Late at night, just days before Christmas, Dr Enya Pickering stumbles across a road accident involving a teenage boy. This accident is the catalyst she needs to appraise her life and make some drastic changes.

I have a few Cecelia Ahern books on my TBR pile but I don't think I've read anything by the author other than her debut novel, the runaway success, P. S. I Love You. With that in mind, Into The Storm wasn't quite what I was expecting. Into The Storm is a very emotional read, it's not likely to bring you to tears but it will make you think about tradition, the cycle of life and the role of women in families.

Enya is married with a teenage son, she is a GP in a successful suburban practice along with her husband. Life would appear to be sorted, but since her 46th birthday in November, she has felt as if she has a ticking time bomb inside her. This stems from the fact that her mother died of a heart attack on her 47th birthday.

On a wet and windy winter's night, driving along twisty country lanes, Enya comes across the scene of an accident. The first person on the scene, a taxi driver, flags her down, asking for help. Enya is initially shocked as the victim reminds her so much of her teenage son, but her professionalism kicks in and she does her best for the boy until the paramedics arrive.

The accident is the impetus needed for Enya to evaluate her life, particularly her marriage, and make some drastic changes. Enya's husband was despicable, I honestly couldn't fathom why she had remained married to him for so long. He's one of those people who puts on a charming front but when there is no one else around he's spiteful and bitchy. Within the marriage Enya has always played the peacekeeper, giving in to her husband's demands.

When Enya walks out on her marriage she also walks out on her job. Luckily, she is offered the role of GP in a rural practice. The change from working in a busy town to life in a rural community is a culture shock. Initially, Enya is treated with some hostility as she doesn't understand the traditions the locals hold dear. Being a doctor, a woman of science, means that Enya is scornful of superstitious beliefs. This attitude is surprising given her childhood, her mother was a firm believer in the healing power of nature.

Enya is slowly accepted into the village, mainly due to the help of Margaret the property manager responsible for Enya's rented accommodation and the doctor's surgery. Margaret is my favourite character, a brusque woman with no filter. Over time we discover the brusqueness is a shield and that Margaret is consumed by guilt. Over the space of ten months the pair support each other, recognising the emotional trauma they are each struggling with. Secrets are gradually revealed, secrets that will have devastating consequences but also offer a chance of rebirth once they have been confronted.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this e-arc.

I normally love Cecelia ahern books but this one fell a bit flat for me, I think it was a bit wordy and long but I also didn’t really connect with the main character.

I would still recommend this book because I think many would enjoy it but I just didn’t have much luck with it.

I have read other books by the Author and this was a very well written book.
It didn’t grab my full attention like some books with a urgency to get back to reading or finish the book, however I enjoyed the story and felt it was quite different from some of my recent reads.
It was thought provoking but not in an intense way and I felt the characters were realistic and I was able to build an image of them whilst reading.
I would certainly recommend it but couldn’t describe it as a gripping read

I have read all other Cecelia Ahern books so I was thrilled to be approved for this ARC on netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book, like the author's other work, touches on delicate matters such as the death of a parent and the complexity of the grieving process. Enya is riddled with anxiety about her approaching 47th birthday because this was when her beloved mum died.

Parallel to this is the mystery of the perpetrator of the hit and run where Enya assisted and saved the victim.

This is not the author's usual style and though I enjoyed the book I prefer her other works.

For a long time Cecelia Ahern was an author I purchased without considering the topic of the novel however lately I haven't enjoyed her books as much. Unfortunately this one was of that ilk. I really didn't find the characters likeable. They seemed very selfish and self centred or in some cases totally superfluous. I wanted to shake Enya and do something worse to Xander! I certainly wouldn't want either of them as my GP! The story itself was ok but all seemed a bit over exaggerated. Not one of my favourite reads I'm afraid.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

I love Cecelia Ahern’s books and thoroughly enjoyed this one. Compared to her previous books it was a lot slower and in places made me a bit sad. I would definitely recommend it though.

Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced reading copy.

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC of this book. I don't think I've ever been so conflicted about a book before, I would rate this somewhere between 2.75 and 3 stars.

I can definitely appreciate compelling and thought-provoking writing. I felt the depiction of mental was rather spot on! which I found relatable.

However,

I unfortunately found this to be cripplingly slow-paced. I was a good 65% in before I could say I maybe started to become invested. At some point, it started to feel a little bit repetitive with nothing actually going on and I found the ending rather underwhelming.

I enjoyed Into The Storm, it had a mystery element to it as well which I liked. There was depth to the story with lots of layers and although there were lots of characters it didn’t feel confusing. I felt there were some twists and turns throughout which kept me interested. I took a real dislike to her husband. It’s amazing that this is Cecelia’s 20th book, what an incredible accomplishment. Into The Storm feels different than a lot of other books of hers, I enjoyed it as I like variety. I think some readers that maybe like to stick to one specific genre may not take to it the same way.

A devastating read by the Queen of heartfelt fiction. Cecelia Ahern never fails to pull the heartstrings taut. Exceptional writing, stunning story.

This book left me pretty torn, to be honest. I really liked the concept and it had a very strong start, but it got a little stagnant in the middle and I lost interest.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Into the Storm by Cecelia Ahern

Loved , loved , loved it !

It is a wild night in the middle of December, and GP Enya is crouched over a teenage boy, performing CPR in the rain.
The boy survives, but Enya’s life splinters in two. Trapped in a loveless marriage, the storm propels her to break free.
But even in the remote country town that becomes her sanctuary, Enya is haunted by the night in the rain.

I really felt connected to the character Enya , her character was believable , and I was really taken along with the story.
Another great book by this author.

It is a wild night in the middle of December, and GP Enya is crouched over a teenage boy, performing CPR in the rain.
This one night is going to change Enya’s life forever, one thing after another !

I have been a huge fan of Cecelia Ahern for many many years. What I love about her books, is that each book has its own story, a story that you never know what direction the genre is going to take.

I genuinely was gripped by this book. Keeps you guessing that for sure! Definitely worth the read.

#netgalley #ceceliaahern #bookreview #arcs

After an incredibly slow start and finding myself not wanting to continue, suddenly I was engulfed in Enya's story. It went from slow and boring to so fast paced and exciting and I couldn't put it down! The folk lore is what pulled me in the most.

Excellent book, which follows Enya who is a local GP, the story line has twist in it, and you want to know more about the place she lives at with the ragged tree, and what the rags represent.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for providing an eARC.

Synopsis:
An accident in the depths of a stormy night brings up unresolved feelings of grief for Enya, yet it is also the catalyst for her to seize hold of her life and forces her to make some difficult choices. As her life spirals into chaos Enya struggles to find purchase in her new rural location as a GP. Rejected by the locals and with her past knocking at the door, can Enya find the strength she needs to carve a life for herself?

Verdict:
There’s a wonderful sense of sisterhood in the story. It is filled with strong female relationships, the ties that hold us upright, keep us moving forward, even when we want to lie down and give up.
Her husband is every inch the villain of the story, ( he reminds me of the husband in ‘Bad Sisters’ TV show) He is a manipulative man, chipping away at Enya’s confidence with cruel precision. Yet Ahern manages, at times, to make us see his perspective too. She writes characters who are beautifully complex and interesting.

This was tense and brooding, a claustrophobic unravelling of a woman at the worst moment in her life, yet it is poignant, tender and filled with a thread of hope.

And what a plot twist!

It is a wild night in the middle of December, and GP Enya is crouched over a teenage boy, performing CPR in the freezing rain. She found him on a mountain road near Dublin, the victim of a hit-and-run. The boy survives, but Enya goes to pieces. She leaves her husband, her son, and everything she knows to start a new life in remote rural Ireland.

This is a bit different from the usual Cecelia Ahern novels but I still enjoyed it as it was a sort of whodunnit which had me guessing . I enjoyed learning about the Irish folklore and the story of the rag tree. The character of Margaret was well drawn and likeable and Enya's struggles with her mental health issues were well depicted. Overall it is a good story which I would recommend.

3.5 stars.

I'm a bit biased because I love this author. She cannot put a foot wrong, and all her books are so different and memorable. She is a master of creating real, flawed, magnetic characters with unpredictable storylines that unfold with perfect pace.

This is definitely one of her darker books. GP Enya is wrapped in a mid-life crisis, compounded further when she finds a boy in the road, hit by a car once stormy night. He reminds her of her own son, whose relationship is flagging, as she fights to save his life. But the events of this night are far reaching and act as a catalyst that impacts every branch of her life. She has many of her own demons to fight and its uncertain if she can come out the other side.

A master story teller - its another novel whose images have imprinted on my memory.

What a fantastic read. One rainy night Enya finds a young boy the victim of a hit and run and as a doctor she soon starts to attend to him and by doing so saves his life but there are many twists and secrets to uncover before the truth of the accident finally comes to light. A brilliant read from the beginning and Enya's struggles are so traumatic at times its both heartbreaking and tragic that will make it hard to put down. Highly recommend this 5⭐read

The story starts with a bang. Ahern starts this pacey novel with Dr Enya driving in a storm when she stops to deal with a hit and run. The victim reminds her of her own son. What is Enya hiding, what is she hiding from so many questions. Enya is taking on her own personal storm and dealing with her own past issues. Will this storm be too great?. Can she dig deep to find her way through?.

I love the start, most of the middle and the end finished strongly.

Ahern is a great writer this book had a different but fresh feel. A really good book

A slow read, plodding at times, exploring grief and mental illness through the lens of mythology. On paper this is the sort of book I love but the experience mirrored the characters mental health - foggy, fatigued and somehow weighed down.