Book Blurb

After finding her dream cottage in a magazine whilst at the hairdressers, Edel Marston, a fifty-year-old retired teacher, makes the life-changing decision to relocate back to Northern Ireland after the death of her husband Ben.

A rocky start with the neighbours and the knowledge of her past is a little too close for comfort, leaves Edel full of self-doubt. Her emotions have become a law unto themselves and she keeps wondering if she’s made the right decision.

After giving herself a good talking to, she decides to join a local over 50’s club, in a bid to embrace her new life. However, after meeting the friendly ladies of the self-proclaimed Stitch & Bitch group, she’s left with further feelings of uncertainty.

Realising quickly how gossipy these ladies can be, Edel finds herself keeping more and more secrets, especially when her relationship with one particular friend develops into something much more.

Ultimately, Edel has to decide whether to trust again and let all of these new people into her life, warts and all or go back to being lonely but safe and with her secrets intact.

Review

Do you want to escape to Ireland and live in a little gate house? - then this is the book for you.

Sometimes you just want a read that is down to earth and yet still a little bit of an escape from your everyday life, and this is what I got from this charming book. While it's not a chocolate box existence, the new life Edel is carving out for herself was one I found so intriguing and cosy. She's a crafter too so I loved reading about her projects.

Being a newcomer in a small village Edel is obviously ripe for the local gossips. When she joins the over 50s club she realises just how much gossip goes on and how hard she will have to work to avoid being the next one they talk about. I loved that this book was about a woman over 50 and also the banter that goes on between her and the other ladies.

There's a little romance too as Edel is not without her admirers in the new village. I really liked Edel, but she had so much self talk going on. At times I wanted to reach out to her and ask her to stop overthinking but also console her over the loss of her husband.

I don't do spoilers, but it so rare these days to read a book without some doom and gloom. There is one little bit of sadness, but all in all a nice read for these troubled times.

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to ZooLoo's book tours for the ARC to review.

Author

The call to Pauline Morgan’s native Northern Ireland was too strong and, after a fascinating stint overseas, she recently relocated there. Pauline had some unique mystical experiences in various houses she lived in and, as a result, self-published the paranormal Special Houses. She has been a member of the Romantic Novelist Association and participated in their New Writers’ Scheme. She attended a day course in Editing, tutored by author/mentor Morgen Bailey.

Pauline is a member of Writers Ink, a multi-award winning www.writing.ie

She has written short stories; published in Woman’s Way and Irelands Own iconic magazine. Pauline enjoyed entering Flash Fiction competitions and was long-listed at Kanturk Arts Festival.

Her first poem Airborne, published on Pendemic.ie website March 2020

Pauline has completed a women’s ‘fiction book called The Ballynoon Friendship Circle, her debut novel to be published by SpellBound Books in early 2021. Pauline is working on a standalone book Christmas novel.

She engages with an extensive network of social writing groups on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Pauline turns her incredible imagination into words to create beautiful stories in different genres. She has a relaxed style of writing, and her mentor describes it as heart-warming and cosy. Pauline never shies away from any given written tasks.

Follow her at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paulinemorganachievingauthor/

Instagram: https://twitter.com/paulinemorgan56