An absolutely fantastic book that handled the subject of domestic abuse incredibly well. Domestic abuse can be a difficult subject to get right but this author was spot on. I read this book in one evening, there was no putting it down once I started. If I could give more than five stars I would.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for my honest and unbiased opinion.

After 5 years of marriage Ciara grabs her 2 young daughters and a bunch of washing off the drying line and leaves her husband. Rory is using every method in the book to get her to come back. Navigating through the Irish housing crisis, having no money, no job, and not having family in the country, Ciara is doing her best to find the bones of starting a new life.

Roisin's debut novel depicts how long it can take for a woman to leave an abusive (physically or emotionally) relationship, coupled with the struggles, doubts and concerns that come with it. It makes an uncomfortable but necessary read. I can see many women identifying with Ciara's story. I do hope that those women will get all the support they need and starting anew.

I can't help but think that this book will bring attention to toxic relationships, courageous women leaving said relationships, the housing crisis and the need for support. Nesting is possibly one of the most important books of the year.

This is an incredibly hard hitting novel of psychological domestic abuse which follows the life of Ciara and her children. What started out as what seemed like the perfect relationship very soon became something else. Ciara is very much controlled by her husband in every way possible. If she does anything he isn’t happy with she has to suffer his silences or his vitriol.

The story follows Ciara leaving Ryan and the life she has to live if she wants to gain her independence back. I went through a whole host of emotions reading this, anger, heartache, sickness and hope to name a few.


This book is one I think should be read by everyone. No one knows what goes on in any marriage apart from the husband and wife!

Another great Irish writer who very masterfully tells the story of Ciara who with her children makes a split-decision one day to leave her husband Ryan. She bundles as much as she can into her car and finds herself with a little savings, homeless with the only accommodation available to her a room in a hotel.

This is a story about what goes on behind closed doors, Ciara’s husband is on the face of it hard working and charming but he’s a man who uses emotional abuse to
control her. She’s isolated from friends and family, has little money of her own and is subject to his demands at any point. Their daughters Sophie and Ella are young and find this move into the hotel a bit of an adventure. There they meet other families in similar circumstances and slowly friendships are formed and support is there for Ciara.

The struggles Ciara finds are so well described, she’s isolated from her own family in England and Ryan’s continual texts threatening her makes the struggle to stay away ever more difficult. She needs all her strength to continue as she faces difficulties in employment, housing and legal conditions placed on her.

It’s a tense, yet hopeful read. Ryan is a very believable, awful character and his actions made some of the story quite harrowing. I really enjoyed this one, there maybe triggers for some readers as it’s not an easy read but so well written and paced perfectly.

Thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and the author for an e-arc copy of this one.

I devoured this book in a day couldn’t stop thinking about Ciara and her dilemma… this booked gripped me with the realness of the characters and situations. Pregnant with her third child Ciara is in a marriage with her controlling husband Ryan finally realising enough is enough she leaves with her two daughters and then the struggles begin . Unable to leave Ireland to go to her mother in the UK as Ryan has stopped her taking the children out the country she finds herself in temporary accommodation… daily receiving threatening gaslighting messages from Ryan she wades her way through the system. An eye opening book which I highly rate

Wow. This is an unsettling, exquisitely written book - a literary page turner. My heart broke for Ciara on every page.

I've a catalogue of characters that have stayed with me long after finishing their story. Ciara is now one of them.

We're only a couple weeks into the year and I can safely say this book will no doubt be in my top books of the year come December and I'm pretty confident it will be topping most readers lists.

It is truly remarkable. I could not put this down. Ciara and her children and their story had me glued to the pages and quite frankly had me so worried. This is a timely novel considering the housing crisis in Ireland. It gave an honest and frank insight into what it's like for so many living in emergency accommodation. It also highlighted domestic abuse and how it can come in all shapes and forms and how it doesn't always leave visible marks. I don't think I've hated a character as much as I hated Ryan, he made my blood boil. I couldn't sleep after reading I was so wound up and angry! Ugh he was despicable. All the characters came to life on these pages and felt like real people. A sign of a talented writer.

This book is hard to read, it's emotive and compelling but there's kindness and hope and so much courage.

Deserves a million stars and more.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review

I’m struggling to recall a character in a book I’ve hated as much as I hate Ryan in Nesting, or a character for whom my heart ached and my anxiety soared as much as it did for Ciara, the protagonist in this sensational debut novel by Irish writer Róisín O’Donnell.

I found myself recoiling in horror as some of the scenes in this book. A more tense, compelling and emotional read you will struggle to find.

Ciara is a stay at home mum (and qualified teacher) of two children. She’s from Sheffield but living in Dublin,
married to Ryan, a handsome man from Monaghan who swept her off her feet before revealing his true character as a controlling, sanctimonious, narcissistic abuser.

