Oh my goodness this was a tear jerker. Such an emotional read and so beautifully written. This is the third book I've read by Ann and it's as good as her others. Set in Ireland and America it brought up all different pictures in my mind but the island as it's characters. The ending was just what I'd hoped for. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

A Letter from Ireland is such a beautiful and emotional read. I could barely put it down, finishing it in less than 24 hours.
A poignant read, it will have the reader reflecting on past choices and reevaluating what's really important and what it's time to let go of.
I now want to visit Scarty Island in Ireland, listening to the waves of the sea crashing against the shore, swim and have the close-knit relationship the mainlanders do.
Three women, with different personalities and a bit quirky at times, which makes them interesting visit Scarty Island for a two-month time period at the request of their friend who has passed away. These women all used to be very close, but time and circumstances happened, and they no longer share this closeness. The friend, Rosie, has written them letters delivered to them at the appropriate times which reveals secrets she has kept. These are things she has not wanted to dwell on even herself. These reveals cause the women a lot of self-reflection and tears for what could have been but will not have a chance now to be. I absolutely loved this book. So beautifully written and emotional. I will be telling all my friends about this book and reading more by the author.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
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A LETTER FROM IRELAND by Ann O’Loughlin is a women’s fiction story about four best friends who have a falling out and are never the same again. When Rosie passes away from cancer, which none of her friends knew about, she sets up a two-month long reunion of the remaining three women on her private island off the coast of Ireland, but there are secrets to be revealed in the form of letters from their dead friend.

The description of this story had me wanting to sit down and read about these women’s lives and it is full of surprises and big emotions, but not until far too late into the book. The first third of the story was repetitive, slow, and almost had me putting it down for good, but I carried on and was glad that I did as far as the overall plot.

The three women are portrayed at various stages of their lives and Casey is the focus. I had a hard time warming up to her and I never felt a deep connection to any of the three. The story focused as much on the location as the women which I felt their character development should have been deeper. The romantic subplot between Casey and Shay just felt thrown in and did not make me feel any more for Casey, especially since she was still legally married.

Overall, this was just an alright women’s fiction read that for me did not live up to the promise.

I loved the drama of friendships, also awed seeing the courage and strength it brought out in the characters.

A Letter From Ireland is a poignant and heartwarming exploration of friendship, loss, and the hidden secrets that bind people together. Against the backdrop of Scarty Island, Casey uncovers Rosie’s hidden life in the novel.

Casey’s world is shaken when her friend Rosie dies, leaving a letter suggesting a secret life on an Irish island. Casey heads to Scarty Island to uncover Rosie’s hidden past.

Scarty Island, with its rugged beauty and tight-knit community, comes alive through O’Loughlin’s evocative writing, enhancing Casey’s self-discovery. The author adeptly portrays the difference between Casey’s hectic city life and the tranquil island lifestyle, providing solace for both the protagonist and reader.

At the heart of the novel is Casey’s relationship with Shay, a hardworking pub owner with his own hidden burdens. Their romance is filled with authentic and tender moments of connection. O’Loughlin is amazing at building their chemistry, making readers root for them even as secrets threaten to tear them apart.

Rosie’s letters are woven into the story, showing a tragic love story and a heartbreaking event that shaped her life. These letters keep the plot going, slowly unveiling secrets and adding emotional depth to Casey’s search for answers. The novel gets more intense when a forbidden love affair and a tragic shipwreck occur, creating an intriguing contrast with the tranquil island setting.

One of the novel’s strengths lies in its ability to delve into the depths of grief and depict the journey of healing. Casey’s journey isn’t just about finding out Rosie’s secrets, but also dealing with her own messed-up life - her failing marriage, her dead-end job, and the emptiness in her heart after Rosie died. O’Loughlin tackles these themes with sensitivity and grace, creating a character arc that feels real and easy to relate to.

The final letter from Rosie brings a powerful climax to the story, filling Casey with a mix of emotions as she is forced to face not only Rosie’s life but also her own. The resolution presents a bittersweet choice for Casey - embrace a new chapter or return to her altered old life.

Overall, A Letter from Ireland is a beautifully crafted novel with romance, mystery, and emotional depth. Ann O’Loughlin’s skillful storytelling and vivid depiction of island life make this a must-read for women’s fiction fans. Casey’s healing journey and the hidden secrets will stay with you well beyond the end of the book.

This book really captured my imagination. I loved reading about a private island off the coast of Ireland and all the heartache and romance that occurred there.
Ann O’Loughlin seems to get the balance right between not too mushy and not too heartbreaking. I am happy to recommend her books to anyone who will listen to me.

I loved this story of friendship
Will recommend to others.
Thanks for the opportunity to read & review it.

Another great read from Ann. Casey Georgie and Debbie are requested by their dead friend Rosie to leave the USA for two months and go to live on an Island off the west coast of Ireland. Having spent some summer holidays in Clare I could relate to the wildness of the surroundings. The girls realise that Rosie had a good few secrets which are revealed to them slowly. I really enjoyed this one and hope for a sequel.

Would you go to a remote island for 8 weeks if it was in your friend's will?

