Some books I like to go into blind. By that I mean not knowing anything about the plot before starting to read it. Freckles was one of those books. All I had in my mind was Irish author Cecelia Ahern’s signature style of romantic, character led stories – so it was such a delight to have my pre-conceptions both challenged and met. Let me explain…

Cecelia Ahern has pulled off a near-impossible feat in this book: she makes you feel sympathy for a traffic warden. The traffic warden in question is Allegra Bird, a native of Valentia Island in Kerry, West Ireland, she moves to Malahide, Dublin in her early 20s to start a new chapter in her life.

There is a unique and engaging hook to the mission that Allegra finds herself on. During an encounter with a man angry about his parking ticket, Allegra hears the phrase:

'You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.'

This sets her on a path of reflection. Who does she spend her time with and how do they influence her life? She’s come to Dublin for a reason that ties back with this (no spoilers, so I won’t say here) and we learn more about the key relationships in her life – from her slightly eccentric father to Tristan, the man who was angry about his parking ticket and sparked this chain of events.

Freckles had far more edge than I was expecting and Allegra is a wonderfully crafted, complex character. She displays her vulnerability and sadness through her Freckles nickname by drawing (then carving) the pattern of constellations on her arm freckles but then has more self assurance than she perhaps realises. She poses as a nude model for art classes (which, I think, shows a strong level of self-worth) and she knows her own mind.

Sometimes doesn’t back down, even when it’s more socially acceptable to do that and has a tendency to take things too literally. She does have a big heart though and her unique view on things is rooted in kindness.

So easy to read, Freckles was emotionally engaging, had lovely insights into human nature and was often funny. The ending was exceptionally heartwarming, while not playing into all the conventions you assumed it would – for that reason I found Freckles refreshing and an out-of-the-blue, completely capturing read. It left me with a warm and fuzzy uplifting feeling. And sometimes you just have to read books that have the power to do that.

Cecelia Ahern does it again! You get hooked within the first chapter and then can't put it down. I found myself laughing, crying and ridiculously smiling by myself. Freckles makes you feel like you know the characters and are in the book with them. It really is another brilliant book to get fully emerged into.

I’d like to thank HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Freckles’ by Cecelia Ahern in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Parking Warden Allegra Bird, or Freckles to her friends, works for Fingal County Council catching those parking illegally and when the man with the yellow Ferrari gets frustrated with her for constantly putting tickets on his car he tells her she’s the average of the five people she spends the most time with. That starts Allegra thinking about her life with Pops who brought her up single-handed in the absence of her mother, and makes her wonder who these five people are who’ve made her the person she is today.

‘Freckles’ is the story of a young woman who has acquaintances rather than friends, and whose private life is so uneventful that the most exciting occurrences are babysitting for her landlord’s children. Allegra takes her job seriously which doesn’t endear her to those on the receiving end of her parking tickets, and she’s surprised when Tristan, the owner of the yellow Ferrari, seeks her out to form a kind of friendship with her. This is an in-depth look into Allegra’s life, those she spends time with and those she wants to add to her list of five. Ms Ahern has the ability to give her characters depth and empathy and the further I got into the story the more I warmed to Allegra and her desire to be liked. I enjoyed the conversations she had with Tristan, Spanner in the bakery and Genevieve who runs the art classes where she models on Saturdays. The further I got into the story the more it grew on me as Allegra discovers who she truly is and I was really happy with the ending that was perfect, a beautiful end to a delightful story.

I've always been a fan of Cecelia's novels and although Freckles isn't my favourite it is still a story I'd happily recommend.

The honest emotion that flows through this book can be felt in every chapter.

It is. a story to make you stop, think and reflect.

I'm now left contemplating just who my five people are.

Freckles is a book that doesn't necessarily pack a punch but quietly makes an impact.

Freckles is a wonderful story about Allegra, filled with hope, courage, sadness and friendship. When she is told ‘You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with’, she starts to wonder who her five actually are. On a deeper quest than that, we find Allegra looking for pieces of her (life) puzzle.
I loved the way the story was wrapped up, the perfect ending.

Any book by Ceceila Ahern will tug on your heart strings. Freckles makes you fall in love with Allegra.
She is different, unique and on a quest. Follow her journey and the friends she makes but doesn't always recognise as friends.

Seeing the premise of this book, I thought the book would be enjoyable. However, it was the opposite. The story fell really flat, the characters weren't enjoyable and I contemplated DNFing the book multiple times. I really wanted to enjoy it but unfortunately, I didn't.

Great novel, loved it. Cecelia Ahern never disappoints and neither does this book. 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this eARC

Brought up by her father after her mother abandoned them Allegra Bird, nickname Freckles, is a traffic warden who had moved to Dublin from her home on a small island. She meets someone in the course of her business who says that there are five people who can shape and determine her future, she then puzzles who they can be.
To be honest this isn't the type of book that I normally read, although the synopsis did intrigue me so I decided to give it a try. Preferring something a bit more light hearted this is more of a drama, however it grew on me as I read it. It is about self discovery and made me think who my five people would be (including my wife as number one, naturally). There are surprises along the way as she found out more about herself and towards the end it really gained pace.
In summary this is a book for those who enjoy deeper stories, rather than a pure romance, although it does have its moments.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

This book is just so lovely. Full of hope and sadness and love. It was a slow burn to start with (I actually started it and then left it for a couple of weeks as it wasn’t what I needed at the time) but then the characters started to develop and it was sprinkled with Cecilia Ahern magic and it became beautiful.

I usually a big fan of Cecelia Ahern, so it was great to read Freckles. it took a while to warm to Allegra Bird but by the end you were absorbed into her life and wanted the best for her. It's a very uplifting and moving story about trying to find your tribe of people with some heartbreaking moments. Not having speech marks was an interesting choice but I didn't find that it impacted the flow of the novel. I would recommend to fans of Cecelia Ahern's previous work.

Freckles (as a character) is awkward, sometimes disturbing, often cringe worthy but always totally lovable. As you read and warm to the character you can’t help but want the best for her.

If ‘you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with’ who are the 5 and can you change them in order to change your life? And so it is that Allegra (aka Freckles) goes in search of her 5 with the intention of reshaping her life from the outside in.

Heart warming, uplifting and sad in equal measure, Freckles is highly recommended. Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Due to the success of her first novels PS I Love You and Where Rainbows End I think I have come to expect certain things from Ahern but I must say that she has surprised me with Freckles - her latest release. It is a bit of a strange one. I think I was expecting a big love story but that wasn't necessarily what I got.

Freckles focuses on Allegra Bird. She is a bit of a loner living in Dublin working as a traffic warden. She has left all she knows to find out who she is. Through a chance encounter Allegra sets out to figure out who she is through the five people most important to her. However once you have opened Pandora's box you can never close it.

Cecelia Ahern has created a coming-of-age story. Allegra is your classic flawed character. There are parts of her personality that are unlikable yet her vulnerability shines through which does make you root for her.

It is a bit of a conundrum because Freckles has not been my favourite Cecelia Ahern novel but it was an enjoyable read.

Freckles by Cecelia Ahern is available now.

For more information regarding Cecelia Ahern (@Cecelia_Ahern) please visit www.cecelia-ahern.com.

For more information regarding Harper Collins (@HarperCollinsUK) please visit their Twitter page.

This was such a refreshing and uplifting story. Allegra Bird is a parking warden living in Dublin, when a stranger tells her that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with, it set Allegra on a path of discovery, trying to figure out who her five people are and who she is. This is the first story I have read that doesn't have quotation marks so I found that a bit confusing at first, but once I managed to wrap my head around it, it was easy to read and I loved it.

I do wish there was more of a focus on Tristan and Allegra's story, I loved any time they were interacting. I feel like there's a lot of focus on Allegra's past, and whilst that is likely because she is trying to work out who has influenced her life, it means we miss a lot about who is currently integral to Allegra's life. I don't know if this is done purposely because it is part of Allegra's journey or not, but I still wish these characters were explored further.

Overall, it was a lovely story. I love the way everything wrapped up, I feel like it was a really rewarding and satisfying ending to Allegra's journey.

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”

When Allegra Bird is introduced to this theory it lights a fire within her. Who are her five?

For anyone who enjoys a book brimming with character development this is one for you. Cecilia Ahern writes reality so well. This is not a book filled with positivity, realised dreams and whirlwind lifestyles but rather a window into an everyday, average life. A life where things don’t always go to plan, where choices need to be made, rent paid, family checked in on and where childhood friendships part as people go their separate ways. There is something special about being able to write the normal everyday and yet deliver a work that is enjoyable and emotional to read.

Themes: loneliness, family, social life
TW: abandonment, causal drug use.

“I inherited my mam’s skin tone but I inherited Pops’ freckles. The parent who wanted me. Unlike Mam, who gave me up to have everything, he gave up everything to have me. These freckles are the invisible blue ink-line, the permanent scar that connects me to him, dot to dot, star to star, freckle to freckle. Link them and you link us on and on and on and on.”

You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.
When a stranger utters these words to Allegra Bird, nicknamed Freckles, it turns her highly ordered life upside down, leading her to ask the question she’s been avoiding for so long: who are the people who made her the way she is? And who are the five people who can shape and determine her future?

Just as she once joined the freckles on her skin to mirror the constellations in the night sky, she must once again look for connections...

The book opens with the story behind her nickname and her longing to connect with her skin. It takes a while before the book gets your attention. For me, it probably didn’t help that there were no speech marks, making a bit of a mess with the tenses and character voices. I think I began to look past it once Allegra’s pursuit of identifying her five people took steam.

It was this premise that eventually got me invested in Allegra’s story. It prompted me to think of my five people and how they have made me who I am. At a time when I am determined to cut away all toxic relationships, Freckles is a bittersweet affirmation of discovering the right people in your life.

This ARC courtesy of @netgalley and HarperCollins UK.

Freckles, aka Allegra Bird, is a character akin to Eleanor Oliphant; quirky and somewhat insecure she manages to work her way into your heart.

Allegra is on a mission, she has moved to Dublin and taken up a job as a parking warden. As the story progresses we learn why she is there and what she is trying to achieve.

One day she encounters a difficult customer who tells her you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. This throws Allegra into a spin as she tries to work out who her 5 are.

As ever Ahern creates an emotional ride of a book where you are fully invested in the characters. Allegra made me laugh and cry as she tried in her oddball (and totally relatable) way to build a new 5 around her.

A book about love, friendship, insecurity, faith and hope. It makes you think about who you have around you, how they shape you and how you often mean more to others than you believe.

Allegra Bird grew up on an island off the coast of Ireland with her 'Pops'. As much as she loved her father she desperately wanted to find her mother who had left her at birth, and forge a relationship.

Allegra was called Freckles due to the sheer number on her skin, and whilst at Boarding School she self harms, turning some of her freckles into a constellation of scars.

In a bid to meet her mother, Allegra moves to a town near Dublin and becomes a traffic warden, and lives in a room above a gym, in a house annex, in return for a modest rent and babysitting. When Allegra finds herself ticketing the same yellow Ferrari every day, she becomes annoyed with its owner, and he becomes furious with her, telling her that each person is the average of the five people they spend the most time with, and that her 5 must be a great dissapointment. Allegra takes this to heart and tries to cultivate new people in her life, and writes to some very inspiring women.

Unfortunately Allegra is somewhat ASD and finds it difficult to read people and their feelings, and things get very muddled.

For me the whole thing comes together so beautifully at the end, and things resolve themselves - though not in the way Allegra had planned. My only negative comment is the lack of speech marks, which occasionally makes understanding what she is saying and what she is thinking, a little confused.

All in all I enjoyed the book, and I do look forward to reading the next Cecelia Ahern novel.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4168391993

Loved this book. Very quickly liked Allegra Bird and was rooting for her. It was so well written the way people took her the wrong way and made wrong assumptions about her. The Gardaí thinking she had set off the alarm, the home owner blaming her for catching her in the act of adultery. And of all of the bad things that happened to her, the rejection by her Mother was the absolute worst. It broke my heart. I wanted to throttle that woman. That self absorbed woman who only cared about her '2' children, rich husband, fancy cars and fancy life. She was brilliantly written as the shallow and self obsessed woman she was meant to be. Allegra is better off without her but it was a very hard lesson to learn. A life affirming read, I adored this book. It ended perfectly - like a warm hug!

{Parking attendant Allegra finds out one day that she is the sum of the five people she spends most time with - and this sets her thinking and examining her life, who are her five people?
She has had a big change o life circumstances, so her introspection comes at just the right time.
A heart warming book with some possibly predictable elements, but a happy read