Ahern is a very clever and acomplished author. She has a unique way wiritng about the human condition and this novel is no different. At times heartachingly sad, but also very intelligent. It really made me think, and it was a departure from my normal reads. Loved it.

Well. This book is a lot, so many intertwined stories and so much hurt for Enya as she faces her 47th year and, decades on, is struggling with the death of her mum. I loved everything about this story; the rag tree, Margaret, her role as a GP, Finn, Flora. The twists and turns had me absolutely hooked and I absolutely did NOT see the ending coming. What an absolutely fabulous read, would highly recommend.

Absolutely fabulous book, full of complex characters and intriguing situations, and so descriptive I could have been there . The storms gave me chills , mysterious faces at the windows made me jump. Some amusing bits too, particularly with Margaret’s quick fire responses . Very character driven, which I especially loved & exceedingly well written. Highly recommended.

Absolutely brilliant, loved it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an advance copy, I will definitely be recommending.

Had me gripped from the start. The book centres around a car accident where a GP, Enya Pickering comes across the accident during a violent rainstorm. She administers CPR. The story develops from the accident onwards. Her relationship with the victim’s family, her own relationship with her family and the people directly involved with the incident. Her own memories of her childhood is a constantly recurring theme throughout the book. I was convinced who had caused the original car accident, but that was always thwarted by events in the story. In the end, I would never have guessed who was guilty of the hit and run. A real plot twist.

I am a huge fan of Cecelia Ahern's books and this one did not disappoint. Right from the beginning, I was drawn in and felt like I knew the characters. You could feel all the main character's emotions and I had to keep reading to see what happened. And just when i thought I had it figured it out, a twist appeared that I didn't see coming. Highly recommend !!

On a stormy Saturday evening in December, while driving home, Enya Pickering encounters a distraught taxi driver who has stumbled upon a hit-and-run victim—a 15-year-old boy. As a general practitioner, Enya instinctively takes charge, performing CPR until emergency services arrive. Once back in her car, the gravity of the situation begins to sink in, especially the eerie resemblance between the victim and her own 15-year-old son, Finn, leaving her deeply unsettled.

But this incident is just the tip of the iceberg for Enya. Haunted by personal demons and a life in disarray, she decides to escape her past by accepting a new job in the rural countryside, abandoning her old life, including her husband and son. However, the past proves difficult to outrun, along with the secrets she is desperate to keep hidden. With the Garda investigating the hit-and-run, her husband severing communication with Finn, and her ongoing struggles with mental health, Enya's composure begins to fray.

Enya believed her life ended at forty-seven, but she didn’t anticipate an opportunity for rebirth. She discovers a newfound peace reminiscent of the safety she felt at twelve, enclosed with her sister and mother. This sense of security, forever etched in her heart and her mother's writings, becomes her guiding light. Enya carries this light within her, using it to navigate the darkness of her journey, illuminating her path with resilience and hope.

This narrative will resonate deeply with women over forty, a stage in life where stability often gives way to introspection and a desire for personal growth. It's a time when many reconsider their life choices and explore new directions. The writing style, tinged with melancholy, conveys a palpable sadness and missed opportunities that evoke strong emotions. Although the pace can be slow, the author skillfully handles complex themes with nuance and sensitivity.

The characters are vividly depicted, lifelike, and brimming with emotion. The contrast between Enya’s private turmoil and professional facade is both understandable and intricate.

The story draws on the Tree of Life concept, a symbol of interconnectedness across heaven, earth, and the underworld. It reflects pre-Christian Irish spirituality, with the Rag Tree serving as a potent symbol of healing. Enya’s tumultuous yet ultimately restorative journey is deeply inspired by this symbol, making the narrative both profound and meaningful.


3,5/5

I've loved all the previous Cecilia Ahern books that I've read but haven't read one for a long time, so when I saw the description of her new book I thought I'd give it a go.

The book is incredibly well written and the way the author is able to bring to life the main character's mental health struggles in a very real and raw way, was moving and thought provoking. Quite a hard read at times but the way she was able to navigate the difficult subject was skillful.
Different from the previous ones I've read from Ahern, and while it's not my favourite of hers, I still enjoyed it.

What a fantastic thought provoking read. This had so many twists and turns I was hooked from the first page and binged this book in one day couldn’t put it down.
Enya is a GP and so is her husband, but as she nears the age her mother died form a heart attack she begins to question her own mortality. She’s withdrawing from everyone.
Hen one stormy night sets off a chain of events that will change her life forever. Follow her journey into the unknown with a a lot of surprises along the way.

Another great read from Cecilia. Very atmospheric, quite dark in places, yet considering everything that goes on, from the accident and further on, it is still a story of hope and new beginnings. A book that had mostly likeable characters and impressive scene setting I really enjoyed this.

A other great read by Cecelia Ahern. Characters you bond with. Great story and twist. Page turner and read in a few days

I found this quite an emotional read. GP Enya experiences a life changing moment when she stops to help the victim of a hit and run. It leads to several things in her life changing and she has to figure out how to move forward.

It's not quite as good as other books by Cecelia I've read but I did still find it a good read.

