The Birthday Party

Roone #4

by Roisin Meaney

'Meaney is utterly credible, utterly authentic, utterly irresistible' Irish Independent

'Roisin Meaney is a skilful storyteller' Sheila O'Flanagan

The new novel from No.1 bestselling author Roisin Meaney.

Genres: Fiction

355 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 27, 2019

About the author

Born on 3rd September.
A published author of twenty books for adults and three for children, Roisin worked as an advertising copywriter for a number of years, and brings a vast amount of experience to the editing team. Her first novel, The Daisy Picker, won a Write a Bestseller competition. Her third novel, The Last Week of May reached number one on the Irish bestseller list and her fourth, The People Next Door reached number two. Her books have been translated into several languages, and two, Semi-Sweet and Life Drawing for Beginners, have been published in the US. She is currently working on her next book, which is scheduled for publication in autumn 2023. She is also plotting another children's book - shhhhh.

Reviews

[Dale Harcombe · Rating 4 out of 5]

On Roone, an island off the west coast of Ireland, preparations for a 70th birthday party are underway. Pretty much the whole neighbourhood is invited. But there are lots of other things happening in the meantime on the Island. Imelda’s husband Hugh has recently died and both she and her foster daughter are struggling to come to terms with that. As well Eve has a guilty secret plaguing her. Laura has her own issues with a secret she has been entrusted with. One she would rather not know about. And then there is Tilly, Laura’s sister who will be flying over from Australia. Tilly and Andy are involved in a long distance romance. Over the next moths secrets will emerge, family loyalties and friendships will be tested.
It took me a little while to get into this book. I felt like I had been dropped into the middle of a situation with chracters I should have known about but didn’t. I only found out later there have been three other stories set on Roone, so maybe reading those would have helped. As it was, once I got the characters sorted, as to who was who and who was related to whom, it started to make sense and I became more interested. After the initial chapter, the story is told in varying chapters about Eve, Laura, Imelda, Tilly, and Susan. The further the story moved along, the more I was drawn into the lives of these woman, their problems and family relationships.
The setting is beautiful. But this book is really about the people who inhabit Roone as well as those who visit. The birthday party itself is really only a feature at the beginning and the end. Ultimately this is a novel about marriage, parenting, friendship, loyalty, choices and consequences, forgiveness, mistakes and sometimes second chances. A warm and generous hearted novel, I enjoyed my time with the inhabitants of Roone and enjoyed being involved in their lives. A good way to spend a bit of time.

[Claire Mc Partlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a return to the little island of Roone. I've read the other books set in Roone, which I really enjoyed, and while you don't really need to read them before this book it would certainly help a bit with the characters.

I did find it a bit confusing at first with the various characters, and it took me a little while to get my head around who everyone was again as it had been a little while since I read the last one, but I soon got there.

I did enjoy the setting of Roone as it sounded lovely as usual, but a few things niggled me a bit with the characters. Everyone seemed to be fed up or sad, unlike the other books, and some were a bit too opinionated and ready to think the worst of people without any solid facts. I just couldn't warm to the characters, even ones I'd really liked before like Laura. The only character I really liked was Gualtiero, the Italian who was visiting Roone to paint, he was just lovely.

I'm also not sure why it was called 'The Birthday Party', as the actual party was a really tiny bit of the book, nothing to do with the title really and the ending was a bit abrupt and odd, finishing with the guy who'd had the birthday party when he'd hardly been in the book at all. Maybe there's going to be another one in the series - hopefully they'll all have cheered up by then!

So not my favourite Roone book of the series, but it wouldn't stop me from wanting to read the next one (if there is one) in the hope that it's a bit lighter and happier!

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been far too long since I last read a Roisin Meaney book, especially one set on Roone. And as much as I recall loving these Roone books, the specifics weren't coming to mind and as a result it took me a long while to completely get into the swing of things.

There were hints which helped give me some reminders, but I do feel that this book could have done with a cast list at the front, explaining how everyone was related or connected which would he helped people like me that read large numbers of books a year, to get back into the swing of things, or give new readers a reference if things were confusing.

But once past that I was very much interested in the various story lines in this story. There are secrets which some people know but other's don't which came out in the most fabulous way!

There are other secrets hinted at throughout the book that only get revealed towards the end, without a major fan-fair but with enough oomph that I suspect this won't be the last book set on the island.

In fact I think this (and the other Roone books) would make a wonderful soap opera, with all the various drama, friendships, families and step families, or at least a few series of a great TV drama.

I really enjoyed the writing, and there was plenty of story to sink your teeth into. Within moments of picking up the book I had the image of Roone back in my mind, and I did feel at home amongst the pages.

I just really hope there won't be such a long gap before the next book set on this fabulous little Irish Island, with the quirky community.

Thank you to Hachette Ireland and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

[Emma Crowley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm always delighted to read any books by the wonderful author Roisin Meaney and even more so when they are set on the very special and unique island of Roone. Any of the author's books which have featured this setting have been brilliant and even if you haven't read any of these you could still easily read this new book - The Birthday Party - as there is lots of back stories provided for new readers. Yes there are a lot of characters mentioned, and it could take a little time to get used to who is who and how different people connect to each other, but things do become clearer the further you progress through the story. As it had been over four years since my last visit to Roone, I'll admit it took me some time to settle back into the lives of the characters but once I did so I found this to be an enjoyable story following the trials and tribulations of the inhabitants and guests of the island. An island where on the surface everything seems idyllic and peaceful and everyone looks so contented and happy but underneath the surface there are stirrings of discontent for some and others are trying to come to terms with recent events.

As we arrive back on the island hotelier Henry Manning, even though it is only the beginning of the summer, is starting to plan his birthday/summer garden party in the grounds of the hotel which he hopes to hold at the end of August. He wants to give Roone a night it won't forget and he is hoping things will all go without a hitch. Being honest this was really the only mention of said party until we reached the end of the story and given this was the title of the book I was expecting it to feature more prominently. I understand the party does become the catalyst for secrets to be unearthed and for some home truths to be told but like I have seen with other readers it was a slight disappointment that the story didn't always connect back to the title as had been expected.

Pushing this issue aside and once I re-familiarised myself with the characters, I settled back into the relaxed rhythm of life on Roone and I enjoyed getting to know the main characters again. Although in this story they don't all seem as happy as they usually do and there is a lot of conflict and keeping secrets that really should have been brought out into the open much earlier on. Several of the characters surprised me with their actions and people I had loved in previous books I found myself really starting to dislike them. I suppose it shows that life can't always be a bed of roses and the author has tried to show that although life appears picture perfect on Roone there are still plenty of life changing events occurring.

Imelda came to the island as a tourist but fell in love with Hugh and has remained ever since but with the unexpected and devastating loss of her beloved husband, her life is no longer the same. She is trying to bear the unbearable and with the arrival of an unexpected visitor maybe this might be just the thing she needs to emerge from the wall of both sadness and anger that engulfs her. She is in a state of deep mourning and her grief is all encompassing so much so that she can barely manage to get through the days let alone help Eve who she and Hugh had taken into her home. Eve herself is struggling. She viewed Hugh as her real father and can't cope with the fact that the bond she established with him is gone forever. She is hiding secrets of her own but can't confined in Imelda as she thinks doors have been closed to her.

Eve was the character who I couldn't believe some of her actions. She had a secret that if revealed would be so explosive and affect the lives of so many others. To be honest this needed to be out in the open fairly rapidly for everyone to digest it and see how they could solve things but she kept avoiding that moment. Throughout the story she seemed very woe is me and I wanted her to buck up a bit and realise that many others had problems too and that we all have difficult situations to deal with in life. Instead of moping and being argumentative she should have been honest. People lie when they think the truth will not be well received and several characters adopt that attitude and maybe it's not the best way to be. The way the strand of her story developed until the eventual reasons were revealed was surprising and it provided plenty of food for thought.

Roone undoubtedly is a tight-knit community and the stalwart of that is Laura. She is not a native of the island but when she arrived, the island worked its magic on her and she stayed and married local man Gavin. She runs a guest house and her door is always open to everybody as she is great at offering a helping hand or just to sit and listen to someone's problem. Laura likes to keep busy with running the guest house and taking care of the children but that's not to say she hasn't had her problems in the past. She is a brilliant character who has been developed so well and she really is the matriarch figure of the books but here she feels under more pressure than usual. She has been told something very serious and the person with the secret has told her not to tell anyone. This is a heavy burden for her to bear and throughout the book I felt because of this she wasn't her normal happy self. Laura has a premonition that something bad is about to happen but little does she realise what is about to be exposed. Will she and the residents of Roone be able to deal with the fall out? Will the peace, comfort, tranquillity and warmth of Roone be shattered forever?

