Boomerville at Ballymegille

I devoured this book! It was darker than anticipated, but I really enjoyed the level of whimsy and the premise very much. I really enjoyed the eccentric cast of characters and the charming Boomerville locations in England and Ireland. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a heartwarming story sprinkled with a little bit of intrigue.

Boomerville Manor is being opened in Ireland by best friends Hattie and Jo.
The manor rents out rooms for people on holiday. They offer entertainment, classes of different types to help people find new hobbies or just try something new. Boomerville Manor offers much more than this. It is a place where you can make friends. Maybe even meet the love of your life. Perhaps you may even find a new old love. It is a place oh happiness and contentment. It can also be a place of murder and mayhem. Join Hattie and Jo on their adventure of helping people discover themselves.
Great read!.

Boomerville at Ballymegille by Caroline James
Publication Date: October 6, 2020 - Out soon!
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Description from NetGalley...
“Join Hattie and Jo as they head to Southern Ireland to open Boomerville Manor, a holiday retreat for guests of ‘a certain age’. There’s Irish craic and shenanigans aplenty for the colourful cast of characters as everyone gathers for the grand opening. 

Meet Melissa, an ex-cabaret singer running from her abusive husband, and Bill, a bachelor bullied from beyond the grave by the ghostly voice of his mother. Along with local bobby Harry the Helmet, ageing aquatic team the Boomerville Babes, eccentric artist Lucinda Gray, and heartthrob Finbar Murphy, they gather in Ireland and the fun begins. But murder is in the air and there’s mischief afoot. Will the residents get more than they bargained for at Boomerville?”
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Thank you to @NetGalley and Books Go Social for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts...
This was a good read. From the title, the main characters were “Boomers.” And they were fun, witty, “still doing it,” and lovable. As much as the story was light and funny, there was quite a serious tone on the themes of domestic violence and familial bullying. The book was so well written that I was quite angry at the abuser and the bully. This was the second book in the series. And before I finished it, I got the first book. It can be a stand-alone. It reminded me a bit of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (I really liked the movie). Overall, a quick read and it was a heart-warming story about finding inner strength and starting anew.

Boomerville at Ballymegille by Caroline James is a must read. I laughed, I cried, and I was totally enthralled the whole time. It felt like I was having as much fun as the characters in the story. In the beginning we meet Hattie who is burying her husband Hugo. As time goes on after his death Hattie’s best friend Jo and her decide to do something that will change their lives. They decide to open Boomerville Manor. A place for people who are of a certain age can come to relax. Or so they think. The characters are eccentric, whimsical, and sometimes flat off their rocker. There are definitely some issues like bullying by family members that enrage characters as well as readers but the writer’s ability to hold your attention comes in at this point. But.... hold your horses because someone is also a killer. The authors writing is very fluid and the characters are extremely realistic. I recommend this book to anyone who likes some mystery and Some comedy mixed together.

Thank you to netgalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Really fun enjoyable read kept me turning the pages and likeable characters i look forward to more books by this author.

This was a fun read with a little bit of creepy at the same time by an abusive husband. The opening gave a great feel to what it's like running a retreat center, along with trying to herd everyone along on a road trip. The characters were a varied lot with their own baggage and needs. Well-written story that I could easily see turned into a movie or TV series.

I wasn’t expecting this book to be dark, but I loved it so much, a little creepy, dark as mentioned but so so funny and a lot of fun to read, maybe even the odd tear. Full of great characters, a strong story and great writing, I really recommend this as an enjoyable book


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

This is a good book about Jo who decides to open another hotel in Ireland. We meet the characters first of all in the hotel in England where we begin to meet all the characters. I found some of the situations funny.

Hattie who helps her friend Jo out she seems to read people a lot and if they have problems she will try and help them.

There is abuse and a other things that happen in the book but don't want to give spoilers away.

It was an easy reading book. Think it would be nice to make a TV series out of the book.

