If We Could Turn Back Time is the latest enjoyable family drama from Sian O’Gorman perfect for Faith Hogan and Cathy Kelly fans.

When her latest relationship hits a brick wall, Alice Littleton heads back home to Dublin’s Sandycove to spend the summer with her mother, Ciara and grandmother, Eva at their family deli and grocers. Reconnecting with her best friend Becca, who has a new boyfriend, Conal, Alice quickly begins to fall back into life at Sandycove. Could this be just what she needs to mend a broken heart?

Approaching mid-life, Ciara cannot help but feel that she is stuck in a rut and that life is passing her by. Having put the family business first and herself last one time too many, the time has come for Ciara to do something for herself for a change – like restarting the disco she used to run as a teenager with her best friend. Is this what Sandycove needs? Or will there be nothing but grief and crying at the discotheque?

Meanwhile, Conal’s grandmother insists on meeting Alice. Why is she so adamant about this? And what had happened between her and Eva all those years ago? Could this be the reason why Ciara and Conal’s dad Paddy haven’t spoken for over three decades?

All small towns have secrets, but will the truth finally come out this summer? Or should some secrets be kept dead and buried?

Sian O’Gorman writes engaging stories that beautifully explore the many complicated nuances of relationships and If We Could Turn Back Time is another fun, heartfelt and entertaining tale with gorgeous characters, a fictional setting you’d love to move to and plenty of small-town drama, mischief and romance to keep you turning those pages late into the night.

I love a story set in Ireland. It is so fun to read this novel. Well written and really felt like I knew the characters personally.

In this charming new multiple perspective women’s fiction story, readers follow Alice, Ciara, and Eva, three generations of women running the family deli and grocers in Dublin’s Sandycove. Alice, returning home after another disastrous relationship, resumes life in the small village with her friend Becca and new boyfriend Conal, and this return home might be exactly what she needs to heal. Ciara, single and facing middle age, feels like life is passing by until best friend Mary-Marg suggests they restart the disco of their teenage years. However, even small villages have secrets, and there are strange questions and requests in Sandycove that the three women must answer before they can move forward. Charming and cozy, the atmosphere and setting of this book is absolutely perfect and complements the characters’ arcs perfectly. The fun generational elements of this novel and the shifting storyline and perspectives really give each woman a chance to shine, and all their perspectives balance out equally in this new release. The emotional storyline of this charming book is particularly strong, engaging, and well-written, and readers will love the twists and turns ahead in this cozy Irish village for Alice, Ciara, and Eva and the rest of the community.

This is a heartwarming and engaging novel centered around themes of family, friendship, and the secrets that bind communities together.

A good read
A good storyline
With great characters
A warm wholesome book
Looking forward to her next book
Thanks Netgalley

I’ve read quite a few of the books set in Sandycove, Dublin by the same author. They are not really required to be read in any particular order because people do not feature prominently in others’ stories enough for their own to make a difference.
Like many other books in this series which is not really a series, this story is about a pair of mother and daughter. The daughter has taken an extended vacation to be with her folks. As someone who has lived several hours away from my home country since the age of twenty, I can definitely agree that the emotions are spot on as Alice contemplates the difference between her life in Australia versus how it felt to be home.

Since Alice is adamant about helping out at the shop, Ciara ( her mother) has more free time than she knows what to do with. The past has been on her mind and we have a secret being hinted at from the beginning and slowly gets revealed. The author drops enough hints to know when it was coming and who might be involved, but I never could have guessed at the actual facts!

I like the way the friendships are sustained in the narrative. Time and distance only help make them more coloured and robust while mild quarrels keep things real.

I’ve read many books in the series, but each plot feels different even if it involves similar themes.

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of the genre.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book and read it in one day. I loved the storyline and all the characters. I would definitely recommend this book.

This is a lovely, warm book that manages to be full of hope. It is an engaging read that manages to draw together family secrets and people in need of forgiveness and second chances. The whole atmosphere is one of small town charm and the weaving in of love, be it new and tender or long established made me keep turning the pages. There is a bit of intrigue that runs through the book which adds to the love of Alice and her friends.

Good story set in Dublin about three generations of women. Daughter, Mom, and Grandma. Love, laughter and exposing family secrets. Just you typical family.

