I was over the moon to hear that Marian Keyes was writing a follow up to Anybody Out There? which I think was the first of her books I read. I’ve read all the books featuring the various members of the Walsh family (still want to read Mammy’s story!) but that one, which has Anna Walsh as its main character, is always the story that touched me and stayed in my mind for some reason.

It was a delight to be back with the Walsh family again, a loud, loving and extremely funny family of five sisters, their mum and their long suffering dad, plus various partners now and children. They are so warm, down-to-earth and relatable. They make me laugh so much and that’s what makes Marian Keyes’ books such fun to read. For all the fun though, there are always serious issues included in the books, as each sister has difficult situations to face up to. Anna has known much grief in her life and this still affects her decisions, particularly when it comes to her romantic life. I particularly liked that here we have a woman in her forties shown as still wanting to live life to the full and for that life to include romance and an active love life. I was enraged on her behalf at the doctors refusing to give her the HRT she needed.

There were lots of other brilliant characters too from the staff in the hotel, to the villagers, to Anna’s estranged friend Jacqui and not forgetting Narky Joey who Anna has almost got together with several times. I thought that the author portrayed the difficult relationship between Anna and Jacqui brilliantly and showed how friendships can go through ups and downs in just the same way as romantic relationships.

Being totally honest though, I did feel that the book was a bit too long. I so enjoyed the beginning, getting to know Anna again, seeing where life had taken her after the events of Anybody Out There? and meeting up with the Walsh clan again. I also enjoyed the mystery element of the story as Anna and Joey tried to uncover who was against the new development, creating all kinds of issues big and small for the owners. For me though, I felt that once Anna was in Maumtully and working for her friends, the book seemed to drift along for a bit. Having said that, I did think the end chapters were brilliant, Marian Keyes at her best.

Even though I found the book a bit slow in parts, I’m glad I read it and I found it a satisfying read overall. It shows once again that Marian Keyes is an expert at blending family drama with humour. Her many fans will rejoice to be in the presence of the Walsh family once more. Rachel’s Holiday has already had a sequel (Again Rachel) and I do hope that the author will write sequels to the books featuring the other sisters, Helen, Margaret and Claire. And please, write Mammy’s story!

Another fantastic read from Marian Keyes. We are once again back with the Walsh family and this time we are back with Anna in New York. She is fed up of her COVID, New York and her partner Angelo. As soon as she can she moves back to Ireland where she meets up with the one who got away, Joey.

Marian really knows how to draw the reader in and I could not put this down. I really felt like I was part of the story and now I am missing my old friends. I love Anna, Joey, her sisters and the residents of M'Town. I was really rooting for Anna to find peace and happiness after suffering such heartbreak. It's a long book there was a lot to get in. It didn't feel like there was any filler, it was all purely story and it was an absolute pleasure to read.

This book has it all, romance, friendship, comedy and a little bit of a mystery, I raced through the pages and now I am sad I have finished. If you are a fan, old or new of Marian then this is a must read. I haven't read the Walsh Family books in order (there is enough back story given) but will be going back to read Again, Rachel (even though I now know their ending I don't know how they got there) so you can pick this up independently. It probably did help I had read Anna's first book, Anybody Out There.

Another excellent one from Marian Keyes! I adore the Walksh family and have read each of their stories many times at different points in my life. Reconnecting with Anna as she is at a different age was wonderful, I loved following her at this stage and reconnecting with lots of older characters, along with a host of new ones. This book felt like coming home and I definitely recommend it! Thank you so much for the arc

A new Marian Keyes book is always an event, a Walsh family one even more so. This one focuses on Anna, who might be my favourite of the sisters. She's going through some stuff, returning to Ireland after ditching her high-powered job in New York, splitting up with her boyfriend, and going through the menopause. (Is it just me, or after centuries of nobody really talking about the menopause, is everybody now suddenly talking about the menopause?)

As always, it's a really fun read, with some serious stuff in there too. It's good to reconnect with the Real Men (Narky Joey, in this instance) and catch up on what everyone's up to. Joey (Joseph, these days) and Anna m, who've both reached a perhaps surprising degree of success in their professions, find themselves working together to help out Rachel's old friend Bridget, but there's history - and indeed chemistry - there that just won't go away.

Marian is such a funny and insightful writer, it's always a joy to spend time in her company. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review!

There's a reason why Marian Keyes is one of my favourite authors and has been for year. My Favourite Mistake was an absolute treat to read. It was lovely to be back with the Walsh family. They're brilliant. Marian's way of writing make these characters so read. You laugh with them, cry with them and just want to be friends with them really. It's great that Anna got another story as I really enjoyed Anybody Out There. With strong supporting characters (not forgetting Mammy Walsh) this book is a must read for Marian fans. I hope this isn't the last we've seen of the Walshs.

This story centres around Anna Walsh who leads a glamorous life as a beauty PR in New York, but after separating from her partner Angelo, decides to leave that all behind and move back to Ireland
She overseas a wellness retreat in a wee rural town called Maumtully, working alongside the great unspoken love of her life, Joey
A story of relationships, grief, family, love and friendships. A really lovely read with very relatable characters

Marian Keyes once again returns to the Walsh family, immersing us in the developments in Anna's life which might be viewed by many with envy, living in New York, with a 'fabulous' job with her role as PR in the beauty industry and has a great man in Angelo, but beneath the surface she is feeling unsettled, things are not quite right for her. Through sheer hard grit she has emerged on the other side after the loss of husband, Aiden, she is getting older, in her late 40s she is facing the coming challenges of the perimenopause, and in her heart she is missing Ireland. With Covid, Anna's reflections see her breaking up with Angelo, ditching her job in New York, moving from the hustle and bustle of the big city, back to rural Ireland, and living in the tiny town of Maumtully.

There is plenty of the author's trademark touching poignancy, warmth, fun, entertainment, nostalgia, comfort, heartbreak, and wit, along with a big and wide ranging cast of strong, familiar figures and the past which has shaped them into the people they have now become, and the new characters as we follow the events, relationships, conflict, and drama, that drive the latest stage in Anna's life. Before she knows it, she has jumped into a new PR job in a upmarket coastal retreat to help friends, but there is disquiet about the development in some quarters, with some prepared to fight it tooth and nail, and then there is past personal history, as Anna once again finds herself reconnecting with Narky Joey Armstrong.

It's a delight to become reacquainted with Keyes's familiar characters, the history, interactions, the ups and downs in their lives, mistakes, memories, the twists and turns, and their issues, and I was very curious to see where Anna and Joey's relationship would end up. Fans of the author and other readers are likely to enjoy this latest addition to the Walsh family saga, well written with verve, in the author's familiar style as she hones in on gender issues and the impact of the menopause on women. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

I've not read any Marian Keyes books before, so was new to the Walsh sisters. I found it hard to get my head round who they all were with all their current situation and gorgeousness listed in a big information dump about twenty pages in. I liked the premise of Anna, a big shot Beauty industry PR/Marketer having a midlife wobble during the pandemic and a relationship break up deciding to return to her tiny Irish hometown. Her family have been urging her to return home for years but don't seem very keen now that she really is returning. However, I struggled with the book, I felt it was over stuffed with quirky characters and the pacing was off, very fast with time jumps and then slowing to a snail's pace. Perhaps this is one for serial readers who I know love the Walsh family in their millions and nota total newbie to their family saga.

Anna moves back to Ireland and helps her friends Colm and Brigit to find out who is sabotaging their business. She has to work with old flame Joey and there is plenty of unfinished business there. Really enjoyed this book and would recommend.

First things first, I love Marian Keyes and especially the Walsh family. I’ve read them all and I am always excited whenever there’s a new one as I love the chance to catch up with them. It’s like getting together with old friends.

It’s been a while since I read “Anybody Out There?” but I remembered enough of the plot and anything important was touched on to make sure you didn’t feel lost.

There is a lot going on here and it made for a very fast paced read. I absolutely raced through it in the space of a few days because I was completely hooked. Keyes’ writing is incredible. She can make you laugh and cry within the space of a few pages. I loved the depiction of Anna struggling with the menopause and particularly her experience with an unsympathetic Doctor!

I have loved seeing the Walsh family expand over the series with various kids and partners being brought into the fold now and the interactions between them. There is such realism around the familial relationships. Seeing them joking with Mammy Walsh definitely reminded me of how me and my brother are with our Mum.

Anna is such a relatable character for me, as are most of Keyes’ characters to be honest. She has made mistakes in her life, who hasn’t, but her flaws make her who she is. She has lost some friendships along the way and made some new ones but I love how she shows up for her friends and family when they need her.

I genuinely have no complaints about this. I absolutely loved it.

3.5🌟
A sweet, slow burn book with lots of flashbacks to help add dimension to the main character and help you understand her.

Stuck in a mid-life crisis, Anna has everything thrown at her; perimenopause, breaking up with her partner, guilt about her previous partner, a man she's loved forever and the desire to quit her job and move out of New York.

This novel explores her paving her new pathway with new friends, an awful lot of family and trying brand new things. Can she save her friends' business before it's too late?

A classic Walsh sisters novel, Keyes’ latest has Anna move back to Ireland after a breakup and career change in the pandemic. It was fun and heart wrenching, as expected, but did have slightly odd pacing to my mind, where sections would rush forward months at a time and then slow to nothing.

Anna Walsh is ‘buffering’. Her family might think her life is sorted, she has a glamorous job in high-end cosmetics PR in New York (all those fabulous freebies for her mammy and sisters!); she also has a caring (sometimes too caring) partner, Angelo. To all intents and purposes Anna has recovered from the tragic death of her husband, Aiden, (which happened in her novel ‘Anybody Out There’). But Anna is far from ‘sorted’ - she has learnt to cope, and even to win at life, since Aiden’s sudden death cut her completely adrift, but there is still a void in her life; she is approaching perimenopause and is starting to feel her age; she misses her home in Ireland and she has brushed her ancient history with Joey Armstrong (designated official ‘bad boy’ of the Walsh family novels) so far under the carpet that only an earthquake could dislodge her hidden feelings for him.

Cue the worldwide lockdown - Anna and Angelo decide to split up, Anna realises that she doesn’t need the stress of working and living in New York; she moves back to Ireland and almost immediately is head-hunted into using her considerable public relations skills to turn around the fortunes of a family friend’s new luxury resort in rural Ireland. The trouble is they are also connected with Joey, who is on the scene backing funding for the venture. Will Anna and Joey be able to resolve all the mistakes and twists of fate that have kept them apart for almost two decades or are there just too many bitter memories and bad blood between them for them even to be friends in the future?

It was such a pleasure to immerse myself into the narrative as Ms Keyes subtly guided me into Anna’s state of mind and her past relationship with Joey Armstrong. In the previous Walsh novels he has always been on the periphery of the central action. Known to one and all as ‘Narky Joey’, he was always trouble with a capital T if any woman fell for him (once he started to remind them of Jon Bon Jovi it was All Too Late) but in My Favourite Mistake the old Narky Joey has morphed into a much more relatable, full-on three dimensional character and I found it fascinating. Thanks so much Marian.

Marian Keyes is in her absolute element writing about the Walsh sisters, and so it is with My Favourite Mistake. It is always an absolute treat to reunite with them all from to time. I hope the sisters and their fabulous Mammy never really settle down, otherwise then there would be no more fabulous and funny Walsh novels.

I’m not sure how My Favourite Mistake would pan out as a stand- alone novel, but as part of the series of Walsh family stories, it is all you could possibly ask for and more.

Many thanks to all concerned for letting me read and review this brilliant book. You have made an old Marian Keyes fan very happy!

I've always had a soft spot for Anna Walsh, space cadet turned PR hotshot - Is There Anybody Out There had me unashamedly weeping on a train. I would have been thrilled to read about any Walsh sister but I was really pleased that Marian Keyes had returned to Anna. There seemed something unfinished in her story somehow.
When lockdown hits Anna is still in New York, working in PR for expensive skincare brands, still with her long term partner, new age new man Angelo. But, as it did for so many of us, lockdown brings to the surface everything she has been ignoring - the stress of her job, the waning of her relationship, peri menopause, home sickness, and so, Anna quits her high flying job, rents out her apartment, consciously uncouples from Angelo and returns to Ireland the unloving arms of her family who think she is is making a huge mistake and also are seriously annoyed at the loss of their access to free skincare products. But several months in Anna has found it harder to land a new job than the recruitment companies had led her to believe and with her money running out, is ensconsed in her sister Margaret's spare room. The chance of a short term role at a new luxury wellness retreat is the break she needs, even if it is on the other side of the country. The only problem is one of the investors, Narky Joey, father of her ex best friend's daughter, notorious womaniser and Anna's own biggest regret. Luckily it's just for a couple of days - but the job is harder than she had envisioned, the small seaside town trickier and yet more welcoming than she could have guessed and Joey, no longer narky but a goboy and still far too sexy for his or anyone else's good, especially considering his current vow of celibacy.
Every word of this was an utter delight. Told with all the humour, wit and emotion you would expect from Marian, by the end I was ready to move to the small town myself despite the very vivid descriptions of the rain, rooting for Anna to find the happiness she deseves. As always, Marian unfolds the backstory slowly, adding depth to a compelling narrative, I didn't want it to end and couldn't put it down. Highly recommended.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I enjoyed reading this book.

It was lovely to meet back up with the characters and learn more about Anna.

The story was well written with lots of laughter moments.

I recommend this book.

What a joy to be back with the Walsh sisters, and their mammy of course!
Anna has run away from her New York life, leaving her fabulous job, apartment and boyfriend behind. She needs a change and she needs to deal with changes that peri-menopause are throwing up. Helping her friends deal with PR crisis while they deal with a severely sick daughter seems like the least she can do. Pitching up in their local town to try and persuade the locals that their new health retreat is going to benefit them, she’s quickly realised what a formidable and interesting group of residents Maumtully has. Even worse, the one support she has is an old (almost) flame who she has some serious history with.
This is quite a ride, as always Marian Keyes doesn’t give you a sickly sweet romcom. The well rounded characters have their own battles and issues, not least Anna herself as she faces up to her past with Joey and some absolutely unforgivable behaviour.
I loved the residents, particular Courtney, the put upon manager of the local hotel.
Of course we get lashings of theWalsh sisters and their fabulous mammy, always out for a freebie and an adventure. The chapters when they come to visit for St Patrick’s weekend almost read like a short story in their own right.
The relationship between Anna and Joey is cleverly handled to the point that the tension is unbearably high by the concluding chapters. The end is wonderful and leaves you hoping that there is more of the Walsh family to come.

A very enjoyable book by Keyes, with the main character in her 40's and facing the end of a relationship, the hangover of past relationships and the challenge of a career change. Strongly written family and friends, with a minor mystery wrapped in comedy set in rural Ireland. Keyes notes on individual quirks and the hard-won wisdoms of aging are spot on. Recommend!

Reading a Marian Keyes book is like stepping into a lovely warm bath. My Favourite Mistake follows the ‘will they, won’t they’ romance of Anna and Joey, surrounded by the chaos, warmth and love of a huge Irish family - just loved it!

My love of books definitely started with the Walsh family. I was therefore super excited to read this book, but also slightly apprehensive as I didn’t want to spoil my previous fondness.
I didn’t need to worry; this book is the perfect sequel. I was drawn into Anna and her menopausal drama throughout. It’s an emotional, but also funny book that I would recommend.

When I put in the request on NetGalley to have early access to #MyFavouriteMistake by MarianKeyes, I really couldn’t believe my luck when I was accepted to read it.

Starting another Marian’ Keyes book is like settling into an extremely comfortable, familiar armchair welcoming back old friends, who are nearly part of the family now. … rediscovering the Walsh family, how they’ve grown changed, how they haven’t changed! Their new adventures were an absolute delight for this Easter holiday.

Life for Anna since Aidan‘s death has been a yo-yo of despair and joy, with a high busy Manhattan life, and the reality of the Walsh family, who supply her with love and support, and a great deal of teasing.

It’s great to see how Anna has developed, how her backstory merged with that of Rachel and Helen and Margaret and of course Mammy. They don’t seem to be many gaps in the jigsaw at this point, but I hope Marian will find more and fill them for us because when she writes these stories, it’s just a joy to sink back into that chair, into that life, into that situation and spend it with these lovely people.


Thank you, Marian for keep giving us what we love.

Thanks to #NetGalley. For giving me the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication.

I was delighted to accept it and delighted to read it and delighted to tell everybody how fantastic it is.