EXCERPT: 'Ben McCarthy', he'd said at the beginning of their phone call two weeks earlier. 'Manager of Piles of Books. Coming back to you about the job you applied for.'
'Oh . . . yes.' She hadn't expected to hear so quickly - hadn't she only posted her letter two days ago?
'What's your favorite book?'
The question had caught her off-guard, but was an easy one to answer. 'Lolita.'
'Ah, the grand Nabokov. Could you live without reading?'
Another unexpected question - but again, one she hadn't had to think about. 'I couldn't go a day without reading.'
'The right answer,' he'd said, sounding pleased. 'Which dead author do you wish you'd met?'
She'd almost laughed. This was crazy. 'Dickens.'
'And what are you reading now?'
'Housekeeping.'
'Marilynne Robinson?'
'Yes.'
'Like it?'
'Yes, I'm really enjoying it.'
A brief pause had followed, and then: 'You'll do.'
'Pardon?'
'Six pounds an hour, half nine to half five, Monday to Saturday, with one flexible day off in the week. How does that sound?'
She'd hardly believed it. Was he actually offering her a job based on a conversation lasting less than a minute, and involving no more than a few bookish questions? He hadn't asked anything about the typing pool, wasn't even looking for a reference.
'Is that a yes? Are you thinking about it?'
'Yes,' she'd said hastily. 'Yes, please. Thank you.' She'd already forgotten the terms and conditions he'd rattled off, but she hadn't cared.
'Great how soon can you start?'
She'd thought fast. 'I need to give two weeks' notice where I am.'
'Two weeks. That brings us up to . . . Friday, September fourth. So let's say you start here on Monday seventh.'
'OK.'
'Good, all settled.'
'Um . . . is there anything else I need to know?'
'Yes. Wear comfortable shoes - you'll be on your feet a lot. Be here at half nine sharp, or I'll have to fire you.'
She'd waited for a laugh, but none had come. 'Thank you,' she'd replied, but he'd already hung up.
Half nine sharp, in comfortable shoes. No mention of a dress code, or what her duties would be. No information about the shop or who else worked there. It had certainly been an odd interview, but it had ended with an offer of work, and it had enabled her to hand in her notice at a job she'd hated, and now she was on her way.
She wondered what he'd be like face to face. Hopefully he'd be a bit less . . .unpredictable. Some people just didn't suit the phone.
On the other hand, what was wrong with unpredictable? Might make life more interesting, working with someone who didn't do the expected thing. From now on she must be open to every possibility, willing to embrace the unknown, the unexpected. Willing to be brave.

ABOUT 'MOVING ON': Three great loves. Two very different countries. One step closer to finding her way home...

As a new decade begins, hopeless romantic and big dreamer Ellen is finally moving on from her hometown.

In Galway she takes a job in a bookshop, and somewhere between the dusty bookshelves and the quiet afternoons, a bookseller named Ben finds a place in her heart.

Fast forward, and the bright lights (and cosy flats) of London are calling Ellen's name. There she meets Leo, a charming, attentive city banker who's everything she's ever wanted.

And wherever she goes, her heart beats in time with her childhood friend, Danny - though they never seem to be in the right place at the right time.

If home is where the heart is, where will Ellen's lead her?

MY THOUGHTS: A definite comfort read with some very uncomfortable situations!

There's something about Roisin Meaney's writing that is soothing, comforting. I want to curl up with her books like a purring cat in the sun on a winter's day. Even when Ellen's life was falling apart, there's a thread of hope, a feeling of anticipation.

The writing is both tender and starkly honest. Moving On deals with marital infidelity, betrayal, broken friendships, and mother/daughter relationships. Ellen is the sort of character you wish only the best, the sort I would like for a friend. She is not perfect - nowhere near it, but this makes her even more endearingly realistic.

Spanning several decades, the reader is enveloped in Ellen's life - her triumphs, her tragedies, her hopes and dreams, even those that are shattered.

Every time I pick up a Roisin Meaney book, I feel like I am meeting up with an old friend. This one I finished with my eyes full of unshed tears.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

