The Women at Ocean’s End by Faith Hogan #NetGalley @AriaFiction #fiction #friendship #romance #bookreview

I am delighted to share my review today of The Women at Ocean’s End by Faith Hogan. I do love this author’s books, this one was an amazing story.

My huge thanks to Aria Fiction for accepting my request to read this title via NetGalley.

Three women, all with secrets waiting to be uncovered, meet on a beautiful island off the Irish Coast.

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 this 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.

Now, in a faded art deco house near the ocean’s end, 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.

MY REVIEW

This is such a beautifully written story about women of different generations, who, over the course of their lives, have come to find solace, refuge, or return to a place they felt was simply home.

Constance lives in Ocean’s End at the top of Pin Hill Island. Once it would have been glamorous, but now, unfortunately, it is decaying. Once the home of an author, who was once popular but now lies forgotten, it is now a memory of what it used to be.

Ros is a blow-in, someone who came to love the island and also built a friendship with Constance. Their first meeting was a surprise, but they got to know each other and their friendship blossomed.

Heather is returning to the island after many long years. She has brought the ashes of her mother, Dotty. It was her final wish to be taken back to the island.

The author has once again created such a magnificent backdrop to a story that encompasses life, love, loss, and regret. This author always manages to bring a tear to my eye somewhere, this book was no exception. The way she builds her characters and their relationships is wonderful. She introduces the characters and shares the details of their lives, but does not reveal everything. It is told in a back-and-forth style and also alternates between characters. The author does this so well and it did not take long for me to get to grips with the characters.

The story is told via each character, they gives details of their childhood, for some of them, it was not a happy one. The past and the present stories tell of hardships and determination, but they have secrets, and these need to come out at some point. Mistakes of the past need to be settled, whether it is admission or forgiveness.

This is a stunning story, the backdrop of the house, garden and the island is just wonderful. The friendships that are built through the story are very captivating. It is so nice to see unconditional friendship. There are many surprises in the story and these come from various sources, not obvious but soon become a realisation that the island has more to offer.

If you are a fan of contemporary fiction that shows how lives can be changed, or have been changed through a single act, then this book is one you want to have a look at. It has some secrets and mysteries, there is romance and there is of course, friendship. A stunning story and one I would definitely recommend.

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx