A fabulous read by Irish author Roisin Meaney. An easy read but one that kept me glued to my kindle until the very end

I really enjoyed this story of Ellen and her home moves across many years, both in Ireland and London. It’s very character based, I enjoyed getting to know Frances, Danny and her Father, who she found later in life, though I was never a fan of her friend Claire, even from the start. It tells of Ellen’s many highs and lows in life, her relationships both in romance and with family, of how she grows as a person and keeps aiming for her dreams to come true. I thoroughly enjoyed this journey with her and I would recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this early copy.

Moving On by Roisín Meaney follows Ellen Sheehan as she moves through different stages of love and loss in her life, told via each physical move she makes to a new home.

This book was fast-paced and well-written. It started off beautifully, with Ellen moving to Galway in the eighties to work in a bookshop. The novel as a whole clicked well for me, but this start section in particular clicked deeply with me. I don't know is it because I've moved a lot throughout my life (including one move to Galway), that I have worked in a bookshop, or Ellen's kind and sometimes naïve nature, but I found it incredibly relatable. I was rushing to get back to it at any chance, and Ellen's story really struck a deep chord within me. The plot is very predictable, but I didn't really find that too deterring overall.

Some of the latter sections I felt were a bit rush. Ellen's children, for instance, I felt I barely knew, despite them obviously being imperative to her once they exist. Overall, Ellen was a very strong protagonist. Her flaws were relatable and her constant effort to do the right thing really made me route for her. Her adventures in her career and in new cities were also thoroughly enjoyable.

The thing that really threw me off about this book and prevented me rating it higher was some of the messaging. Any character who doesn't hold traditional values, such as marriage before children, and being pro-life, are ultimately seen to "show their true colours" by the end. It paints them as quite evil, while those who do value marriage above all else are seen as nearly saintly. I didn't like how these elements were tied together, as it felt like a political agenda that oversimplifies a complex situation. I liked the character development otherwise, and the other signs littered throughout that indicated the nature of these characters. I didn't need this messaging coupled with it. If one of the better characters was shown to have a disdain for marriage, or to be pro-choice, it would have made for a less biased and more realistic story.

I really enjoyed this book, hence the 5 star rating. The story is focused on Ellen, and her life across many years, both in London and Ireland. I enjoyed seeing how Ellen grew as a person, and how she never gave up on her dream.
A wonderful ending too, very unexpected.

I really enjoyed this gentle romance.

Ellen leaves her childhood home with its unhappy memories to live in Galway with her aunt Frances. Here she starts work in a bookshop and meets Ben - her first real love but the timing is wrong and she flees to London with Claire, her best friend.

A new career as a copywriter opens up and on a work trip in Paris she is rescued by Leo. A chance encounter in London begins their relationship - two daughters and his two affairs later and Ellen is alone again.

Supported throughout by her childhood friend, Danny and finding her father allow her to cope with the breakdown of her relationship and start again.

This time as a novelist back in Galway, she puts her life together and moves on. Letting her daughters fly the nest she finally finds time for herself and maybe love again.

Although it didn't quite appeal to me, it's a lovely comfort read and a bit of escapism as the reader goes through the highs and lows of Ellen's life. It makes a lovely cosy read with a blanket over your lap and a cuppa in your hands.

I love an Irish novel and especially one that spans decades.

This is very much a character driven novel that highlights how life can take us in so many unexpected directions. I sometimes felt it flew through the years too fast but I ultimately really enjoyed it.

It’s one of those books you will not be able to sleep after finishing it as you’re still digesting it.

Another superb book from Roisin Meaney. Moving On tells the story of Ellen through her various house moves from being a teenager to an older mature woman. The author knows exactly how to press the right buttons to get the reader to identify with Ellen on her journey at one stage or another. First love, heartbreak, childbirth, separation and the inevitable death of parents are but a few of life's hurdles we experience with Ellen. The story moves quickly aided not only by the sheer amount of things going on but by the travel between Dublin, Galway, London and France. I thoroughly enjoyed Moving On. Reading it in one sitting. It is definitely that kind of book - difficult to put down! Definitely recommended.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

I love a Roisin Meaney book, within a few pages the characters feel like old friends and this book is no different - like a hug in a book with emotional and heartfelt writing the whole way through.

