Phew, what a read. Not what expected and quite harrowing at times, I kept turning the pages, only to be faced with another twist in the tale.
I loved learning about Pre-Christian Ireland and the various pagan festivals during the year.
The relationship between Enya and Margaret was perfect- they both evolved into a wonderful non-judgmental friendship. It’s a 5 star review from me

I really enjoyed this book. I am a fan of Cecelia Ahern, and knew that this book would be a great page turner.
The story is of a Doctor and shows how her life changes after being an witness to an accident.
I loved all the different characters that appear in the book, and the different relationship that Enya has with them all.
There are lots of twists and turns in the book, and I liked that it was unpredictable.

Absolutely loved Enya she felt so authentic and engaging. Her storyline was mesmerising. Beautifully written prose and such a strong narrative. I particulary loved her relstionship with her sister. Emotional, Heartbreaking and Warm - I adored this book.

I've read all of Cecilia Ahern's books and enjoyed them all. P.S I love you was my absolute favourite but it's fair to say that her style of writing has changed alot since her debut.
This story is about a Dr who, when driving through a storm, comes across an injured teen and saves his life. This triggers all sorts of issues in her mind. Her marriage, the death of her mother and the relationship with her teenage son. She needs weather the storm in her mind.
I wasn't sure about Enya. I felt sorry for her but she was a terrible doctor. Leaving her patient's the middle of a consultation when they deserved so much more. Severely affected by her mothers death and her own potential demise Enyas mental health plummets. I feel sorry for her but ultimately I don't feel a connection. Probably due to not understanding this sort of issue. However I did enjoy this book especially the who dunnit aspect . I did guess the perpetrator of the hit and run early on but it was didn't stop me enjoying the book overall. A solid 4 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read an advance copy .

Having lost my reading mojo, I gave this book ago and I was not disappointed. The characters were interesting relatable and believable. Many twists in the storyline leading to a surprising finale. Without giving any spoilers, if you enjoy a story of family dynamics and intrigue, then this one is for you. I was unable to put this book down.

I just struggled to get to grips with this book I didn’t feel it was one of her best reads I didn’t really find one character throughout who I found I could like

I've not read anything by Cecilia Ahern before but I was very happy I requested this book from NetGalley as once I started it, it was hard to put down. As a fellow writer, I loved the way the author maintained the pace and tension. At the end of each chapter, I seemed to always be saying - just one more, just one more. I also thought the inclusion of the rag tree and the folklore behind it added to the story and enjoyed how Enya's relationship to it altered over time as she become more accepting and accepted in her new environment. The link to water and her mother's death was also well woven into the story and as a result provided emotional resonance and an understanding to Enya's unravelling.

4.5 stars.

I'm looking forward to reading other books by this author.

I didn’t like this book as much as earlier Cecelia Ahern stories I have read. Enya as a character seemed a bit one dimensional and I didn’t warm to her. There were back stories not explored ( why did she marry her husband if he was so unpleasant?) and I felt the ending was rushed. I kept on reading to see what happened though, so the story kept my attention to the end.

Wow, this author knows exactly how to write a book! I absolutely loved this and although it wasn’t my favourite of hers she knows how to keep the reader engaged through the whole book.

Inside the storm by Cecelia Ahern is the story of Dr.Enya Pickering who is driving in the middle of a storm the on 21st December in the mountainous region of Dublin. The heavy rain makes it difficult to see and the roads are treacherous. She is flagged down by a taxi driver, there has been a hit and run incident. A young man similar in age to her own son, is lying in the middle of the freezing rain with serious injuries. Enya has to perform CPR before the ambulance arrives.
After this Enya’s life falls apart and she leaves her husband, her son and her job and disappears to start a new life in rural Ireland. She takes over a medical practice and lives in the previous doctor’s home. Even there in ,Abbeydooley, Enya is haunted by that night and the rag tree outside the living room window is a constant reminder of what happened.
In the middle of her mental anguish will she ever recover and survive past her next birthday?
Highly recommended

‘She should surely stop practising as a GP’ was a phrase from the book which summed it up for me. I was anxious for Enya, I was anxious for her friends and family, I was anxious for Ross, but above all I was anxious for her patients. In fact, I was in an anxious state myself for the entire length of this book!

This is a dark novel with the odd chink of light and laughter coming from the evolving friendship between Enya and Margaret. Margaret’s character was fabulous: intriguing, annoying, hilarious, loyal… The kind of friend we all want yet are wary of in some way. I wanted to scream at Enya for most of the book. She just seemed to wreak havoc everywhere she went.

Having said that, Cecilia Ahearne’s fabulous storytelling kept me hooked until the conclusion. I loved the notion of the rag tree and the hope it offered.

This is an engaging read. I would rate it a 3.5 stars.

Cecelia Ahern and I have History.

Well, strictly speaking I have history with Cecelia Ahern and she has no idea who I am, but I’ve felt a connection for many, many years now and I need to tell you about it.

It started when I was 24, on honeymoon, and picked up PS I Love You as one of the books to read by the pool. This being a thousand years ago, and social media not really being a thing, I had no idea what it was about beyond lots of people recommending it.

So picture me, if you will, happy on my sunlounger, starting this book about a young married couple. What larks! Just like us! Except - hold on. He what? And she’s reading what now?!!

I sobbed. I sobbed by the pool and in the bar, while my brand new husband fetched me drinks and looked at my blotchy face and likely quietly wondered whether he’d made an awful mistake. “but they loved each other so muchhhhhh” 😭😭😭😭 Other holiday-makers eyed us suspiciously from adjacent tables, wondering how badly wrong things could have gone in such a short space of time.