I loved this fast paced thriller and read it in two sittings!!
Enya is driving home one very stormy evening and comes across a car accident. A young boy, Ross, has been hit and lying in the road with a taxi driver who found him
She carries out CPR on him, which saves his life but hers starts to unravel
Her marriage has not been a happy one for a while and doesn't feel connected to her husband. Her son Finn, who is the same age as Ross, feels like a distant 16 year old.
She decides to move away from the town to a rural setting and become the village Dr, in order to give herself some time to think and recover from feeling so lost
There is a tree in her garden called the Rag Tree, which is covered with bits of rags from locals and visitors who leave for themselves or others who either need healing or seeking forgiveness.
She is really annoyed by the tree at first wanting to cut it down as it's blocking the light, but comes to love what it symbolises
The plot has a lot of twist and turns and wasn't sure how it would end, but I really enjoyed it

"It's not just a tree, it's all the people who visit it, all the people its limbs carry their emblems for. It stands for everyone and everything; loss, grief, hope, forgiveness and, most of all, love"

3* Writing was decent, and I learned a few things, but I didn't feel like I liked, or got to know, the characters.

I honestly don't know how to class this book other than women's fiction. It was well written, I learned about a few Irish superstitions and a bit of lore, but I never felt like I learned enough about the characters to make me care about them or know them.

Lots of lies, lots of tripping into the past, and a doctor dealing with poor mental health, though for the most, I don't think she clocked how much she'd been affected by her mother's passing aged 47, when she was around 12. Yes, she was in rural Ireland and yes, she went from having two parents to her father remarrying quickly after her parents split, and she and her full sister feeling left out of the new family, so perhaps that affected her, too. But, as a GP married to another GP, why not get some help?

This was a read-and-delete for me, probably not the best introduction to this author.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, for my reading pleasure.

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I really enjoyed this book! A wonderful read, with lots of interesting characters. The mental health aspect is dealt with beautifully, and there was no part of this that I found harsh or cruel even although it was raw and real. Some of Enya’s choices are questionable but I think this adds to the plot. I loved Margaret’s character and can say that I laughed out loud at some of her one liners. The only reason that this dropped a star for me is that I felt the ending was rushed and it very quickly jumped through the outcome. Overall, another great addition to Cecelia’s books and would recommend a read when it comes out!

ONE NIGHT
It is a wild night in the middle of December, and GP Enya is crouched over a teenage boy, performing CPR in the rain.
ONE MOMENT
The boy survives, but Enya’s life splinters in two. Trapped in a loveless marriage, the storm propels her to break free.
ONE CHANCE TO BE FREE
But even in the remote country town that becomes her sanctuary, Enya is haunted by the night in the rain.
Beneath the boughs of an ancient tree that tells a thousand stories, can she find the courage to face her own?

As a huge Ahern fan, when I saw I had been accepted for an ARC I was beyond happy. However, I don't know how I feel about this book. I enjoyed reading it because - as expected - Cecelia can WRITE. Every sentence is well written, well paced and enjoyable to read. The premise of this book was good and I like that it touches on difficult, complex situations which can be hard to read about. It focuses on mental health struggles in a real and raw way, which I applaud.

My issue with this book was that I didn't love any of the characters. I appreciated them, but Enya just wasn't it for me. I would have enjoyed this a lot more if I enjoyed the main character. That being said, I liked how her job played a role in this novel, which felt beneficial to the plot. More often than not, a profession will be mentioned and embedded but not always relevant to the story so I did enjoy this.

Overall, I would recommend this book as it was an enjoyable, real read, but definitely not my favourite by Ahern.

This is a hard book to review because I can't say that I enjoyed it but it's a good, well-written story with really well fleshed-out characters. It's not quite as amazing as previous Cecelia Ahern books but that's purely a personal opinion as I found the whole book to be rather depressing with the only light coming from some amusing conversations between Enya and Margaret. Enya is fairly unlikeable and is going through a very difficult time coming to terms with her mother's death but some of her choices are questionable to say the least. The story is slow with gradual revelations and some fascinating information about pagan beliefs from pre-Christian times.

'Into The Storm' is this author's latest release. I have loved all her previous work, so I was already aware of the delicacy of her writing, which quickly pulls on the heartstrings of her readers. The way she handles the most sensitive of topics makes her one of my auto-buy authors.

I enjoyed learning about the main character, Enya, and witnessing her personal journey. A complex character written with depth and creativity, she has become one of my favourite characters created by Adhern.

As the plot unfolds, it becomes evident that the characters are the driving force behind the narrative, their actions and decisions shaping the course of events. Every twist and turn left me wanting more, eagerly anticipating what would happen next. There were a few parts that were predictable for me. However, this didn’t alter my enjoyment of this read. I read this from start to finish for over two days, and I loved it!

This is a highly recommended read for this author and genre fans. I am confident this will be another bestseller by Ahern.

The dread of Enya’s approaching 47th birthday causes her untold stress. Thick and fast the questions pile up when she decides to leave her marriage. Just when you think you have figured out the perpetrator of the hit and run the plot throws curved ball after curved ball. Excellent plotting which proves very addictive.

A very different book by Cecelia Ahern which I thoroughly enjoyed.

It is set round the character of GP Enya who is driving in a storm one night when she comes across an accident involving a teenage boy.
From this point on, Enya's life spirals and she moves away to start again but the past always follows us wherever we go and she soon finds that she has to face her own demons to be truly set free.

Again, Cecelia uses Irish fokelore to bring the story to life and give the book another dimension. A great read.