When GP Enya saves a teenage boy after a hit and run, her life falls to pieces. She leaves her family to start a new life in a remote Irish location. Will Enya recover from that night or will the storm catch up with her?

This started strongly and the central drama starts almost straight away. I was interested to see where it would go and think the writing style was done well, managing to evoke a range of emotions, while reflecting a rather bleak, sensitive narrative. Unfortunately I struggled to stay connected to the storyline due to the slow pace and finding the main character unlikeable and difficult to connect with. I am also not a massive fan of folklore, which this story had elements of. Overall this wasn’t a bad read but not my favourite and I am certainly not put off reading more by this author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

An enjoyable read about Enya, a doctor struggling with her relationships with her husband and son along with the death of her mother. A heartbreaking story but one that I would definitely recommend to be read.

Into the Storm by Cecelia Ahern takes readers on a compelling journey through the life of Enya Pickering, a GP grappling with the consequences of her choices.

Enya seems to have it all: a loving husband, Xander, and their young son, Finn.

However, her life is turned upside down one fateful night when, after excusing herself from a dinner party, she meets her lover.

In a dramatic turn of events, she stumbles upon a horrific accident and, in a moment of quick thinking, saves the life of a young man.

This decision sets off a series of repercussions that forces her to leave her home and take over a struggling medical practice in Abbeydooley.

As Enya tries to settle into her new role, the weight of her actions begins to haunt her.

The ongoing investigation into the accident, her troubled marriage, her affair, and a mysterious rag tree in her garden all contribute to an atmosphere of tension and unease.

Ahern skillfully explores themes of guilt, infidelity, and the moral complexities of human relationships, prompting readers to reflect on the choices we make and their impact on our lives.

While the narrative is engaging and easy to follow, Enya herself can be quite an unlikable character.

Her narcissism and self-pity often overshadow her journey, leading to frustration for the reader.

Many may find themselves rolling their eyes at her “woe is me” attitude as the plot unfolds.

In contrast, characters like Margaret, Enya's straightforward neighbor living above the surgery, provide a refreshing balance and offer a glimpse of clarity amid the chaos of Enya’s life.

Despite its predictability, with several twists and turns that may be anticipated early on, Into the Storm remains a thought-provoking read.

The exploration of serious subjects such as hit-and-run incidents, drinking and driving, adultery, and medical malpractice adds depth to the narrative, pushing readers to confront uncomfortable realities.

While Ahern's Into the Storm offers a captivating premise and a look at the complexities of human nature, it may leave some readers feeling frustrated with the protagonist.

Nevertheless, the book is worth reading for its insightful themes and engaging storytelling.

If you're looking for a story that examines moral dilemmas and personal struggles, this novel may resonate with you, even if Enya’s journey doesn’t always hit the mark.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cecilia Ahern can do no wrong in my eyes - everything she writes is gold. I've been a fan since PS I Love You, and I've read everything else she's written so I was delighted to be granted early access to her newest book, Into The Storm.

A mysterious story, starting with a hit and run on the edge of a road on a stormy night. Enya is driving home when she comes across a taxi in the middle of the road, flagging down her car to help with the barely breathing body of a young teen he claims to have discovered. She performs CPR, the boy survives but the accident forever changes her, and she flees her husband, her son and her seemingly idyllic life to run a small doctor's practice in rural Ireland. But she struggles to cope there too and is finally forced to face the demons that have plagued her since childhood.

Enya is a brilliant main character, I loved her almost immediately. Her husband is a vile man and I was not surprised she left him! I adored her sister Flora and her chilled out family too - I'd really love to hang out with them. And I loved Margaret, the property manager who befriends Enya, although she wasn't who she seemed at first.....

There are far too many "jaw drop" moments for me to reference here, but it certainly kept me on my toes and it was another I couldn't put down. I've had some great reads recently and this is no exception.

Thank you to the publishers for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story took a little work to get through, so more of a 3.5 star read for me. I felt it was a little disjointed, and I did not really connect to the character and her story as it was told. I mean, I really wanted to know what happened to the young boy who was hit! Who wouldn't! But her journey of reflection over her mother's death years before and the obsession with her birthday, the same one that claimed her mother, coming up just lost me. I get it. My mom died at almost 37, so it was on my mind when I reached an age she never did. I just felt the whole story did not have to be focused so much on that. The author lost me there. I did have it figured out pretty quickly, but I enjoyed that journey, at least. I hope everyone makes up their own minds and gives it a go! Hopefully you will enjoy it more than me!

What a wonderful book by Cecelia Ahern. She doesn’t disappoint with this book.

The book is witty, yet sad in places. It shows how people can stumble across an incident and how it can change someone’s life.

I loved the setting in Ireland and the small village vines - the perfect read for Autumn.

Would highly recommend this book.

Thank you for allowing me to review this title. I enjoy Cecelia Ahern' s books and looked forward to this one. It didn't disappoint. The story has many twists and turns, some of which I found very disturbing. The main character Enya, a GP, is worrying about her 47th birthday as that was when her mother died and this leads her to experience some strange thoughts. These impact on her ability to think straight. I was gripped by the story to the end which took me by surprise. Definitely a good read.

2.5 ⭐️ Rounded up to 3.
Surviving the storm is only the beginning…It is a wild night in the middle of December, and GP Enya is crouched over a teenage boy, performing CPR in the freezing rain. She found him on a mountain road near Dublin, the victim of a hit-and-run.
The boy survives, but Enya goes to pieces. She leaves her husband, her son, and everything she knows to start a new life in remote rural Ireland.

I’ve been a lover of Cecelia Ahern’s books for years however this one fell flat for me. Thoroughly unlikeable main character who was really bad at lying (maybe that was intended)
I was annoyed with all the other characters for not seeing who had done the hit and run through the whole book.
Such a shame as I was looking forward to reading this and was disappointed.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

I don't think I've read a single Cecelia Ahern book and not cried! Her writing is exquisite, powerful and moving. The way this was laid out was endearing, with the sabbats and her mum's entries around them. Enya I really felt for, could be annoying at times, but mental health can do that, and this really shine through.
I loved Margaret and the other characters. Absolutely beautiful.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Into The Storm is a poignant tale about fresh starts, unresolved grief, standing up for oneself and coming into your own. It's moving, intriguing and humbling.

Dr. Enya Pickering saves an accident victim during an extremely rough storm. A victim close to her own teenage son's age. She also is struggling with a disconnected relationship with both, her husband and her son.Also, as she is getting closer to the age her mother died, anxiety and panic have started to set in about her own future and her ability to cope with it.

I loved this book and felt deeply for Dr. Enya Pickering.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

This is well written with good characterisations and a gentle plot that builds. It's a story that you quickly fall in to and which feels believable and relatable to a certain extent. Some of the character connections felt a little tenuous and forced but generally an enjoyable read

5 out of 5! I loved it! I was hooked throughout!
I love Cecilia Ahearn already so when I was given the opportunity to read this in return for an honest review I was really happy. I didn’t read the blurb so went into it blind as she’s an author I’ve usually always loved the work of. It didn’t disappoint!
Dr Enya Pickering is a troubled lady who on a night driving in bad weather comes across an accident. The story takes us along with her and her family and how the death of her mother and her impending birthday effect her.
Recommend this 100%!

Part mystery, part family drama, with heaps of references to Irish folklore, “Into the Storm” is lots of things all in one book. The central character is Enya, a doctor who in the opening chapters gets flagged down in the middle of a storm to a road traffic accident where a teenage boy has been hit by a car. She attempts to save his life and is severely shaken by the incident. We discover over the course of the book how her life has already been shaken by the early death of her mother. As Enya approaches the age that her mother died, she worries that she won’t know how to live without her mother being ahead of her. We also learn that Enya’s marriage is on the rocks as is her relationship with her son Finn. Enya struggles to recover from the emotions caused by the accident and this moment in her life and isn’t sure how to move forward. When an opportunity arises in her career, she takes it. But she struggles to out run her troubles and to trust anyone around her. Can anything help her?

This is a really interesting book. As I said, it covers lots of areas, and I really enjoyed the folklore side particularly the important part played by the rag tree. I also enjoyed that the story didn’t feel stereotypical. I sometimes struggled with the behaviour of one or two of the characters but in the main, I would recommend the book to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

This was a compelling and gripping read about the breakdown of a family and of a woman and mother. I mostly enjoyed the story and enjoyed the twists and turns until the final one. It’s hard to explain without giving away spoilers but it just didn’t ring true for me. I’ve read lots by this author and enjoyed them but this one isn’t my favourite I’m afraid.

A great read. Enya is middle aged and struggling not only with events from her past but also her situation in the present. A stormy night brings things to a head and Enya has to decide what is best for mental health. Twists and turns in the plot keep the reader engaged until the final resolution.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

Into the Storm by Cecelia Ahern tells the story of Dr. Enya Pickering, who, after saving a teenage boy’s life on a stormy night, becomes overwhelmed by emotional turmoil. Struggling with her strained marriage, a distant relationship with her son, and increasing anxiety, she relocates to a rural Irish village in search of peace. However, her fixation on a Hawthorn tree, or Rag Tree, outside her new home only heightens her unease. The tree, connected to healing and forgiveness in Celtic tradition, becomes a symbol of her unresolved emotional struggles.

Though the novel combines psychological tension, folklore, and personal drama, I found some elements disconnected from the central plot. Themes of family dysfunction, superstition, and mental health are explored, but the overall narrative didn’t resonate as strongly as Ahern’s previous works. Nevertheless, I appreciated the folklore aspects and remains a fan of Ahern’s writing.

This story captures the love of a mother and the lengths she will go to protect her child even at her own cost. Also, it shows a side of human psyche, mental health wise which many suffer in silence.
It is a heartbreaking story which opens up a lot of avenues for the reader to ponder on and definitely one for the book clubs.

3.5 stars from me.

A great novel by Cecelia Ahern.

Emotional and riveting, the characters have you loving them, hating them and guessing what will happen next. Some great twist and turns, this story is definitely recommended.

This is a deep and meaningful read that I have devoured today. Our heroine Enya is a GP and the book starts when she comes across an accident on the road on a stormy night, and its about how her life unravels after that night.

This is so well written, I loved the dramatic scenes and scenery and I could see the rag-tree. This is definitely a book I will be recommending to others.

Dw i wedi bod yn darllen llyfrau Cecelia Ahern ers blynyddoedd ac mae hi wedi bod yn un o fy hoff awduron ers peth amser, felly roedd yn bleser mawr gen i dderbyn yr ARC ar gyfer hwn. Mae yna rywbeth am y ffordd y mae Cecelia yn ysgrifennu sy'n gwneud i'r cymeriadau deimlo'n gyfarwydd o'r cychwyn cyntaf. Rydym yn dechrau'r stori mewn storm gyda'r Meddyg Enya wrth iddi geisio achub bywyd bachgen ifanc sydd wedi'i daro gan gar ac o'r dudalen gyntaf mae dawn ysgrifennu Cecelia yn ennyn fy niddordeb ac yn gwneud i mi fod eisiau gwybod beth fydd ffawd y bachgen hwn, pwy wnaeth ei daro a beth yw hanes yr arwres sy'n wynebu nifer o drafferthion ei hunan. A hithau ar drothwy ei phen-blwydd yn 47 oed, dengys y daith nad yw effaith galar yn ein gadael ac nad yw dianc yn mynd i ddatrys unrhyw broblem. Ysgrifennu gwych, cymeriadau apelgar a stori â thro eithaf annisgwyl.

I've been reading Cecelia Ahern's books for years and she's been one of my favourite authors for some time, so it was a pleasure to receive the ARC for her new novel. There's something in the way Cecelia writes that makes the characters feel familiar from the start. The story starts in a storm with Enya, the GP, as she tries to save the life of a young lad after he was hit by a car and from the first page Cecelia's writing draws me in and makes me need to know what happens to this boy, who hit him and what's the story of the hero who's facing her own troubles. On the verge of her 47th birthday, the journey shows us that the impacts of grief never truly leave us, and that running away doesn't solve problems. Excellent writing, appealing characters and a story with quite a twist.