At breaking point, Ciara bravely makes the decision to leave Ryan one afternoon, taking their two children with her, and it’s the story of her life from this day on, told in an urgent, stream of consciousness-style narrative that is simply unputdownable. I would have read this book in one sitting had time allowed. I read it over two evenings furiously turning pages.

What makes this book such a difficult read is the reality that it is based in - Ireland’s ongoing housing crisis, where in the absence of alternatives arising from successive governments’ failed housing policy, homeless families are accommodated in hotels, sometimes for years. This book will make you so angry and break your heart too, knowing there are many families in Ireland living in these same conditions, with little hope of securing a place they can call home.

My first five star read of 2025, Nesting has universal appeal but will hit Irish readers especially hard. Unputdownable, compassionate, important, brilliant. 5/5⭐️

Many thanks to Scribner Books and publicist Gill
Hess for the gifted arc. As always this is an honest review.

Tw: coercive control, psychological abuse

Wow. What a fantastic, beautifully written, thought provoking book. It is an incredibly important depiction of controlling and coercive behaviour within relationships and marriages, as well as showing how strong victims of abuse are. It was the perfect balance between raw and emotional and hopeful. I can’t believe this is a debut novel and can’t wait to read what else Roisin O’Donnell writes!

A wonderful story which really makes you think about it all. Really heartfelt and it being quite a long book I really got into it. I was so immersed in it that now I've finished it incant stop thinking about it. That's the type of book I love. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

This book is just so special. One of those rare books that comes along and just grips you. So real and raw and I was holding my breath through alot of the story . I really didn't want this amazing story to end.

I think everybody should read this powerful drama. It takes you on an emotional rollercoaster, following a woman who is trying to escape her abusive husband with her two young children. Beautifully written and so evocative, you could feel her fears. An emotional read.

The debut novel by an author already well known for her short stories (one of which won the individual Short Story of the Year at the An Post Irish Book awards) and her short story collection (longlisted for the Edge Hill Short Story Prize)

At 400 pages this does not at first glance seem like the novel of a short story writer, but compared to many debut novels there is a focus to the book (not one of those debuts where the author dumps every idea they have ever had for a story) and also an immersive almost visceral quality to the text, both of which I suspect draw on her short story skills even if spread over a much much larger canvas.

The story – set in 2018 - really draws on two areas:

Melanie Nowocki’s work on the Hotelisation of the Housing Crisis and specifically the way in which the Dublin local authorities turned to hotels as temporary (but in practice also long term) housing provision for homeless families

Don Hennessy’s writing on the abuse of women by their male partners – including her book “How He Gets Inside Her Head”

Ciara opens the book living in Dublin with her husband Ryan – superficially (to external observers) a near perfect husband but who has subjected her throughout their marriage to a litany of controlling and abusive (emotional and psychological but also physical) behaviour – so much so that at one stage she left him and returned to her mother and sister (in Sheffield).

Now with a two and four year old and realising she is pregnant again she decides to leave once more – but with her husband having put a block on her children’s passports so stopping her going back to her Mum, and with her having almost no funds (Ryan also controlling all the money) she in desperation ends up in accommodation in a hotel – having to recheck in every night and under the threat that she may be thrown out at any time.

To try and raise some funds she starts teaching English to foreign students (having been told by Ryan that her lack of Irish means she cannot actually teach in a primary school)

Later she starts to teach English to one of the workers at the hotel – the two bonding over the fact she, prior to her relationship with Ryan, once taught English close to his home town in Brazil – and the two strike up a tentative friendship. She is also supported by some of the other temporarily homed occupants of her floor in the hotel.

But much of the book is about the campaign Ryan wages to get her to return – threats, wheedling, manipulation of the children, a bizarre incident when he “rescues” some crow nestlings (this then becoming a recurring motif through the novel allowing lots of analogies and alluding also to the book’s title), the use of his family, manipulation of the children and legal action.

And this is what makes the book so engrossing – it is hard not to feel a deep loathing for Ryan and a huge anxiety for Ciara whose situation is never really much better than hopeless, particularly when she has her baby boy.

Overall I thought this was an excellent debut – and would not be surprised to see it featuring on prize lists.

I just opened the first line and its unreadable. I'm sorry but I hate books that are written so badly like this.

‘Nesting’ is an extraordinary and heart-wrenching debut novel that explores the complexities of emotional abuse, resilience, and the pursuit of safety in a world where support systems often feel out of reach.

At the centre of the story is Ciara, a pregnant woman with two young daughters, who finds herself fleeing from her emotionally abusive husband, Ryan. As she navigates the harsh realities of a housing crisis, a lack of financial support, and the uncertainty of the future, Roisín O'Donnell masterfully captures Ciara's internal struggles and the external challenges she faces.

The writing is deeply evocative and packed with tension, ensuring that readers feel the weight of each decision Ciara makes. From the very beginning, the reader is pulled into Ciara’s world — where emotional abuse isn't always obvious, and the line between love and manipulation becomes painfully blurred. The tension between Ciara’s conflicting feelings for Ryan — who alternates between cruelty and charm — creates a visceral sense of confusion and fear, something O'Donnell portrays with remarkable sensitivity.