A delightful, heartwarming read. Quickly drawn in. I haven't read the first in the series but the first few chapters filled in the blanks beautifully. I loved the characters, they felt like old friends. The hotel and people weaved its magic, a wonderful escape. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another excellent read from Caroline. A lovely story that is well written and not too deep about starting again, with some serious topics of bullying and domestic violence. A five star read for me.

This was a light-hearted story but with a dark undertone. The book is filled with enjoyable characters, some of whom were introduced in The Best Boomerville Hotel. I had not read that book but felt that the author filled in enough information that this worked very well as a standalone novel. The main characters, Jo and Hattie and apparently a minor character, Lucinda, were part of the first book. From what I can tell, the rest of the colorful characters are new to this one. Among these are: Melissa, who is trying to escape from an abusive husband; Bill, who is trying to escape from his mother’s ghost (he keeps hearing her criticism in his head); Harry, a local police officer in Cumbria; and Finbar, who used to be an entertainer on cruise ships but now drives taxis in the Cork area of Ireland and entertains as well. There are also a trio of lovable dogs that feature in the tale.

I loved the depiction of middle-aged and older adults having a very full life, including a love life. It was a refreshing change of pace from so many books that are focused on people in their 20s and 30s.

The first half of the book takes place in the north of England, in the Cumbria area. Jo has purchased an estate near Cork in Ireland to expand her Boomerville hotel/resort concept and the second half of the book takes place there, in the Ballymegille of the title.

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the opportunity to read this delightful book. I just may check out the first book and I look forward to reading the third book in this series, Hattie Goes To Hollywood.

Warning: references to domestic abuse, drug use

I have a little confession to make. Yes yet another one. I hadn’t actually realised that ‘Boomerville At Ballymegille’ was the second book to feature ‘Boomerville’. I must pay more attention. Not that I am complaining because it means that I have the first book to catch up with. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Boomerville At Ballymegille’ but more about that in a bit.
It didn’t take me long at all to get into this story. I loved learning about Boomerville, the plans for expansion and I especially loved the cast of characters in this story. I started reading this book only to get my foot in the door as it were and to fill in half an hour. However, I became that wrapped up in the story that I read for a lot longer than half an hour and I read far more than a couple of chapters. To say that reading ‘Boomerville At Ballymegille’ became addictive is a huge understatement. If I wasn’t reading the book, I was thinking about it. I began to view reading this book as a kind of therapy. Yes there were serious parts to the story but there were also some funny bits and I found myself chuckling away at some of the things I read. This was certainly a book that put a smile on my face. I found this book to be unputdownable. My Kindle wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I became so caught up in the different characters and their lives that I didn’t want to miss a single second of the story.
‘Boomervulle At Ballymegille’ is superbly written. I was drawn to the book by the eye catching cover, I was intrigued by the synopsis and the story within the covers of the book sealed the deal as it were. I loved the way in which Caroline writes about her characters. She describes them so realistically and vividly that they spring to life and jump off the page as it were. They seemed just as real as you and I. I felt as though I was part of the story, which is all thanks to Caroline’s very vivid and realistic storytelling. I was gripped by this story from start to finish and I was disappointed to reach the end. I had been enjoying the author’s writing style, the storylines and the characters so much that I just wished the book had been longer. I soon cheered up when I realised that I had the first book to catch up on.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Boomerville At Ballymegille’ and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Caroline’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Boomerville At Ballymegille by Caroline James is the sequel to Boomerville, which I haven't read as yet but this book works really good as a standalone as well.It is a uplifting and very entertaining tale of love, friendship and loss.Iteven tackles some deep and sensitive subjects that are handled so well.
Jo already has one Boomerville Hotel and a very successful one at that, she caters to mature people who wish to find their creativity within a different subject than they normally would and they love it!
She decides to set her sights on a site in Southern Ireland, we join her in preparing to open the new 'Boomerville Hotel'.Jo is joined by Hattie, her best friend who has been there since day dot. Hattie is so full of life and energy that she literally bounces around and everyone around her realises when she is in the building there is a possibility for anything to happen! This woman is fantastic! I warmed to her immediately, one of them women who brightens your day as soon as she steps through the door! We meet The Boomerville Babes, a mature synchronised swimming team and other fantastic characters to aid in the opening of this marvellous home from home.Then the guests begin to appear. We meet Bill, a lonely man attempting to extracate himself from his late mums dominating and destructive influence that still hangs over him to this day,
a woman escaping her abusive husband, an abusive man trying to find his wife! What an eclectic mix of people if this doesn't set the story up for anything, nothing will! Being in Ireland, this book has what the Irish call 'craic' loads of laughs along the way.There are the serious subjects and the humour as well, this book is overflowing with everything you need to brighten your week.Jam packed with characters that we get to know quite well as it swops from one to another quite regularly.
I love the richness of the full story, the characters are so vivid and I was immersed in Boomerville until the last page! Then I needed more!
Thank you to Rachel's Random Resources,Caroline James and netgalley for the copy of the book to write this review today.

