Roisin O'Donnell's Nesting is an utterly gripping read. It powerfully portrays Ciara’s harrowing struggle to escape her emotionally controlling husband with her children. The novel highlights not only the immense strength and resilience needed to break free but also the devastating financial toll of a spouse wielding complete control over money. A heart-breaking and tense story—highly recommended.

This was an excellent book about a pregnant woman, Ciara and her desperate attempts to leave her controlling and abusive husband. It examines the difficulty Ciara and her two small daughters have in trying to get emergency housing. This felt so real to me and I felt stressed and tense while reading it as Ciara tries to be mother to her young children whilst living in a hotel room. The novel highlights how under-resourced the provision is for women and children who are no longer safe in their homes and how, insanely, it is often easier to return to their abusive husbands. This novel is written from the heart and will stay with me.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

I’m usually quite a slow reader; a couple of pages a night before sleep. Not so with this book which had me gripped from early on. The characters are beautifully crafted & it’s well written.

Ciara is married to a psychopath who controls and manipulates her. Like many women in her situation she keeps trying to leave but is too scared. This is her story. I kept page turning wondering what he (Ryan) was going to do next & willing her to be strong.

You will too…

This book is amazing, but upsetting. I have been in the same situation as Ciara with a mentally abusing husband and I know how difficult it is, the daily manipulation, thinking it’s your fault, being left with nothing. The way Roisin has handled the subject is sublime and honest, I devoured this book and found the last chapters regarding Noah difficult. Everyone should read this and acknowledge what goes on behind closed doors.

I found Roisin O'Donnell's 'Nesting' unputdownable. It tells the heartbreaking and tense story of Ciara's fight to get herself and her children away from her emotionally dominating husband. It reveals the extreme strength and resilience required to break free, but more importantly the crippling financial implications that result from having a spouse who controls all the money. Highly recommended.

Heart wrenching, heart breaking, hard hitting.
A great story that pulls no punches.
Highly recommend

A really emotional and hard hitting story. I empathised with a lot of it, and found it a great read. It makes you really feel what they're going through.

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

A heart wrenching and emotional story, very tense and hard hitting.

This book certainly had an impact on me!

With thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

This debut is tremendous - heartbreaking, hopeful, with the ring of truth about it and no whiff of sentimentality.

It depicts a year in the life of Ciara, a young wife and mother living in Dublin trying to break away from a coercive, controlling husband who is clever enough never to use physical violence but who keeps her in a constantly terrified state in other ways. Roisin O'Donnell perfectly captures how insidious coercive control is, how perpetrators present as God's gift then incrementally change, cutting off their victim's social circle and access to money, and getting in their head to make them feel they are going mad.

As with so many real life cases, Ciara has left once already and came back. She has a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old daughter, and is in the early days of a third pregnancy that may have come about as a result of marital rape. One evening, something snaps and she bundles the girls into a car and just drives away. And now the trouble starts, as Ciara comes up against the Irish social care and housing provision system which is stretched to breaking point. She is provided with temporary hotel accommodation which is completely inadequate for two small children, but on that corridor she finds friends, support and a level of kindness and solidarity that give her the strength, this time, to continue down this path as her husband Ryan tries everything to make her come back. To paraphrase something she is told late in the novel once she finally contacts a women's shelter - leaving is the easy part, it's staying away that is difficult.

The tone here is pitch perfect, the writing style perfectly suited to Ciara's mental processes, showing rather than telling us about her journey to finding herself again after all Ryan's efforts to erode her personality. This is not an easy story to read but I was riveted, suffused with hatred for Ryan and his unspeakable parents, moved by the support she finds from family and strangers, and in tears more than once at the harsh realities depicted here. This is an important and beautifully written book and I will be recommending it far and wide.

