No matter what, home will always be home…

Synopsis

A mother and daughter adrift, a friend in need, and a village to call home…

When Kate O’Hare discovers she’s pregnant, she is determined to return to her hometown of Sandycove in Dublin.

On the other side of the Atlantic, her estranged mother, international superstar, Lola, is heartbroken following the loss of her soulmate, Paulie. On hearing Kate’s plan, Lola follows her, seeking a second chance at motherhood.

Kate discovers her best friend, Flora, is back in her childhood bedroom, her marriage and self-esteem in tatters following her husband’s public betrayal.

Flora now finds herself with no husband, home, or future, while her own mother Patsy is stepping out of her comfort zone into the world of interiors. Can Patsy’s new life reignite Flora’s talent and creativity?

And what of the O’Hare family secret which has the power to unlock a pathway to greater mutual understanding? And will music and the magic of Sandycove be enough to empower the women through such challenging times?

An emotive story of forgiveness, new beginnings and happy-ever-afters…

My review

When Flora discovers that her husband is having an affair with his best friend’s wife, she has no other option to return to her mother Patsy, with a sense of shame and a self – esteem just gone. Luckily Patsy welcomes her back with open arms even if Patsy herself is following her dream of becoming an interior designer. And with Flora back home, Patsy hopes to ignite Flora’s passion and fire again.
And then they find Kate, Flora’s best friend on their doorstep. Finding herself pregnant was a shock for her, and she definitely needs to get her thoughts straight, and what better place to do that than home, which is also the best place to set the roots for her new own family. The last thing she expected was that her own estranged mother Lola would also return to Sandycove after losing her best friend and soulmate Paulie. With different fragile and broken relationships, is Sandycove the home that will heal all that has been broken? 

Having visited Sandycove in this author’s previous books, I could not wait to return to this wonderful place. But if this is your first visit, you don’t have to worry, as this is a standalone. 

When I started this book, I was a bit afraid that four main characters would make it complicated for me. Four different stories to tell, yet all linked together, if for sure sounded like a real piece of work not only for the author to write, but also for the readers to keep up.
Yet I shouldn’t have worried, because not once I lost the plot and I could perfectly understand which character was in the spotlight and I could even click my brain into the right setting. 

All the four characters are at a crossroad in their lives, all for different reasons and have all a different background.
So I felt sorry for Flora, discovering her husband’s betrayal in a terrible way, but I also was angered to read how her husband treated her and how little and small he made her feel.
And I could understand Flora’s reluctance in a way to return to her mother, as it felt like a step back and how she even felt ashamed of what happened to her. 

It cannot be easy to pick up the pieces after a failed marriage. But how hers ended was just ugly and unfair, especially discovering later on in the book what her husband (or rather ex) has been up to. But we also see that a mother is always there for her child, no matter how old they get.
So obviously I loved Patsy! 

I was amazed how she just keeps going, doesn’t let her age hold her back and she still keeps on chasing her dreams!
But she is also a wonderful, loving and even worrying mother. Because she sees how Flora is coping (or rather not…) and she wants to help Flora to see the beautiful things of life again, and make her see that it’s never too late to start again. 

Kate was a complete different story, as she finds herself pregnant in France, but knows that her partner doesn’t want any children and wants to keep their freedom. I of course cannot say what I would do in her situation, but I could understand why she wanted to return home in Sandycove, although perhaps I wouldn’t have done it so sneaky. 

And it warmed my heart to see how even physical distance couldn’t break the great friendship between Kate and Flora. While they are best of friends, for me it felt more like a real sisterhood. Kate didn’t have a close bond with her mother, and she chose Flora and Patsy as her own family.
It truly is amazing to see how these kind of friendships, that are stronger than family ties in some circumstances, can stand the test of time and distance. 

Lola for me was a harder nut to crack… I understand that someone has dreams and you want to chase them. But at the cost of your own child? That was a very difficult concept to grasp…
But reading her story shows us that not everything is as simple as it seems, and that it’s never too late to try and make amends… 

This story is filled with beautiful moments, but also difficult moments. But for me it’s mainly filled with love. Love that has been lost, but is trying to find its way back. Love that has never disappeared. Love for a passion that resurfaces. But most important the love between a mother and a daughter.
In this book, we see how different that love can be, from the ‘easy’ love between Flora and Patsy, to the difficult love between Lola and Kate. 

Life isn’t always that straightforward and we all make mistakes. But it’s never to late to fix that, and perhaps us trying to make amends will even bring us unexpected yet lovely surprises.
We see in this book that it’s never too late, and that even the most restrained relationships can be fixed with determination but also with patience.
And that the place that feels like home is the perfect setting to mend a broken heart, no matter the reason it got broken, or by whom it got broken. 

Sian O’Gorman wrote once again a marvellous story in a wonderful setting with amazing yet not flawless people. Yet with people that mature the more the story evolves and learn that no matter what happened before, great things can be still waiting for us!