The novel doesn’t just focus on Ciara’s personal journey, though. It expands to show the shared experiences of those around her, shining a light on the systemic nature of abuse. As Ciara connects with others in her temporary hotel room — women who have faced similar struggles — the novel presents a poignant, sometimes sobering portrayal of the prevalence of emotional and domestic abuse. These women offer her both compassion and strength, providing a sense of solidarity amid the chaos, even as their own stories reflect the scars of a society that often leaves people like Ciara behind.

O'Donnell’s portrayal of the fear, isolation, and vulnerability that come with abuse is both intimate and unflinching, yet there is also an undercurrent of hope throughout. Ciara’s growth as a character is both inspiring and deeply relatable. As she fights to build a better future for her children, her resilience becomes a source of quiet power that sustains the reader through some of the most painful moments of the story.

This book is not an easy read. It grips you with its raw honesty, and you will find yourself holding your breath alongside Ciara as she makes her way through the emotional minefield of leaving her husband and seeking refuge. The stakes are high, and O'Donnell captures the harsh reality of these women’s lives with such precision that it’s impossible not to feel moved, angry, and ultimately hopeful.

In short, ‘Nesting’ is an unforgettable novel — breathtaking, devastating, and redemptive. It’s a must-read for anyone who is interested in stories about resilience, love, and the courage it takes to start over. O'Donnell’s ability to intertwine personal and societal struggles makes this debut stand out as both an emotional journey and a social commentary. Prepare to be emotionally invested from beginning to end, and to think about Ciara’s story long after you’ve turned the final page.

With thanks to NetGalley and Scribner UK for the advanced copy of the book.

A debut novel that has an emotional hit, especially as I know someone who suffered in a coercive relationship and even though free now, still suffers with mental health. Ciara has been a victim of coercive control throughout her marriage, not able to see family or friends, not able to work as Ryan always had very good reason why she should not do these things. With two young children and another on the way, she decides that she needs to leave. Ryan’s abuse is not physical but she does wonder if one day it might be. Caught up in the Irish housing crisis, she finds herself in a hotel room with her two daughters and this book is her struggle to be free of Ryan because he is never going to let her go. Demands to see his daughters, pleas to her about how much he loves her, everything to grind her down. As a reader you are so angry on her behalf adnthere are moments when you scream at the book ‘No, don’t let him!’ An emotional read at times but what shines through is Ciara’s love for her daughters and her desire to protect them at all times. There is nothing like a mother’s love. An excellent read.

This story is not a comfortable read. Ciara has a controlling, manipulative husband who seems a nice, caring bloke to the rest of the world. He's kind and thoughtful - as long as Ciarais behaving exactly as he wants. But he keeps changing the goal posts and then blaming her when he gets angry.
Until one day, she can take no more and walks out, taking the children with her. We chart her journey to escaping from Ryan's control and the trials that she has to go through.
A roller coaster of emotions as you will Ciara to make it. Fab debut novel.

This is a slow dark read, and not an easy read. Ciara has left her husband, taking her two young daughters, she packs what she can into her car. She knows her husband Ryan will be mad when she doesn’t return, he is verbally abusive, manipulative and controlling, he has isolated Ciara from her family and friends.
This story illustrates the struggles of a single mum trying to get social housing during a housing crisis in Ireland. She is allocated a room in a ‘hotel’ as emergency accommodation, one room for herself and her two girls, she has also just discovered she is pregnant.
Ciara has no job, very little money but she finds the strength and determination to keep going, leaving her husband was difficult, staying away is even more difficult and she questions her choices. Ryan is relentless in pursuit of her and takes her to court to fight for custody and access to his children. They are still living in the hotel when her baby son is born, she is now struggling with a new born, breast feeding and exhausted
This is an emotionally charged raw read, the reader can feel Ciara’s hopelessness at times, but Ciara discovers strength, she makes new friends, they are a mismatched group, but they become a family, helping and supporting one another, enabling Ciara to rebuild her life, in a new home with her children. This book reminds us that there is always hope and a mother will always find away to provide for her children.
Many thanks to Net galley and Simon and Schuster for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

To say I enjoyed this book feels wrong given the subject matter but that aside it is a fantastic, beautifully written book. I can't believe it is a debut novel. It deals with issues I have no personal experience of - coercive control, emotional abuse, homelessness, but certainly gave me some insight into the despair that comes with them. Ciara the main character seems so real. Her feelings of despair and hope and love for her kids just jump off the page at you. A very sad, heartbreaking yet hopeful book that I would happily recommend to anyone.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

A great debut. The beginning was a little slow but the plot is interesting and centres around a controlling relationship. I found myself routing for Claire but despaired at many of the choices she initially made. It was so sad but had a great ending. I reallyy felt immersed in th book.