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Calling Frank O'Hare: uplifting and inspiring women's fiction
One phone. One road trip. Too many memories...
Because the past is only a phone call away.
Frank O’Hare plans to spend his Easter break painting big, bold sunsets and romancing Netta Wilde. But then he gets a call.
His useless brother, Martin, has gone missing, although he’s been seen in Glasgow by hopeless Cousin Finn. Under orders from the family, Frank’s on a mission to retrieve the runaway and send him back to Belfast.
But when Martin makes off with Finn’s campervan, Frank is dragged into a Highland road trip with nothing more than an overnight bag, an ancient phone, and a whole heap of memories that start with four young punks trying to dodge the kind of trouble that shapes your life forever.
All he wants to do is get home to the woman he loves and avoid calls from his disappointed ma and bossy sister. But Martin seems intent on getting the old gang together again. Except no one wants to mention that the fourth member, Billy Mac, isn’t there, which is fine by Frank.
Because people change, things happen, and some memories should stay in the past where they belong.
Perfect for fans of funny, moving and uplifting page-turners.
Because the past is only a phone call away.
Frank O’Hare plans to spend his Easter break painting big, bold sunsets and romancing Netta Wilde. But then he gets a call.
His useless brother, Martin, has gone missing, although he’s been seen in Glasgow by hopeless Cousin Finn. Under orders from the family, Frank’s on a mission to retrieve the runaway and send him back to Belfast.
But when Martin makes off with Finn’s campervan, Frank is dragged into a Highland road trip with nothing more than an overnight bag, an ancient phone, and a whole heap of memories that start with four young punks trying to dodge the kind of trouble that shapes your life forever.
All he wants to do is get home to the woman he loves and avoid calls from his disappointed ma and bossy sister. But Martin seems intent on getting the old gang together again. Except no one wants to mention that the fourth member, Billy Mac, isn’t there, which is fine by Frank.
Because people change, things happen, and some memories should stay in the past where they belong.
Perfect for fans of funny, moving and uplifting page-turners.
400 pages, ebook
Published April 1, 2024
46 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
Hazel Ward
5 books27 followersHazel writes thoughtful, uplifting fiction with a splash of humour thrown in. Whether it's about the present day or the past, it’s always contemporary and realistic.
Her stories are about ordinary people being generally marvellous, extraordinary, and less than perfect. She has a particular fondness for characters her readers can see in themselves in.
If you’d like to know more about Hazel and what she's working on you can join Hazel's Readers' Club at:
https://hazelwardauthor.com/readers-c...
As a member of her Readers' Club you'll receive a monthly newsletter and exclusive material, including a free book.
You can also follow Hazel in all of the usual places:
https://www.facebook.com/hazelwardauthor
https://twitter.com/hazelward
https://www.instagram.com/hazel.ward
www.tiktok.com/@hazelwardauthor
Her stories are about ordinary people being generally marvellous, extraordinary, and less than perfect. She has a particular fondness for characters her readers can see in themselves in.
If you’d like to know more about Hazel and what she's working on you can join Hazel's Readers' Club at:
https://hazelwardauthor.com/readers-c...
As a member of her Readers' Club you'll receive a monthly newsletter and exclusive material, including a free book.
You can also follow Hazel in all of the usual places:
https://www.facebook.com/hazelwardauthor
https://twitter.com/hazelward
https://www.instagram.com/hazel.ward
www.tiktok.com/@hazelwardauthor
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 4, 2024
The story:
Frank O’Hare is happy with his comfortable life. He has his art, his work as an English teacher, and he has his relationship with partner Netta.
When he gets a call sending him up to Scotland to retrieve his brother, he is confronted with a past he has been happy to forget. But as he spends more time connecting with his family and his own history, Frank comes to realise there’s room in his life for more than comfort. Maybe even a bit of adventure…
My thoughts:
I read Hazel Ward’s novel “Finding Edith Pinsent” a couple of years ago on a blog tour, which introduced me to the character of Netta Wilde — a woman who has started a new life for herself after a difficult marriage and divorce.
In this instalment in the same series, we focus on Frank O’Hare — Netta’s partner (and also her neighbour). Frank is a 61-year-old English teacher, with a passion for art. He is contented in his life, and happy for things to stay as they are. But one morning he receives a call from his sister Siobhan about their wayward brother Martin, and is sent on a mission to Scotland to find him and send him home to Ireland.