So if you’d mentioned Cecelia Ahern to me in the two decades since, and offered me a new book of hers to read, I would immediately flash back to those tear-sodden pages and I would say no. No, thank you, not for me.

That was until I picked up Into the Storm. I felt that nearly 20 years was long enough to have recovered some equilibrium. We’re all older and wiser now. Despite the intervening ups and downs, like any marriage, I still get to wake up next to that same husband every morning. Surely we could brave me trying another Cecelia Ahern offering?

Turns out while I grew up a lot in the time since PS I Love You, so did Cecelia, and in turn so did her characters. This time she brings us Enya, an Irish GP in her mid 40s, whose life is upended after she comes across an accident on a rainy December night.

As Enya’s marriage falls apart, so too does her professional life and many other of her relationships. She escapes (some would say runs away) to a rural practice while she tries to deal with what happened that night. But something - or someone - is following her, and Enya has to reckon with repercussions and fear.

The book does a great job of conveying the claustrophobia of paranoia. From the weather, to Enya’s surroundings, via the lack of privacy in small-town life, Ahern builds up layer after layer of the darkness she’s mired in. There’s just enough levity, though, and sun breaking through, that the book avoids misery. Supporting characters are well drawn and provide excellent foils to Enya’s unravelling.

In fact, very few of the characters are especially likeable - which is kind of the point; but it takes real skill and a steady hand to write a book that explores the worst aspects of life, and exposes some of our deepest fears, and not have your readers broken by the end of it. Just as well Ahern’s so good at her job, eh?

Into the Storm is 20 years away from PS I Love You, in many ways. If you like unflinching examination of the darker sides of human experience and nature wrapped up in a very readable story, get this ordered. 

Thank you Harper Collins for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This had me hooked from the start, another great novel by Cecelia Ahern.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

Ahern is a very clever and acomplished author. She has a unique way wiritng about the human condition and this novel is no different. At times heartachingly sad, but also very intelligent. It really made me think, and it was a departure from my normal reads. Loved it.

Well. This book is a lot, so many intertwined stories and so much hurt for Enya as she faces her 47th year and, decades on, is struggling with the death of her mum. I loved everything about this story; the rag tree, Margaret, her role as a GP, Finn, Flora. The twists and turns had me absolutely hooked and I absolutely did NOT see the ending coming. What an absolutely fabulous read, would highly recommend.

Absolutely fabulous book, full of complex characters and intriguing situations, and so descriptive I could have been there . The storms gave me chills , mysterious faces at the windows made me jump. Some amusing bits too, particularly with Margaret’s quick fire responses . Very character driven, which I especially loved & exceedingly well written. Highly recommended.

Absolutely brilliant, loved it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an advance copy, I will definitely be recommending.

Had me gripped from the start. The book centres around a car accident where a GP, Enya Pickering comes across the accident during a violent rainstorm. She administers CPR. The story develops from the accident onwards. Her relationship with the victim’s family, her own relationship with her family and the people directly involved with the incident. Her own memories of her childhood is a constantly recurring theme throughout the book. I was convinced who had caused the original car accident, but that was always thwarted by events in the story. In the end, I would never have guessed who was guilty of the hit and run. A real plot twist.

I am a huge fan of Cecelia Ahern's books and this one did not disappoint. Right from the beginning, I was drawn in and felt like I knew the characters. You could feel all the main character's emotions and I had to keep reading to see what happened. And just when i thought I had it figured it out, a twist appeared that I didn't see coming. Highly recommend !!

On a stormy Saturday evening in December, while driving home, Enya Pickering encounters a distraught taxi driver who has stumbled upon a hit-and-run victim—a 15-year-old boy. As a general practitioner, Enya instinctively takes charge, performing CPR until emergency services arrive. Once back in her car, the gravity of the situation begins to sink in, especially the eerie resemblance between the victim and her own 15-year-old son, Finn, leaving her deeply unsettled.

But this incident is just the tip of the iceberg for Enya. Haunted by personal demons and a life in disarray, she decides to escape her past by accepting a new job in the rural countryside, abandoning her old life, including her husband and son. However, the past proves difficult to outrun, along with the secrets she is desperate to keep hidden. With the Garda investigating the hit-and-run, her husband severing communication with Finn, and her ongoing struggles with mental health, Enya's composure begins to fray.

Enya believed her life ended at forty-seven, but she didn’t anticipate an opportunity for rebirth. She discovers a newfound peace reminiscent of the safety she felt at twelve, enclosed with her sister and mother. This sense of security, forever etched in her heart and her mother's writings, becomes her guiding light. Enya carries this light within her, using it to navigate the darkness of her journey, illuminating her path with resilience and hope.

This narrative will resonate deeply with women over forty, a stage in life where stability often gives way to introspection and a desire for personal growth. It's a time when many reconsider their life choices and explore new directions. The writing style, tinged with melancholy, conveys a palpable sadness and missed opportunities that evoke strong emotions. Although the pace can be slow, the author skillfully handles complex themes with nuance and sensitivity.

The characters are vividly depicted, lifelike, and brimming with emotion. The contrast between Enya’s private turmoil and professional facade is both understandable and intricate.

The story draws on the Tree of Life concept, a symbol of interconnectedness across heaven, earth, and the underworld. It reflects pre-Christian Irish spirituality, with the Rag Tree serving as a potent symbol of healing. Enya’s tumultuous yet ultimately restorative journey is deeply inspired by this symbol, making the narrative both profound and meaningful.


3,5/5