#MovingOn #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR - ROISIN MEANEY: I was born in the beautiful market town of Listowel in Co Kerry, (host to the famous Writers’ Week Festival every summer), and my growing-up years were spent mainly in Limerick city. After leaving school I qualified as a teacher and taught in Dublin for a handful of years, taking a few breaks along the way – two years teaching English in Zimbabwe (wonderful), three years working as an advertising copywriter in London (exciting) – until finally in 2001 I decided to try my hand at writing a book, something that I’d been thinking about for years. I took another break from teaching and flew to San Francisco, where one of my brothers lived, and it was there I wrote my debut, The Daisy Picker. To my delight, it won a ‘Write a Bestseller’ competition that Tivoli, a new Irish publishing house, was running to launch itself, and my prize was a two-book deal. I returned to the Irish classroom and wrote in my spare time, and in 2006, with two published books and another just completed, I signed up with Hodder Headline Ireland, Tivoli sadly having folded. In 2008 I took a deep breath and gave up teaching to become a fulltime writer, and so far, so good.
These days I divide my time between Limerick city and Miltown Malbay in West Clare. I take breaks from writing to drop into schools and chat about being an author, and to tell stories to tots in libraries.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Little Brown Book Group, Sphere, for providing an e-ARC of Moving On by Roisin Meaney for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an e-arc in change for a honest review.
I loved this book way more than I thought I would! An absolutely beautiful story of Ellen’s life, from her moving out of her mother’s home as a teen to her journey as an adult, a mother and after her children fly the nest.
Was so beautifully written covering some tough topics.
Highly recommend

Oh my goodness, what a beautiful, warm, emotional story, charting Ellen's life and loves with friends, family and lovers, what an amazing life to look back on as it comes full circle again

It took me a little while to really get into this book, but all at once I realised it had crept under my skin. Ellen was such an endearing and layered, but human, character. By the end I had such a strong sense of her - almost like I’d grown up with her. I loved the parallels between Ellen’s relationships with her parents and her children and the way she grew and evolved as a result.

The ebbs and flows of Ellen’s life felt lyrical and comforting, and at times heartbreaking. Meaney’s writing was engaging and effortless. The way they wrote the passage of time felt true to life - sitting intensely in certain moments, and skipping through years in the blink of an eye. Overall the book left me with a cosy, comforting feeling, like I’d been given a window into a life well lived.

I would recommend to anyone who enjoys character-driven stories with emotional depth and gentle pacing, especially for fans of books like One Day, Brooklyn or The Flatshare. 4.5⭐️

Thank you to the publisher for the advance copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

A lovely tale of love and life.

As a new decade begins, Ellen wants to move on and grabs a job in a bookshop in Galway, where she meets Ben and loses her heart to him. Moving on to London she meets Leo who, she thinks, is everything she ever wanted but, wherever goes, her childhood friend Danny is always in her soul. Unfortunately they always seem to be in different places in their lives . . .

Another good read from this author, with great characters and plenty going on but I think I would have liked Ellen to be just a bit more assertive in life. An enjoyable read and definitely one for fans of this author. For me, 4*.

My thanks to the publisher for my arc via NetGalley.

hank you to Netgalley and Little Brown Books for my ARC copy of Moving on by Roisin Meaney

I have found this to be a nice, easy read. I have enjoyed following Ellen on her journey and following her throughout her life. I really like Ellen's relationship with her Aunt

I loved seeing the reality of how some relationships slip through the cracks as others move on to other opportunities. When Ellen first started at the bookstore, we saw her grow.

One of the best things for me was Ellen and Danny's friendship. It shows how females and males can have a friend relationship and how they can support each other, especially how it spans over both of their lifetimes.

I enjoyed seeing Ellen progress into different jobs, but her relationship with Leo was complicated. I initially adored his character, but I later despised him because of his actions.

Ellen's best friend Claire also plays a significant role; I can't say much more, but reading about her and how she treats Ellen is definitely interesting.

Overall, I think this is a great book, and I would highly recommend it.

#Movingon #BookReview #LittleBrownBooks #Netgalley #ArcReader

I really enjoyed Moving On which its a heartfelt story about change, family, and finding your place in the world. I found the main character, Eileen, really relatable, especially her struggle to rebuild her life after loss felt so honest and tender. Her relationship with her daughter, Sarah, added a lot of emotional depth, showing both the challenges and the strength in family ties.
Meaney’s writing brings these characters to life in such a warm and genuine way. Watching Eileen and Sarah navigate their separate but connected journeys made the story feel personal and meaningful. It’s the kind of book that stays with you, reminding you about resilience and hope. Definitely a comforting, thoughtful read and I look forward to reading more by Meaney.

I haven't read a Roisin Meaney book for a while but enjoyed this one, A few twists and turns which Roisin weaves into a wonderful book.

This is marketed as an Irish contemporary romance, but honestly, it feels more like general fiction. Moving On follows Ellen Sheehan, a small-town Irish woman who dreams of bigger, more interesting things. The story spans roughly 30 years, starting with Ellen as a young woman taking her first job in a Galway bookshop, and tracing the twists, turns, and heartbreaks that shape her life.