If We Could Turn Back Time by Sian O'Gorman ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Three generations of women whose lives are centred around the family store in Sandycove Past secrets come to light and raise questions for all of them. Can they move past these secrets and become a stronger family?

A lovely Irish read!

Alice returns home to Ireland to spend time with her mother and grandmother. family secrets come to life. good story

Alice returns home to Sandycove in Dublin from Perth in Australia and gets involved in her mum Ciara's deli store. Her mum is fed up with having no life so when Alice starts helping with the shop she can take time to herself. Also helping is Alice's gran Eva who has retired but helps out when needed. There are quite a few secrets and they all start to come out

Alice is a teacher in Perth, Western Australia, living half a world away from her homeland. But when an unexpected break gives her time to return to Ireland and spend time with her mum, Ciara, and gran, Eva, she leaps at the chance.

Back in Ireland, Alice falls into a rhythm, working in the family shop, reconnecting with her family and friends, and is soon a fixture in the small town of Sandycove, forming a fearsome foursome with her bestie, Becca, Becca's boyfriend Conal, and the bookshop owner next door, Max.

Meanwhile her mum, Ciara, has a chance to breathe, now that Alice is taking on some of the shop. Being a single mum and running the family business has left her with no time to find herself, and so she and her bestie, Mary-Marg decide to reignite the old disco they ran in their younger days. And maybe some old flames, too.

Alice's arrival in town, though, is the catalyst for some big secrets becoming unearthed, and things prove to not be as they seem.

This was a multilayered book with lots of storylines crisscrossing over one another. We have Alice, settling down into small town life, and her potential romance; we have Ciara finding herself and her frustration at losing half her live to being a single mum and family business obligations; we have the mysterious Blake family and their secrets; we have the disco; we have the shop; we have a LOT of characters. There's a lot going on here, and I admit I did find myself struggling with this a little. It felt like there was backstory we should have known, but didn't.

The individual elements of the story were good, but I didn't feel it came together in a cohesive whole for me. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4

~Many thanks to NegGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review~

Three generations of women whose lives are centred around the family store in Sandycove. Told from the perspective of each woman, past secrets come to light and raise questions for all of them. A lovely Irish read!

I love everything about this story. I loved the sense of community. The romances were subtle and done just right. The mystery was well-written and kept you guessing. Loved the setting. Loved the main characters. Refreshing to read about people aged 45+ making the most of their lives. With thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was set in Ireland and was beautifully described. We follow the story of Alice, her mother Ciara, and her grandmother Eva. *I will admit in the beginning I kept getting Alice and Ciara mixed up because in my head Ciara should've been the younger name!* Alice has moved out of Ireland to Australia to be a teacher, because as most young people feel the need, she felt she needed to escape and find herself. She realized when she came home to visit that she loves Ireland and has thoughts of maybe staying and helping her mom run their little family owned deli/grocery shop.
In the story enters Max, who owns a bookstore next to Alice's family store. Friendship develops quickly between the two.
In the store Alice finds herself being drawn in to a life she at one time had loved to leave, now she's repainting, restocking, inventing new things like Irish Breakfast to make the store more successful.
In the last 3rd of the story we find out the family's secret that can either make or break them.
Beautiful story!!
Thank you to NetGalley, Sion O'Gorman and Boldwood books for the eversion arc copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

EXCERPT: 'He doesn't look as though he's having much fun. But then, who is?'
Dee thought for a moment. 'No,' she admitted, 'no one is. Brendan's sciatica dominates our lives. He can only sleep sitting up. And . . .' she dropped her voice. 'I think I might have social anxiety. Comes with age, apparently. I thought you got more confident as you got older but it's not always the case.'
'I'm a bit like that,' admitted Ciara.
'Me three,' said Jimbo. 'I like to go home after my shift and stay home.'
'That's what I do,' said Ciara, wrapping up Jimbo's sandwich. 'I watch Scandi-noir . . .'
'Ilike those home improvement shows,' said Jimbo. 'You know, when they begin with an unrealistically small budget, go years over schedule, and are shadows of their former selves by the end. But at least they have a fancy kitchen.' He took the sandwich from Ciara. 'See you, ladies. Don't get into any trouble, now, will you?' He laughed. 'Except that's exactly what we should be doing?'
Ciara laughed. 'Chance would be a fine thing.' One day, she thought, she'd be off having an exciting life. She just had to get off her arse and do something about it.

ABOUT 'IF WE COULD TURN BACK TIME': After another relationship disaster Alice Littleton returns home to spend summer in Dublin’s Sandycove with her Mum, Ciara and beloved grandmother, Eva at their family deli and grocers.

As Alice settles back into her old life with best friend Becca and her new boyfriend Conal Blake, she begins to fall back in love with the everyday rhythms of their family shop and Irish life. Is this the tonic she needs to mend a broken heart?

Single and with mid-life looming her mother Ciara is consumed with running the family deli and feels life is passing her by until best friend Mary-Marg suggests they restart the disco they used to run as teenagers. Could this be what Sandycove’s millennials need or will there be murder on the dancefloor?

But it seems all small-towns have their fair share of secrets and ultimately the past will always catch up with you.

Why does Conal’s grandmother insist on meeting Alice and what happened between her and Eva?
And why hasn’t Ciara spoken to Conal’s father, Paddy, for thirty years?

Is it time for the truth to be told so they can change their future?

MY THOUGHTS: Another absolutely delightful story set in Sandycove, Ireland.

I really relish my time spent in Sandycove with its eclectic mix of residents. I have read two previous books set in this community and loved them both.

If We Could Turn Back Time is a lovely read centered around the theme of family and friendship with just a little mystery flowing through the storyline. The answer to the mystery was a bit of a shocker!

Three generations of the Murphy family women are the focus of If We Could Turn Back Time. Alice, who is Ciara's daughter, Ciara, and her mother Eva. Ciara has lived all her life in Sandycove and, although she loves her home and family, feels she is in a rut. She remembers the dreams she and Mary-Marg had when they finished school; dreams that were never realised and probably never would be. Alice's return home from Australia for a holiday seems to spark all sorts of changes in the small community, but what is going to happen when she returns to Australia?

I loved these characters and the relationships between the Murphy grandmother, mother and daughter. I loved their backstories which provided the mystery and a lot of pleasure. Even the supporting characters are a hoot, and it is interesting to watch their attitudes to life change as the book progresses. Murphy's, the village shop, is an ideal setting for much of the story.

If you are wanting something warm and wonderful to read, you won't do better than pick up a Siân O'Gorman book. Sandycove is a wonderful place!

My favorite quote: . . . being able to be cranky and not all sweetness and light is the best thing about being old.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.2

#IfWeCouldTurnBackTime #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR: Siân O'Gorman was born in Galway and now lives just along the coast from Dublin. She works as a radio producer alongside writing contemporary women's fiction inspired by friend and family relationships.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Boldwood Books via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of If We could Turn Back Time by Siân O'Gorman for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

If We Could Turn Back Time by Sian O’Gorman

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

After another relationship disaster Alice Littleton returns home to spend summer in Dublin’s Sandycove with her Mum, Ciara and beloved grandmother, Eva at their family deli and grocers.

As Alice settles back into her old life with best friend Becca and her new boyfriend Conal Blake, she begins to fall back in love with the everyday rhythms of their family shop and Irish life. Is this the tonic she needs to mend a broken heart?

Single and with mid-life looming her mother Ciara is consumed with running the family deli and feels life is passing her by until best friend Mary-Marg suggests they restart the disco they used to run as teenagers. Could this be what Sandycove’s millennials need or will there be murder on the dancefloor?

But it seems all small-towns have their fair share of secrets and ultimately the past will always catch up with you.

Why does Conal’s grandmother insist on meeting Alice and what happened between her and Eva?
And why hasn’t Ciara spoken to Conal’s father, Paddy, for thirty years?

Is it time for the truth to be told so they can change their future?

My Opinion

Alice returns home to Sandycove after living in Australia. It was really nice to be able to follow the three generations as the story progressed. If We Could Turn Back Time was an uplifting read and I was hooked from the very beginning. Sian O’Gorman has once again written a delightful book that I would highly recommend.

Rating 4/5

I really enjoyed this one. It follows three generations of the Murphy family Eva Ciara and Alice and the events that have shaped their lives in their slop in Sandycove. Some great plots in this one and some great friendships. I especially enjoyed the over 45s disco they set up. I would love to attend one like that with my friends.

I loved the title of this book and hoped it would as good as it sounded. In fact, it was amazing. A lovely, cosy read for those winter nights.