Heartwarming and heartbreaking at once! Really lovely read as a 30-something woman as I was able to see a lot of myself in younger Ellen. I kept looking forward to reading this book at night, which always tells me something about the quality of the novel.

Moving On follows Ellen as she navigates young-adulthood into her life as a working woman, mother, lover, daughter, friend and sister. Her life has many ups and downs that we go thorugh with her as readers. It's sure to resonate with you in some way. There are moments that feel a bit sterotypical, but the authour navigates these with heart, and you come to love Ellen and feel for the other characters well before any of these moments.

My one (spoiler free) critique is that I would have loved more time at the end, as the ending is exactly what I wanted, I just needed so so so much more. It feels very much like autofiction, so we don't get to the close of Ellen's life.

If I could give it a 3.5 I would but I decided to round up on this occassion.

A really fantastic read. Full of great characters and charm. It transport you back to old times and welcomes you like a warm hug. The perfect read to take your mind off everyday life. I loved it.

This novel was such an easy, heartwarming read. The story was moving, romantic and uplifting, and I think I really needed this at the end of the longest month of the year (yup, January)! Attimes I knew how the story would go, but I also found some comfort in its predictability - almost like re-watching a romantic movie 😊

This would be a great read for those who enjoy tame romance.

Synopsis: The story follows Ellen through each house move in her life between 1981 and 2019 - from her small hometown in Ireland to Galway, from Galway to London and beyond. She is in search of happiness and love, and with her love of reading and quick wit finds a new career along the way. Three men find a place in her heart but who will make her feel at home?
.
Thanks to @netgalley and @littlebrownbookgroup_uk for this electronic advance reader copy.
.

I very much enjoyed this and didn't want to put it down. Perfect cozy read - I liked the characters and loved the way the story panned out. There were times when I felt we skipped on quite quickly but it didn't detract from my enjoyment. Many thanks for the review copy.

A wonderful cosy read that would be great for fans of One Day. Meaney wraps us up in a world with ordinary strangers whose lives are tangled together between two very different worlds. The slow quiet life of a cosy book shop and the eccentric bustle of city life. A story about three great loves and finding a place to call home, it follows the story of Ellen who is finally moving on from her hometown and finding her feet in the world. This was the perfect rainy day read. I read it one sitting.

Thank you @littlebrownbookgroup_uk @netgalley for the advanced reading.

A lovely family story told over the years and how the people that you meet on the way influence how your life can turn out. One to curl up on the sofa and let the book envelop you like a hug.

Loved Ellen and her ability to.keep going and make the best of all situations and come out on top.

This is a good example of its genre. We used to call it chic-lit but it's now known as romantic or women's fiction. It is light and cosy and an easy read. The life of the main character, Ellen, is traced from the 1980's up to the present day. Her life after she leaves home is charmed as she gets jobs easily and eventually moves to London with her best friend. Her luck continues as she has a hugely successful career and marries and has children. There are a couple of romantic and relationship blips along the way but the emotions she experiences are told, not shown through dialogue or action, so seem shallow. Most of the plot is "told"; dialogue is only used to punctuate the story. The ending is predictable from the early pages, as the author drops unsubtle hints throughout. It is predictable and has a happy ending for all.

I read this in one sitting!!! A scrumptious, light, heartwarming and cosy read. As someone who has moved from pillar to post I could relate to the FMC throughout! I was captivated the entire time and didn’t want it to end.
Super big thank you to Roisin, Netgalley and LBBG for this advanced readers copy.

notttt even gonna lie, i fully wanted this to support an irish author and then proceeded to receive one of my absolute favorite romcoms of the year thus far!!! it was deeply romantic, charming, and i giggled quite a bit 🙂‍↕️ i wanna read anything she has to put out next!!

What a delightful page turner. This lady can write!!! Loved every minute of it and was crying openly at the end. Fabulous!!

Moving On is the newest book by Roisin Meaney and I absolutely loved it from start to finish. I adored the central character of Ellen. I loved how the story introduced her as a young woman in her 20s and showed how her life progressed. It focuses on the three main loves of her life. It is easily the best book I have read of 2025!