4.5 stars. This is an unflinching window into what it is like to leave an abusive relationship with next to nothing and the struggle to stay away and build a new life when everything seems to be set up to make you fail. The abundance of female strength that is contained within these pages, from the main character and others, is testament to every woman that has managed to remove themselves, and is a beacon to every woman that is trying to summon the fortitude needed to rescue themselves.
Ciara leaves her husband Ryan, who is that most awful of men - affable, funny, and decent to the outside world, and abusive, controlling, and spiteful behind his front door - taking her two children (and being currently pregnant) and fleeing with no idea where to go or who to turn to. Ryan's charade means that Ciara has trouble convincing people, including her family, of just how terrifying her daily existence has been and this just compounds the loneliness and hopelessness she feels. Roisin O'Donnell shows so perfectly how hard it is for Ciara to express what her marriage was like as she feels her ordeal is minimised by the fact that there is no physical violence, although there is plenty of psychological and sexual abuse.
The other rage-inducing topic in this book is the totally broken housing system. The desolation at living long-term in a hotel room where you have to be invisible, the calls that should come but don't, the attempting to try and keep some sense of normality for your children when you are stripped all agency. Through all this, it's easy to understand the temptation to go back as the love-bombing starts and life apart is so grinding.
There is a thread of hope and light throughout this book though and that is the people that Ciara meets that help her and who she helps in return, giving her a sense of worth and a belief that she can survive this.

Nesting
By Roisín O'Donnell

I read this book a few months ago and have been sitting on my thoughts about it in the hope that time might help me view it in a kinder light. I always wish the best for our new Irish women writers so it's with difficulty, because I must be honest, that I say that I didn't enjoy this book.

It is set in the parish of Dublin that I grew up in, and it deals with issues about which I read anything I can get my hands on, so maybe my expectations were too high, but I didn't get on with several elements, and I think it just comes down to writing style. Anything I have to say would speak more about me than about this book.

Clearly it is finding it's audience and they are loving it. The issues it raises are important and need urgent addressing, I just wish the storytelling had resonated with me.

Publication date: 30th January 2025
Thanks to #netgalley and #SimonSchusterUK for providing an ARC for review purposes.

This is an incredibly moving and emotional story of Ciara, mother of two young girls, who is in a controlling abusive marriage. She has tried to leave her highly manipulative husband on many occasions and this gives a real insight and education into just how hard it is to leave, especially when you have children and no independent financial means.
This felt incredibly true to life, and I think gives everyone who reads it far more understanding into these types of relationships and how hard it is to escape.

A beautifully powerful story of one woman's determination to survive.
Ciara, determined to escape her husbands coercive control once and for all, walks out of her home one day with her children in tow and an armful of washing from the clothesline. Almost immediately she meets barriers to her escape, between travel restrictions, minimal savings and a broken housing system along with her husband and his family relentless in their efforts to get her to return. Ciara tries to make things work as best she can for her kids but living in a hotel room takes its toll on them all and Ciara learns that walking away is the easy part, but staying away is the hardest thing to do.
The tension in this story is so high throughout and I found myself anxious and thinking about her story long after I finished the book. While it was bleak at times and often heart wrenchingly upsetting, there was a strong sense of hope and determination throughout the story. I also loved the stories of the other people that she found along the way who helped support her in her journey to find a new life.
It really highlighted for me that while this novel is a work of fiction, it is a reality for so many families across the country.

I started Nesting at 10pm last night, blinked, and suddenly it was 6.30am, and I'd reached the end, eyes bleary from bittersweet tears and a sudden swell of exhaustion. It is not often you come across a novel as carefully and empathetically drawn as Nesting. It is even rarer to be able to read a story that deals with such difficult topics in one sitting without being overwhelmed by claustrophobia and dread, but Roisin O'Donnell skilfully balances darkness and light. I felt every slight that Ciara did, felt every heart-melting moment with her children, and cheered for her as she slowly and bravely reclaimed her sense of self. I was rooting for her until the very end. Nesting is a debut of tremendous heart and courage, and I can't wait to read what Roisin O'Donnell writes next.

