**Back to Belfast** by Emma L. McGeown is a heartfelt and evocative novel that explores the deep connections between family, identity, and the meaning of home. Set against the backdrop of Northern Ireland’s rich yet turbulent history, the story follows protagonist Lily as she returns to Belfast after years of living abroad. Her journey is one of rediscovery, not only of the place she once called home but of her own fractured family ties.

McGeown skillfully weaves themes of forgiveness, reconciliation, and the complexities of personal and collective memory. The vivid descriptions of Belfast’s landscape and culture are beautifully intertwined with the protagonist’s internal struggles, allowing readers to feel the weight of both the city’s history and Lily’s personal journey.

While the novel’s pacing slows at times, it allows for introspective moments that deepen the character development. Readers who appreciate character-driven narratives and explorations of cultural identity will find **Back to Belfast** a compelling read. McGeown's writing is lyrical, capturing the heartache of leaving home and the bittersweet process of returning. This novel is a poignant reflection on the idea that sometimes, to move forward, we must first look back.

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC copy of Back to Belfast! I really enjoyed this book. Both MCs have compelling character arcs and I loved the friends/found family. The romantic plot line was cute but also had depth and emotional weight. I'd recommend!

I will pick up pretty much anything that has a setting in Ireland. I miss it terribly, so I always love to re-immerse myself there through books. Some days I kick myself for not staying another year to get residency, but let's just say immigration is a tricky thing to navigate as is shown in the book. Back to Belfast by Emma McGeown had an interesting premise. Two women essentially swap lives for six months, so that one (Claire), can try to save the potentially failing office of the other (Stacie).

Claire heads off to Canada, while Stacie jets to Northern Ireland. Claire winds up miserable and feeling alone but starts to see improvements in the office she's tasked with making successful. Stacie on the other side of the Atlantic however is finding a place that she loves, and community in her co-workers. On top of the difficult task set before her, Claire also finds herself worrying about her mother's health and mental state. While she doesn't hear anything for quite a long time, when she does it sets in motion her return to her home in Belfast.

With forced proximity, Claire and Stacie begin to admit to themselves that they had developed feelings for one another over the course of video chats and their time spent together. Eventually, they do begin a relationship but agree to keep it casual due to Stacie's looming (forced) return to Canada. The rest of the story revolves around the tension of the looming departure date and if/how the relationship could work.

Overall, the writing in the book was more casual than most of the books I've read recently. It was a fairly quick and easy read. There were a few predictable twists and outcomes. I loved the LGBTQA+ representation, and that this was written in such a way that so many dynamics of the queer experience were explored. There were several LGBTQA+ characters, each with a different life story and experience, and the story wasn't told just form the perspective of "oh hey, everyone didn't care and treated me the same," when they came out. The true pain and fear of coming out that still exists today was present in the book, and I appreciated the multi-faceted representation of the queer experience.

Please be advised I received an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

“Stacie had a way to make me feel calm. Like a floating leaf. Like the weight of the world was no longer pressing down on my shoulder.”

I was captivated by Claire and Stacie’s story from page one and read the book in less than 24H. I particularly loved how feelings are written by the author, and tears rolled more than once (I laughed a lot too).
Claire’s relationship with her family is beautiful (so is the description of mental illness, with a perfect balance), just as much as the relationship she develops with Stacie. All the “found family” characters are amazing, and particularly endearing.
I adored that that romance was completely different in its structure, as both MC spend most of the book separated from each other, living in the other’s shoes. It was sweet, yet spicy, tender and that life-switch, in which both MC discover the other by exchanging their life, getting to know their friends, before meeting for good, was truly a great finding and I loved every page.

PS: Just so you know –if it might trigger you– there are some repetitive mentions of COVID and its impact on the economy at the beginning of the book.

Thank you so much Emma L. McGeown, Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for that arc. My opinions are my own.

A really cute and easy to read sapphic romance. Claire and Stacey swap lives to save the company they love.. if you like “the holiday” you will like this book. Hearing how claire is looking after the plants and how Stacey is learning how Claire’s cat feels about them is funny. Stacey learning what great friendship is like with the warmth of the Belfast office is so special. The Romance is very natural with the women having such good chemistry in the book from the beginning!
It’s a 3.5 for me as I am learning I don’t love a sapphic romance but I can see objectively that this is really nice.

Took me too long to read! Thank you NetGalley for letting me read and review.

I received a free copy from the publisher through Netgalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

Back to Belfast caught my eye when I read the blurb and it sounded like such a fun premise with two characters who switch job and houses and fall in love with each other. Unfortunately I felt like this book was completely different than what I had expected and I didn't enjoy it.

I had expected a story of them living in each other's houses and communicating with each other and throughout that fall in love. Instead they hardly communicate until they end up in the same place and most of the romance develops only then. I also found it odd how neither of the main characters communicated much with their friends back home, as if the physical distance just made them stop talking with them.

I considered DNF'ing this book when I realized this was not at all the book I had expected. The focus and message of the book seemed to focus way more on how important real life connection was and not the long distance online communicating type romance I had expected. And while I had assumed they would meet in real life eventually, I had expected the romance to develop a lot before that point, but that wasn't the case. I just didn't want to do a DNF and didn't know what I wanted to read instead, so I stuck with it.

The story got a bit better when they spend time together and the romance developed, although the romance pacing felt a bit off. The first part was very slow with them hardly talking and the focus being on their work and then the second half had way less work stuff and more romance development. The romance felt slow first and then a bit rushed when they finally meet in real life.

I wanted to like the romance, but something was just missing. I also didn't like how Stacie had a girlfriend at first and how that went. I often struggle with this in books as the relationship is written in such a way I can't understand why they ever got together in the first place and it just feels simply like a way to create drama and in this case to have a reason why Stacie couldn't fall in love with Claire yet.

Claire on the other hand has to care a lot for her mother who is mentally ill. And I didn't really like that plot line either. The way her mother's mental health was described made me feel uncomfortable and there also is never any clear diagnosis or term for it, which I thought was odd as that's usually how these things work. Again it mostly felt like a plot point to get Claire to be in a certain place or not be somewhere or have some struggles for which she wasn't fully available for a romance.

And then there was the conflict. I really hated the way the conflict was handled. Stacie just kinda expected Claire to ask her something and then gets disappointed when she doesn't, despite knowing how Claire is and how she has trouble communicating at times. And despite Claire communicating he feelings and being clear about that, that wasn't enough for Stacie. I didn't like how Stacie just expected Claire to do this thing without her communicating that. And the whole last bit of the book was just so frustrating to read with them both not communicating. It dragged on for quite a bit as well. And then the way it got resolved didn't work for me either, it just bothered me how there had to be a big gesture and how at the same time all these issues suddenly got resolved super easily. And there was no epilogue either.

To summarize: I had expected a totally different book and was disappointed this book wasn't what I had hoped for. I had expected the focus being on their romance developing while they live in each others house while communicating online, instead the romance hardly starts until they meet in real life. The first part has very little romance and a lot of focus on the work they do, while the second part flips that with way less work stuff and more romance. The romance pacing felt off due to this. I didn't like the plot points with Stacie already having a girlfriend and Claire having to take care for her mother, neither worked for me and they just felt like ways to add hurdles to the romance. The conflict at the end really bothered me with how Stacie just expected Claire to do something and then get disappointed when she didn't while not communicating any of this. I really disliked the way some simple communicating could've resolved it and it dragged on for way too long. Then the ending felt very rushed, things got resolved very easily suddenly and there was no epilogue. This book just didn't work for me.

Thank you so much to the publisher for giving me this advanced readers copy.

I really loved both the characters and the story. It gave me Wife Swap but make it corporate vibes, which was what hooked me to begin with. The characters were well developed and it was nicely paced. I think the only thing that I did not enjoy was in the beginning some of the business focus, but it wasn't the central point of the story.

The premise of this book grabbed me right away, and I was eagerly checking my inbox for a NetGalley approval after requesting it. Both characters were relatable, and I appreciated being able to understand both sides of their conflicts, which made the story more engaging. Instead of just rooting for one "good" character and their love interest, I saw them as real people. While the book started strong, I felt my excitement fade as it went on.

The romance seemed caught between insta-love and a slow burn. The miscommunication, along with the third-act breakup, became frustrating when all you really want is for the characters to be together already.

Despite that, Back to Belfast could be a delightful read for someone else! It's funny, cute, and a great debut novel. The concept of swapping work lives was so interesting, and I did like seeing how it played out.

This was an unexpected pleasure. My first time reading a McGeown novel and I really enjoyed this quirky story set in Northern Ireland and Canada.. Both Stacie and Claire were interesting , likeable and easy to love characters. It wasn’t your typical sapphic romance which made for a nice change.

I look forward to reading more from this author and will definitely seek out her previous books.

*Back to Belfast* started strong for me, especially in the first 20-25% of the book. The office culture described in the Belfast office felt very relatable, and I enjoyed the authentic way the work environment was portrayed. The two main female characters were also vividly described, and I could easily visualise them, which added depth to the narrative. I appreciated the inclusion of real-world events, such as the Ukraine war and the coronavirus pandemic, which grounded the story in the present day.

Unfortunately, as the book progressed, it started to lose its appeal. By around 50-60%, the story became too predictable, and I found myself no longer gripped by the plot. The promising start didn’t fully deliver, and the second half lacked the same tension and intrigue that initially drew me in. While the book had potential, the latter half didn’t live up to my expectations.

Claire (from Belfast) and Stacie (from Vancouver) get the opportunity to swap jobs (therefore, move countries) for a while; both - for their own personal reasons - jump at the opportunity.

They were never intended to meet in person, just swap apartments and communicate via emails/text/calls, however a family emergency brings Claire back to Belfast - unannounced...

As much as I enjoyed the plot/setting, it was confusing at first with the swapping, but once I wrapped my head around it, the book turned into a page turner! I loved it!

Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

I really liked this book. It was a quick and easy read. Characters had great chemistry and I liked the writing style.

I enjoyed the story but hated the business aspect of it. I loved the romance and how it developed overtime between Claire and Stacie. I was hooked from the beginning. Well done Emma.

Thank You NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for this ARC.

They were never supposed to meet, but fate made sure they did. Can they forget again when reality comes crashing down?

I received an advance copy from Netgalley for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Claire’s life has never been easy. As the oldest daughter of three kids it has always been her job to take care of her mentally unstable mom and her twin sisters. Working as an account manager for a global firm at least gives her financial security. It does make Claire feel stuck. When one of her twin sisters announces she is getting married and the other is expecting her first baby, Claire feels more than ever like she is just spinning her wheels. A new job opportunity is bound to break her out of that cycle. Six months of whipping the Vancouver office into shape. A Canadian colleague will take her place in the Belfast head quarters in the meantime. Claire jumps at the chance and switching roles with Canadian Stacie sounds perfect. Come to think of it, Stacie will fit right into her life.

Stacie is working her butt off in her role as an account manager but it seems like she is the only one of her colleagues trying to give her best to the Vancouver office. Headquarters seems to have noticed as well, because they offer Stacie a chance for a six month exchange with a colleague from the Belfast office. This Claire is tasked to bring the Canadians up to standard. With the few emails and videocalls they’ve had before the switch. Stacie decides that Claire is charming and she would have loved to have met her in person. That’s not the plan though. They will change lives for half a year before returning back to their own countries. Stacie has no problem integrating into Claire’s office life and is enveloped by her work friends immediately. Belfast feels like home. It all makes Stacie feelings stronger that she would have really liked Claire. Her theory is about to get tested when Claire unexpectedly returns home because of a family emergency. While they share Claire’s apartment Stacie’s gut feeling about her Belfast counterpart are proven right. Too bad it’s all just temporary…

This story is told from both Claire’s and Stacie’s perspectives and that setup really gives you an intimate look into their inner worlds. Claire is a strong woman but she has been forced to be. Taking care of her mother and sisters is a role she was forced to adept to. It is one she plays with enormous grace and responsibility. I loved the way she inherently felt like she could trust Stacie with her inner fears and doubts. It also made it clear why she acts the way she does sometimes. That being said her lack of honest communication towards Stacie in the end made me want to hurl the book at her head.

Stacie starts the story being in a long distance relationship with a woman who clearly doesn’t give her what she needs. I was counting the pages for Stacie to get the strength to end that farce. For me she took a little too long to do it, but the timing of her break up and Claire’s arrival was perfect. Stacie’s life in Vancouver was kind of perfunctory. Yes, she worked hard and got recognized for her efforts, but I got the sense that she wasn’t tethered to her hometown in Canada. It all became clear when she immersed herself in the Belfast life that this is supposed to be her home. When her unexpected connection to Claire turns out to be real, it’s easy to see Stacie would want to uproot her life for good. If only Claire could have the same guts to go for it.

I loved Claire’s friend group! Jonny is the ultimate gay man showering everyone with bitchy but right on the mark comments. Underneath it all he sees everyone so clearly and his care for his friends is amazing. Jane and Nuala are in a secret relationship that has some similarities with Stacie and Claire’s. The friends speak hard truths but also support each other, it’s heartwarming!

While Claire’s relationship with her family is complicated it is based on a deep love. When Stacie picked up on that immediately, I knew the connection between the two women was strong. It wouldn’t be a sapphic romance if there wasn’t a third act break up, but luckily Claire got to her senses in time! I would have loved to see more of their growing relationship when they both returned to Belfast, maybe in an epilogue.

I had fun spending time with Claire and Stacie. I believed in their connection and I feel like I really got to know them. If I’m ever in Belfast, I’ll be sure to look for them at the bar on Fridays!

How did I feel reading my home city? Big heart eyes! I think, from the start, Emma McGeown was always going to get the stamp of approval from me, because of how authentic her representation of Belfast is. Belfast is the city they’re fighting over! Belfast is where everyone wants to be! I love that. Why shouldn’t we be the city of people’s hearts and dreams? And how much did I love reading the queer side of Belfast! I couldn’t have felt more at home with these characters. I was already wholeheartedly, unabashedly all-in with them when I looked up and saw that I was only at 20%.

Straightaway, I could see that one of McGeown’s strengths is in managing the switches in a dual point-of-view narrative. McGeown will often have Stacie, at the start of her chapter, finish a thought that Claire is having as we exit her chapter, or she’ll open Claire’s perspective with her saying or thinking something contradictory to what Stacie has just felt or thought. And this REALLY WORKS! It drives you on.

Gosh, how joyous it feels to write a glowing review. There’s nothing in this novel that didn’t please and fulfil me: I was so chuffed to be reading Sapphic characters outside of their twenties; workplace settings act effortlessly as the backdrops; and the normalising of same-sex coupling is done expertly. McGeown writes with such warmth towards her characters: compassion and empathy are key to McGeown’s representation of women struggling under church-imposed sexual repression. She also writes with striking clarity of perception when it comes to examining the impact of alcoholism on individuals and upon a family. Her character insight and sensitivity of portrayal extends to by-lines of friendship dynamics, sibling relationships, anxiety disorder, and a particularly delicate portrayal of loneliness living away from Northern Ireland:

'As long as I was here, she was there.'

In stark contrast to some novels where you question, "why are they in love with them?", where an author just smooshes two people's lives together without providing the build-up of interest, Emma McGeown tracks both women's thoughts and feelings so that Stace and Claire's attraction is substantiated and relatable.
I also appreciated the speed of the ending: everything feels rushed at the close of the book because Claire’s emotions all rush in on her, and the months when we are lifted out of the action leave us gasping for information and an update, and that brief, brief glimpse of the women’s ‘final’ life, as things end up, is made all the more tenderly intense by the cutting-off-short of it.

