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

Found this one dragging, dry, and rather upsetting for how all the characters are so unlikeable and seemingly out to do things just to shock the reader, it seems. I went into this expecting a kooky family, family drama, and humour and lightness (not unlike Marian Keyes' Irish family dramas), but this wasn't the case. Couldn't find much redeeming for any character with a POV in there, and the humour wasn't there for me. I'd say it lacked 'heart', but then again, that's my opinion after having been exposed to the likes of Marian Keyes' Irish family drama-comedies

This one is a slow burner or at least it didn’t grab me in the first 30 minutes but I’m so glad I persevered as it turned out to be a funny, well-paced and surprisingly affecting novel of family drama. I became totally invested in the outcomes and warmed to the characters. Good, crackling writing made this an unexpected treat.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Atlantis Books for approving me for and ARC of this book.

The story follows the Gogarty’s and is told from the POV of Kevin, Millie and Aideen. All three of these characters are at different stages of life but equally going through difficulties. First we have Kevin a dad of four who has recently lost his job. Whilst trying to find a new one his wife Grace is bringing home the income and he is left to run around after the children. Whilst one has up and left home he still has the other three to worry about, in particular Aideen. In between cleaning the house and keeping on top of the kids social lives he has his mother Millie to keep him on his toes!

Millie is a pensioner who has a problem with shop lifting and it is this that lands her in hot water at the beginning of the story. Despite her slick fingers you can’t help but love Millie, she’s convinced that her son Kevin just wants to put her in a home and she’s determined to keep her independence. She’s full of character and her ability to call a spade a spade often had me chuckling. She is always up to mischief and her antics never fail to entertain.

Lastly we have Aideen who is on the brink of womanhood and about to be sent off to boarding school. Kevin is at his wits end with her and just does not know what to do. He hopes that a stricter school and some time away from her twin will help to set her on the straight and narrow but Aideen has other ideas. I did feel for her and wished that Kevin and Grace sat down to talk to her. It’s hard when there are so many siblings in a family because each child is calling out to be heard and when they are not they find different ways to get attention.

Good Eggs is a slow burn family saga filled with plenty of chuckles, emotion and drama! I adored the mini adventure that Millie and Aideen went on, it was the highlight of the book for me. This shows family in its purest form. The highs and lows, the laughter and tears. it’s hard not to find yourself relating to one or two characters.

I enjoyed this novel but found it ended rather abruptly.
Relationships of three generations of an Irish family and their misdemeanours .
Mostly set in an Irish town with an escapade to USA
Well written

I liked this one but I didnt love it. I liked the different chapters told from the threee characters perspectives but I found that I was lefting wanting more and it just failed to deliver.

Thank you to the publisher for my eARC copy of this book. Unfortunately I didn’t love this book. I can see why others do but I just didn’t connect with this one. Not for me, sorry.

I was looking forward to this book after reading the blurb. Unfortunately I didn’t find it very humorous or entertaining. I usually battle through but gave up on this one.

Good Eggs is a book that had me conflicted. Although there were some aspects of this that were entertaining, it was far too predictable for me. Due to this, I never quite felt the connection to the story that I had hoped to experience.

In truth, I think this might just be one of those cases where I was not the right reader. There was supposed to be humour with this story, but I did not find the story funny. In fact, I found some parts of it tedious. I kept waiting to be sucked in, eager to feel something, but that never happened. There were a handful of moments where this one left me with the belief things were going to improve, and the story certainly had potential, but it never delivered anything to make me truly invested in this one. Things felt too surface level, without the depth that would have made it more gripping.

All in all, I can see the appeal of Good Eggs, yet it was not for me.

A lovely read, full of humour and general lovelyness.
A wonderful escape from life, restores your faith in humanity.

I received a copy of this book to review from Netgalley and all opinions are my own.
A sweet and lighthearted read with plenty of warmth. The 3 points of view add depth and interest to the story. The writing is good with plenty of funny details included.
At tunes, the story is slow and meandering, as it includes plenty of information that is not necessarily needed. It takes some time to move the plot forward.

An entertaining and easy read. This is a multi-generational read told from 3 different family members perspectives. Had some good laugh out moments,

A light and funny holiday read.

I enjoy books about people and this is an excellent example with interesting dynamics within the family.

The story follows the Gogarty family and is told from three different perspectives; Granny, Dad and his teenage daughter. It's a real feel good book and I highly recommend it.

Lovely debut Novel. Amusing yet relatable, so it tugs at your heartstrings. Told from three different perspectives. This is a warm funny pleasurable read. My thanks to Net Galley the publisher and the author for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

Meet the Gogartys; cantankerous gran Millie (whose eccentricities include a penchant for petty-theft and reckless driving); bitter downtrodden son Kevin (erstwhile journalist whose stay-at-home parenting is pushing him to the brink); and habitually moody, disaffected teenage daughter Aideen.

When Gran's arrested yet again for shoplifting, Aideen's rebelliousness has reached new heights and Kevin's still not found work, he realises he needs to take action. With the appointment of a home carer for his mother, his daughter sent away to boarding school to focus on her studies and more time for him to reboot his job-hunt, surely everything will work out just fine. But as the story unfolds - and in the way of all the best families - nothing goes according to plan and as the calm starts to descend into chaos we're taken on a hilarious multiple-perspective roller-coaster ride that is as relatable as it is far-fetched.

How fantastic to read a book about a family that is so relatable. I'm not saying that my family has a lot in common with the Gogartys, but there are some definite similarities there.

Filled with great characters, all of whom bring so much to the story. None of the characters get lost as so many others do when there is such a large cast and I really found myself hoping for the best for all of them.

Rebecca Hardiman has written a cracking tale about a multigenerational Irish family living in Dún Laoghaire, Dublin, where everyone knows everyone. The story focuses on Millie, Aideen and Kevin and is highly amusing. Millie Gogarty is a feisty eighty-three-year-old and a real live wire. Her son Kevin is an unemployed journalist, though is tasked with looking after his four children while his wife, high-flying Grace, works. Then there's his troubled, rebellious, angst-ridden 16-year-old twin daughter, Aideen, with her ill feelings directed towards her twin, Nuala.

There is a lot to enthuse over in Rebecca Hardiman's dysfunctional Gogarty family's escapades. An entertaining and engaging family drama right through to the end this emotional roller coaster adventure will delight many readers as it did me. The author explores feelings of growing older, relationships, and coping with life. Good Eggs is a belter of a tale, so ready yourself and dive in.

I read Good Eggs in staves with other Pigeonholers as part of a group. A special thank you to Atlantic Books, Rebecca Hardiman, NetGalley and The Pigeonhole for a complimentary copy of this novel at my request. This review is my unbiased opinion.

Good Eggs by Rebecca Hardiman

This is a story about a large Irish family and all of the ups and downs that come with it. There are lots of funny moments and some great characters (who wouldn’t love granny Millie!) in this feel-good, light-hearted read.
Thanks to NetGalley and to Atlantic Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Kevin Gogarty’s life used to be normal – you know, family, job, holidays, friends… Until he has lost his job, his 80 – year – old mother Millie has been caught shoplifting once too often and one of his four children, the teenage daughter Aideen, is struggling at school and at home. His wife is all the time at work, being very successful at this what she’s doing and trying to financially support the family. So yes, it’s too much for him and it’s time for some radical changes. Enter Silvia, who is there to keep a close eye on Millie. Aideen is being sent to a boarding school, despite her protest, where she promptly befriends another troublemaker. So, problems solved, right? Kevin has no idea that it’s only the tip of the iceberg and real problems are lurking around the corner…

We have a multigenerational Irish family, with all the ups and downs of multigenerational family, that is. There are understatmenets, secrets, lies and problems swept under the rug or shipping children off to boarding school when they become troubles. In this very character – driven story, they are all well drawn personalities, enough for me to keep reading, even though I found myself skipping some of the passages, especially at the end. Not all of them were likeable, Kevin for example, the way he was with his mother was not the nicest one, his wife was rather absent and those were Millie and Aideen that kept the show going on. Nevertheless, I think there wouldn’t be this book without Kevin, his was the most central role in the whole family, me thinks. He has lost his job not so long time ago and now must adjust to the new circumstances, to be the stay – at – home dad who, almost always alone, has to cope with all the problems, caught up between his children and his trouble – making mother. Millie, with her penchant for shoplifting, dangerous driving and altogether planning to grow old on her own terms, was probably the most colourful character, although the misunderstood Aideen was very close. It was brilliant to see how those two found each other again and teamed up. Other Kevin’s children are Gerard, who’s off in a college, Ciaran, the youngest one, still sweet and innocent, and Aideen’s twin – sister Nuala, Miss Perfect who has annoyed me incredibly. Nevertheless, all of them are actually „good eggs“, they have to face problems that we easily can relate to and this way it is easy to fall for the characters, to get them and their behaviour.

I started reading this book filled with expectation and hope – I love Irish fiction and the crazy but incredibly supporting and funny Irish families that I keep reading about – and I was really hoping for a new Walsh family here. However, the more I read, the more disappointed I was with this book, the story and the characters, I haven’t found enough warmth and wit in them. Sure, nobody promised me this, but even it someone had, I wouldn’t be able to fall in love with „Good Eggs“.

There is a lot happening in this book and some of the things are funny and some are incredibly too far – fetched, and the closer to the end the more crazy and somehow unbelievable it became. Please don’t get me wrong, there was much to enjoy in this dysfunctional Gocarty family, but it was much more a hit and miss with me and while there were moments that I enjoyed, mostly the humour didn’t work for me and it felt a bit too ridiculous. Nevertheless, it was enjoyable and engaging story with a heart, touching upon some important issues and tackling them with humour., so don’t feel put out by me complaining.

I was quite let down by this book overall. I loved the writing style and found it easy to read but in the end it bordered on the farsical and I found myself skipping pages.