We start on a bright spring morning when Ciara makes a split second decision. She has to leave her husband Ryan. Now, she has been sort of planning this escape a while but only tentatively and hasn't really got all (any of) her ducks in a row. She just bundles daughters Sophie and Ella into the car, grabs a few bits and drives off. She first tries to reach family but they are a plane ride away and Ryan has put the kibosh on that very quickly so she is forced to enter the emergency housing system which, as you can imagine, is broken beyond belief. But the alternative, going back, is NOT an option, she has left and gone back before, and that never ends well...
I loved this book. I do realise that it is a bit strange saying that about a book chock full of abusive behaviour but when taken as a whole, it makes more sense. How Ciara weathered all the storms she passed through, the bonds she made, the friendships, the highs and the lows. I also loved the way that Ryan was portrayed and how important it is not to just focus on the physical side of abuse, that animal has many faces...
It's also, sadly, a rather accurate depiction of the world today, the housing crisis, the lack of services and help for those in need, running on empty after many years of neglect. But still going, mostly thanks to some wonderful caring people. I know it's set in Ireland but it's the same situation across many places. It also illustrates how relatively easy it is to leave a relationship, but how hard, often impossible, it is to stay gone. Luckily I have never been in anything remotely close to this scenario personally but from volunteering at certain places I do understand it's not that easy...
Wow it all does sound a bit bleak. Well... obviously given the subject matter you'd think so, but it really isn't. There are some wonderful moments of fun and family and friendship too. Which means it never gets too dark and remains balanced. Harrowing but at the same time hopeful.
And then I find out it's a debut book and I am totally floored... And also very excited to see what the author will deliver for next time... My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

A compelling read and while we’re still only in January a contender for the ‘if you read just one book this year’ award.
I genuinely could not put this down and was finishing it well past midnight on a work night.
I found myself screaming at the main character Ciara in my head and my heart rate increasing, as I read some of the scenes with her and her husband Ryan.
The writing is excellent, you can feel Ciara’s fear and desperation
This book shines a light on the horror of living in a coercive relationship, of being stripped of one’s self worth and the lengths one might go to to ‘keep the peace’ and do the best for your children. It also shines a light on the housing crisis in Dublin and the wretchedness of a family living in temporary accommodation in a hotel.
An important read for the times we live in

Nesting is incredible. It completely got inside my head and my heart and I still can’t stop thinking about it and the issues it brings to light. Though I have read about coercive control nothing has ever brought to life the pure horror of the situation, where a woman can be isolated from everything and everyone and utterly dependent on her partner to control how she thinks, acts and reacts. The extraordinary bravery of anyone who can break away from a situation like this is beyond me.
In creating the story of Ciara and her battle to get free and fight the horrors of the welfare system, Roisin O’Donnell has truly created a novel for the 2020s. It seems unbelievable that anyone should have to live like this but it’s happening all around us. This is also an incredibly readable novel with some amazing characters in Ciara’s friends and family and an all too human monster in Ryan.
I’ve been praising this to the rooftops, such a brilliant book.

This debut novel packs a strong emotional punch as it portrays the desperation of a woman who’s being psychologically abused by her husband. One day she can’t stand it anymore, so she grabs some dry clothes off the line and bundles her two small girls into the car with a few necessities, and she leaves.

Clara is pregnant and on the run from her coercive husband, Ryan. But she doesn’t know where to turn for help and support. It’s new and terrifying territory for her. This book charts her painful and difficult journey in the middle of the Irish housing crisis where accommodation is scarce and the authorities are less than willing to assist.

She soon discovers that sympathy is scarce, evidence of abuse is required, you have to obey the rules and have a strong case to deserve the ratty hotel rooms that house people like her. Once Ciara is in the system it’s a case of sink or swim while she tries to support herself and her perplexed children.

