This book started too early, with the main character’s childhood, and nothing much really happening. The story had no narrative drive. DNF.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Hazel Lavery lived an extraordinary life, an influential socialite and political figure who played a key role in Ireland’s fight for independence. Her story has all the ingredients for a captivating read, and while <i>The Many Lives and Loves of Hazel Lavery</i> by Lois Cahall delivers on historical detail, it left me wishing for more in terms of narrative connection. For me, it’s a solid 3-star read.

Cahall describes Hazel as one of the "untapped women who changed the course of history," and the book does an admirable job of showcasing her importance. Hazel was a fascinating figure, and you get a strong sense of her vibrant character and the significant role she played in bringing together key players during Ireland’s struggle for independence.

However, the writing style didn’t work for me and sometimes detracted me from the story. It’s written as Hazel looking back on her life, but this perspective often felt disjointed, leaving me disconnected from the narrative. The pacing improved when Michael entered the story, but the first half felt overcrowded with characters, making it hard to connect with any of them.

I also struggled to feel invested in the love story between Hazel and John. It felt rushed, and I couldn’t fully understand their connection. A quote from the book, where Hazel’s sister critiques John’s letter—“‘This is dull. You call this love?’ ‘It’s brilliant,’ I exclaimed.”—sums up my experience. While some readers may find their romance compelling, I found it lacking depth.

The book is well-researched, and Cahall does a fantastic job honoring Hazel’s real-life legacy. Still, I wish the author had taken more creative liberties to fill in the gaps where history remains silent. As a work of historical fiction, there was room to diverge from strict accuracy to create a more engaging narrative.

Overall, I liked the book but didn’t love it. It’s likely to resonate more with readers who appreciate meticulously researched historical fiction over those seeking a more immersive or dramatic story.

I received a free eARC from NetGalley, but all opinions are my own.

This was a wonderfully done historical fiction novel that I really enjoyed getting to read this. It had that feel that I was looking for and enjoyed that the main character was of Irish descendant. Lois Cahall was able to weave a strong storyline and characters that I cared about.

The author Lois Cahall is a brilliant storyteller who brings her readers along this tale of a woman who has to face vanquished desires, duty, and destiny with enthusiasm in a way that honors the character.

“The Many Lives and Loves of Hazel Lavery” is a historical fiction book by Lois Cahall. I felt, reading the description of this book, that it would be right up my alley. Turn of the 20th century setting, a flamboyantly interesting main character, a love story (and love triangle), art, and WWI. So, it was with rather high expectations that I began this book. I liked the introduction - a mention of Michael Collins and an estate sale. Settling into the story, I think I know what bothered me - the writing style doesn’t match the time period. Hazel is flighty (she is barely out of her teens so I gave that a pass) but the reads younger than she should. When discussing art she seemed full of exclamation marks and breathless but then went into teenage pouting when she couldn’t get her way with her mother. It just felt “off.” I think Ms. Cahall is trying to bridge “then” with “now” - postpartum depression is referred to as that - not what it was called back in the early 1900s (which wasn’t PPD as that term was coined in the 1970s). I believe Hazel Lavery lead a fascinating life, but, for me, this book didn’t present it in a way that I enjoyed.

"I'm learning that in loss and in living, it's best to expect nothing and appreciate everything."
I loved John and Hazel's friendship, their adventures together made up this story. Ned was a weird character, it felt like his part in the story didn't have much effect.
"My mind was playing tricks on me. I'd been married to John Lavery so many times in recurring fantasies that it felt like I'd already been his wife.
To me this book feels like it's jumping around in time a lot. Some of the timelines are not accurate, maybe this author did this on purpose but maybe not. It felt very disjointed. I read most of it but I couldn't continue past page 150 roughly. The characters were interesting though and Hazel was an interesting main character that developed throughout the novel.

One thing to point out though is that there are too many different characters. I'm finding that with most books, you only need 2-4 characters at most.