I love the authors books and was very excited to receive an arc of this. I went between reading digital and audio for this. This is true to the authors style of writing as it's very well written with beautiful characters. I found it very slow at the start and once it got moving and the three stories/characters started to intertwine. Overall a lovely summer read. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc.

I’m not sure I can express how much I enjoyed this book. I loved each of the three women for their own reasons. They were strong and complex and their friendships were just lovely. The imagery of the island was fabulous and it felt rugged and wild. The romance aspect of the book almost felt irrelevant as the focus was the female friendship, however it was still nice.

This book really touched me it was such a powerful story which explored so many aspects of life,

The characters were so well written , they became my friends.

Constance who is in her ninth decade looking back on her life, full of ups and downs. Her best friend Dotty was more like a sister to her but events changed their friendship and it seems they may never reconcile. Constance was special to me, reminding me of my own mum, who loved people and company and was fiercely independent.

Heather, Dotties daughter who had recently lost her mum , and is returning to the island to bury her. Struggling from the breakdown of her marriage and business., she finds comfort in the tranquil surroundings.

Ros who is filling in as a temporary ranger on the island but hopes to settle permanently, finding new friendships which give her the family she never had.

The friendship of these woman, supporting each other, discovering long lost secrets that shake them but also bring acceptance and peace is so beautifully explored.

My emotions were tested throughout the book, I was rooting for each of the woman , hoping they would find their happy ending. How the past can shape our future and the negative consequences of keeping secrets was so well written.

The beautiful setting in Ireland was perfect. Who wouldn’t want to visit Oceans End and Constance’s home ?

The narrator was perfect I loved listening to her voice and how she distinguished between different characters was amazing.

Grab a box of tissues, and travel to Oceans End and I hope you will love it as much as I did.

The Women at Ocean's End
By Faith Hogan

This was not the book for me, and I blame myself for selecting something that I normally wouldn't ever pick.

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.

The narrator does a great job with accents and performing different characters. I never confused who was who. She performs the narrative with much sensitivity and whatever you would call melodrama if you weren't me.

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: Zeus Audiobooks
Thanks to #Netgalley and the publisher for providing an eGalley for review purposes

John 8:32 and the truth will set you free

Oh Lordy lord, this was an emotional rollercoaster of the most beautiful kind.

I’ve been missing out massively it seems. I’ve only read one other book by Faith Hogan, so the wishlist grows again.

Set on a fictional island off the coast of County Mayo, in the house that she shared with her mother, we meet Constance Macken approaching 90, reflecting on her past, and fiercely hanging on to her independence. Over a split timeline we are introduced to Constance’s childhood friend Dotty, we hear the stories of their childhood, the love they shared, the secrets they kept buried and the hard truth that made them part ways.

When Constance locks herself out and calls upon the new girl on the island for some help, we meet Ros on secondment to the island from parks and recreation department, Ros has absolutely fallen in love with the island and the cottage that’s only hers for the length of the job. It doesn’t take long until Ros has fallen in love with Constance and they strike up the most beautiful friendship.

Heather, Dottys daughter, is returning to the island following the death of her mother, Dotty has expressed the wish to be back home and buried on the island. This takes Heather back to Constance and the three woman set about trying to get the beautiful old art deco house back into some sort of repair, as the house comes together the relationship between the three women strengthens and they become found family, and of course, the secrets of the past start to come out.

Faith Hogan paints a stunning picture of the island, you could imagine walking the hills and watching the sea, but the real beauty is in the friendships and love that the women find, I was completely captivated, these characters are so well written they feel like friends. There’s a little goat named George who absolutely steals the show. I cried tears of joy and sorrow, I rooted for each of the women every step of the way and I was really sorry to say goodbye.

I don’t want to spoiler in any way, look out for this on release, you won’t regret it.

Flora Montgomerys narration is beautiful, her voice is a tonic for the ears.

All the stars 🌟
#Jorecommends

Huge thanks to Head of Zeus Audiobooks and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