Ciara is a young woman, a mother of two young ones (later, three), who is in a coercive relationship with Ryan.
She makes the difficult decision (again) to leave one day, and this is that story.
This is a respectful, authentic and tender accounting of the moving on, and the on-the-surface grey, but in reality, abusive realities of being in a coercive relationship. With families involved, the complicated traits of the controlling party, and the flaws of the victim simply deriving from being human but used against them by their abusers, this is an interesting novel. I am a bit based for my favouring of the landscape due to my familiarity with it, but I believe O’Donnell modern, gripping, engaging and authentic prose is the real winner here.
3.75 stars,
Amazing debut.
Please read the blurb and any content/trigger warnings prior to reading this book. We walk alongside Ciara and her loved ones in this book - it is best to be prepared if you can.

I am not sure how to review this book. I enjoyed reading it but also found it distressing and very sad. Ciara is a women from Sheffield married to a man from Ireland. The beginning of their marriage seemed perfect but Ryan becomes controlling mentally and physically although not the hitting kind. There are also two little girls in the mix who he ignores the majority of the time. Ciara leaves and goes to Sheffield but Ryan is contrite and she returns. A big mistake as once she is home he becomes abusive and unkind again. This time she feels she must leave and makes arrangements to fly home. On the flight she is stopped leaving the country by the Garda. Ryan obviously becomes worse. Eventually she makes the decision to leave but stay locally. She then finds herself pregnant with Noah but does not tell Ryan until obviously he finds out. Ciara is living in a hotel bedroom with three children, little money and frightened for those children. Ryan insists on his rights as a father to see the children but she has this maternal urge to keep them safe knowing that he will not look after them properly. Her other drama is that Ryan’s parents are in the mix thinking he is the best father in the work and this makes Ciara’s life even more difficult with their phone calls etc. The story brings home to readers that this is something that exists in some peoples’ day to day lives. Ciara becomes stronger and things improves very slowly. I enjoyed the characters as I felt they were believable and although the story is hard hitting it is worth a read

This is a powerful debut, following Ciara as she tries to take control of her life and escape her coercive controlling husband whilst caring for her children. Her fear is tangible and tension is high as he continues to manipulate her, using the children to make her feel guilty.

In her isolation, poverty, homelessness, helplessness, there is hope as increasingly she comes to rely on friends and family.

The only weak point is her finances. At the same time as she struggles to make ends meet, feed and clothe her children, she takes flights, runs her car, takes on a high rent home.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Nesting by Roisin O’Donnell

Ciara Fay cannot take her possessive, angry, abusive, controlling, manipulating husband anymore so one afternoon whilst he is in the shower she makes a snap decision to leave. She throws what she can into a suitcase, takes her two young daughters and leaves.

They end up living in a hotel whilst on the housing waiting list. Ryan’s texts and phone calls are relentless but she finally feels safe and will not give in. She manages to get a teaching job while studying at night and looking after her two children. trying to put on a happy face and deal with pregnancy tiredness. Yes, she finds out she is pregnant with Ryan’s child.

Ryan uses many tricks to get her to come home and when this doesn’t work he applies for permanent custody of his daughters. He messes with Ciara’s head in so many ways that she struggles to keep going.

She wonders how much longer she will be able to cope and stay strong against Ryan’s manipulation. Should she just do what’s best for her girls and go home? How will she be able to support her family? Her biggest worry is has she made a big mistake leaving her husband.

This was outstanding for a debut novel. O’Donnell captured the fear, trepidation and pure anxiety Ciara felt towards her monster of a husband superbly. She also characterized Ryan perfectly because I detested his Jekyll and Hyde persona and how he tried to squirm his way back into Ciara’s good books so this was a job well done.

Ciara’s love and protection for her daughters was beautiful and I loved their moments of closeness as they curled up in their hotel room. Ciara would read them books they picked up that day from the library as the wind blew outside and the rain pounded off the windows. My awe for Ciara and how brave she was grew with each page. She made the drab hotel room into a haven for herself and her children where they felt safe and where worry and fear were left out in the corridor.

I'm fairly confident this will be in my top ten books this year and I will be recommending it to everyone I meet. A well-deserved five-star read.

Thanks to NetGalley for a ARC of this book. I will be purchasing my very own copy when this is published on January 30th 2025 for my book shelf.

This opens with Ciara and Ryan (mum and dad) on the beach in the Spring of 2018 with Sophie and Ella, their children. If things aren't exactly happy then neither are they apparently particularly bad. However there is a wonderfully telling quote, the gist of which is that people may look happy from a distance but when you look closely you might find they are screaming! In a sense that is a cornerstone of this book to me. How many people out there are seen to be at least OK who aren't actually. In a very different way that was once me. Actually Ciara has left Ryan once before and is wondering what to do now. This is the story of what happens.

Leaving is never easy. I guess on the face of it you simply go however there is so much more to it than that. This book does illustrate and explore that very effectively. Ciara may be coping although her family have an idea she is not. However internally there is turmoil and that is a vital part of this book. Of course there is also a third level which is what Ciara isn't even admitting to herself. There really isn't much more that I want to reveal about this book - it would be far better to hear about it in Ciara's voice, she is far more authentic than I ever could be.