There are lots of other characters that feature but one last one I will mention is Tilly, the sister of Laura, who first arrived from Australia three years ago looking for her sister. Since then she goes back and forth to Roone every year and always looks forward to her time there. She is maintaining a long distance relationship with Andy but hopes to put things on a more firmer footing. She arrives for her holiday with plenty of goals in mind but life might just have other things in store for her. At times it seemed to me as if Tilly had her head in the clouds and needed to be a little more realistic about things. She needed to be that little bit more aware and in tune with what was actually going on but saying that I was desperately sad for what befalls her and I don't think she deserved what came her way. Things went out of her control and I wondered could she claw things back again?

Overall The Birthday Party was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I really enjoy Roisin Meaney's writing but that little bit of sparkle and magic that is normally so evident in the Roone books was absent. There were parts I really enjoyed but others felt a little flat and maybe it's because the characters themselves weren't always experiencing the best of times. Saying that, there was a very good exploration of family relationships, grief, parenting and friendship and how keeping things guarded and close to ones chest is not always the best option. There is definitely room for another story set on the island as there were many questions left unanswered and I feel we need more of a conclusion with regard to some storylines. I hope if we do return to Roone in the future that there are happier times in store for the residents.

[Silvia Devitofrancesco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recensione presente nel blog www.ragazzainrosso.wordpress.com
Nella piccola isola irlandese di Roone tutti si conoscono. Per questo motivo la festa per i settant’anni del proprietario dell’hotel locale sarà considerato un evento importantissimo al quale tutti parteciperanno e che necessita di una lunga preparazione nei dettagli. L’isola, però, non è solo culla di festeggiamenti ma anche di situazioni più o meno complesse che coinvolgono diverse figure femminili tutte interconnesse tra di loro.

“C’era qualcosa di più. Era come se riuscisse a percepire gli spruzzi d’acqua salata sollevati da ogni refolo di vento, come se potesse respirare l’aria pulita, salmastra, che permeava ogni angolo dell’isola. La musica profonda e melodiosa del mare nella baia faceva da sottofondo ai suoi pensieri, le grida acute dei gabbiani nel cielo irrompevano nei momenti di inattività. Una volta che ti era entrata dentro, era difficile dimenticarsi di Roone.”

Un’isola geograficamente è considerata una realtà circoscritta e lo è, ovviamente, anche per quanto riguarda la sua popolazione. La convivenza, talora, non è semplice e l’eco degli eventi ha, senza dubbio, una portata maggiore rispetto a un territorio più esteso.

Il romanzo – ambientato nell’arco dei tre mesi estivi – segue le vicende di Imelda, da poco vedeva ancora alle prese con l’elaborazione del lutto; Laura, moglie e madre, alle prese con i tanti segreti da custodire; Susan, madre di un bambino piccolo, in piena crisi coniugale; Eve che da sola dovrà affrontare una gravidanza non prevista e Tilly, innamorata del suo fidanzato che vede solo una volta l’anno.

Si tratta di donne molto diverse tra loro sia per fascia d’età sia per indole, eppure accomunate dall’essere costantemente messe alla prova. Debolezza e coraggio si fronteggiano continuamente, per ogni caduta vi è una risalita e nonostante le incomprensioni regna in ognuna di loro il desiderio di tornare a essere una comunità unita, seppellendo i dissapori.

Tra le pagine sono affrontati numerosi temi quali il lutto, la malattia, i problemi psicologici, la voglia di riscattarsi. Lo stile della prosa è lineare, la narrazione avviene in terza persona alternando i diversi punti di vista e il coinvolgimento emotivo da parte del lettore è pressoché costante, personalmente ho trovato qualche piccola difficoltà all’inizio nel seguire le vicissitudini delle tante protagoniste.

Un romanzo semplice ed efficace. Una lettura piacevole che porterà, inevitabilmente, a simpatizzare per l’una o l’altra donna.

[Marjorie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

We've been to the idyllic Island of Roone several times now but I found it odd that I really didn't recognise many of the characters. What should have felt like coming home actually felt like I was starting a whole new series but somewhere in the middle so all these characters that should have felt familiar to me were strangers. It wasn't until Laura graced the pages that I started to get a handle on the whole thing again and even then it was tentative to say the least.

My biggest issue with the book was what on earth happened to Roone?

It used to be such a happy little island. Sure people had real world problems but somehow there was always a sense of optimism surrounding them and you knew that no matter what tragedy befell them somehow their sheer pluck and vivacity would pull them through - Laura's bounceback from Breast Cancer, the great storm, etc.. This time it genuinely felt like a different, doomladen place. Talk of suicides off the cliff edge, ostracism within the community, friendships dramatically going off the rails.

The only little glimmers of hope were the wonderful Italian gentleman (whose name I am struggling to remember how to spell so lets just refer to him as Walter). He embodied the joie de vivre that the island used to have and has now lost. His delight in the simple things was a real tonic and whenever we got to visit with him it lifted the whole book - even if we only ever got his tale second hand. Everything else is just grim, including the eponymous Birthday Party.

Roisin Meaney certainly understands people though and although this novel kind of ruined the whole Roone ethos nobody acts in a way which is unbelievable. Maybe that is the problem, it shows people at their worst and because the author is so good at people it makes it uncomfortable to read. Whichever, I found that although I appreciated the vignettes it didn't make me happy and when I pick up a Roone book I expect some joy and there was little of that be found here.

[Leona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet again another wonderful story by Roisin Meaney going back to the people we love from the island of Roone. We are back on this small island with Nell and her family, Laura and her family and others we met in the previous books. I adored this book and was actually sad when it ended. I hope there will be more books from Roone. Highly recommend.

[booksofallkinds · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the Publisher

Roisin Meaney has done it again with a wonderful, captivating story about relationships and families in THE BIRTHDAY PARTY.

Roone island is picture perfect and it is the type of small community that comes together when needed but also the kind of place where everyone knows everything about everybody, or at least they think they do.

​Imelda and her foster daughter Eve are struggling with grief and as Eve battles with the demons from her past, she pushes Imelda away just when she may need her the most.

Tilly cannot wait to leave Australia and return to Roone to see the love of her life Andy and spend time with her sister Laura. But things seem to a little strained between her and Andy and she wonders if she should continue with her plans to make Roone her permanent home.

Laura is happy with her husband, her kids, and her business but when her distant father drops a huge secret on her and then disappears again, she is struggling with it. Add a stepmother who arrives on the island determined to leave her father, and keeping secrets that may harm her little sister in the long run, and Laura is feeling the pressure.

But as summer begins to fade and the residents are all preparing for a birthday party for one of the steadfast members of their community, will the truth set them all free or will it destroy friendships and break hearts more than anyone could imagine?

With plenty of drama, secrets, and heartache, THE BIRTHDAY PARTY by Roisin Meaney is an emotional read that hooks you from the beginning and makes it very easy to connect with all of these characters. My heart broke for Eve after all that she had been through and I desperately wanted her to find some light in the darkness. As Laura tries to be all things to all people, she struggles to deal with her feelings and emotions in certain situations and wanted her to find some peace even if I didn't always agree with the way she handled everything.

There is never a dull moment in THE BIRTHDAY PARTY by Roisin Meaney and as always, when I finished this book I found myself looking forward to the next one by this great author.

[chiara Rancan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una storia alquanto ingarbugliata che tesse la sua trama tra le parentele e le amicizie di una piccola isola irlandese.
Si parla di rispetto, di fiducia, di paura delle relazioni, di lutto e di amori spezzati.
Ogni personaggio trova il suo spazio e riesce a colpire il lettore con il suo piccolo spaccato di vita.
Alla fine, tutto sommato, mesi di preparativi per il 70 anni del padrone dell’unico Hotel dell’isola e proprio questa festa passa in ultimo piano. Lo ritroviamo a festeggiare da solo , con un bicchierino, l’indomani del misfatto.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read previous books set on the island of Roone so it was lovely to be transported back to the idyllic haven. This time we follow several characters; Imelda, Gualtiero, Susan, Eve, Laura, each coping with their own struggles. Friendships will be in jeopardy and loyalties tested. It is the warmth of both the setting and the characters that just absorb you onto the page. Roisin Meaney is a gifted storyteller. I enjoyed The Birthday Party immensely.

[Jenny Shifler · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book but I just couldn’t. There were so many characters thrown at you in the beginning that I couldn’t keep them straight. There wasn’t any character that I was drawn to and rooting for in fact many annoyed me. The storyline was predictable. Although the title is The Birthday Party it really had nothing to do with the book and I’m still not sure why it was included.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first foray into the works of Roisin Meaney left me wanting. The plot was vaguely entertaining, but hardly suspenseful, and seemed to trudge along at the same pace throughout.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Confusing who the characters were, and how they knew each other, needed a tree or reference at the front to refer back to

[Aisling Byrne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book disappointing. It's the first Roone book I've read and I felt there was a lot of unnecessary information rehashed from earlier books that had nothing to do with this plot. All it did was make it harder to remember who was who as we're introduced to a LOT of characters at the beginning. The title makes no sense as the birthday party has very little to do with the story. It could just as easily have been called Australia, as there's an Australian visitor to the island.
Some of the attitudes were so outdated it read like a book written 50 years ago, not in 2019. A pregnant woman is told she might lose her job in the creche as she is unmarried. The same woman decides she can't tell her foster mother about her pregnancy because of the shame and resolves to leave the island and never return. Several guests refuse to attend the birthday party as the birthday boy (who is 70 years old) is gay. A woman who chooses to live with her husband before they marry sees a friendship suffer as a direct result of this 'scandalous' behaviour. The pregnant woman is told by her doctor she has to wait 2 days for her pregnancy test results as he has to send it away for analysis. Funny that, my doctor was able to confirm my pregnancies immediately, and that was almost 20 years ago...
As an Irish woman in her late forties who has lived in Ireland all her life, this backward looking, prejudiced account of modern day Ireland is not one I recognise. My first visit to Roone will also be my last.

[Mrs Maura Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Birthday Party was disappointing after reading her other books .This seemed rushed and a mishmash of happenings Roisin characters deserve more as does the beautiful island of Roone . I was excited to read this book and catch up with Laura, Nell and all the lovely people of Roone I was left what appeared to me as a quickly thought up tag on for the sake of producing another book without a proper ending that came so quick I was not prepared for it Please let’s see more of Roone a it’s Islanders With more depth to their stories .

[Viki · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 *… I really enjoyed I’ll Be Home For Christmas (not knowing it was part of a series), so I had to continue reading to find out how things turned out!
I have to say that goodreads has disappointed me in not listing the titles that are set on the island of Roone in order so we can follow the story chronologically.

[Susan M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very similar to her other books. I had a little trouble at first remembering some of the characters but caught up fairly quickly. Author always reminds me of Maeve Binchy, which in turn reminds me of Maw Maw.

[Sheila Joyner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the first 3 Roone books and I did enjoy this. However I did feel that it was a more rushed affair towards the end. I didn’t find the ending particularly satisfying especially as we were in a way, saying goodbye to all the people we’ve enjoyed reading about in the 4 books.

[A M Pennell]

Disappointing

The title 'The Birthday Party' had little or no relevance to the story! Disappointing after many great reads by this author.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read 📚

[Kathleen Robson · Rating 3 out of 5]

More than just romantic fiction. Quite a good look at grief and family friction etc. Well-written and easy to read.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyable read with lots of interlinked stories and dramas

[Jill Shortt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely escapist reading with a pleasant variety of characters

[Brighid · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 good, easy read but not as captivating as previous books in the series

[Jan]

Dnf

[Mairead Hearne (swirlandthread.com) · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘I wish…’ she began, and came to a halt. She wished so much. She wished he was different. She wished their story was different…She wished they loved one another, and depended on one another, and missed each other when they were apart’

Irish writer Roisin Meaney returns to Roone, the fictional island located off the west coast of Ireland, with her latest novel, The Birthday Party. Described as ‘the spell-binding new summer read from the Number One bestselling author’ it was published on June 27th by Hachette Ireland.

I read and thoroughly enjoyed the warmth and charm of The Anniversary but, I must preface this review by stating that I have not read the three books that Roisin Meaney has written, all set on the island of Roone. It resulted in a little confusion as I was trying to figure out the many characters that were introduced in the opening chapters. I had to flip back and check story-lines to fully understand the relationships between all the various folk involved, but eventually it did become clear to me, allowing me to continue with the story.

