The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club

by Faith Hogan

Three women. Three different stages of life. United by one the chance to start again. When Elizabeth's husband dies, leaving her with crippling debt, the only person she can turn to is her friend, Jo. Soon Jo has called in her daughter, Lucy, to help save Elizabeth from bankruptcy. Leaving her old life behind, Lucy is determined to make the most of her fresh start. As life slowly begins to return to normal, these three women, thrown together by circumstance, become fast friends. But then Jo's world is turned upside down when she receives some shocking news. In search of solace, Jo and Elizabeth find themselves enjoying midnight dips in the freezing Irish Sea. Here they can laugh, cry and wash away all their fears. As well as conjure a fundraising plan for the local hospice that will bring the whole community together... From bestselling Irish writer Faith Hogan, The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club is an emotional story about finding new friends and living life to the fullest, that will appeal to fans of Sheila O'Flanagan, Heidi Swain and Liz Fenwick. Praise for Faith 'Joyful, life-affirming and inspirational' – Heidi Swain 'Heartwarming and emotional' – Liz Fenwick 'Faith Hogan navigates beautifully between the community and the individual, forensically investigating moral issues and loyalties with an unflinching, yet humane eye. She is one of the most original and exciting writers to emerge from Ireland in recent times' – Afric McGlinchey 'An intricately woven story of love, jealousy and misunderstanding' – Diney Costeloe 'A cracking good story ... An ideal beach read' – Connaught Telegraph 'A fantastic summer read' – Irish Daily Star 'A heart-warming story of love, loss, family and friendship' – The Bookseller 'Spanning several decades and generations, Secrets We Keep is a hugely ambitious novel ... With its engaging storyline and sense of place this is an absorbing and entertaining read' – Sunday Independent (Dublin)

Genres: Fiction, Book Club, Audiobook, Ireland, Contemporary, Romance, Chick Lit

322 pages, Paperback

First published May 6, 2021

About the author

Faith Hogan is a bestselling author of nine novels. Her books have featured as Book Club Favorites, Net Galley Hot Reads and Summer Must Reads. She writes grown up women's fiction which is unashamedly uplifting, feel good and inspiring.

She gained an Honours Degree in English Literature and Psychology from Dublin City University and a Postgraduate Degree from University College, Galway.

Her latest novel is The Guest House By The Sea - set in the west of Ireland - it has been described as a book to fall in love with.

She also writes crime fiction as Geraldine Hogan. Her Corbally series is out now.


You can find out more about Faith on her website www.faithhogan.com
www.Facebook/FaithHogan.com
@gerhogan

Reviews

[Sandysbookaday (taking a step back for a while) · Rating 4 out of 5]

EXCERPT: They had gone to see the old building, a sprawling grey, derelict structure that had angels at the doors and serpents in the remaining stained glass windows.

Although it was emptied over a quarter of a century ago, there was no denying its looming presence; there was an eerie feeling of ghosts who would never fully rest.

'For some, perhaps it was better than the alternative - many of the girls came from simple farming backgrounds. Back then, a respectable man would prefer to have a dead daughter than an illegitimate grandchild.' She shivered then, perhaps remembering things she would prefer to forget. 'Come on, let's walk around the old gardens, this place isn't going to do either of us any good.'

Dan looked once more at the building, mostly boarded up, apart from the occasional window where storms had blown away their covers, revealing stained glass that would have been striking once. He wondered for a moment if he came back again and broke in - would there be files?

ABOUT 'THE LADIES MIDNIGHT SWIMMING CLUB': Three women, three different stages of life, united by one thing: the chance to start again.

When Elizabeth's husband dies, leaving her with crippling debt, she must turn to her friend, Jo for help, who calls in her daughter, Lucy to run the village surgery. Leaving her city life, and past demons, behind, Lucy is determined to make the most of her fresh start.

As life slowly begins to resemble something normal for the three women, Jo's world is turned upside down when she receives some shocking news.

In search of some solace, Jo and Elizabeth find themselves enjoying midnight dips in the freezing Irish sea. Here they can laugh, cry and wash away all their fears. As well as conjure a fundraising plan for the local hospice; to take a dip in the nip.

MY THOUGHTS: Why have I never read anything by this author before? Her characters are stunning. They made themselves at home in my heart and I don't want to say goodbye to them.

Other than Elizabeth, Jo and Lucy, there's Lucy's teenage son Niall, acting out in reaction to his parents divorce and determined to make his mother suffer for bringing him to this backwater. And Dan, who has lost his high profile job in London and rented a cottage in Ballycove to realise his dream of writing a book, is searching for his birth mother, and is mortified to find himself, one evening, standing on a beach with two near naked pensioners and a dog yapping at his feet. He finds far more material for his book in this little village than he ever dreamed!

The Ladies Midnight Swimming Club is a beautifully paced and plotted story about the indomitable spirit of friendship told from the points of view of all the major characters. Despite, or maybe because of this, it flows seamlessly and seemingly effortlessly through the various crises the characters face.

I loved this read. It warmed my heart, and made my eyes well with tears. Yes, tissues are mandatory. I loved the way Elizabeth's character grew and strengthened, and Jo, what can I say about Jo? If I am ever in her position I only hope that I have her strength of character.

I am going to be reading a lot more from this author.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.1

#MidnightSwimmingClub #NetGalley

I: @faithhoganauthor #ariaandaries

T: @GerHogan @aria_fiction

#contemporaryfiction #mystery #sliceoflife #womensfiction

THE AUTHOR: Faith Hogan is an Irish award-winning and bestselling author. She was born in Ireland. She gained an Honours Degree in English Literature and Psychology from Dublin City University and a Postgraduate Degree from University College, Galway.

She lives in the west of Ireland with her husband, four children and a very busy Labrador named Penny. She's a writer, reader, enthusiastic dog walker and reluctant jogger - except of course when it is raining!

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Aria and Aries for providing a digital ARC of The Ladies Midnight Swimming Club by Faith Hogan for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

[Stace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Reviewed on www.whisperingstories.com

Elizabeth is newly widowed after her GP husband Eric died. Their relationship had been hard work and distant for some time, but after he dies Elizabeth is left reeling when she discovers that he had a gambling problem and has left her thousands of pounds in debt. The GP surgery is attached to her home. She needs to find someone to take over and quickly before she loses both of them.

Jo is an older lady who has lived in the tiny Irish village of Ballycove all her life. She is alone and looking frail but she is the heart of the community and always offering to help others, including Elizabeth as she has a suggestion. Her daughter Lucy is a doctor.

Lucy is left picking up the pieces after her now ex-husband left her and their son and heading to Australia to be with someone else. She is a doctor in a busy A&E department and has just taken some leave as she was nearly burnt out from dealing with everything. She heads to Ballycove to be near her mother and the sea and hopefully turn her life around.

These three women form The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club where they can swim away their troubles in the freezing cold waters of the Irish sea. It is a place they can be alone, gather their thoughts, talk, laugh, and listen.

The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club is a beautiful story of friendship. It is a tale of grief, forgiveness, loneliness, heartbreak, second chances, and so much more.

The women are so alike and so different from one another. They are all dealing with personal issues, some going back years, others shocking sad new news. I loved all of them. They were warm, caring, compassionate, and so lovely to spend your time with.

As well as the women we also meet Dan who had rented a cottage in the village after leaving his high-flying job and needing some time out and Lucy’s teenage son Niall who hates his boarding school and wants to come home.

The book is told between April and August, in five monthly parts and from Elizabeth’s, Jo’s, Lucy’s, Dan’s, and Niall’s points of view. I’m not always a lover of multiple points of view but I’m not sure this book would have been so touching and intimate had we not heard from them each individually. It is a beautiful book that covers some emotional subjects and you may need some tissues now and again, however, it is certainly worth your time just to get to know these special women who you won’t forget in a hurry.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three wonderful women come together in this book. Lucy after a divorce decided she needed a break from her job as a doctor in a hospital in Dublin. She and her son, Niall, went to visit her Mom in her rural seaside hometown. Her Mom, Jo, is a well-loved community member who gives much to those around her, but she has a secret issue she's not talking about. Elizabeth, the local doctor's wife, has recently become a widow and has found that her husband died leaving her with crippling debt, their large house and his practice. The women, become close friends, and find freedom and relief from their cares and worries when they, led by Jo, go swimming in the cold Atlantic waters at midnight. They form a close bond and provide courage and support for each other.

This book left me feeling upbeat. I loved the closeness of the women and their strength and courage as they faced the ups and downs in their individual lives. This is a story of love, grief, community, and friendship, and it is warm and heartfelt.

Thanks to Aria and Aries through Netgalley for an advance copy.

[John Gilbert · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my fifth Faith Hogan, before this it was two good ones, two not so good. This one started pretty well, but by the midpoint I found I did not care much for the characters, the setting or the story so I threw in the towel. I still have a couple of her books to read, hopefully the next will balance the table. Not bad, just not grabbing my interest. Library ebook.

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Clubs: Ply your members with THE LADIES’ MIDNIGHT SWIMMING CLUB, cold Guinness, hot Shepherd’s pie, crusty soda bread, and melt-in-your-mouth Baileys truffles as you gab about grief, friendship and the healing power of the Irish Sea. Sure and begorra, you’ll have a grand time!

Pub Date 06 May 2021
#MidnightSwimmingClub #NetGalley

Thanks to the author, Aria & Aries, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

“She loved the silence and the roar of the ocean, the velvet sky and the inky water. Mostly she loved the fact that it made her feel alive in a way that nothing else could. She even loved the biting cold that ate through her skin and into the very marrow of her bones – in some absurd way, it warmed her from the inside out, as if it lit some fire that would never be extinguished.”

The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club is the sixth novel by award-winning, best-selling Irish author, Faith Hogan. The audio version is narrated by Flora Montgomery. It’s not until the death of her husband Eric, Ballycove’s local GP, that Elizabeth O’Shea discovers the extent of his deceit. She knew he drank, but not that he gambled, and to her dismay, he was more prolific at both than he was at being successful as a GP. The level of debt he has left her with in the form of loans is staggering. Will she lose everything?

Elizabeth’s closest friend, Jo Harris is addicted to the natural high she gets from swimming at midnight in the icy Irish Sea off Ireland’s west coast. She manages to draw her friend into trying it, and during this intimacy Elizabeth reveals her problem. Jo is delighted to be able to offer a potential solution in the form of her daughter Lucy.

Lucy Nolan has taken leave of absence from her high-stress A&E position in a Dublin hospital, and is taking her teenaged son, Niall back to Ballycove to catch up with her elderly mother before doing some travelling. She’s not at all sure about filling in for Eric O’Shea, but agrees to help out for two weeks, until more permanent help can be found.

While Niall is quickly bored with village life, wishing he could go to live with his father in Australia, Lucy is enjoying the country practice much more that she would have expected, and then a more compelling, if worrying, reason to stay on is revealed.

Dan’s scriptwriting job in London has come to an ignominious end and he’s taking the opportunity to see if he can write the novel he has always planned, and a quiet cottage in Ballycove is the ideal spot. It also presents what he sees as the last chance to find the birth mother who gave him up thirty years earlier.

On the background of Ireland’s awful legacy of the Catholic homes for unmarried mothers and forced adoptions, Hogan’s story also touches on the toll taken by laws against homosexuality, and the overwhelming imperative to maintain the veneer of respectability in a small Irish community.

As Hogan introduces her characters and fills in their back stories, it seems fairly obvious how the plot will develop, but the journey there is a very agreeable one and her descriptive prose easily evokes the Mayo coastline and her love of it. This is truly a heart-warming and uplifting read.

[DJ Sakata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite Quotes:

To be honest, I think we were all a little in awe of your extensive vocabulary when it came to telling her where to go. The parish priest had to run into the pantry to hide his smirk.

The walls held charts that looked as if they could belong in a museum. The blinds that had stuck closed many years earlier had a tatty, neglected air about them. Even the doors creaked onerously as they were opened; it seemed they too were ready to hand notice in.

I’m sorry, Lucy, but consider yourself stepping into the TARDIS and re-emerging somewhere in the early 1970s.

‘It should be in the nip. A dip in the nip! That’s what I’d enjoy most, thinking of all of you, down here, in the altogether and jumping into the water… Think about it, Elizabeth, even old crabby boots O’Neill… herself.’ And they all began to laugh at the notion of Eric’s former receptionist pulling off her interlocking knickers before diving into the cold Atlantic.

What’s she thinking? The sight of her in the buff will be enough to frighten every fish from the bay.

‘I’ll strategically add in a pink ribbon to cover everyone’s jiggly bits at the end,’ she intoned to the startled Elizabeth as she began to unpack a fairly complex-looking camera.

My Review:

I adore Faith Hogan and her latest missive was yet another one to savor. I read it slowly and enjoyed every storyline while keeping my fingers crossed for a happy ending that tied them all together, and of course, she delivered in spades. I am enamored with Ms. Hogan’s agile craft and nimble word skills, she has her own unique brand of insightfully written and poignant storytelling that pulls in just the right amount of wry humor to balance out the drama and tension. I have never been to Ireland and every time I read one of her tales it ignites my desire to see the land of leprechauns and distant ancestors. I have enjoyed every book of hers I’ve had the luck to pick up and I covet the ones I don’t have. She has mad skills and a lifelong fangirl in me.

[Savannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought there were some lovely sentences and the author used descriptive language quite beautifully, but overall I think the novel was repetitive and everything was a little too good to be true. Nearly every character repeated the same thing about Ballycove; how idyllic it was and how much there was this sense of peaceful optimism, despite the seemingly never ending rain. Additionally, all characters repeated the same thing in each of their chapters - during the charity swim, at least 3 of them mentioned the fact that the men's group had strung up lanterns, and the repetition was common throughout the rest of the book as well. I was frustrated by it half way through the book. I know the book was probably supposed to be uplifting but I was also a bit put out by how everything slotted so conveniently into place with Lucy taking over the surgery right after Elizabeth discovered the debt left to her by her late husband, and I felt the relationship between Dan and Elizabeth was extremely predictable as well.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

“She loved the silence and the roar of the ocean, the velvet sky and the inky water. Mostly she loved the fact that it made her feel alive in a way that nothing else could. She even loved the biting cold that ate through her skin and into the very marrow of her bones – in some absurd way, it warmed her from the inside out, as if it lit some fire that would never be extinguished.”

The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club is the sixth novel by award-winning, best-selling Irish author, Faith Hogan. It’s not until the death of her husband Eric, Ballycove’s local GP, that Elizabeth O’Shea discovers the extent of his deceit. She knew he drank, but not that he gambled, and to her dismay, he was more prolific at both than he was at being successful as a GP. The level of debt he has left her with in the form of loans is staggering. Will she lose everything?

Elizabeth’s closest friend, Jo Harris is addicted to the natural high she gets from swimming at midnight in the icy Irish Sea off Ireland’s west coast. She manages to draw her friend into trying it, and during this intimacy Elizabeth reveals her problem. Jo is delighted to be able to offer a potential solution in the form of her daughter Lucy.

Lucy Nolan has taken leave of absence from her high-stress A&E position in a Dublin hospital, and is taking her teenaged son, Niall back to Ballycove to catch up with her elderly mother before doing some travelling. She’s not at all sure about filling in for Eric O’Shea, but agrees to help out for two weeks, until more permanent help can be found.

While Niall is quickly bored with village life, wishing he could go to live with his father in Australia, Lucy is enjoying the country practice much more that she would have expected, and then a more compelling, if worrying, reason to stay on is revealed.

Dan’s scriptwriting job in London has come to an ignominious end and he’s taking the opportunity to see if he can write the novel he has always planned, and a quiet cottage in Ballycove is the ideal spot. It also presents what he sees as the last chance to find the birth mother who gave him up thirty years earlier.

On the background of Ireland’s awful legacy of the Catholic homes for unmarried mothers and forced adoptions, Hogan’s story also touches on the toll taken by laws against homosexuality, and the overwhelming imperative to maintain the veneer of respectability in a small Irish community.

As Hogan introduces her characters and fills in their back stories, it seems fairly obvious how the plot will develop, but the journey there is a very agreeable one and her descriptive prose easily evokes the Mayo coastline and her love of it. This is truly a heart-warming and uplifting read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Aria and Aries

[Hillary Bazyk · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is the story of a small town on the coast of Ireland. It mainly focuses on three women but also incorporates other characters as well. Each character has a unique story and this book attempts to highlight them all. While the storyline as a whole is intriguing the book itself just didn’t do it for me. In fact I had to skim the last 35% because I just needed it to be over. I never connected with a single character. There were too many moving parts with too many holes. I really wanted to like this book but I just didn’t. The predictability along with the randomness made it hard for me. A lot of people seemed to like it so maybe my expectations were too high.

Thank you Aria and Aries for the ARC.

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story about grief, hope and friendship set in a charming Irish village.
I really enjoyed this story and there were some interesting characters.
I read this book in one day as I didn’t want to put it down.
Thank you to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Jo Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75

Was it predictable? 100% Did I perhaps enjoy its predictability? Absolutely yes, because the intention was there from the outset, this was a novel that was intended to make and break you, it worked.

Set in stunning Ballycove, which is a 10 hour drive of imagination too far away from me at this moment in time, we meet Elizabeth a recently widowed woman, who realises that her husband, the good doctor has left her a mountain of gambling debts. Elizabeth’s friend Jo, who manages to talk her daughter Lucy into coming downs from Dubs to take a look at the practice that the doctor has left behind and see how they can help her out. Between times Jo and Elizabeth’s heads have melted surely, because they’re out in the altogether at midnight swimming in the sea, they manage to rope Lucy in and thus they become The Ladie’s Midnight Swimming Club.

Wholesome, funny, heartwarming heart breaking and life affirming fun!

Flora Montgomery narrates beautifully.

Currently included with audible 🎧

[Amelia Berry · Rating 1 out of 5]

I downloaded this book (somewhat skeptically) because Kindle Unlimited recommended it to me, and I subsequently have grave concerns for the accuracy of their algorithm. Rarely have I read a book that displays such poor attention to detail. I don’t know whether to blame the author’s complete lack of imagination when it comes to adverbs, or the editors (were there any?) for not noticing that the characters say something “softly” every two paragraphs. Nobody speaks above a fucking whisper. They all have laryngitis.

There were about four pages where the author experimented with omitting all necessary commas, and another several pages where the missing commas congregated en masse. I read those sentences in my head like someone gasping for breath every two words. Maybe that’s why they speak so softly; they have collective emphysema.

I shut the book for good upon reading the following: “‘Yes,’ Dan sad softly, ‘thank goodness indeed.’” I am sad, and not remotely softly, that I wasted my time on such drivel. This story has a 4.21 out of 5 star score on Goodreads, which leaves me convinced that the 20,927 ratings are from bots paid for by the publisher. There was obviously a significant amount of money left in the budget after skimping on competent proof readers and copy editors.

I have deduced, without finishing this book, exactly what the twist will be. Instead of leaving tantalizing breadcrumbs, the author pelts the reader with hefty, stale loaves of clumsy clues. Spoiler alert: writer Dan is very clearly Elizabeth’s grown-up, “stillborn” son; taken away from her at birth because his swarthy skin would out him as the spawn of her foreign carny fling instead of the progeny of her gay, white, alcoholic husband. She was not permitted to see the child after birthing him, was told he was dead, and visits his grave all these years later to place flowers, which I’d imagine she does quite softly. Dan has come to Ballycove to pen his novel, but is really looking for evidence of his biological mother. He and Elizabeth don’t yet know of their connection, but I do, because I have critical thinking skills and an IQ higher than 6.

I genuinely wonder if a hapless and now presumably unemployed intern accidentally sent the first draft to print. Is there a final copy languishing on some executive’s desk where the characters speak at a normal volume instead of role playing like they’re at the library? Could there be a revised version where the twist wasn’t telegraphed so obviously during the exposition? Maybe a fully-edited manuscript exists somewhere, resplendent with commas in all the right places, never to be satisfyingly wrapped in a cover.

The story itself has a sort of bland charm that could have been somewhat appealing, I suppose, had anyone bothered to take it beyond its early conception. I thought it might be a palate cleanser after a brilliant yet harrowing read, but it just left a bad taste in my mouth. It must be said, softly, that editing has gone to the dogs.

[eyes.2c · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feel good story with a touch of magic.

The allure of the Irish coast beckons as several people work out life challenges in the picturesque town of Ballycove.
Author Dan decides to leave Dublin and take time out to write a novel, and to investigate a question he’s wondered about most of his life.
Elizabeth, wife of the village doctor, finds herself left with huge debts when her husband dies. As she faces the future she also faces the boundaries of her married life.
Jo, a close friend of Elizabeth’s, persuades her divorced daughter and coincidentally a doctor to takeover the surgery until Elizabeth can move forward. Lucy’s son Niall accompanies her into what he views as a fresh new hell. He’s busting to join his father in Australia,
Jo talks Elizabeth into joining her for late night swims—refreshing and releasing. Magical!
A story with a nicely woven plot and some wonderful highlights—the ladies swimming in the altogether at midnight is a vision of warm friendship and individual courage.
I saw the writing on the wall for one subplot from early on in the novel, making it all too neat, but then I thought, Why Not?
A tight knit story, with occasional lapses where some happenings are maybe a tad too fortuitous. But then this is a novel of hope and stretching oneself, so again, Why Not?
A very enjoyable and warm read!

An Aria & Aries ARC via NetGalley

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a lovely heart-warming story set in a beautiful part of the world. As a sea swimmer myself, I totally “got” the joy they had in immersing yourself in the enormity of the ocean. Aside from that, I hate a story when I can see the inevitability of the ending early on. I do like to be kept guessing, so the clues were a bit of a spoiler for me. Ideally I like a little more challenge.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Delightfully intimate and Deeply Moving Story of Friendship



SUMMARY
Elizabeth O’Shea’s husband had just died, leaving her on the brink of bankruptcy and saddled with a sad and outdated medical practice. She lives on top of a stone cliff in a small Irish village on the western seaboard.

Elizabeth’s best friend, Jo, lives just down the hill. Jo wants to do what she can to help Elizabeth in her time of need, so she calls her daughter Lucy, an emergency room doctor in Dublin. She hopes Lucy will be willing to take over the medical practice and move back to Ballycove.

Lucy is still reeling from a divorce, but she and her son Niall pack up the car for a visit with her mom. After talking with Elizabeth, she feels compelled to give the practice a trial run for a few weeks. It doesn’t take long for her to figure out that a move back to her rural seaside hometown town might be just the thing for her.

These three women, Elizabeth, Jo, and Lucy, are thrown together by circumstance and become fast friends. But Jo's world soon turns upside down, and Elizabeth, Lucy, and Niall rally around her. For peace and relaxation, Jo has been swimming in the frigid Atlantic water in the dark of night for years. It is hard for her friends to understand. But after Elizabeth's husband’s death, Elizabeth, on the spur of the moment, decides to join Jo on a midnight swim and soon realizes how refreshing it is,
In search of solace, Jo and Elizabeth enjoy midnight dips in the freezing sea. Here they can laugh, cry and wash away all their fears. The idea takes root with others, and soon, the entire community is involved.

REVIEW
THE LADIES MIDNIGHT SWIMMING CLUB is an inspiring tale of friendship, fortitude, and resilience. The setting is delightfully picturesque, with the golden sand beaches of Ireland’s west Atlantic coast, where a midnight dip in the frigid waters creates a bond and heals more than one troubled soul.

Author Faith Hogan writes a delightfully intimate and deeply moving women’s story of new beginnings and friendships. Her writing is insightful and emotional, and the vibrant characters drive the story. It’s a dramatic story you don’t want to come to an end.

This is a great pick for a bookclub! Thanks to Adela Mitchell for bringing this book to the attention of our book club. Cant wait to talk about it.

Publisher Aria
Published September 30, 2022
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

[Dun's · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a story about friendship, family, village community, and finding the truth about oneself in an unexpected place. And the title... swimming in a cold Irish sea with your friends sounds like a dream to me.

So why the 2 stars? I found the story moves ever so slowly and the narrative is very descriptive. I had to skim many pages while keeping an eye out for the characters that I enjoyed reading about the most. Unfortunately I just could not engage with the author's writing style.

[ItaPixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book I couldn't put it down.
Faith Hogan's wording resonated with my heart and the storyline hit me in the feels.

Elizabeth's husband died leaving huge debts putting to risk her future. Fortunately her friend Jo is there to comfort and to help her. Lucy, Jo's daughter, and her son take some time away from the city to go to Ballycove for a little holiday but destiny has other plans for them. They begin the Midnight Swimming Club to stay together at the end of the day but soon enough it becomes a freeing experience to savour and to enjoy.

Jo, Elizabeth and Lucy have different ages and different living experiences but now that they are together in the same place they have the chance to understand and to help each other.
I loved these women, they are lovely, funny, inspiring and brave. At the end I wanted to sign up for their club and to hug them.

I love the sea and I had to read a story with a title like this. Here the sea is seen as a place where you can just be you, living in the moment, the salty water washes away your thoughts, your troubles and recharges you.

This is definitely a story I recommend.

[Kenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful! Full review will follow soon.

[Lyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars
This is my first Faith Hogan’s read. And let me tell you, it will definitively not be my last! What a beautiful story. I found myself immersed, and not wanting it to end. I, was on holiday near the Irish Sea, and I, was part of the Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club. I loved them all. The ladies were warm, caring, compassionate, and it was so lovely to spend time with them.

I found the author, Ms. Hogan, to be a bit too descriptive and verbose at times. However, her writing style gave me total enjoyment and that was easy to overlook. I embraced her soothing and relaxing tone in the telling of this incredible story.

The book description begins with: “Three women, three different stages of life, united by one thing: the chance to start again.” The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club is a beautiful story of friendship, grief, forgiveness, loneliness, heartbreak, second chances, and so much more. I heartily recommend this book.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book very predictable in places; I’d guessed all that was to happen next in the story so none of it came a great surprise. That said, it was a easy little read if a bit sad, about families and friendships.

[Sue Garwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not quite true to list this as having been read as I gave up after 4 chapters, deeply irritated by the transparent plot and ridiculous ease with which the cardboard, stereotypical characters chopped and changed their lives. Also bored and irritated by limited vocabulary reminiscent of Enid Blyton.

[Alli Tandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I chose this because I saw so many good reviews. I found it predictable and boring.

[Colleen Chi-Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this novel and audiobook!! The writing is clever and the narrator is perfect with an easy Irish accent. The 3 main female characters are intelligent and lovely. The decisions they make, often hard ones, create examples of real life in the process. It’s set in a small town or village (a real one) in Ireland on the west coast.

The novel and characters pull you in like an old friend. It has feel-good vibes throughout despite some of the very difficult situations that occur for these women. There are two male characters who are also realistic and enjoyable. The camaraderie that exists between these women in different walks of liffe is so important in our growing and aging process.

The swimming represents so much and is a delightful focus and novelty in this beautiful novel…. Although swimming in Ireland in January?! Whew!

I love swimming and I’ve experienced the same good feeling once in a very, cold lake in Switzerland and it was amazing, exhilarating, and unforgettable. Now, I can barely handle California ocean swims and yearn for the warm east coast waters and summer vacations of my youth.

Enjoy this gem of a novel. Going into my “favorites”.

[Jenn (burlingtonbiblio) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book REVIEW
The Ladies Midnight Swimming Club
By Faith Hogan

Thank you to @netgalley and Aria &Aries for my gifted ecopy in exchange for an honest review

The descriptions of the small sea-side town of Ballyrock Ireland had me yearning to travel and explore.

The story focuses on three women Jo, her daughter Lucy, and Elizabeth. Each of these ladies find themselves at a crossroads in their life, Ballyrock is where they intersect.

What follows is a story of friendship, self discovery and redemption. While on their own paths these women offer emotional support to each other, forming tight bonds regardless of their age and experiences.
The story itself was predictable but I thoroughly enjoyed the journey. The book felt like a Sunday Hallmark movie perfect for watching/reading with my mom or a few close girlfriends.

[Annett Jummrich · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasn’t very impressed with this book. Found it a bit boring, predictable (saw how Dan and Elizabeth are related coming a mile away) and too unrealistic.

What annoyed me the most was the writing style. The author’s favourite word seems to be “softly”. Almost every time anything is spoken the characters do so softly (Elizabeth said softly, Dan said softly, Lucy said sofly, Jo said softly,…). Then there is “soft melody”, “soft rendition”, “soft piano music”, “soft golden sand”… the list goes on. Over and over again. Ever heard of using a thesaurus?

After reading all the glowing reviews on Amazon, I expected a lot more from this book. It’s very unexciting.

1.5-2 stars (mainly because of the bad writing style).

[Loonywoman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Almost unbearably twee. The world is pink and fluffy and, in just a few months, the characters change careers, buy and sell houses and deal with death with none of the trauma or lengthy legal procedures that go on forever in real life. The plot slotted together like a toddler's jigsaw. Very disappointing.

[Eva Lavrikova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Veľmi som sa tešila na nečakané, postupne sa rozvíjajúce priateľstvo zasadené na pobreží Írska - a dostala som len zľahka nadpriemernú romancu, ktorá áno, bola zameraná na vzťahy priateľské, nie romantické, ale vlastne to bolo úplne jedno. Neurazilo, ale rozhodne nenadchlo.

[Kathleen Detweiler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I've found a new favorite author!

[Elaine - Splashes Into Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing read, an emotive story set in a small seaside village on the West coast of Ireland with friendship at its heart.

The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club was founded by Jo, who coerced her daughter and friend to join her. They all have their own problems but their midnight swims help them connect, talk, laugh and be inspired. . . . . This is a story which focuses on these three ladies, Lucy’s son and a writer who has come to stay in the village whilst he writes a novel and searches for his past.

It is a moving story, dealing sensitively with several emotive issues. It is a tale of searching for the truth, coping with grief, overcoming obstacles and making the most of your life and opportunities, even when everything seems to be against you. Throughout the story it is the friendships and support characters give to each other that make it a beautiful, heartwarming read that I have no hesitation in highly recommending.

Thank you to Aria and NetGalley for my copy of this lovely book which I have voluntarily read and honestly reviewed.