We meet the key men who capture her heart in different ways: Ben, her very first love at the bookshop; Leo, older, charming, and sophisticated; and Danny, her loyal old friend. But the novel isn’t just about romance—it’s as much about Ellen’s relationships with her mother, estranged father, sister, and daughters.

It’s a quintessentially Irish story, filled with humour, warmth, and a fair amount of tragedy. The ending surprised me—I didn’t see it going that way at all—but it was still a well-written, emotional, and satisfying read.

⭐ 4 stars

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Ellen moves away from her hometown to Galway. She's got a job at a local bookseller and she's to stay with her aunt Frances who lives locally. We follow Ellen through her life and loves from being a newly independent twenty-year-old through to middle age. We see her as something of a naive woman at the start and she becomes a strong woman as she gains her experiences. She goes from selling books, to doing copywriting to writing novels. I suspect there's a bit of the author in this character who shares some similarities.

I will admit I found the first half of the book at times a bit difficult at times. It did go better during the last parts where I felt more caught up in what was happening than I felt earlier on. I think this has much to do with the narrative timeline style of the book. While we do delve into Ellen's life more closely at times, it often feels we are very much on the outside watching on. I think I wanted to feel more a part of her passions as time went on and sometimes the narrative held me at a distance.

The one part of the story that sticks out for me is the lasting damage that her father leaving them when she was a teenager had. I felt this was handled quite well and I think it also showed how the issues relating to this part of her life had the impact on her future and how important it to give it some sort of resolution. I also like the way Ellen faced some similar issues to her own mother, with whom her relationship was always difficult. It showed that she could see how her mother made some poor choices when raising her and her sister. Despite their lack of connection, there were ways in which her mother led her to making her own choices.

Overall, this was mostly enjoyable and I rate it three stars. Thank you to Netgalley and Sphere for the free advanced reader copy. My feedback is all voluntary.

Moving On is a warm, heartfelt novel about resilience, healing, and the courage to embrace new beginnings. Roisin Meaney’s storytelling is compassionate and engaging, with richly drawn characters who face life’s challenges with strength and hope.

I’ve read one other book by the author and enjoyed it. I had to look into my review to remind myself and it turned out I was so secretive about the revelations that I couldn’t figure out what actually happened. It’s been four years so maybe I need to find the book again!

By the time I got to the end of the book it felt like one from another author who writes her books based on Ireland. There are several so only me and others who see the resemblance ( in the best possible way) will know what I am talking about.

We begin with young Eileen who has had a turbulent relationship with her mother. This as much as her love of books drives her to her first book related job, in a bookstore. This is when she feels the first stirring of romance. A long lost friend turns up in her life confusing her a little bit. This happens several times during the course of Eileen’s life. We know she is going to be happy because of how the story started, but several times she has to think both practically as much as with her heart.

I think it was that last part that made me enjoy the book. On the one hand we have a decision that makes sense on paper and another more ambitious one. People are not always what they seem, and how the relationships change over time forms the centre of the narrative.

Overall over the decades we see the changes in one person and the world around her. It is definitely a book I would recommend to fans of the genre.

I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

A nice easy comforting read following Ellen's journey.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

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

I loved reading this book.

We meet Ellen and we read about her life, from when she was an adult to when she reaches 50.

When she leaves home, we see her get to know the wild around her, learning new things, meeting new people, finding love and then when relationship ends how it affects her, with her children.

She begins a new career, as well as finding time for her family and friends.

Ellen never forgot her childhood and her parents separating. She thinks of her dad and why he left and never got back in touch.

You could relate to Ellen and her life which had lots of ups and downs. Ellen showed that it’s never too late to do what you want or be with who you want to.

I recommend this book.

Moving On is a quiet, emotionally resonant novel that lingers long after the last page. It’s not the kind of book you rush through—it’s one you return to slowly, in quiet moments, with a cup of tea in hand and a heart open to feeling deeply.

At its center is Ellen, who steps away from the familiarity of her hometown to begin anew—first in a charming Galway bookshop, then amid the bustle of London. Along the way, three very different men represent three very different versions of love, but the question that haunts Ellen is deeper: where does the heart truly belong?

There’s no dramatic twist or sweeping climax—just the soft, steady rhythm of life, love, and rediscovery. Moving On is a story that respects the small moments: a kind gesture, a difficult choice, the slow rebuilding of a broken heart. It’s a novel about resilience, about showing up, and about finding comfort in the everyday.

this book is an absolute joy! it’s such a warm easy read and by the end you feel like the characters are good friends and that you have a front seat to their lives. a great read

oh Roisin i dont know how you do it. well, i do, and hat via huge talent. and thank goodness for our authors hey. because wow. and Roisin knows how to write. and her books are stunning. each one so different but each on pulls you in with the seamless flow you find yourself in so you almost feel like you are floating through her books.
i s enjoyed following through Ellen's life. we are right where we want to be from the first moment you meet her, and that is alongside for her journey. she takes us from Ireland to London and back. but where is she going? and is she going somewhere or just trying to find her "here"?
its an emotional read but also light to the touch so its cosy and warming rather than anything hard. and sometimes in a book you just need ones like this. that you can sit knowing everything will be ok. but one that clever enough to not make it too light or too little or not get you immersed in it.
i also love books like this where you follow literally for years of your characters. they are my true gem favorites.
this book had my whole heart and i was glad to give it over for a while.