The inhabitants of Roone are in a state of flux. With the recent and very sudden passing of one of it’s stalwart residents, Hugh, there are many who are still reeling from the grief of his death, in particular, his wife Imelda. Their marriage had taken place later in their lives, with both planning all the wonderful years they would have together but, alas, it wasn’t to be. Before Hugh’s death, they had taken under their wing a troubled young girl, Eve. She had blossomed under their guardianship, but now Imelda is very concerned for her well-being, as Eve seems very bothered about something. Can Imelda get to the root of Eve’s distress?

Meanwhile Laura is carrying a secret, one that doesn’t sit well with her, one that she is very uncomfortable keeping from her husband and family. But Laura has her hands full. With a very busy B&B to run, aswell as looking after her small kids, Laura is preparing for the arrival of her stepsister, Tilly, from Australia. Tilly has made the annual pilgrimage to Roone for a number of years, following the discovery that herself and Laura share the same father, famous Irish artist, Luke Potter. This year Tilly has plans that she has been cooking up for a few months and arrives with a buzz of anticipation and excitement. But will Tilly’s dreams come true?

Amidst all the island’s drama, local hotelier, Henry Manning is organising a huge celebration for his 70th birthday, a summer garden party to take place in August. This will be a party for the whole community of Roone, incorporating lots of bunting, champagne, a quartet and of course a speech. Brimming with excitement, Henry is hoping for perfection, a night to be remembered by all the residents of Roone but, as the saying goes, the best laid plans…..

The Birthday Party is very much a book about family relationships and all the associated complications that arise. Roisin Meaney gets into the minds of each character, very much bringing their individual stories to the attention of her readers. Although fictitious, the beauty of the island of Roone is portrayed very vividly, with very apt descriptions of that beautiful part of the world, The Kingdom of Kerry!!

I do feel that I did struggle a little with this book, having no previous experience of Roone, and I also did wonder about the title of the book, as I felt the actual birthday party played a very small role in the overall story. In saying that I do really enjoy Roisin Meaney’s writing and look forward to reading more from her in the future.

The Birthday Party incorporates a number of parallel stories, recounting tales of relationships, grief, parenthood, love, death, siblings and struggling friendships but it is that of the family dynamic that really shines through. Roisin Meaney writes in her own voice giving the book a familiar and authentic feel to it, one I’m sure will appeal to the legion of fans of this bestselling writer, especially those who have a soft spot for the island of Roone. With some very delightful characters, The Birthday Party is a gentle, enjoyable read.

My Rating - 3.5*

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

GLI INDIMENTICABILI INTRECCI DI ROONE

"Roone e i suoi intrecci... ognuno di loro sembrava collegato a tutti gli altri."

E per me, che per gli intrecci di storie vado pazza, questo romanzo è stato un vero e proprio gioiello. I protagonisti sono indagati con una profondità lodevole, benché talvolta i loro pensieri sembrino rallentare la trama. Quest'ultima comprende comunque una grande quantità di eventi, molti dei quali veramente inaspettati.

Sull'onda dell'entusiasmo, sono andata quindi a recuperare i precedenti lavori della Meaney, "Cupcake Club" (che trovate recensito per ultimo) prima, "Un'estate così" poi. "Cose incredibili che facciamo per amore" e "Riunione in famiglia", ugualmente editi dalla Newton Compton, li avevo già letti in precedenza (il mio parere qui e qui).
Ci ho messo un bel po' a capire che "Un'estate così" fosse il primo libro di una serie, di cui quello dal quale ero partita costituiva il quarto volume! In un primo momento, pensavo che i due condividessero semplicemente l'ambientazione, mentre avevo attribuito il fatto che molti nomi mi suonassero familiari alla scarsa fantasia dell'autrice (perdonami Roisin!). Sono comica, lo so. 🤡

Sapere come sarebbe andata a finire, tuttavia, non ha affatto pregiudicato negativamente la mia esperienza di lettura. Al contrario, essa ha rappresentato una fantastica occasione per poter risalire all'origine di quei rapporti interpersonali che tanto mi avevano appassionata, arrivando a conoscere meglio personaggi che già conoscevo bene (e ai quali, inevitabilmente, mi ero fortemente affezionata).
Meno sorprendente di "Un'indimenticabile festa di compleanno", dunque, "Un'estate così" mi ha invece maggiormente coinvolta a livello emotivo, consentendomi di rivalutare Andy, una volta appreso delle sofferenze che ne avevano segnato la vita, e soprattutto di fare il tifo per Nell e James.

"Roone era davvero unica, sotto molti punti di vista. Era proprio contenta di esserci venuta."

***

Ma la conclusione, per quanto non desse adito a dubbi, lasciava comunque in sospeso il destino di Nell, il che mi ha costretto ad acquistare "After the wedding", che focalizza la sua attenzione su ancora altri abitanti di Roone (Denis ed Eve, il cui disagio psicologico mi è entrato davvero sotto pelle), non dimenticandosi di fare spazio al futuro del triangolo amoroso fra Nell, James e Tim. Uno spazio che, ahimè, ho trovato troppo limitato, come pure quello riservato alla scomparsa della piccola Ellie, una situazione narrativa a mio parere mal sfruttata. Anche la trama, in fin dei conti, è meno ricca.

***

Tornando indietro a "Cupcake Club", devo ammettere che mi è piaciuto da matti, nonostante la situazione iniziale (per non parlare della copertina) lasciasse presagire uno sviluppo costellato da clichés, che temevo avrebbero finito per generare una storia prevedibile e melensa. Ma tutto ciò si è rivelato vero fino ad un certo punto, il giusto concesso ad un chick-lit. Ad avere il sopravvento sono, ancora una volta, la minuziosa analisi della psiche degli attori principali delle vicende, la quale spinge a prenderne a cuore le sorti (shippando le coppie protagoniste come non ci fosse un domani) ma anche a disapprovarne con forza i comportamenti (nel caso di Patrick).

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't as good as the previous books in the series, I thought the characters had got a little flat. Laura was a b*tch in this one, Nell wasn't much better and I felt sorry for Eve.

[Manuela75 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Il romanzo – ambientato nell’arco dei tre mesi estivi – segue le vicende di Imelda, da poco vedova ancora alle prese con l’elaborazione del lutto; Laura, moglie e madre, alle prese con i tanti segreti da custodire; Susan, madre di un bambino piccolo, in piena crisi coniugale; Eve che da sola dovrà affrontare una gravidanza non prevista e Tilly, innamorata del suo fidanzato che vede solo una volta l’anno.
Si tratta di donne molto diverse tra loro sia per fascia d’età sia per indole, eppure accomunate dall’essere costantemente messe alla prova. Debolezza e coraggio si fronteggiano continuamente, per ogni caduta vi è una risalita e nonostante le incomprensioni regna in ognuna di loro il desiderio di tornare a essere una comunità unita, seppellendo i dissapori.
Tra le pagine sono affrontati numerosi temi quali il lutto, la malattia, i problemi psicologici, la voglia di riscattarsi. Lo stile della prosa è lineare, la narrazione avviene in terza persona alternando i diversi punti di vista e il coinvolgimento emotivo da parte del lettore è pressoché costante, personalmente ho trovato qualche piccola difficoltà all’inizio nel seguire le vicissitudini delle tante protagoniste.
Un romanzo semplice ed efficace. Una lettura piacevole che porterà, inevitabilmente, a simpatizzare per l’una o l’altra donna.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henry is going to be 70. As he owns the major hotel on the Island of Roone he starts to plan a party. Not just any party but “the” party that people will be talking about for a long time. As Henry is making his plans we learn about his neighbours – Tilly in Australia due to visit, Laura and her family running their guest house, troubled Eve and Imelda who has just lost her husband, Hugh. We follow their lives, amongst others, as the island goes about a busy summer with plenty of tourists.

This is a book about people rather than events. It is about their characters, how they deal with big events and small every day events from a surprise pregnancy to a toddlers broken arm to burnt scones. This is not a book about big action events but rather one which ambles along at the pace of the Island of Roone.

I loved this book. I am fond of books which look at the every day. I found the Miss Read books in my teens and have enjoyed similar books, such as those by Rebecca Shaw, ever since. This book was, to my mind, similar to the wonderful books of Maeve Binchy and came in a very close second in my opinion.

To make a book like this work the characters need to be excellent. The author needs skill with language so that the reader can picture these people in their everyday settings. I had Roone and its inhabitants clear in my mind. You need to feel that you have got to know these people and they have got under your skin. I felt lost once I had finished this book – I do hope there is a sequel.

Some people don’t like this style of book – fair enough. However if you enjoy the ambling stories of the everyday (and sometimes not so everyday) then this is definitely the one for you. I have already downloaded another book by this author to my tablet.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.