This is the first time I read a book of this author and it was an emotional read. While I find the title a little misleading (1st person POV vs the whole book being in the 3rd person POV), I still loved how the book ended. It was slow at times, but overall quite an enjoyable read. I felt so sad for everything she went through.


Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for access to this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for a honest review! The child I long for by Caroline Finnerty will be published Sept 27th, 2024
This book had me entranced the page one. It pulled me into the story and would not let go!
The story is about loss, loss and second chances. Emily has had a lot of hurdles thrown at her in life. She moved very suddenly to New Zealand 9 long years ago and basically did not look back. That is until the loss of her mother. Suddenly she found herself traveling back to Dublin Ireland to check on her mother who passed away before she could arrive. Emily made a lot of rash decisions in her life and she had to do some serious soul searching and made a decision that would be for her and others in her life. It’s a downward battle on what to do what not to do and in the end she has to make another snap decision. Will she choose to be happy or continue to punish herself for those past decisions.
This is a great book and a first by this author for me but won’t be the last. Thank you for allowing me to read and review!! I throughly enjoyed this one.

What an emotional read this was! Heartbreaking and raw at times I couldn’t help but feel for Emily and Rob as they navigate something which is unimaginable.

A book which explores tragedy and grief and how everyone deals with them in their own way . Does running away from your problems really work ? Or is it best to face them and try to navigate a way forward.

Set in Dublin this book explores community and family and how they both can play an important part in supporting you when you need them most .

Although there were parts of the book which were heartbreaking, I loved how the characters eventually realised what was important to them, embracing second chances.

One to read with a box of tissues handy I really enjoyed getting to know all the well written characters.

Dont read this without tissue in hand. .
It's an emotional read based around a couple very much in love and their quest and hopes to have a child.

Very Sweet story, but it had some heartbreaking times in it. Emily and Rob were happily married but wanted a child badly. She was a work acholiic and had trouble turning work away or delegating. When she gets pregnant, she doesn't slow down at all and has a little trouble early on. They beautiful daughter was born, but sadly only lived a few weeks. Emily just couldn't cope with it and lost everything - her company included. Finally Rob tried to get her to seek help and he went back to work. One day, she just left and went to another country and ask everyone not to look for her. She stayed away for 10 years and only came back when her sister called and said her mother had a stroke. Unfortunately, she died before Emily could get there. At the funeral, she is shocked to see Rob with a little girl. She told him she didn't want to talk to him and turned away. In the next few weeks, she and her sister had many ups and downs but finally they became the sisters who loved each other again. Emily and Rob ran into each other quite a bit and she got to know he and his sweet daughter, Molly. She even helped Molly with her hair at a dance recital. Molly and Rob were sad that she was going back to New Zealand and they both wanted her to stay. Then when Molly is hit by a car, Emily cannot leave until she knows she is ok. She stays by Rob's side until all is well. She is still leaving, but is having second thoughts. The scene at the airport is the sweetest thing. They all finally have their HEA

Catches you from the first page.
Emily runs away from Ireland when her marriage failed but has to return when her mother died, unfortunately she see`s her ex at the funeral with a young child that should have been hers.
Should she run again or face her past and talk to her estranged sister and family.
A very emotional story you can see what`s coming or what you hope comes with a difficult journey on the way.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC and I give my honest review

Emily is back in Ireland after 9 long years. She meets her ex husband Rob at a funeral and he is hold hands with a little girl, the little girl should be hers. Before Emily left her and Rob were happily married and tragedy struck making her make the hard decision to leave Ireland for New Zealand.
A great read that brought a few tears to my eyes when reading.

Oh my goodness what an emotional read. A lovely story but so sad. I was in bits reading it. I now need a cheerful book. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Loved this story which was so heart throbbing and interesting from the first page to the last. All sorts of mixed emotions and how a person can focus and be so dedicated to their work and then regret they didn’t see the perfect life in front of them until it is too late. Made me realise how life is so busy and we miss things whereas we should grasp the “now”. Read the book in in two days and did not want it to end but it came to a great conclusion. Highly recommend..

I really felt for Emily and her stuggles. Coming home for her Mother's funeral it seems the she will face the past too. Heartrending and emotional, this a well written book that I loved. Caroline is a great writer and hasa gift for displaying emotion in a geuine way.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Emily returns home after being gone awhile. She runs into Rob who was her ex. I liked getting to know the different characters in this book.

I received a free copy of, The Child I Long For, by Caroline Finnerty, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Emily is back in Ireland after running away to Australia, after the loss of her child. This was a heavy read but an intriguing read.

3.5 stars.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, given to me by Boldwood Books via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
3.5 stars.
An emotional, raw, heartbreaking account about loss and grief, “The Child I Long For”, by Caroline Finnerty, is also about healing, hope, second chances and new beginnings.
The story is mostly about Emily’s struggles with a terrible tragedy and how she was lost for a decade for her family because of it.
There are poignant moments, reflections and scenes about this particular kind of loss. It almost seems as Emily is punishing herself for the tragedy.
It’s when another loss happens that Emily realizes that she can’t go on running away.
I liked how Emily and Karen (and her family) reconnect.
Rob and Molly are a godsend to Emily, although this almost seemed too perfect.
I felt because of having only Emily’s POV and all the emphasis on her pain that Rob’s suffering is minimized.
I liked the setting – New Zeland, Ireland.

A lovely read. Not to be read if you are feeling very emotional. A story mainly featuring Emily and Rob who are married but due to circumstances Emily ran off to New Zealand a few years ago and has come home for her mothers funeral..

What an emotional heart tugging book! "The Child I Longed For" is a story about Emily and Rob and all the things they go through together and separately. I will leave it at that as I don't want to spoil the book but all I can say is that it is written with so much deep emotion that I cried several times during the course of reading the book. I'm both heart wrenching and heart warming all in one and a must read for anyone who loves romantic emotional reads!

Emily and Rob have a turbulent past history. When tragedy struck and they lost their most precious thing everything went bad. Emily loved onto another country settling in New Zealand.
Now returning to Dublin 10 years later for her mothers funeral she encounters Rob again and the old feelings resurface and she struggles with the fact he has a daughter.
With misfortunes not far away the two need to together face them.
Great read heartwarming and well written as you would expect from Caroline Finnerty.

Emily runs away, instead of facing the things that life has given her. She is back in Ireland, after her mother had a stroke, and passed away before she got there. At the funeral, she comes face to face with her past, and her sister accuses her of going to run away again, instead of facing what she truly wants. It is an emotional story, that will keep you reading. It was heartbreaking, and I so wanted her to decide to stay, and not run away. But, I can't tell you which one she did, Only she can make the choice to change, face the things she has to face, and choose to put the work into changing the things she will have to do. That is a hard thing to do, but she knows what running away does to her, too.
I received an ARC from Boldwood Books through NetGalley.

What a brilliant family drama from one of my favourite authors, a sad, heartbreaking but beautiful storytelling all wrapped up together.

The characters were so well developed and I felt by the end of the book I knew them all personally, such a great read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for this brilliant ARC which I have no hesitation in recommending.

Gelato book, I read all in a day I couldn’t put it down. It teaches you the power of second chances and the bravery it requires go grip them with both hands. I above hall Adore the characters of little MOLLY. I highly recommend it

What a heartbreaking but beautifully written book, I absolutely loved every second of this book, it really captured the emotions of Emily and Rob.