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Meeting Mae: From Strangers to Soulmates, One Unforgettable Journey
From Near Collision to Deep Meeting Mae is a Story of Unexpected Bonds!
Susan Quinn is distracted as she’s driving through a rat run one dark January night and nearly runs elderly Mae over. Sharp-tongued and feisty, Mae sends Susan off with a flea in her ear. However, seeing Mae struggling with her shopping weeks later, Susan offers her a lift home and finds that Mae’s wicked sense of humour and no-nonsense attitude make a difficult day better.
Susan adores her two girls, but she and her husband Declan have always wanted a large bustling family. Life, however, threw a spanner in the works and now fertility treatment is needed for number three. When their first round of IUI fails, Susan’s best friend Gayle is supportive. But, busy with her own young family, anything more than a hassled ten-minute conversation with her is a miracle.
Mae, however, has the time to listen. The women confide in each other as Susan continues the fight for that elusive third child. Then, under stress and emotional, she impulsively begins to meddle in Mae’s past with devastating consequences.
Should the past be left alone? Or does the truth really set you free?
Susan Quinn is distracted as she’s driving through a rat run one dark January night and nearly runs elderly Mae over. Sharp-tongued and feisty, Mae sends Susan off with a flea in her ear. However, seeing Mae struggling with her shopping weeks later, Susan offers her a lift home and finds that Mae’s wicked sense of humour and no-nonsense attitude make a difficult day better.
Susan adores her two girls, but she and her husband Declan have always wanted a large bustling family. Life, however, threw a spanner in the works and now fertility treatment is needed for number three. When their first round of IUI fails, Susan’s best friend Gayle is supportive. But, busy with her own young family, anything more than a hassled ten-minute conversation with her is a miracle.
Mae, however, has the time to listen. The women confide in each other as Susan continues the fight for that elusive third child. Then, under stress and emotional, she impulsively begins to meddle in Mae’s past with devastating consequences.
Should the past be left alone? Or does the truth really set you free?
301 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 15, 2024
65 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Karen O'Connor
1 book5 followersI grew up in Dublin, Ireland, and currently live in Kildare. My main passions are my family, friends, pets, and of course, books! I've always loved reading and if my books bring even a fraction of the joy to other people's lives as other authors have done for me, then I'll be a happy camper!
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 17, 2024
Meeting Mae by Karen O’Connor published July 2024 with Poolbeg Press and is described as ‘a story of unexpected bonds’. Somewhat inspired by the author’s own personal experiences, Meeting Mae is a novel that pulls at all the heartstrings and more as we get acquainted with Susan, Declan and Mae.
On paper Susan Quinn has it all. She has two beautiful young daughters, her husband is the manager of a local DIY store, she has her best friend Gayle by her side and a job that she doesn’t find too stressful. Declan was her teenage sweetheart and through the years their love has never faded. But Susan isn’t happy. As only children, herself and Declan always wanted plenty of kids running under their feet. They love their daughters but they have room in their hearts for a third child. But nature has other plans with another pregnancy proving too much of a challenge. The couple start on fertility treatment but with little success, Susan is sad and frustrated. She feels a failure. She feels she is disappointing Declan and she blames herself.
Mae is an elderly lady living close by who Susan accidentally crosses paths with one blustery winter’s evening, when in her car. Their initial interaction isn’t the most pleasant but a few weeks later Susan sees Mae again and decides to make amends. She helps Mae home with her shopping but, when Susan approaches Mae’s home, she is overtaken by an emotional reaction that unexpectedly proves to be the beginning of the most beautiful friendship.
Susan finds peace and wisdom while in the company of Mae. Mae is a gentle presence in Susan’s life and a budding relationship develops between the two women. Secrets are shared, both opening up to each other over time about their past. Mae is a wonderful elderly lady with an inspirational view on life, a non-judgemental individual who listens with a caring ear and provides a shoulder when needed. Susan is a woman craving for another baby but silently telling herself she is not worthy. Susan has her own deep secrets but unburdening to Mae has helped lift some of the pain. Likewise Mae reveals her own shocking story to Susan but Susan starts to interfere without Mae’s permission with a very unpredicted outcome. Can Susan hold everything together? Can her relationship with Declan survive? Will Mae forgive her for her lapse in judgement?