Thankfully, she makes friends with other women in similar situations to her. They become her lifeline in the brave new world she’s inhabiting. A world where Ryan catches up with her and uses every manipulative method he can think of to persuade her to come back and live with him.

Ciara discovers strengths she didn’t know she had, though her weakness of kindness lures her into Ryan’s traps again and again. It’s very much a rollercoaster ride with times of deep despair and times where courage flares.

Small domestic details add warmth and charm to what might otherwise be a tough, gut-wrenching story. The author has a powerful way of pulling you into the narrative with her beautiful words and believable characters. Will Ciara and her children survive and thrive? No spoilers here. You’ll have to see for yourself. Grateful thanks to Simon and Schuster UK and NetGalley for the eARC.

This is a debut novel, although the author is already a prize winning author of short stories. It is about a woman, Ciara, who is a mother of two charming girls under five and newly pregnant. She makes a sudden decision to leave her abusive marriage and start over.

From the blurb: On the surface, she has the perfect life, her husband Ryan, is a good provider, sometimes even kind and attentive, from a nice Irish family, and they have another baby on the way. But he also monitors Ciara’s every move, flies into unpredictable rages where he convinces her she can do nothing right and has isolated her from work, friends and her beloved family.

From page one you know what you are letting yourself in for, yet nothing prepared me for the incredibly strong emotions this novel brought up. I loathed Ryan. At times I wanted to shake and shout at Ciara, at others I just wanted to give her a big hug and be her friend. My stomach was in knots from anxiety for much of the book, so strong was my dislike of Ryan and my fear for Ciara. This is broken up with times of fun and levity, moments of true family love and real friendships formed.

Ciara’s leaving the marital home is set against the backdrop of the housing crisis in Ireland. This makes it even harder for those in abusive relationships to leave. O’Donnell acknowledges two particular pieces of research:

Melanie Nowocki”s work on the Hotelisation of the Housing Crisis.

Don Hennesy’s ‘How He Gets Inside Her Head”, this ‘provides the most astute expose the tactics employed in intimate partner abuse,’

Her research comes across clearly in her writing and is one of the reasons such visceral feelings are evoked. This novel will live rent free in my head for some time to come, from the very first page I was hooked and read 400 pages in a couple of days. A true page turner. Five well deserved stars!

My thanks to Simon and Schuster for an ARC through NetGalley.

A beautiful read, I loved this book. I was fortunate enough to read it via NetGalley and highly recommend it. Lyrically written, it follows a young family in a time of crisis and unrest. Mother, Ciara is fleeing a controlling marriage which has reduced her to being a person so far from herself and she lives in constant fear. The novel follows her as she and her two young children flee the home and escape the confines of the relationship.

It is set during the Irish housing crisis, which remains to be a very real problem throughout Ireland and the British Isles. The family live in a hotel for many months, face a distressing legal battle, the pressure and harassments of her husband, endure the challenges of starting from scratch, being alone and away from family support (Ciara’s mum and sister live in England) and so much more. Though the book covers upsetting themes, the author does so deftly and delicately, she captures so strongly the emotional battles and struggles Ciara faces. The story has many positives, you are willing Ciara on every step of the way. I loved the everyday moments of family life and interaction, the people they meet, the trips they take to the zoo and beach. It is a wonderful, wonderful read.

The greatest strengths of this book are its writing and characterisation. The characters are so real, so well formed and observed. Via reading you get so close to them, in turn making this an immersive read. There are not too many characters to keep track of, I am aware that, that can often put people off. There is an ease and warmth in O'Donnel's prose. The voice of her characters comes through too, you are able to get a sense of the kind of people they are- their quirks in spoken dialogue and personality for instance.

Due to my enjoyment of Roisin O’Donnell's writing, I was encouraged to seek more by her. Nesting is her debut novel, however she is well known for her award winning short stories. Collections of these exist. I purchased today, via Amazon Wild Quiet (the Kindle version). The first story, Ebenezer’s Memories is a captivating read.