A gentle read about female friendships that cross the age divide well written by Faith Hogan. Set on Pin Hill Island this book brings together three main characters, Constance, Ros and Heather, and tells their stories. As well as delving into their pasts, it also investigates their relationships with their mothers. A good summer read.
Thank you to NetGalley and for the advance copy of this book.

I loved this book, a story of friendship and how it grew then was lost and missed, and how time goes by with regrets. It was thought provoking, making me think how time goes so quickly, i thought about the people i had known and lost contact with, i then sent messages to say hi how are you, because before we know it time is gone and you cant do that. I loved reading Constance story, and how Ros and Heather came into her life and how her legacy the cottage was going to be saved.
A nice easy read

Another beautiful, emotional read by Faith Hogan. Loved the setting and the beautiful friendship between Constance, Heather and Ros (and my heart just broke for Dotty).

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

This was my first book by Faith Hogan. I did request it based on its original title ‘The House at Ocean’s End’ and actually I felt this was a far better title than the renamed one.

The story revolved around Constance and Dotty - and mostly their mothers in the late 1950’s - coupled with Heather - Dotty’s estranged daughter - and Ros an environmentalist sent to Pill Island on a secondment in a contemporary setting.

The book flip-flopped between the two - quite slowly and ponderously at times. I quite often waited for something to happen and somehow it didn’t, I felt that Heather and Finbarr could have been taken further but they weren’t and Shane took the job Ros wanted but we have no idea if he was successful.

Constance and Dotty have dark secrets from their childhood - Dotty’s father was a monster. These eventually get resolved but too late for either women.

It was obvious how the book would end early on - it was dealt with, with empathy

All in all I felt slightly cheated somehow

A lovely and moving read. The multiple view point added extra dimension and allows you to connect with a number of different characters. The timeline jump backs are really interesting as well as they add a lot of insight into the friendship of Constance and Dotty and show how their childhood shaped the women they become.

Ros was an interesting side character who I felt really helped tie everything together. She offered a different view point and she was able to give Constance comfort that she needed whilst she herself gained love and protection which she lacked and desperately needed.

Heather is part of the story, almost as Dotty’s representative. Dotty is her mother and she’s not had the best relationship with her and she really doesn’t know why. Through spending time at Pin Hill and with Constance Heather learns more about her mother’s childhood, which she rarely spoke about and she discovers that her mother was a remarkable woman who did love her. Both Heather and Constance get the closure that they need to be able to move on.

Maggie, Constance’s mother wasn’t a major character but I really found her interesting. Being a single mother and a romance author in Ireland in the 1950 had to be scarily amazing. She was so brave to follow her dream and defy convention. She provided for Constance and later Dotty and her mother. I loved how Heather was the one to realise that Maggie could have her ultimate dream of never being forgotten. As the book ends it’s clear to see that the help Maggie gave to Heather’s family is going to be extended to the whole island as her estate is going to boost the local economy.

It was a deeply moving story at times that really touched my heart. A great read to get lost in for the weekend.

I can't quite believe it but I think this is my first of Faith's books. I've definitely been missing out so I'll be looking out for her others.

I really enjoy multi viewpoint books, but they can be difficult to get on with unless managed well. And I was worried I might get lost within the various stories, but it all felt very natural. They've all got such distinctive voices that it would be hard to get them mixed up, which isn't an easy thing to achieve.

The story is good, the pacing is good, the characters are good, and I very much enjoyed it. But what really stood out for me, and forgive me if this is a little corny, but is Faith's writing, her use of language, her ability to form sentences that explore everything from mundane things like the weather to the extremities of loneliness and grief.

We get to know four women. Dotty (but we only get to know her as a child and young woman), her daughter Heather, Dotty's childhood best friend Constance, and her island neighbour Ros. They're all gorgeous women and I was so sad to leave them by the end of the story, it's like they had become my own friends. There are other characters, male and female, but for me, this story belonged to those women.

There are elements in the story that aren't pleasant at all, and really quite hard to read about but they don't feel sensationalised in this. They're hard to read, but unfortunately they are very real, and so you can't ignore them. But, in a way, it also helps make the happier moments shine more.

Yes there are difficult parts, bit that are emotional, some happier and sadder bits, some anger and grief. But my overriding feeling of it was a feeling of hope. There's old and new friends, lost friends, reconnected friends, love lost and found. It's just full of joy, love, hope, friendship, relationships, new love, the restorative power of nature, forgiveness, passions, dreams.