My heart broke on numerous occasions while reading Meeting Mae. As the relationship strengthened between Susan and Mae, it was like watching a flower slowly blossom as they circumnavigated obstacles and shared heart wrenching experiences. Karen O’Connor highlights multiple themes throughout that will resonate with many women but she writes with a very compassionate pen. Meeting Mae is a very impressive debut with characters that jump off the pages. We all need a friend like Mae. We all need that open-minded and loyal individual in our lives who just accepts us with all our faults. I loved reading about the gorgeous relationship that developed between Susan and Mae, but I especially loved meeting Mae. Discover the joy of this captivating tale by picking up a copy of Meeting Mae and immersing yourself in this tender and delightful novel. (and as a bonus it has a extremely pretty cover!!)
On paper Susan Quinn has it all. She has two beautiful young daughters, her husband is the manager of a local DIY store, she has her best friend Gayle by her side and a job that she doesn’t find too stressful. Declan was her teenage sweetheart and through the years their love has never faded. But Susan isn’t happy. As only children, herself and Declan always wanted plenty of kids running under their feet. They love their daughters but they have room in their hearts for a third child. But nature has other plans with another pregnancy proving too much of a challenge. The couple start on fertility treatment but with little success, Susan is sad and frustrated. She feels a failure. She feels she is disappointing Declan and she blames herself.
Mae is an elderly lady living close by who Susan accidentally crosses paths with one blustery winter’s evening, when in her car. Their initial interaction isn’t the most pleasant but a few weeks later Susan sees Mae again and decides to make amends. She helps Mae home with her shopping but, when Susan approaches Mae’s home, she is overtaken by an emotional reaction that unexpectedly proves to be the beginning of the most beautiful friendship.
Susan finds peace and wisdom while in the company of Mae. Mae is a gentle presence in Susan’s life and a budding relationship develops between the two women. Secrets are shared, both opening up to each other over time about their past. Mae is a wonderful elderly lady with an inspirational view on life, a non-judgemental individual who listens with a caring ear and provides a shoulder when needed. Susan is a woman craving for another baby but silently telling herself she is not worthy. Susan has her own deep secrets but unburdening to Mae has helped lift some of the pain. Likewise Mae reveals her own shocking story to Susan but Susan starts to interfere without Mae’s permission with a very unpredicted outcome. Can Susan hold everything together? Can her relationship with Declan survive? Will Mae forgive her for her lapse in judgement?
My heart broke on numerous occasions while reading Meeting Mae. As the relationship strengthened between Susan and Mae, it was like watching a flower slowly blossom as they circumnavigated obstacles and shared heart wrenching experiences. Karen O’Connor highlights multiple themes throughout that will resonate with many women but she writes with a very compassionate pen. Meeting Mae is a very impressive debut with characters that jump off the pages. We all need a friend like Mae. We all need that open-minded and loyal individual in our lives who just accepts us with all our faults. I loved reading about the gorgeous relationship that developed between Susan and Mae, but I especially loved meeting Mae. Discover the joy of this captivating tale by picking up a copy of Meeting Mae and immersing yourself in this tender and delightful novel. (and as a bonus it has a extremely pretty cover!!)
September 3, 2024
A debut which I enjoyed very much, an author to watch out for.
September 8, 2024
Great debut novel
August 1, 2024
I enjoyed reading Meeting Mae. I loved the friendship shared between Susan’s family and Mae. Mae’s fiery personality and quips reminded me of my Nana and that made me miss her so much, but it also helped me to connect to Mae while I was reading. I just wish there had been a trigger warning that came with it because of some sensitive and hot topics that came up during the course of the book.
Thank you BookSirens for the advanced copy. All opinions expressed above are my own.
Thank you BookSirens for the advanced copy. All opinions expressed above are my own.
July 20, 2025
“Meeting Mae” is an emotionally charged debut novel by Karen O’Connor that feels as enveloping as a warm, cozy country cottage. It’s about various types of love - parental love, marital love, romantic love, self love, and love between friends. It’s a story about the families to which we are born and those we choose to make. It’s a story that contains a lot of sadness and regrets but ultimately is uplifting because it demonstrates an overwhelming capacity for love and human connection. I enjoyed reading it and am thankful to BookSirens, Ms. O’Connor, and Poolbeg Press for providing me an advanced reader’s copy to read, although I am a year late in reading it. My opinions are voluntary.