This book was a lot of fun to read even if darker than I expected.
I loved the humor and the well written characters, the plot that flows, and how the author deals with issues like violence and abuse.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A really packed storyline and lots of great characters. Much of the book is light, fun and makes you smile at the antics of your new friends. It does however have a darker thread running through it, with some serious issues raised. Theses are woven carefully and naturally into the story line and are dealt with in a sensitive way. I have nor read any other of the books in the series, but will now. A great read about the “boomer” generation who are still out there enjoying life to the full.

Witty, whimsical, and wonderful. This is the follow up to The Best Boonerville Hotel. However, you don’t need to have read the first book to enjoy this one I think the author did a good job of catching you up in the beginning of the book. This time Jo and Hattie are expanding their hotel business and opening a hotel in Ireland. The Boomerville Hotels cater to people of a certain age. In this book we are also introduced to a new cast of colorful characters visiting the hotel. The overall tone of the book is uplifting and humorous, but there is some heavier subject matter woven in. We meet Mellisa who has just left her abusive husband of many years and Bill who has had a toxic relationship with his parents with who he still lives. Both these subjects were handled gently and thoughtfully in a hopeful manner. There is also a generous dose of adorable furry friends in this book. This book is an absolute delight a true pick me up.

*** Big thank you to Books Go Social for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

Full of craic and fun, I loved going to Ireland to read this! AS a matter of fact, maybe I should! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher!

This is a super cute book.

Though technically a sequel, I didn’t realize that until I was making this post. So this series is more of a series of interconnected novels than a strict series. Each one can be read alone, but now I want to read them all. Especially if the characters are as good in each of her books as they are in Boomerville at Ballymegille.

The characters in this really made it shine. There are honestly too many wonderful characters to name, both large and small. Some darker themes keep this book grounded while some of the characters create a lovable, light hearted fiction.

The best word I can think to describe Boomerville at Ballymegille as a whole is charming. I was charmed by the settting, by the characters, and by the story. I don’t want to give too much away, just go enjoy it for yourself.

Oh, and in case you need some additional incentive, Caroline James has added some lovable furry friends into her delightful cast of characters.

Boomerville at Ballymegille easy to read and easy to love.

Really loved this story. I thought I might struggle to get absorbed in the story due to there being so many characters because I need to care about the characters to really get lost in the story but I was invested in the characters, I really cared what happened to them. It's written so well, there is intense drama but it's light hearted at the same time. I wanted to be in the book, to join in the adventures and be friends with the characters. It really was a joy to read and I'll be reading any other books written by the author.

I haven't read the first book in this series (The Best Boomerville Hotel) so I wasn't very sure about how I would catch up with this book. I needn't have worried, though.

This book has the perfect mixture of romance, humour, mayhem, sadness, and murder. The book is so fast-paced that, even with so many characters and a complex story, I finished it in 2 days - no mean feat for me.

I will look forward to reading the first book as well. This book was that good.

Thanks to BooksGoSocial and Netgalley for this ARC.