I must advise that this is a book about coercive control and that may well affect some people. Personally I would still say read it however we are all different. As I said this does feel very authentic to me - I felt much of the emotions here but there is no way that I, as a man, can really fully grasp this. It is very edgy at times for me. I kept reading a little bit more and keeping my fingers crossed. There really are highs and lows and even towards the end, when you start having some hope, it is in jeopardy. Throughout Ciara internal dialogue and turmoil came over so well for me. The time covered by this story is roughly a year but the journey is longer and harder than that. A remarkable first book and well worth taking a look at. 4.5/5

My nerves are shredded and I am not OK.
This book is edge of your seat stuff.
The last ten minutes also had my heart in my mouth.
The Story of coercive control told unbelievably Well.
When you doubt yourself all the time, because there's no proof.
Along with all the tension, there's a lot of love in this book, Cathy and Sinead and how they step up for this little family.
As ridiculous as this may sound, I was proud of Ciara for every single step she took away from this marriage.
Absolutely brilliant book,especially for a debut.

Ciara is a victim of coercive control and like many women in a similar situation she constantly tries to persuade herself that her life is not that bad. This is a very sensitive look at the issues and sacrifices these women have to make to escape a toxic relationship and make a new start for themselves and their children.

Nesting is a great debut novel by Roisin O'Donnell that had me full of nerves reading it. It really highlighted the difficulties women face leaving an abusive marriage and the struggles to find a safe home. Really well written on a difficult topic.

'Nestling' is an extraordinary debut by Irish writer Roisin O'Donnell. It's a beautiful story of mother who decided that enough is enough. Set up in Dublin and touching very sensitive subject of homelessness and housing crisis in Ireland and an enormous amount of motherly love that can move the mountains. This book will bring out variety of emotions from every reader but most importantly, I hope, it will give courage to those who are still struggling and waiting for the sign to get out and find their strength
Thanks to @netgalley and @simonandshusteruk for the privilege of reading this book in exchange for an honest review

This is a nerve jangling, tension filled book about Ciara who decides to flee her abusive husband and how difficult it is for her to make the decision, the trauma of having no money and nowhere to turn. This is a story of hope and how a life can be changed and new friends made after many years being scared to do anything to annoy her husband. Powerful and heartwarming. I really enjoyed this.

Ciara is a woman in torment, her husband is mentally abusive and she is scared for her safety and the welfare of her two young daughters.
When she decides to leave her husband she finds that it’s not so easy to start again with little money and nowhere to live, things are very difficult.
Ciara was a great character, I was rooting for her from the first page.
This book is about courage and a mother’s love for her children.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Punctured by barbed words, submitting to undesirable acts yet bridling your thoughts, guarding your words, always, always in fear of the consequences. Powerlessness, helplessness and hopelessness. Isolation and hiding your reality from those who care. A woman in a controlling relationship, a lived experience rife with emotional abuse, misogyny and gaslighting. The difficulty of breaking the chains, of leaving and of staying away. And then the beginnings of hope and a different future, of friendship and family, of uncovering and nurturing the hidden you.

I like, however, stories to be authentic and so my criticisms of this novel are two-fold. In several instances, the language of the children, particularly Ella, goes way beyond their developmental age which really irked me. And secondly, Ciara has little by way of finances - a tiny handful of squirrelled Euros at the start, a couple of handouts from family, a job for a short while before she takes leave - yet somehow she has enough to keep going particularly at the end where she has major expenses. Mmm. Doesn’t ring true.

Hard-hitting and emotional with O’Donnell capturing the shifting tableaus of Ciara’s life incredibly well.

I’d recommend.

Amazing debut, a fabulously written gripping story that was a pleasure to read. I would absolutely recommend this book, it was brilliant

This is a novel with some hard hitting themes. Domestic abuse and coercian, living in hotel accommodation with three small children because of the abusive relationship and the ever present threat of homelessness. Ciara fights it all and you feel you are with her during the highs and lows. She loves her children and is desperate to protect them and give them a better life. The characters are believable and it really brings home how some people live with abuse and how hard it is to break free. I can highly recommend this book. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair review. Definitely one to read.

A beautifully written and haunting novel, A gripping exploration of domestic abuse, homelessness and a mother's fierce love. Tricky subjects are sensitivly tackle in this novel and the desperation and overall hope shines through the prose. This is a really beautiful book that will stay with you long after you've finished it.

Thanks for the opportunity of reading Roisin O’Donnell’s debut book. I enjoyed reading about all the ups and downs Ciara went through having left her coercive marriage to Ryan with her 2 little girls. It was a book full of feeling and hope.

A book to make you think about how many women feel they are trapped in their marriages.
Ciara is married to Ryan, a complete control freak who keeps her in line with fear.
However one day she packs her bags and along with her small two daughters and pregnant again leaves. She has no money as Ryan controlled that so finishes up on the top floor in one room of a hotel reserved for the homeless. Ryan still continues to try and make her life hell. However after 9 months and with a new born too she gets a lucky break.
She's at breaking point again when she seeks help from a women's refuge. Does she give in and go back to him or is she now brave enough to stand up to him?

If you've ever wondered how a woman who's under the coercive control of her husband manages to break free, with 2 young children and no income, here's your answer.
Ciara manages to secure a room in a hotel, provided as a refuge for women in her position, but humiliation and despair are her constant companions. She can't escape to the sanctuary of her mother and sister in England because her husband puts a stop to it. When he actually gets access rights he can't cope with his daughters. His desperation to control Ciara puts one of the children in grave danger.
A searing tale of courage and resilience in the face of adversity. I rooted for Ciara, and the friends she makes, all the way.

Gripping, beautiful, and haunting. I thoroughly loved this book. It tackled serious topics such as domestic abuse, homelessness, and emotional coercion sensitively and honestly.

I really enjoyed this story it felt so real I felt the pain for what this young girl went through with a young family emotional abuse and coercion is to me far worse than physical it’s on a different level the story made me cry in places thank goodness the ending came through ok Thanks to Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book