This isn’t a spicy novel. There’s no voyeuristic or frivolous content. What heat there is, is key to the plot; physical intimacy is written into the characters’ development. So, I’d say that ‘Back to Belfast’ is more of a character novel than anything. Ultimately, it’s a ‘coming-out novel’. Above all else, it deals with the diverse and often traumatic experiences of women in Northern Ireland who must confront not only family shock, regret, or disownment upon coming out, but the compounded threat of church intervention, religious approbation, and conversion therapy, which is very much alive in the far-right, church-governed culture here. McGeown makes a deep dive into the effect of homophobia and hatred within a family – “[Hate] like that ... Eats you alive”, exploding outwards to the fallout from a North-American devout Muslim coming out. I admire Emma McGeown for giving airtime to both crushing situations.

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this novel. I would’ve loved to have been able to recommend it to my younger self. I also wish I could’ve given it to myself in my last relationship, where I was Nuala and she was Jane. It’s so important to read your own stories:

‘That Jane had to stay in the closet or risk losing her family and that Nuala had to hide their connection or risk losing her girlfriend.’

Thank you to Bold Strokes Books for the absolute pleasure of reading an advanced review copy.

To differentiate the characters in my head I kept reminding myself one is with the alcoholic mentally ill mother, and the other had a terrible long distance relationship. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing that that is the key to telling Stacie and Claire apart. Their work situations and relationships were interesting. Overall cute story that was written well, but forgettable.

Great first chapter. Back story for one main laid out. A few lines and accurate details about office life made me smile. The same with the other main in chapter 2.
25% in and I'm loving it. I often find with dual P.O.V. that the change can be jarring, I'm wanting to know more about one P.O.V. and it changes to the other. Not with this book. It's almost like the chapters are complete episodes rather than cliff hangers. Well paced, well written and amusing. I did wonder about the No dating at work policy but other loose ends nicely tied. Rounded up to 4.

Claire Brennan is being sent from Belfast, Ireland to Vancouver, Canada to try to fix the Vancouver office of the company.

Stacie Farran is one of the few staff at Vancouver actually making her targets, so is sent to Belfast as Claire's replacement.

Now each has to operate in the others home, while dealing with each other's jobs and friends. And zoom calling, as they gradually get more attracted...

As a Vancouver resident, I will admit I was worried there would be a detail that was hugely wrong. Thankfully the author peppered in a few references and locations, and avoided anything that would trip them up.

Good story and characters, good plot and the romance worked pretty well.

*Back to Belfast* by Emma McGowan is a charming and introspective romance that explores the thrill of new experiences and the unexpected connections that can emerge from them. Claire Brennan, feeling stuck in her daily routine, seizes the opportunity to move to Vancouver for six months, hoping for a much-needed break. Meanwhile, Stacie Farran, always eager for a new adventure, jumps at the chance to trade jobs and lives with Claire, finding herself in Belfast. The novel captures the excitement of change as both women navigate their new environments and discover more about themselves.

McGowan weaves together the two characters' separate journeys with skill, as Claire and Stacie each gain fresh perspectives on their careers, relationships, and personal goals. Although they live in different countries, the distance allows them to connect from afar in a way that feels organic and natural. Their growing attraction, despite never having met, builds a sense of anticipation that keeps readers hooked. The chemistry between them is palpable, and when they finally meet, the spark is undeniable.

As the story progresses, the looming question of distance and the temporary nature of Stacie’s stay adds tension to their budding romance. McGowan thoughtfully explores the challenges of long-distance relationships and the sacrifices that come with them. Fans of contemporary romance will find this novel a delightful read.

This is a story about Claire Brennen who works for an international marketing company headquartered in Belfast, Ireland. She is asked to swap jobs with a Canadian woman, Stacie Farran. Claire leaves behind her mentally ill mother whom she has been taking care of for years. This was handled very well.

Claire struggles in Canada and misses her family and friends back in Ireland. while Stacie ends up loving Belfast and easily assimilates into the workplace there where everybody is nice and friendly and she doesn't want to leave.

Its complicated when Claire comes back early and they finally meet in person after the calls and video chats. The whole story was set up nicely, but the third act breakup was predictable and consistent as most books have them and this one was no different. I adore Ireland and really enjoyed the parts set there, but maybe I'm biased.

Overall, a decent book. I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.