September 7, 2024
Such a joy to read this book! I found Susan, Declan and Mae instantly likeable which is very important to me as I will abandon a book if I don’t want to spend time with the characters. Despite the underlying serious subject matter of the novel, (I learned a lot about a topic of which I knew nothing- secondary infertility and treatment options), there are sparkling nuggets of humour, warmth and feel-good littered throughout the pages. Warm, funny, gritty, honest - and at times - quite sad, I was invested from the get-go. I really look forward to reading more from this author.
July 25, 2024
Meeting Mae is a wonderful read. We follow Susan on her trying to navigate through to the life she’s always dreamed of while keeping her friendships alive and her daughters’ and husband always at the front of her priorities. When she meets Mae, it’s clear that Mae didn’t have the life she envisioned either. Susan is likeable and even if we don’t fully understand her motives and Mae is a joyous character
July 29, 2024
I did like the synopsis, but I was finding it hard to be interested in the plot.
I liked Mae and I felt for her. I did find the writing style too wordy.
This affected my enjoyment of the book because I was struggling with this too much. I felt I lost my way within the story. I lost track of what was happening.
3 stars
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I liked Mae and I felt for her. I did find the writing style too wordy.
This affected my enjoyment of the book because I was struggling with this too much. I felt I lost my way within the story. I lost track of what was happening.
3 stars
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 7, 2024
loved the book! don’t typically read womens fiction but i heard good reviews and decided to give it a shot, it was worth every penny! i got sucked into susans little world and i loved her friendship with mae. there’s heavier topics in the book to do with pregnancy and the author wrote it really well. i would recommend it a lot
August 13, 2024
Family and Friendship
A heartfelt story set in Dublin about marriage, family life and friendship. Follow Susan and Mae's budding friendship while Susan struggles with a deep yearning to have another baby while undergoing fertility treatment. A mindful journey of love, loss, regret and forgiveness.
A heartfelt story set in Dublin about marriage, family life and friendship. Follow Susan and Mae's budding friendship while Susan struggles with a deep yearning to have another baby while undergoing fertility treatment. A mindful journey of love, loss, regret and forgiveness.
November 10, 2024
This book was amazing. Even from the extract I heard the author read at her book launch I was eager to read it and it did not disappoint. The book was very well written and the author made the characters come to life as I read it. I felt so close to the characters and I filled up with tears towards the end.
July 10, 2024
Beautifully written book .
Fantastic read.
Fantastic read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2024
Couldn’t put it down … read it in 24 hours…. Fantastic book with a heart warming story… unmissable story …. Can’t wait for the next one
November 10, 2024
Such a Lovely Story!
I loved loved loved this book. Mae is such a great character and I really liked Susan too. A real celebration of the power of friendship across the generations.
I loved loved loved this book. Mae is such a great character and I really liked Susan too. A real celebration of the power of friendship across the generations.
December 20, 2024
Nicola’s review
A very good book. The characters are very likeable but at the end it’s very samey! I would recommend this book if they like chick lit.
A very good book. The characters are very likeable but at the end it’s very samey! I would recommend this book if they like chick lit.
January 12, 2025
Story about the relationship between an elderly woman and a married woman both with secrets.
This book, in my opinion, was very predictable and poorly written.
I gave up half way through!
This book, in my opinion, was very predictable and poorly written.
I gave up half way through!
May 1, 2025
Loved this story and how it all weaved between their lives and loves ..
August 3, 2024
A story of strength resilience and beautiful friendships a real heartwarming story!
Highly recommend!!!!!
Highly recommend!!!!!
September 11, 2024
As a single woman with no children, this book really touched my heart.
Whilst a lot of the topics centre around pregnancy, children and motherhood, for me, the common thread was loss of some kind; loss of possibilities, of dreams and sometimes of loved ones. We can all relate to that.
And the tender friendship tale is beautiful and real too.
I laughed and cried out loud reading this. And I really missed the characters in the book when I finished it.
It's a perfect gentle read and heart warming.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews