A fantastic second book following The Sisters of Saint Philomena and their parishioners. As well as the Nuns this book includes Sister Bridget’s family as well as the local travel agent George and Matthew his partner. Thanks to Anne Booth and her publisher. Thanks also to NetGalley.

A lovely feel good story, slightly quirky and continuing the stories of the characters introduced in Small Miracles. Everyone loves Sister Bridget - except the new visitor to the convent. But why? And what secrets from the past are going to be revealed? I raced through this, it's comforting story and very enjoyable with some funny moments and a great cast of characters.

A very sweet and comforting story catching up with Sister Bridget and the other Sisters from St Philomena’s convent. This time, as their B&B is successfully up and running, we catch up with Mary, Bridget’s sister, and her family as they struggle with ill health, financial struggles and the past coming back to haunt them. If you enjoyed the first book in this series, you will love this! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved Small Miracles, so I was thrilled to be offered a copy of Sweet Mercies (the sequel) to review.

I was such a joy to return and spend time with the Sisters of Saint Philomena again. I loved the sense of community, both in the convent, and the wider area. It’s wonderful to see how all the characters are getting on, they feel like old friends. I especially loved the kittens, and their interactions with Sister Cecilia.

The plot was great, I loved all the different threads running through the book, and the way they intertwined. I enjoyed the sense of history, and the way it all comes together in the end.

Overall, this book was a joy to read, full of community and kindness. I really hope that there will be more books in the series. I’d love to learn more about Sister Cecilia’s past.

I was given a copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

Great festive read for fans of Derry Girls and Sister Boniface, I really enjoyed this book and its humorous. believable characters and Booth's writing was simply divine.

A really lovely book. I loved the nuns and the wider ranging characters. A very uplifting read. Highly recommended by me!

All the characters are back from the first book in this series set at St Philomena’s convent. If you haven’t read the first book Small Miracles, you can easily read this one as a stand alone, and to be honest I thought the plot for this latest book was a bit faster paced and altogether more interesting.

At one time the nuns were teachers but with the convent getting ever smaller and with no one really wanting to give their lives up to the church, the nuns had to find a new way to save their dwindling sisterhood and now run a kind of guest house/hostel with Sister Bridget (also Mother Superior of two other nuns) as chief cook. They are still very much involved in the day to day running of the church as well, supporting the Priest.

In this book we meet up with Bridget’s sister Mary who still lives in Ireland. Mary and her rather overbearing husband, a successful property developer, form one of the story threads running through. Mary has spent most of her married life playing second fiddle to her husband, never managing to fulfill her own dreams of becoming a professional artist. He’s an all round unpleasant man, who believes he has always done right by his wife but that’s only because she’s fallen into line and always put his needs first.

Back at the Convent the spritely but somewhat curmudgeonly 90 year old Sister Cecelia has a bigger role to play in this second book when she becomes the reluctant adoptee of the Convent’s cat. A guest staying at the Convent’s new accommodation has taken a distinct dislike to Sister Bridget. No one knows why, especially when you couldn’t meet a more kindly person. Though perhaps sometimes her desire to do all she can to help people can be seen by some as meddling.

I enjoyed this one much more than the last book. Though it does have many references to God and the Catholic faith, it can still be enjoyed by the less religious amongst us. There’s a gentle humour to it, but with some more serious matters covered. Always written with great sensitivity, I zipped through it, finding it an absorbing read. I was quite sorry to reach the end. It’s perhaps a little overly sweet at times but by the time I reached the end, it left me feeling like that was time well spent on an enjoyable, wholesome read. If there’s to be a third book in this series, I would love to read it.

I loved this tale - great to revisit this tiny order of nuns and see how they overcome more challenges. What could be perceived as a light hearted tale is actually layered with complexities, family dynamics and understanding the impact of your actions.

I have enjoyed every minute of these books.

My thanks to Netgalley for my copy of Sweet Mercies. This is so not my usual genre of choice and I am far from religious, but I love these Anne Booth books. They are engaging, calming, and heartwarming and I didn't want Sweet Mercies to end.

An enjoyable gentle read, slightly old fashioned with charmingly delightful characters. This is the second book about the nuns from St. Philomena's Convent and I certainly enjoyed this one more but I think it does stand alone not being reliant on the first book. Old fashioned in a quirky way with quite a lot of humour whilst actually dealing with some more serious human traits. Light and heartwarming with a good community feel and quite removed from the frantic modern world.

The past decades have introduced us to female protagonists from a wide variety of backgrounds who suddenly have to investigate mysterious goings-on. As far as I know, however, Sister Bridget and her peers from the St Philomena order are the only nuns who have become female lead investigators. Initially, this novel appears to be a ‘cosy crime’ novel, that features rosy descriptions of Christmas, the nuns’ cheerful efforts to run a bed and breakfast hotel in what appears to be a peaceful community, and the main protagonist’s superb baking prowess (a pun on the book's title) that means there is always a cup of tea and a slice of cake available in her orbit. But reading a bit further reveals some more troubling themes, such as coercive control and the more harrowing legacies of the Catholic Church that will also be unveiled in this book. Overall, this was an intriguing, engaging read that I can recommend. Thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley for the digital ARC that I received and that allowed me to read and review this book.

I enjoyed Anne Booth's first nun book so much, I was really pleased to be able to read the second in the series. This is not quite as enjoyable perhaps, contrived in places, but covers similar themes of fortitude and resourcefulness with a big dash of prayer - more than someone like me is used to. There are some darker parts to the storyline too, though I guessed part of it, and the difficult legacy of the Catholic church goes on. But the nuns and their growing band of friends are charming and sweet and I haven't got it in my heart to dislike these books at all. When it comes down to it, we all need a dash of fortitude and thankfulness for small, sweet mercies, and for someone in our lives to bake as well as Sr Bridget. I've introduced these books to my mum and I know she's very keen to read this!

What a lovely hug of a book! If you are stressed at all settle down with this in a big cosy arm chair and you will be transported away from your troubles. The second book involving the sisters of St Philomena’s gives you all the sense of Irish warmth and community you could ask for. I loved the first book and this is a great follow up. The characters are wonderfully drawn - the author clearly has a lot of affection for them as will you if you have not met them before. Thoroughly recommended if you want to pass some gentle hours in great company.

I’m not religious but that’s not an issue where this cosy read is concerned. Set around Christmas time and the new year it continues on beautifully from the first book with the three very different nuns settling into running their b&b whilst still being a big part in the community. This time there are family issues for Bridget as well as other troubled relationships in the community. Overall this is a thoughtful but sweet read with beautiful characters and an uplifting feel.

A feel good series that proves nobody’s perfect, not even nuns. Second in the series with the nuns of St. Philomena, Sister Bridget rights a wrong from the past. Slow to start with all threads coming together in the end. A gentle read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy, easy to recommend to general audiences.

The Sisters of Saint Philomena are getting ready for Christmas and are ready to share Christmas cheer. Sister Bridget certainly is but despite being a popular Mother Superior someone arrives at the convent who doesn’t like her at all.

Sister Bridget needs to look to her own past and her family and be prepared to give herself a second chance.

A lovely heart warming story to be read eating one of Sister Bridget’s famous chocolate cakes.

I loved this book (and I loved its predecessor). Yes it is full of cliche and stereotypes, but I defy anyone not to warm to the characters, and really care about them all. I definitely felt uplifted at the end, and can't wait to read more about the Sisters and their neighbours.

The second book in the series finds Sister Bridget still trying to help everyone in her unfailingly cheerful way, be it with kind words or great cakes. But sometimes even she can’t solve everything.

Having loved the first book in this series I was,pleased to,find that I enjoyed this one just as much. It’s an uplifting read whether or not you’re religious, with ordinary, kind people, the odd grump and realistic story lines. Add to that an odd kitten or two and it makes for an entertaining way to spend a lazy day. Mary was a good character, if a bit over whelmed, but,coming into her own. Bridget as usual trying to help,everyone she meets, and being desolate when she is snubbed by anyone. She does get a bit carried away but all with the best of intentions. Although I could tell where the story was heading, it was still a lovely read.Recommended.

First book of Anne Booth's I have read, took a while to get into it, but was well worth the read and I didn't guess the plot. Twists and turns, but a lovely well written story

Being from an Irish catholic family this book was like slipping into a warm bath. It's a story of forgiveness, faith, living your best life and trying to find the best in everyone and every situation - and speaking to God as your constant companion. I'm sure it could also be read as a gentle feel-good book without delving too deeply into the religious aspects and I'm equally sure that it will give a huge amount of enjoyment to an awful lot of people.