Freckles by Cecelia Ahern is a heartfelt and introspective novel that explores themes of identity, belonging, and personal growth. The story follows Freckles, a young woman who feels disconnected from the world around her. After a series of events, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery, questioning her place in life and finding unexpected connections with the people she meets along the way.

While the book offers a touching and meaningful narrative, I found the pacing a bit slow at times, with certain sections feeling repetitive or dragging on a little too long. Freckles, as a character, is relatable and her struggles with self-acceptance are portrayed with sensitivity, but there were moments where I wished for more emotional depth or a stronger plot to drive the story forward.

Ahern’s writing, as always, is beautiful and filled with thoughtful reflections on life. The themes of finding one’s place and the power of human connections are well-handled. However, while Freckles has its heart in the right place, it didn't quite have the emotional impact or narrative momentum I was expecting. It’s an enjoyable read, but one that may not resonate deeply with everyone.

This was different from what I usually read and not what I expected from this book. The ending had me crying which tells you that it's a great read. The message that this book is telling really helped me. You don't get many books that actually have real characters that have real issues. Far from perfect, makes mistakes, can be embarrassing, isn't living life to the fullest - Allegra is so real for this.

I found this a little tricky to get into and picked it up a few times to start again. I would definitely recommend it to friends who I know would love it but it just wasn't for me.

This is a beautiful book about personal connections and the people who are in our lives. Really special book

Found this a bit slow, struggled to keep up with the pace of it. Not my favourite of hers, it did pick up towards the end. I really struggle with the lack of quotation marks

I don’t think I’ve read a title by Ahern that I haven’t completely adored, This is an original and compelling story, told beautifully with magic at its core. I read it quickly and enjoyed every moment. Recommend:

Freckles by Cecelia Ahern is a lovely gentle read which put me in mind of Sister Boniface or Father Brown.
Allegra (freckles) left her island home of Valentia, to work as a Parking Warden in Dublin. Issuing parking tickets, Allegra, encounters a repeat offender who soon becomes a friend and, in a way, he changes her life. Unknowingly, he makes her think deeply about her life, her friends and her past. A nice slow and gentle read which ends with a smile.

Allegra was born and raised in Ireland by her single dad.

Life hasn't been easy for her and she appears to love routine. She's feeling lonely and struggling to the everyday problems of life.

Allegra then meets a man who tells her that are products of five people around us. This gets Allegra thinking, and she starts to work on identifying these five people who may help her life become better.

I found I was able to relate to quite a few factors in this story in relation to my feelings and some parts had me holding back the tears.

Well worth a read!

Original and engaging from the start, my heart went out to freckles and I couldn't put this down until I'd seen her journey through with her.

I did finish the book, but I wasn’t enamoured with it. It felt like I had to believe too much that wasn’t believable.

Feels more targeted to YA, I haven’t reviewed online as it isn’t one I’d recommend

As with all Cecelia Ahern books, it is well worth the read. Witty, enjoyable. Such a great book. A real insight into a young womans life, and I love the nickname.

Love Cecilia Ahern and her release Freckles was such a good read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I’ve always enjoyed the author’s books and I have read so many of her releases over the years can’t wait to read more in the future.

Read and reviewed for a free copy via NetGalley.

If you enjoyed Elinor Oliphant then this will be right up your street! I really enjoyed the development of Freckles/Allegra's character but it did take me a while to read...I didn't get the usual "page turner" effect I've had from other Ahern books. I enjoyed it for the most part but did sadly find myself disappointed by the ending - it felt underwhelming after some great complex character developments and storylines!

As much as I enjoy Ahern's writing style, this was quite slow for me and not my favourite of her books. I didn't take to Allegra as a character, so not one for me but hopefully will please her die hard fans as another strong example of her trademark approachable writing style.

I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

Slow at the start, it took me a while to get into this book.
Allegra is insulted by a random guy, he makes her question her life and those she surrounds herself with. This is the story of Allegra discovering more about herself and about life. Being told that you are the result of the 5 people you spend time with, Allegra strives to improve her life by ensuring her five are honourable and worthy.
Allegra isn’t always the easiest to like but she is funny, she learns things about herself and that family is sometimes chosen and the unexpected friendships life throws our way are ultimately the ones that can matter the most.
I enjoyed this book, some moments made me laugh out loud and the ending is satisfying and it is definitely a “feel good” read.

I really enjoyed this book. It was full of feelings and emotions and had a great cast of main characters. I really enjoyed the storyline and the concept of the story.

Apologies but I’ve had three attempts at starting this book but just can’t get into the story.

Thanks for the opportunity.

This was my first time reading a book from the author but I am delighted to say I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I look forward to reading more books from the writer in the future

This is another astounding piece of writing from Cecelia Ahern. She manages to draw your soul into her stories and this one is no different. I always feel that there is an underlying tenet in her books and she makes you challenge your way of thinking and can positively influence you as a reader. I have read all of her books and this one will last with me a while.