Another stunning read by Sheila. The book has some sadness and happiness and a good mix of characters. Always look forward to Sheila's books.

Author Sheila O'Flanagan never does any wrong in my eyes when it comes to her books. I adore her stories, her writing style and she brings her books to life right in front of your very eyes.
She writes with wonderful care and love for her characters. Almost like she builds you up to love them..
We meet an array of characters in What Eden Did Next but the story centers around the main character Eden.
Eden has lost her husband Andy in an accident and she is raising her daughter Lila on her own.
Her life is happy to an extent with her in laws helping her out whenever they can when it comes to minding her daughter.
So when Eden begins to move on with her life just a little, she feels their input in more ways that she should.
Oh and what about the gorgeous Rafe...
A childhood friend of Eden's, they enjoy being back in each others company catching up on their missing years and their children Poppy & Lila are instant best friends.
I read with so much anticipation for what was to come for them. Would they overcome the outside influences on their relationship...
Both now are almost swamped with the baggage they bring with them to this new relationship...
Quite an emotionally read and one really about finding your own happiness in life.
Sad, funny, happy, heartbreaking, it has all the emotions at one point or other.
Loved it...
Author Sheila O'Flanagan has established herself as one of the most wonderful authors of our time in the world of fiction.

A lovely story with well described characters. I felt that I knew them all.
Another very enjoyable story from this great author.
Many thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC

Thank you to #NetGalley for my advance copy of #WhatEdenDidNext by #SheilaO’Flanagan

Eden has married her sole mate and life is wonderful but Andy dies and she is left with memories and her precious daughter Lila.
5 years later she meets up with an old school friend and a spark is reignited, but can she move on. Will Andy’s family let her.
A wonderful read that makes you believe wonderful things can happen.
I have adored Sheila O’Flanagans’s books since the very first one, and each one is a curl up for the day with coffee and chocolate and enjoy. Don’t forget the tissues 🥲🥰🥰🥰
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I will alsways read Sheila O'Flanagan's books and enjoyed this story of a young widow trying to rebuild her life and be sensitive to others' grief. Moving on is not a straight road and this portrays the challenges well, whilst being a very easy to read novel.

A good read, but I can't help feeling it lacked something compared to Sheila O'Flanagan's previous work. The romance element - I didn't feel any strong emotion coming from either Eden or Rafe. It was very understated. It felt a bit rushed towards the end too. I also didn't like the way Eden in particular was constantly described as having baggage or words to that effect, but Rafe less so, which was weird considering his back story. I think the in-laws got away with a lot, the way they were trying to manipulate Eden's life. Still, she seemed to come into her own towards the end of the book, but again, it felt rushed. Elizabeth's character was great. The whole plot around the residents group was hilarious. I would not want to live somewhere where I got nagged at to mow the lawn. All in all, a book I enjoyed, but it just needed a little something extra. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a huge fan of this author's book and this one certainly didn't disappoint. The story focuses on Eden who is a widow with a young daughter, she then meets or rather re meets her childhood friend Rafe who is a widower also with a small daughter. Beautifuly written, with both sad parts and hilarious parts, Elizabeth is a joy to read being an elderly lady who says what she think, the antics of the single and even not single ladies who try to get Rafe's attention are also very funny, Eden's interfering and controlling in laws are irritating however the story of their difficulty in accepting that Eden needs to move on is a very interesting one

I would struggle to be able to review this book due to issues with the file/download. The issues stopped the flow of the book. The issues are:
- Missing words in the middle of sentences
- Stop/start sentences on different lines
- No clear definition of chapters.

Not sure if it was a file/download issue but there were lots of gaps, stop/starts which really ruined the flow. I would love the chance to read a better version as the description of the book appeals to me.

I like Sheila O'Flanagan and her stories, this is why I was thrilled when I was accepted for "What Eden Did Next". This book is also not bad, it has all what I've been expecting from this author and from this story - a steady, thought - provoking read with stable characters. For me, though, this book missed this something that makes a book an exceptional and unforgettable read. It was very "old school", with no life - changing twist and turns, predictable and on the same level - in the end I skim - read the last chapters as I wasn't truly engaged in the story. And, let's be honest, I didn't care so much for the characters - there were the good and the bad ones and you could see it immediately how it's going to end. The first half is very, very long in comparision to the second half, where everything happens much quicker, or, rather, when something eventually happens.
I liked how down to earth Eden was and her way of thinking and coping. But all the the other things were overdone, too sugary, too obvious, too fairy - tale.
As I've already said, not a bad book, but also not one that will stay with me for ever.

I’ve read a number of books by this author and they are always extremely enjoyable, in fact they are the sort of books I can’t wait to pick up. “What Eden Did Next” is definitely in this category, a story of love and loss and knowing the right time to move on.
Eden is a single mother bringing up 4 year old Lila after the death of her firefighter husband, Andy. Valerie, Eden’s mother in law and Michelle, her sister in law have always been there for her, helping her after she was widowed and then supporting her as she brings up Lila. Eden still misses Andy even though 5 years have passed and she writes letters to him as if he is still alive.
Eden is a former nurse and uses her skills to work as a carer, looking after Elizabeth who requires short term care and physio. Her other love is calligraphy and she sometimes gets commissions for work doing this as well. When Elizabeth acquires a new neighbour, widower and single Dad, Rafe, Eden realises that she has met him in her previous life and they start to catch up on what has happened since they had last seen each other.
The characterisations in this novel are excellent, Eden, Rafe and Elizabeth are so realistic that I actually felt that they were real people and I truly wanted to meet them.
Eden and Rafe have both suffered tragedies in their past so it is difficult for them to know that there comes a time when they can seek happiness again. Eden is torn between her new life and her old one where her husband’s family feature strongly. They are also having trouble letting go and see Eden as their link to Andy.
The last section of the novel is wonderful and I was so invested in the characters that events that happened actually brought a tear to my eye!
I really loved everything about this book- the characters, the Irish setting and of course the romance. Definitely a five star read for me and highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc.

Just beautiful. So well written, possibly one of my favourite books by this author. I would highly recommend this amazing read to any one.

Do I rejoice when a new Sheila O'Flanagan book hits the shelves? I do! I’ve never read a dull one yet! Masterfully written, this novel will reel you in and hold you enthralled as the layers of story are revealed. Highly recommended. A perfectly paced and beautifully observed story... I really did race through it!

Such a special book. How our past influences our future, but when should we let it go? A lovely book that makes you consider the influence of family and the need to be your own person. A brilliant romance.

We meet Eden five years after the death of her husband Andy. She has a four year old child Lila, a child who Andy never got the chance to know. about. Andy has a large family and they have helped and supported Eden through the last five years.

Eden is as nurse who works as a caregiver in the homes of her clients. One day she bumps into Rafe who she knew years ago before her life was devastated.
As she gets to know Rafe all over again Eden wonders if she can move on from Andy who was the love of her life. Can she fall in love again.?
Just as she is about to make a decision her mother in law tells her what plans she has made on her behalf, plans which will mean she will always be Andy's widow and never be allowed to move on.

There are a few sad stories in this book. The loss of loved ones, the loss of independence and the loss of a future you had planned. Eden is such a lovely woman. She has a great relationship with Andy's family, his mother and his sisters but lately when things are moving for her they become smothering.
I particularly liked Eden's client Elizabeth. She was witty and very wise and wanted the best for Eden who had became a friend to her.
As ever Shelia O'Flannagan tells a great story, one that stops you putting the book down even for a minute. Loved it !

I adore Sheila OFlanagans books and this one is simply no exceptions, honest, real, heartbreaking and heart watming, really well written, with great characters and it is gripping and absorbing, I read this in one sitting and loved it.

I have been anxiously awaiting for a new novel by this wonderful author, and so was delighted to receive a copy of this book! This is a beautiful and life affirming story of a woman whose partner has passed away and is trying to forge a new path for herself, despite the obstacles thrown her way.

Eden husband's Andy died 5 years ago shortly after their honeymoon, just after she found out she was pregnant with their first child. Devastated she has picked up the pieces of her life with the help of her in laws bit never really moving on from the loss. When a chance encounter leads her to meetings with her childhood best friend Raff, the new neighbourhood eligible bachelor, a spark ignites between them. Will it get a chance to game before her inlaws put it out. I loved this book, especially the lead character Eden who is a stronger character than she realises herself. The characters are well developed and mainly likeable.

Five years ago Eden and Andy were newlyweds and then Andy died. Now Eden is a single mum to five year old Lila and with the help of Andy’s family she is managing her life as best she can. When she reconnects with Rafe, an old friend from her past, will Eden get a second chance at happiness? Not if her in-laws have anything to do with it she won’t.

A great book with a lovely mix of characters which made for an enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed this book. It was well written, had a good storyline and really strong characters that had been so well developed they felt like I knew them. I liked the use fo social media/ commmunications apps included in this book as it made it feel even more familiar and like I was in the pages with the characters. A really good read

I really enjoyed this story of someone who'd been through a few tragedies in her life, but was working through her grief towards a better life for herself and her daughter.

Eden lost her parents when she was young, and was brought up by her aunt and uncle, who were childless and didn't really know what to do with her. So they all just muddled along the best they could, until Eden left home and then they hardly saw each other as the aunt and uncle moved to France. It's funny how you see things as a child and as an adult though, and how looking back with an adult perspective puts a totally different outlook on things, as Eden finds out later in this book when there's a medical emergency with her aunt.

The main story is about Eden, who is a nurse/personal carer, but also has a sideline in calligraphy which was something a bit different but a really nice addition to the story, and her loving but quite controlling in-laws, mostly her mother-in-law. Eden's husband was a firefighter and died before their daughter was born, so his family stepped in and did everything for Eden initially. But as time has gone on they continue to assume Eden will go along with their plans all the time and it becomes more difficult as she doesn't want to hurt them, but equally she is more than capable of deciding what, or who, she wants in her life. It's difficult though as the dead son/husband has been put on a pedestal by his mother so there's a fine line to tread.

Then Eden bumps into an old friend, Rafe, who has recently moved back to Dublin from the States, and also has a young daughter and has been through a personal tragedy, and they start getting close again, much to the anxiety of both families.

I really enjoyed all the characters in this book, even the nosy women on the WhatsApp group in Sycamore Grove the Close where Rafe lived, all trying to get to meet him first and the oneupmanship that was always in the background! Eden was caring for a lovely elderly lady in the same Close, Elizabeth, who'd been robbed and had a fall, so a fair bit of the story happens around this Close.

This was just a really delightful read about loss, families and trying to make your own way along in life, coming out the other side stronger and happier.