Even though the book has a few tiny errors, you can certainly overlook them when you read the beautiful stories of various characters, most of them lovable and believable, please give this book a read, loved it

This is quite a dark comedy, but it's very entertaining.
We have a very assorted cast of characters, each with plenty of baggage, emotional and otherwise. There's never a dull moment in their company.
Running a retreat with such demanding occupants is obviously not going to be easy but it makes for great reading!
The Irish setting is wonderful, reflecting as it does the beautiful scenery as well as the quirkiness of the country and its residents (and I can say that as I lived there for many years and our family is 60% Irish!)
Fun, uplifting, poignant - very enjoyable indeed.

This book was a little darker than I expected and I loved it! I really enjoy "Boomers". The characters were definitely interesting and the story was well written. I sat and read this in one sitting!

A fabulous warm hearted read which is surprisingly action packed! Old characters and new all play their part in telling the tale of the fun and frolics of the over 60s. Loved it! Funny but with some dark depths. It was like unpacking a fun present!

Thank you Netgalley

Boomerville at Ballymegille a bodacious bash
Posted on February 3, 2021 by michellelovatosbookreviews,
world's first book color commentator, book reviews with a twist

It might be too early in the morning for Guinness and mutton stew, but it’s not too early to talk about Caroline James’ new novel, Boomerville at Ballymegille.
Sound odd? Not at all.
Meet some of Southern Ireland’s splashiest characters – and boy, do I mean splashy – who all meet in this story for the grand opening of Boomerville Manor.
Hattie and Jo are our two female protagonists introduced in James’ previous title, The Best Boomerville Hotel. The hotel is owned by Jo. But Hattie is Jo’s dearest friend and this novel’s most admirable and unforgettable character. Together the two women make an unforgettable pair of businesswomen capable of giving guests an experience of their lifetime.
In Boomerville at Ballymegille, Hattie and Jo are expanding their services. The pair offers their guests individualized experiences designed to help their lodgers unleash their creative potential.
That premise, all by itself, is enough to make this second Boomerville novel stand-alone, but wait till you meet the cast of guests and support characters.
Melissa is a cabaret singer on the run from her abusive husband. Bill, Melissa’s former mate, is deeply disturbed since he’s being haunted – no domineered – by his dead mother’s ghost.
Harry the Helmet is Bommerville’s very own police officer – or Bobby if you are native to the land, and the Bommerville Babes are an aquatics team whose members spent a little too much time in the water.
But that’s not all, folks. There’s more.
Enter stage right: Lucinda Gray and Finbar Murphy. Lucinda is an artist and in the most oddly curious, off-center sort of way. Finbar is Ireland’s latest staic – which I understand it to mean in Irish talk, is one lunky hunk of man chunk.
Shwew. That’s quite a group.
Watch this crew of cronies interact as this novel progresses and enjoy their crazy efforts to start a new life together – learn to be friends, face tragedy and triumph.
Boomerville in Ballymegille a story with a complicated cast that interacts in perfect concert to make a wonderful place any escapist reader will long to visit for the rest of their life.
This story is heartwarming, fast, and thoroughly enjoyable. My only problem with Boomerville at Balleymegille is that now I’m craving Irish beer.
But, I guess that’s not such a bad thing after all.

ml@michellelovato.com BoutiqueBooks@hotmail.com
Happy are those who respect the Lord and obey him. You will enjoy what you work for, and you will be blessed with good things. Psalm 128: 1-2

What a great read. A light-hearted read that really warms the heart and uplifts the soul.
The characters were so well described - not just their looks, but their personalities and feelings too.
So many hilarious scenes with a few tender moments too. The Boomerville Babes have to take the cake closely followed by the mayor.....
I will for sure be looking out for other books in this series because they are absolutely wonderful.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book.

Delightful and greatly entertaining. This book was an excellent read, with a wonderful plot, unforgettable characters and great writing.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this book. This is a great read the characters are engaging and make you want to know them.highly recommend