I really enjoyed this book. Totally empathised with Ellen all through the book. Was a lovely easy read that just flowed. Highly recommend

This book was amazing. I didn’t expect to feel so connected, but page after page I felt like I was living someone else’s life in the best way. Ellen was not perfect, but that made her more real to me.
The writing felt soft and powerful at the same time. It was emotional but not too heavy. I also really liked how the story followed Ellen through different parts of her life, it felt like growing up with her. Ben, Danny, and Leo all played their parts, and I liked how different they were. They didn’t feel like stereotypes. They brought different sides of Ellen out, and each moment with them had meaning. I didn’t always agree with Ellen’s choices, but I understood why she made them. This was my first book by Roisin Meaney, but definitely not the last. I loved her style, and how she made everything feel real without needing too much drama. Thank you so much to the author, Little, Brown Book Group and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read the book in advance, I received this for free and I'm leaving a honest review

IT IS said that there are few things more stressful – in an everyday, happens to everyone sense – than moving house. It’s not only the packing up, deciding what is necessary to keep and what should have been donated or discarded ages ago; it’s also letting go of the memories that are being left behind.
In her new book, Roisin Meaney frames the story of Ellen Sheehan around the homes she lives in, from the first one she moves to in her early twenties after leaving her childhood home for good, to a home she is about to move in to later in life, which is glimpsed at first in the prologue.
A delightful and highly effective device, Meaney has hit on a brilliant way to chart the ups and downs of life, and is particularly skilled at painting the picture of finding one’s feet. The author portrays Ellen’s evolution from innocent twenty-something year old to late middle-aged woman, bringing the reader along with her as she evolves in a very believable and sympathetic way.
When Ellen first flies the coop in 1981, she is barely twenty but more than ready for adventure. She has a job lined up at a bookshop, a place to stay with a firm but fair aunt, a chance encounter with a long-lost family friend. Galway city in the 80s is unrecognisable to the place it is now, and the author doesn’t dwell on notable landmarks.
Instead, she weaves the world of college students enjoying new-found freedom and their peers who have gone straight into the workforce, who are equally being exposed to the new realities of post-school life. With the support of the bookshop manager Ben, Ellen discovers a knack for writing captions for competitions, which sets her on course for the next stage of her life.
After a year in Galway, and suffering her first broken heart, Ellen takes off for London with best friend Claire. This big new city invites plenty of opportunity and within a year Ellen has found her niche, and gets set up at a small advertising agency that recognises her talent.
Living the Peggy Olson dream, Ellen thrives in her new environment, and a company sponsored break to Paris provides the next serendipitous meeting that dictates the next turn of events.
While we follow Ellen as an adult, there are also throwbacks to her teenage years, and her spell going off the rails after her father unexpectedly left her family home. Her fractious relationship with her mother is dwelled on and the complicated one she has with her long-estranged father ring true.
The family dynamics are dealt with very well, including the close relationship Ellen forms with her aunt Frances and the distant yet warm understanding she has with her sister.
It also goes in to the changing attitudes of Irish society over the 1980s and 90s. When Ellen’s sister Joan becomes pregnant with her long-term boyfriend, a wedding is swiftly organised, but when the same happens to Ellen a few years later, marriage is not deemed strictly necessary.
Ellen also supports a friend through an abortion without judgement, and conducts a long-distance friendship with a male friend who has had the foresight to gain a degree in computer engineering, and does extremely well for himself in Silicon Valley.
They stay in touch at first by letter and the occasional phone call and then by email, and the writer seamlessly charts this progression through the years very organically. Ellen’s character development is also entirely in keeping with her initial introduction and the actions and reactions she takes in the intervening years.
There is a true romance to this novel, which would be ideal reading on a rainy summer’s day. Ellen’s thoughts frequently go back to her first love – the one that got away – and her what-ifs are poignant and heartfelt.
Moving On’s primary focus though, is on the fact that there is no pausing life, and no going back. Ellen’s life story accelerates or slows down in accordance with the big events, her wins and losses. A very affecting novel, Moving On’s life-affirming message will stay with you – through big moves and small.