I can almost guarantee this will end up on my "favourite books of the year" list. It's simply perfection.

What a lovely read! I wasn’t too sure what to expect as I began this one (although I loved the authors previous book) but I soon found myself drawn in and unable to put this down.

This book is predominantly about three women, a very youthful older lady Constance, her childhood friends’ daughter Heather and Ros, a newcomer to the island where Constance lives. This story brings these three wonderful characters together, through events in their past or things happening now.

Everything just flowed really well, some may say it’s a slow burn, but I feel it’s a story of really getting to know the characters, understanding their pasts and how this affects their present. It follows their lives as they all come to terms with different tragedies and things life has thrown at them.

The author is sensitive and loving in her writing, you really will come to love all the characters (well almost all!)
She describes everything so well that you will feel you are sat at Ocean’s End with the characters, seeing the house as it is and as it was.

I really loved how friendship is portrayed in this story, how it doesn’t matter your age, your background, you can become friends with anyone. I loved the friendships that build between the other characters too, not just our main characters. There’s a real sense of community and connection and it’s so beautifully written that you really will struggle to put it down.

This beautifully written story is about 3 women. Constance who is in her nineties, Heather who is the daughter of Constance's childhood friend Dotty and Ros who comes to the Island to work.

Their lives connect with love and tragedy as they help each other to overcome, understand and accept their sad past.

A brilliant book and a must read!

The preface of this book threw me a little and I was unsure as to whether it would flow. My concerns proved to be unfounded. I very quickly got to know the characters and loved them (mostly). The pacing of the book was great and the descriptors just detailed enough to whet my appetite to see the beautiful island but without going into tedious detail which often causes blocks to the flow of a book. No such problems here. Constance, Ris and Heather kept me happily turning the pages as their stories played out and their friendships blossomed. I really enjoyed the story and the writing style . Four and a half stars .

I loved this book set on Pin Hill island just off the coast from Ballycove in the west of Ireland (the setting of previous Ruth Logan books). The focus of the book is the deep friendship between Dotty and Constance, their relationship not only with each other but with their mothers too. Into this we also meet Ros, a wildlife ranger on the island and Dotty's estranged daughter Heather. It is a very empathetic and moving story which spans from the 1950s to the present day. It shows not only the complicated family relationships but also the consequences and aftermath of one tragic event when the girls are 10 years old. To mention it would spoil the book for the reader! I really couldn't put this book down and did shed a tear or two (as well as laugh!0 in places! Thanks to Netgalley letting me read this book.

The Women at Ocean's End
By Faith Hogan

This was not the book for me, and I realised that as soon as the publisher resent the galley with a title change. It was originally titled "The House at Ocean's End", and although nothing else changed, the premise shifted for me slightly.

It is actually a well written, comfort read about friendship and secrets with some typical to this genre tensions. I have no doubt that many readers will find it lovely and heartwarming, but it's just a bit too chocolate boxy for my tastes.

If you like friendship stories, especially cross generational friendships, and a West of Ireland island setting, and you want something along the lines of a Maeve Binchy to pack for your beach read, this is probably perfect.

Publication date: 5th June 2025
Publisher: Aria and Aries
Thanks to #Netgalley and the publisher for providing an eGalley for review purposes

I've read several Faith Hogan books and enjoyed them all. Unfortunately this one didn't quite do it for me. It seemed to take an age to get going properly. We had half the book rapidly jumping back to 1957 setting the scene for the friendship and breakup of Dot and Constance interspersed with snippets of Ros and Heather and their troubles. Now I realise this was intended to introduce the main characters and bring them together on Pin Island (which I would visit in a heartbeat by the way) but it seemed very disjointed and lacking in purpose whilst reading it. The jumping back and forth slows down in the latter half and becomes more purposeful. I did enjoy the relationship between the three women Ros, Constance and Heather. I only wish the book had focused more on this. An enjoyable read eventually but not the best I've read from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Though a slow burn, I enjoyed connecting with the characters in Pin Hill. The characters and their lives stole the show and I found them to be so wholesome and lovable. Ros, Heather and Constance each have a story to tell and there’s an underlying mystery of the history between Constance and the late Dotty (Heathers mother, and Constance’s childhood friend).

This was beautifully written with multiple important themes demonstrated-grief, end of life planning, chosen family, friendship and career aspirations.

I found myself rooting for each character and their respective challenges or relationships. This was my first read from the author. Thank you to Netgalley for the arc and to the publisher!