Before he knows it, he’s on a road trip in a camper van with his formerly feckless, now reformed, Cousin Finn and his runaway brother Martin, through the glorious scenery of Scotland. The trip forces Frank to look back on his past, and consider exactly what he’s been avoiding by having so little to do with his family for many years, along with his present insecurities.
Something I enjoyed in my previous reading of Hazel Ward’s work, and again here, is how she makes you root for her character’s happiness. They are all complex, and may not have made all the right decisions. But she treats them with kindness, and you are right there with them as they struggle to become better. This was another very enjoyable read, and well worth checking out if you haven’t yet discovered the Netta Wilde series!
Many thanks to the author for a free, advanced copy of the book. This is my unbiased review.
Frank O’Hare is happy with his comfortable life. He has his art, his work as an English teacher, and he has his relationship with partner Netta.
When he gets a call sending him up to Scotland to retrieve his brother, he is confronted with a past he has been happy to forget. But as he spends more time connecting with his family and his own history, Frank comes to realise there’s room in his life for more than comfort. Maybe even a bit of adventure…
My thoughts:
I read Hazel Ward’s novel “Finding Edith Pinsent” a couple of years ago on a blog tour, which introduced me to the character of Netta Wilde — a woman who has started a new life for herself after a difficult marriage and divorce.
In this instalment in the same series, we focus on Frank O’Hare — Netta’s partner (and also her neighbour). Frank is a 61-year-old English teacher, with a passion for art. He is contented in his life, and happy for things to stay as they are. But one morning he receives a call from his sister Siobhan about their wayward brother Martin, and is sent on a mission to Scotland to find him and send him home to Ireland.
Before he knows it, he’s on a road trip in a camper van with his formerly feckless, now reformed, Cousin Finn and his runaway brother Martin, through the glorious scenery of Scotland. The trip forces Frank to look back on his past, and consider exactly what he’s been avoiding by having so little to do with his family for many years, along with his present insecurities.
Something I enjoyed in my previous reading of Hazel Ward’s work, and again here, is how she makes you root for her character’s happiness. They are all complex, and may not have made all the right decisions. But she treats them with kindness, and you are right there with them as they struggle to become better. This was another very enjoyable read, and well worth checking out if you haven’t yet discovered the Netta Wilde series!
Many thanks to the author for a free, advanced copy of the book. This is my unbiased review.
April 1, 2024
Calling Frank O’Hare by Hazel Ward is a marvellous dual timeline novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. It is part of The Netta Wild series but can be read as a stand-alone. I enjoyed catching up with familiar faces and getting to know Frank O’Hare better.
The novel is set in present day and returning to Frank O’Hare’s youth in 1980’s Belfast and moving forwards and also to the UK. We see his relationships with his family and friends over the years. Most are true friends but some are fair weather friends who take advantage of Frank O’Hare’s kind heart.
We learn about the troubles in Belfast when Frank O’Hare was growing up. There were no-go areas as Catholics and Protestants lived separate lives. Life was lived in fear and on the edge. Trust was in short supply.
A gang of four friends from their youth, persists into adulthood. They are united by memories and music.
We hear of Frank O’Hare’s complicated relationships with two women over the years. Both use him in different ways. His infatuation with both, blinds him to the nature of their true characters. The only women that Frank O’Hare can rely on are his daughter and his neighbours, Edie and Netta in Birmingham.
Frank O’Hare drops all for family. We follow his road trip around Scotland, chasing after his younger brother (now in his fifties!). Memories from the past catch up with both of them.
All the characters were well drawn and realistic. One can easily imagine bumping into any of them, chatting over the garden fence or going for a coffee.
I thoroughly enjoyed Calling Frank O’Hare. Hazel Ward writes books about real people in real situations, tackling problems that could easily arise in any family. Her characters are survivors and I love them.
I received a free copy from the author. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
The novel is set in present day and returning to Frank O’Hare’s youth in 1980’s Belfast and moving forwards and also to the UK. We see his relationships with his family and friends over the years. Most are true friends but some are fair weather friends who take advantage of Frank O’Hare’s kind heart.
We learn about the troubles in Belfast when Frank O’Hare was growing up. There were no-go areas as Catholics and Protestants lived separate lives. Life was lived in fear and on the edge. Trust was in short supply.
A gang of four friends from their youth, persists into adulthood. They are united by memories and music.
We hear of Frank O’Hare’s complicated relationships with two women over the years. Both use him in different ways. His infatuation with both, blinds him to the nature of their true characters. The only women that Frank O’Hare can rely on are his daughter and his neighbours, Edie and Netta in Birmingham.
Frank O’Hare drops all for family. We follow his road trip around Scotland, chasing after his younger brother (now in his fifties!). Memories from the past catch up with both of them.
All the characters were well drawn and realistic. One can easily imagine bumping into any of them, chatting over the garden fence or going for a coffee.
I thoroughly enjoyed Calling Frank O’Hare. Hazel Ward writes books about real people in real situations, tackling problems that could easily arise in any family. Her characters are survivors and I love them.
I received a free copy from the author. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
February 19, 2024
I was given an Advanced Readers Copy of Calling Frank O'Hare by the author Hazel Ward to review.
I enjoyed reading this book (which is Book 5 in the series), but think if I had started the series from book 1, I would have been more familiar with the characters and families concerned.
The story switches backwards and forwards from Frank in modern day Birmingham, to when Frank O'Hare was a teenager, growing up in Belfast with his parents, brothers, sister, cousins, friends and all their relationships.
Sister Siobhan telephones Frank to inform him that their brother Martin has left his wife and gone missing, he has been spotted in Glasgow by their cousin Finn. So Frank sets off on an adventure to meet up with his cousin Finn, to find his brother Martin, who he has promised to send back to his family in Ireland and along the way reveals many secrets from the past.
I would definitely read more books by this author, and look forward to seeing it published on 1st April 2024.
I enjoyed reading this book (which is Book 5 in the series), but think if I had started the series from book 1, I would have been more familiar with the characters and families concerned.
The story switches backwards and forwards from Frank in modern day Birmingham, to when Frank O'Hare was a teenager, growing up in Belfast with his parents, brothers, sister, cousins, friends and all their relationships.
Sister Siobhan telephones Frank to inform him that their brother Martin has left his wife and gone missing, he has been spotted in Glasgow by their cousin Finn. So Frank sets off on an adventure to meet up with his cousin Finn, to find his brother Martin, who he has promised to send back to his family in Ireland and along the way reveals many secrets from the past.
I would definitely read more books by this author, and look forward to seeing it published on 1st April 2024.
April 6, 2024
brilliant
Have loved all the books in this series and could not wait for this one to be published, I was not disappointed brilliant storytelling snd the characters intertwining lives
Have loved all the books in this series and could not wait for this one to be published, I was not disappointed brilliant storytelling snd the characters intertwining lives
April 10, 2024
loved this book!
Have read all the books in the Netta Wilde Series and this one did not disappoint.
Frank who is a mature man goes on a trip of self discovery with his 2 cousins & fellow reprobates.
Have read all the books in the Netta Wilde Series and this one did not disappoint.
Frank who is a mature man goes on a trip of self discovery with his 2 cousins & fellow reprobates.
April 18, 2024
Wonderful book
If you haven’t read any of Hazel Wards books do it now , they are wonderful humorous stories with a little touch of sadness. Books about everyday lives of her characters , lives shared with her readers in her beautifully written books. Recommend highly!
If you haven’t read any of Hazel Wards books do it now , they are wonderful humorous stories with a little touch of sadness. Books about everyday lives of her characters , lives shared with her readers in her beautifully written books. Recommend highly!
April 20, 2024
I've loved every book in this series and this one lived up to every expectation. A rollercoaster of emotions as the story mived effortlessly between the time frames.
May 25, 2024
a great end to the series
I’ve absolutely loved all of this series… one of them books where you will miss the characters long after reading it ❤️
I’ve absolutely loved all of this series… one of them books where you will miss the characters long after reading it ❤️
June 25, 2024
I've enjoyed this series of books very much and loved becoming familiar with the characters
July 23, 2024
another great read
I haven’t been disappointed with any of the series. Looking forward to reading about Doogie . I will be sad when I have read the lot
I haven’t been disappointed with any of the series. Looking forward to reading about Doogie . I will be sad when I have read the lot
April 21, 2025
Calling Frank OHare
Really enjoyed this book , loved the characters and how they developed and the family relationships .An uplifting read , would recommend
Really enjoyed this book , loved the characters and how they developed and the family relationships .An uplifting read , would recommend
January 25, 2026
A little bit slower than others in the series, but a good read once it started.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews