimble word skills, she has her own unique brand of insightfully written and poignant storytelling that pulls in just the right amount of wry humor to balance out the drama and tension. I have never been to Ireland and every time I read one of her tales it ignites my desire to see the land of leprechauns and distant ancestors. I have enjoyed every book of hers I’ve had the luck to pick up and I covet the ones I don’t have. She has mad skills and a lifelong fangirl in me.

What a unique exhilarating storyline! The author dug deep into humanity and relationships! I treasure my friendships with people who are 15 years older and younger than myself. Yet, we all get together with others to form a unique bond.
Jo is the anchor who brings her daughter together with her friend Elizabeth. But yet it’s the draw of the sea and the swimming and others that truly bring everyone together. However, there is so much heartbreak for all of these ladies throughout this book that you can’t help but keep reading to pull for them.
The characters are strong and believable and everything they experience happens to people every day!

I definitely would recommend this book!

I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

The Blurb :
Three women, three different stages of life, united by one thing: the chance to start again.
When Elizabeth's husband dies, leaving her with crippling debt, she must turn to her friend, Jo for help, who calls in her daughter, Lucy to run the village surgery. Leaving her city life, and past demons, behind, Lucy is determined to make the most of her fresh start.
As life slowly begins to resemble something normal for the three women, Jo's world is turned upside down when she receives some shocking news.
In search of some solace, Jo and Elizabeth find themselves enjoying midnight dips in the freezing Irish sea. Here they can laugh, cry and wash away all their fears. As well as conjure a fundraising plan for the local hospice; to take a dip in the nip.

My Thoughts :
Set in Ballycove, Ireland. We meet Elizabeth, Jo and Lucy.
After Elizabeth’s husband Eric dies, leaving her with the lots of debt and his GP business, Jo asks her daughter Lucy, who is also a doctor in Dublin, if she can come home to Ballycove with her son Niall to help out for a while in the practice until Elizabeth can get back on her feet and sorted.
Jo has always loved to swim in the sea and suggests to Elizabeth to join her, which then in turn leads to Lucy joining them. They realise its a time when they can dip their toes into the water and have a chat, laugh a little and generally be free. I loved visualizing where they were and could almost smell the sea air and saltiness. The whole swimming in the sea element of the story was one that drew me in to the book as it was different to other books I have read
Although three very different people and ages, it was great they all had a story to tell.
I do really enjoy Faith Hogan’s stories and this one did not disappoint.
I loved all of the characters and learning about their backgrounds.
This story is most definitely about friendships, loss, heartbreak and second chances.
Looking forward to more stories very soon.

Three women all facing a crisis in their lives - and set in an idyllic little town of Ballycove in Ireland.

Elizabeth faces a financial crisis and personal disillusionment on the death of her husband Eric. He has racked up thousands in debit and she cannot find a way out of it. She is sad at the way her marriage turned out, a sham from beginning to end. Her friend Jo knows that something is wrong with her health, but does not know how serious it is and there is Lucy the young doctor who will be their guiding light and savior though she is unaware of it. Lucy herself in a dead end job with no satisfaction at the end of it, with a son Niall who is unsettled and trying to get to grips with life after a betrayal and a divorce.

Three women completely different lives and the story of how they come together to support each other, find solace and move on from the blows they've received.

I felt so good at the end of this read, a feeling that was necessary in the present climate. A story of companionship, of being supportive without being oppressive, and especially one of kindness.

This book is heart warming & heart breaking all at once.

I really enjoyed all the characters and following their stories throughout their time in Ballycove.

I liked the layout of the book. Having the chapters dedicated to different characters gave the reader time to get to know each of the characters and how their stories became entwined.

The ending was bittersweet but had an overall sense of calm.

This book also explores some difficult topics such as cancer and mother & baby homes.

I gave this 4 stars!⭐

Thank you to Aria & Aries for an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my goodness what an emotionally charged and amazing book this one is.

As the synopsis tells you, this is the story of three women and of different generations and each one is a point in their lives when decisions need to be made. The swimming club is something that may sound completely mad to some, I mean swimming in the sea at midnight doesn't sound like something that most women would think about. The author, however, had different thoughts about it and I for one am so glad she did as it was such a fabulous story to get caught up in.

The three women are Jo, Elizabeth and Lucy. Jo and Lucy are mother and daughter, Elizabeth is a long time friend of Jo. They live in a small isolated village on the west coast of Ireland. Changes in their lives bring them together and it is together that they start to work through things.

The author has once again done a wonderful job of creating characters that have so much depth to them and setting up the story for what follows. There is a sort of inevitability for one of them, in fact, for all three there is an inevitability about what will happen. Oh dear! that was so vague!

This is an emotional book and it is very difficult to read when you have eyes full of tears. A mix of happy and sad ones and you will discover more over the course of the story. I want to say so much about what happens in this book but that would spoil it for those of you who have not read it yet.

This is the second book I have read by this author and the second time she has made me cry. If you are after a story that is one about life, love, friendship and change then you really should look at this one. It is a simply gorgeous book that I would absolutely recommend.

This is an amazing read, an emotive story set in a small seaside village on the West coast of Ireland with friendship at its heart.

The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club was founded by Jo, who coerced her daughter and friend to join her. They all have their own problems but their midnight swims help them connect, talk, laugh and be inspired. . . . . This is a story which focuses on these three ladies, Lucy’s son and a writer who has come to stay in the village whilst he writes a novel and searches for his past.

It is a moving story, dealing sensitively with several emotive issues. It is a tale of searching for the truth, coping with grief, overcoming obstacles and making the most of your life and opportunities, even when everything seems to be against you. Throughout the story it is the friendships and support characters give to each other that make it a beautiful, heartwarming read that I have no hesitation in highly recommending.

Thank you to Aria and NetGalley for my copy of this lovely book which I have voluntarily read and honestly reviewed.

I have read and loved a few of Faith’s books now. By no means have I read everything that she has written but I am getting there. I read the synopsis for ‘The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club’ and it certainly sounded like the emotional but ultimately uplifting story that I have come to expect from Faith. So without further ado, I grabbed a cup of tea, grabbed my Kindle and settled down for an afternoon of reading. Overall I did enjoy reading ‘The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club’ but more about that in a bit.
I have to be honest and say that for me, the story was a little slow to get going but once I got into the story that was it and I was away so to speak. This wasn’t a book that I could read all in one day but I did manage to binge read over the course of a few days. I found that I became so wrapped up in the story that I would lose all track of time and just how quickly I was getting through the book. I found ‘The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club’ to be an interesting and emotional read, but ultimately an uplifting read.
‘The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club’ is well written but that is certainly true of all of Faith’s books to date. She certainly knows how to grab your attention and draw you into what proves to be a compelling story. I love the way in which she describes the three leading ladies. She writes so vividly and realistically that the characters seemed just as real as you and I. Faith certainly makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story themselves and at the heart of the action so to speak.
In short and overall I did enjoy reading ‘The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Faith’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.

One of those life affirming, inspiring reads that stays with you long after you close the book. I was absolutely charmed by this book; Faith Hogan has written a book full of emotion and spirit, with characters you will take instantly to your heart. Touching on Irelands history of forced adoption as well as homosexuality, illness and the true impact that living a lie can have on all the people trying to maintain a level of respectability and responsibility within their local and small community.
Faith Hogan paints a gorgeous scenic picture, it isn’t hard to imagine ourselves in Ballycove and taking a dip in the Irish Sea.
With the focus on the three ladies, Elizabeth, Jo and Lucy, we have three people in very different situations, all dealing with things that are weighing them down. They find some freedom, calm and release in the midnight dips in that freezing water. It was good to see the story told from their points of view and how each character impacted and supported the rest. Each character is special in their own way, seeing the growth and independence of Elizabeth and the inspirational strength of Jo.
Although there are serious themes and emotional moments (grab the tissues!) it is littered with moments of humour that provide a nice balance. Faith Hogan’s writing is brilliant, the story is very well paced and engaging – I didn’t want to put it down!
Heartwarming, tender and will enrich your heart, I highly recommend this book – definitely one of my favourites this year.