A beautiful story of three women who come together on the small Pin Island in the west of Ireland. The island is so well represented that it’s a character in its own right. Elderly Constance’s life is drawing to a close while Ros is young and struggling to become established without any backup or security. Heather’s mid life change of circumstances has left her feeling adrift. There are themes of grief and loss and the impact of past events blighting lives for many years but the ramshackle house Oceans End provides redemption and healing for all three women. A wonderful atmospheric book which I wholeheartedly recommend.

I absolutely adored 'The Women at Ocean's End'!

Constance, Heather and Ros each have such interesting back stories and are all three equally well-rounded characters whose lives come together on Pin Hill Island.

This is a warm-hearted, feel-good novel that is filled with a generous helping of kindness and compassion.

Yes, it might be a little predictable in places, but I hugely enjoyed reading it from beginning to end.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Oh my, what a book. The sheer wildness and beauty of Pin Hill island, the constant movement of the sea and sky, the bleating of the goats… I was there.
The characters are wonderful too, as the way the story is woven. Constance; lonely, waiting out her days with resilience, forbearance, and only small joys. We see her now and as a terrified child who falls down a well in 1957, and at points in between, teased out as the mystery which binds her to Heather’s late mother is slowly revealed. Then Heather herself, discovering the books which will pull her from London and back to the place of her happiest childhood memories. And finally Ros, the youngest of the three, an incomer who perhaps loves the island more than anyone else.
I love stories of friendship and there is a real magic to this one, perhaps because the tensions which drive the novel forwards are not between the women, but around them. And Faith Hogan is such a skilled writer, mistress of her genre, and for me this wonderfully uplifting book is her best yet.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria and Aries Publishers for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have to admit that I struggled with this book but I think that was down to a recent bereavement more than the book itself. I found it hard to concentrate and my motivation to read was low, hence it taking so long to finish. I loved the setting of the story, an island off the west coast of Ireland. The writing is so evocative; I loved Ocean’s End, Pinn Hill, the goats, the sea, the cliff tops, the landscape and the isolated community. The characters were believable and the Irish warmth really came through.

Here’s the blurb: “Three women, all with secrets waiting to be uncovered.
Constance Macken, in her ninth decade, is looking back on a life filled with laughter and loss, tragedy and triumph, but knows it is time to right the wrongs from her past that have always haunted her.

Heather Banks arrives on the island to bury her mother. Already adrift with her business sold and her divorce finalised, time on the island may be the perfect opportunity to change the course of her future.

Ros Stokes has managed to slip into the perfect job, the perfect cottage and friends that feel like family. However, when the stitches of her life begin to unravel, she must find a way to hold onto the things that have become most dear to her and let go of what holds her back.

In a faded art deco house by the sea these women must come together to save the house they love and each other, because they might have run from their troubles but only time will tell if they can overcome their past.”

A book on friendship, Constance and Dotty were childhood friends and after a horrendous experience they never spoke again.
Constance's mother moves them to a large Art Deco house on a small island off Ireland after her books have been published.
Years later Dotty dies and her daughter Heather returns to the island to bury her mother's ashes and stays with Constance.
Ros is on the island on a temporary job looking after the island's wildlife, she is alone in life until she meets Constance and they form a deep friendship.
All three women are brought together through difficult and hard times, very emotional and a brilliant storyline.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC and I give my honest review

"The Women at Ocean's End" are 3 women of different generations who form a friendship on the small Irish island of Pin Hill. As the relationships build they help each other to overcome various issues. This is a warm tale of life in more remote locations, and includes some romance as well as friendship. Issues dealt with include child abuse, alcoholism, lack of work and housing in rural areas and life after divorce. This is a well written and gentle story which is easy to lose yourself in.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

My first book from acclaimed writer Faith Hogan, and although it wasn’t as expected it surpassed my expectations.
Intriguing and poignant, charming and enthralling.
This is the tale of three ladies and the house on an island off Ireland who come together with some shared history and reasons to change their lives from their pasts, to right some wrongs and make their way forward.
The build up of the characters and their lives is brilliant and beautifully written. The island is atmospheric with hard subject matter composed sensibly and in a down to earth fashion. Friendship’s and relationships and how they evolve in time. Brilliant.
This book is touching, moving, and hard to read at times whilst altogether inspiring and gratifying at others. For me this was quite the unique read.
Hugely recommend this heart filling tale from Ireland.
Thank you NetGalley and Aria books for the early read.