What an emotional heartbreaking story. She has to go to heal but coming back she’s pulled in to something that could break her heart again, or will it heal them all…….
What a great story this author has written. So much heartbreak and guilt but also forgiveness and love. A must read for fan of women fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author to read this story.

We first meet sister Emily and Karen at their mother’s funeral where Emily is left feeling pushed to the side somewhat. Everyone seems to want to share their thoughts and give comfort to Karen. The sisters were once close but Emily has spent the past nine years living in New Zealand. In the years she spent away she wasn’t exactly the perfect daughter or sister calling or coming home regularly. Life happens so rather than make a scene Emily just deals with it.

What does shock her is the fact that her ex-husband shows up with a little girl in tow. She has no idea who the little girl is. What we learn in the book is about Rob and Emily’s life as well as more about the life she has had in New Zealand for the past nine years.

Emily reminded me a little bit of my sister and I will say that there were moments when I wasn’t sure if I liked her or not. Don’t be surprised but there are days when I feel the same way about my sister. Sometimes she seems so selfish but then others my heart breaks for her. She was a character that I hated and loved all rolled into one.

All in all this was a great read that left me in tears and hollow once I was done. I felt like I needed a hug once I was done.

Emily returns home after years of living away, sadly it is too attend her mother's funeral. Emily runs into her ex husband Rob who is holding the hand of a beautiful little girl who should have been Emily's. The most emotional filled story of grief and immense heartbreak. The plot had me feeling for the characters and leaving me drained with the amount of grief. So raw and unimaginable as Emily and Rob navigate through their loss. My heart broke for Rob who is such a well rounded character and everything he went through made him so much stronger. I cried so many ugly tears but I am happy that the ending went some way to mend my heart and I even had a smile.

The Child I Long For by Caroline Finnerty, When The book begins we meet Emily and her sister Karen they’re at their mom‘s funeral and despite being close growing up Emily feels like an afterthought and it seems all the mourners want to give solace to her sister Karen this is because Emily has lived in New Zealand for the past nine years. Emily isn’t surprised by this because since leaving Ireland she has been really lax when it comes to being a good daughter and sister what does surprise her is when she sees her ex-husband Rob at the funeral but when he tries to talk to her, Emily is just indignant as to why he would be there and is even more baffled as to who the little girl is he has with him. There is a lot in the book I don’t want to give anything away, but what I will say is throughout the book we learn about Rob and Emily‘s life together and her current life in New Zealand and all the reasons she fled there. I was so surprised to see the high ratings this book has because I found Emily to be so so selfish and self-centered. From her not watching what she said in front of Rob at her mom‘s funeral because he had a five-year-old girl with him to using Johnny in New Zealand despite knowing she didn’t want the same things he did to many many other things , I just noticed Emily always acts badly and then ask for forgiveness, not the actions of an adult nor a likable person but yet everyone seems to love this book.They have some really sensitive issues in the book including child death but I think the topics the author brought up in the book were very well done. Like the things that people say to a person in morning may sound insensitive it’s just for a lack of something better to say and as far as ignorant things older and elderly people say I think we should all cut them a break because not everyone has gotten the memo if you know what I’m saying judging someone by what you know not knowing what they know makes you ignorant they’re just doing what they probably always done.. I also thought when Patricia told Emily about the thing she had been keeping from her but Emily really just showed how selfish and insensitive she truly was. I couldn’t believe this book was so highly rated as I said I found Emily insensitive and insufferable I could see if she just was that way after the horrible event but she was that way before during and after even when her and sister Karen are talking the day after the funeral all she can think is why is she doing this to me? I just didn’t like her and thought Rob and how the book ended is just ridiculous when someone shows you who they are believe them. #NetGalley, #BoldwoodBooks,#CarolineFinirty, #TheChildILongFor,

My thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Child I Long For’ written by Caroline Finnerty in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

After making a new life for herself in New Zealand, Emily has returned to Ireland following the death of her mother and while in the graveyard she comes face to face with her ex-husband Rob and his little girl Molly. Nine years has passed since their baby Alannah died and their marriage fell apart but she still has feelings for Rob.

‘The Child I Long For’ is the emotional story of a couple who lost their baby daughter and then themselves while consumed with grief. This is the fifth novel I’ve read by the amazing Caroline Finnerty and thoroughly enjoyed, and this latest one is no exception. The characters are so perfectly described that I couldn’t help but feel sympathy for both Emily and Rob as they struggle with depression that Emily is unable to recover from and have been so involved that I’ve had to keep turning pages hoping that eventually she’d would see what she was missing. When I reached the conclusion, the final chapters brought a smile to my face and joy in my heart and I was so grateful that I’d been given the opportunity to read this wonderful story.

This was a delight to read, I loved the pace and I loved the premise. Love is a mystery and you can't choose who you fall in love with. I loved the events that unfolded to bring back Rob and Emily and the love and adoration that was shown for Molly was simply the best. I loved how beautiful the story unfolded. This just hits right in the feels. 4.5 Stars from me!

A heartbreakingly beautiful story that will take you on an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish.

A very emotional read. A lovely story about Emily and Rob and their struggle to have a child. Keep the tissues close by.
Thank to NetGalley and the publishers for the advance copy.

Emily goes to Dublin for her mother's funeral and runs into her ex husband, who now has a little girl. There are some sad parts but i enjoyed the story.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I enjoyed reading this book.

Emily and Rob met whilst at work in Dublin. Then after falling in love, they got married..

Then Emily started a business and it did very well. After trying for a baby and not have much luck, they eventually had a baby girl.

They were so happy together, but then something happens and their precious girl isn’t with them anymore. Both of them found it hard to deal with the loss and went their separate ways.

So that she can move on from what’s happened, Emily relocates to New Zealand, when her mother passes away, she’s back in Dublin for the funeral.

When she bumps into Rob, he has a daughter who is five called Molly. This brings up old feelings for Emily and she imagines what her life would’ve been like had their daughter lived.

The story highlights grief, healing and new beginnings.

As the lives of Emily, Rob, and Molly connect we read about the conflicts and their hopes, as they think about how their lives will now change.

I highly recommend this book.

So so many ugly crier tears were shed throughout this book, this is one of the most beautifully heartbreaking books I have read, whilst being completely heartwarming at the same time.

I adored every page and every character, there aren’t many books that can do this, there are so many different love stories, romantic, sibling and characters who learn to love themself.

Emily is one of my favourite characters, I just wanted to hug her through her pain and the ending mended my heart a bit.

This needs to be on everyone’s TBR!

Emily and Rob’s love story unravels after the tragic loss of their daughter, leading to their separation. Emily moves to New Zealand to escape the pain but returns to Dublin a decade later for her mother’s funeral. She unexpectedly encounters Rob with his five-year-old daughter, Molly, stirring emotions of what could have been. Set in Dublin, this emotional story explores grief, second chances, and healing. As Emily, Rob, and Molly’s lives intertwine, we are drawn into their struggles and hopes, experiencing a whirlwind of emotions as they wonder how their story will unfold.

Emily meet Rob at work in Dublin. They fell in love and married. After she started her own business and was successful, they decided to try for a baby. After struggling to get pregnant, they finally had a little girl. Everything was going great until they gave a tragic loss. Their precious little girl was gone. They both struggled with the loss and ended up separating. Emily is now living in New Zealand, if you call it living. She received a phone call from her sister that her mother is in the hospital., but she was too late. Her mother was gone. At the funeral, she sees her ex husband, even though they’re not divorced. He has a little girl with him. Her heart breaks because she still struggles with her daughter’s loss. Emily is glad that he’s moved on. Can the two move passed the loss? Emily finds out that Rob’s partner and daughter’s mother has passed away. So much loss for Rob. As spend spends time with him and his little girl, her heart slowly heals. Emily and Rob still has chemistry. Can they let the past go to move forward with the future? Will she return back to New Zealand or will she stay? Will she stay to be close to her sister and family? Maybe it’s time to come home. This book is about the emotional, heartbreaking and healing. Worth the read. I loved it. I received this book for my honest review. I give it voluntarily.