This is what Casey and Debbie have done for their friend Rosie, who's passed away. I have really enjoyed the theme of friendship and rediscovery in this book, and how both ladies rediscover their friendships while on this island. Also, the letter from Rosie really made it for me as they made me smile and think about her talking to them even though she was no longer around. Although the book is slow in places once the story gets going the pace is much better. In two months, a significant shift occurs as Irish Dan, May, and Shay help Americans Casey, Debbie, and Georgie adapt to the landscape and seascape. Through sharing Rosie's tales, they uncover hidden truths about her journey, influences, and relationships..


#Friendship #Rediscovery #RemoteIsland #Memories #Heartwarming #BookLovers #FriendshipGoals #EternalBond #CherishedMemories

I loved the story line in this book. I loved how friends that were separated came together and rekindled their friendship. It is so real how when one person dies we tend to finally make time for each other. I did feel like this book dragged and there were unnecessary scenes and I started to struggle but I pushed through because I knew there was going to be a good part. The ending did not disappoint. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC copy!

I just fell into this book! A group of friends who have drifted apart are called together to carry out the wishes of good friend Rosie. It is Rosie’s wish that associate lawyer & peace-keeper Casey, interior designer, mother & organiser, lastly artist & head in the clouds Georgie all travel to Ireland where they will stay in a farmhouse on Scarty island for three months. This request is met with differing reactions!
After a stop-over at Kennedy’s guesthouse where they meet owner Dan and son Shay who seems to be your go to man for anything, They set sail for scarty, which it’s only fair to say comes as a great shock, firstly why did there friend seclude herself there, followed by why has Rosie gotten them all the way from America to live on a secluded island? It gives insight to each character, Rosie included with great twists along the way.

I absolutely loved the way and speed the story unfolded. I found some letters really emotional . My favourite character was Casey. My first thought when it ended was “when’s the next one?

I have to be honest, I struggled a bit getting used to this author. The characters felt stiff to me until they got to Scarty Island. My other early gripe was, oh my goodness how many times does the name Scarty need to be said? I searched it on the ebook. The name of the island appears 228 times, that's roughly every 1 3/4 pages, which feels like overkill, especially when it's repeated a bunch in short bursts and then not at all for multiple pages. Rant over.

The message of friendship throughout the book is so beautiful. Friends can be extremely close for a time, lose each other to distance, and still come back to one another. It's not a perfect science, but true friendships last, even when you're holding secrets from one another. Even when life tries to get in the way. Sometimes that distance is important.

Rosie's letters truly make this book. Unraveling Rosie's entire story really made the book for me. The best friends, Georgie, Debbie, and Casey, they definitely make for an interesting group of friends, they remind me of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, or there's a movie cover I'm seeing in my mind, but can't think of the title to. But I could have easily left out their story lines and the Casey-Shay romance for just Rosie's story. Casey was hard for me to relate to, which was unexpected seeing as she is the main character, but I found Debbie very easy to relate to. Despite struggling a bit at the beginning of the book, I look forward to trying more of this author's work in the future, if her other stories are as beautifully crafted as this, I can't wait.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Netgalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review.

Read in one sitting on a rainy autumnal Sunday and as always when finishing one of the author’s books I'm feeling bereft to have left the characters and desperate for a sequel so I can catch up with them all again.
Responding to their friend's request following her death three women travel to a small Irish Island where they'll learn not only more about their friend but more about themselves too. Their lives and the lives of those they meet will forever be changed by their summer on Scarty.
Another lovely read by this talented author.

I generally enjoy books that have some connection to Ireland but this one did not draw me in as much as I had hoped. I understand the purpose of being vague with some details in the beginning about why the group drifted apart but considering how much the referenced the incident it was too vague and didn't provide enough to keep me reading and finding out what happened. The story was also a little to slow to develop for me.

I loved it!
I became so involved with the 3 women who travelled to Ireland from New York to fulfil the wishes of their friend Rosie as she was dying.

It was certainly an unusual situation to be I'm, travelling to stay in a remote island in Ireland where there is no WiFi or communication apart from the local bar owner who runs his boat across to bring provisions or take them back to the mainland to take calls etc.

A very different type of read but I had to read into the small hours to get to the end. Then I was sorry it had ended.

A lot of twists and loads of secrets lay underneath the initial plan received by letter but then things change.

Thankyou Ann.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC . This book was super cute. I thought I had the ending all figured out but it kept twisting on me. I was very happy with the end. This is a must read .

I was blown away by all the secrets and twists that kept coming… The ending completely blew me away. I raced through the pages as fast as I could

I wanted to love this book especially as I got an invite to read it but I just couldn't get into it. I was confused between Casey and Georgie, who was talking and doing which scenes in the chapters.

I'm sure for someone else this will be right up their alley just not for me.

Sorry!

Casey, Debbie and Georgie did not know that their friend Rosie was so attached to the small Irish island of Scarty until they received letters after her death. They travel there to scatter her ashes and in doing so, discover so much more about not only Rosie but themselves. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read for a rainy day,

Interesting drama featuring a group of four friends,one of whom has passed away. She leaves instructions for the other three and mysteries to solve.