Another emotional read from Caroline Finnerty. Rob and Emily are happily married good jobs although Emily has her own very successful business which she has worked hard for and has very demanding clients so when they decide to try and start a family it's not without its problems. When something happens she can't face she goes to New Zealand go try and distance herself but when she gets a call to say her mother has had a stroke she returns but after many years away can she finally come to terms with what happened in her past and finally find some happiness.

My first Caroline Finnerty novel but definitely not my last. This was so well written and pulled me in at the very beginning and hooked me until the final paragraph. Filled with fabulous characters that kept me flipping pages long past my bedtime. The emotions throughout this book were intense and left me exhausted when I closed the book. Packed with all the feels!
Thank you NetGalley, Caroline Finnerty and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

By reading the blurb, I was expecting an emotional read. From the first page, I felt a connection to the MC Emily. I really enjoy Caroline's writing as it always brings me on a rollercoaster of emotions. There were tears and smiles throughout.
Full of likeable characters, Molly was definitely my favourite. She is a treasure! I highly recommend this one.

T.W for the death of a parent, child death and cancer

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this fabulous read

I was really happy to find that Caroline Finnerty had another book out. I really enjoyed all of the ones that I've reviewed, because they have all been heartfelt and made a really lasting impact on me.

The Child I Long For was no different in how it affected me. The author has a real gift in being able to create immersive, memorable stories with characters whose backstory really hits home.

Emily, Rob and Molly are all well created characters, and I was hooked as I followed their story. I was always wondering what was going to happen. How will things work out for them? Will they all get on? I had these, and more, questions going round in my head. I loved the book, and felt nervous, anxious, happy and sad for them all.

Thanks to Caroline Finnerty and Boldwood Books for my eARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

5 stars

Thank you netgalley, publisher and author for my arc of this book in exchange for an honest opinion 🙏🏻
I really liked it!!! It's an emotional read but it wasn't hard to read. I liked the fact that even if the love story was important, all the other subject received the deserved importance. The plot was good and I liked how raw it was. You could feel empathy to the characters and that felt important to me.
⚠️TW loss of a child. Loss of a mother.

Emily is back in Ireland after nine long years away from home, when she sees him. Her ex-husband, Rob, holding hands with a five-year-old girl. A girl that should have been hers. Over a decade before, Emily and Rob were in love and happily married. Then tragedy struck and Emily moved to New Zealand to get away. Now, returning to Dublin nearly a decade later for her mother's funeral, she finds herself face-to-face with her past. The man she loved has a daughter, beautiful little Molly, and Emily's heart breaks yet again for everything that could have - should have - been. But Rob and Molly's lives aren't without their own misfortunes.

This is an emotional read. It shows how some people deal with their grief in different ways. Set in Dublin, this story is about second chances. It's written mostly about Emily's struggle after a tragedy, how she ran away to New Zealand, and has only come home for her mother's funeral. My heart went out to Emily. We learn of the events that Emily and Rob went through together and separately. I think this book will make even the hardest heart cry.

Published 27th September 2024

I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #Carolinefinnerty for my ARC of #TheChildIlongFor in exchange for an honest review.

The Child I Long For by Carolune Finnerly made me smile, cry, get angry, cry again and finally smile great big.
It is a complex story of a marriage that goes through the trauma of the crib death of their first child.
It explores all the elements of heartbreak and how hard the recovery from death is in the marriage.
While sad, there are certainly chapters that are uplifting and full of hope.
It is full of the wonder of how another small child that is not her own brings joy back into her life.