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Stand by Me
Dominique (Domino) lives a charmed existence as wife to one of Ireland's most successful businesssmen, Brendan Delahaye - until the day Brendan disappears, leaving his company in disarray and Domino and their daughter alone to face the music.
First published February 9, 2010
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About the author
Sheila O'Flanagan
95 books1,200 followersAs you can see, a Dubliner all my life. My parents owned a grocery shop in the Iveagh Markets, in the Liberties area of the city and I guess city blood runs through my veins.
As a child I enjoyed reading and telling stories and everyone thought that I end up in a job which had something to do with books and literature. But though I applied for a job in the library all of the job offers I got were in commerce.
I turned down lots of them before my mother accepted one for me (I was on holiday at the time). It was in the Central Bank of Ireland and that’s how my career in financial services began.
I started out in administration and then moved jobs until finally I was working as a dealer in a commercial bank. Eventually I was promoted to Chief Dealer (the first female CD in the country). I traded lots of different things – foreign exchange, swaps, options, bonds…all of the kind of things you read about in the papers and that sound very technical and difficult. Of course once you’re doing it, it’s not half as technical as it sounds.
But I still loved reading and writing (which I did in my spare time) and I desperately wanted to write my own book. I guess I never quite got over the fact that I was never offered the library job! In my thirties I decided that it was now or never and I sat down, stuck Chapter 1 on a page, and started. I wrote the whole thing before sending it off.
I was offered a publishing deal (with no advance) by an Irish company but only if I wrote a different book! So back to the drawing board, I started again. It was another two years before it was published. It wasn’t until I’d written a few books and was offered a contract (this time with an advance!) from another publisher that I felt able to give up my trading job and write full time. So, even though it took a long time, I eventually realised my dream of being a full-time writer.
And now I also write a business column for the Irish Times.
When I’m writing a book I want to do three things:
* Tell a good story
* Make the reader feel like they know the characters
* Make each book better than the last
I don’t write for any particular audience but I suppose I must have people like me in mind – people who have busy lives and who like to escape into someone else’s for a while.
I love writing books. I hope you enjoy reading them.
As a child I enjoyed reading and telling stories and everyone thought that I end up in a job which had something to do with books and literature. But though I applied for a job in the library all of the job offers I got were in commerce.
I turned down lots of them before my mother accepted one for me (I was on holiday at the time). It was in the Central Bank of Ireland and that’s how my career in financial services began.
I started out in administration and then moved jobs until finally I was working as a dealer in a commercial bank. Eventually I was promoted to Chief Dealer (the first female CD in the country). I traded lots of different things – foreign exchange, swaps, options, bonds…all of the kind of things you read about in the papers and that sound very technical and difficult. Of course once you’re doing it, it’s not half as technical as it sounds.
But I still loved reading and writing (which I did in my spare time) and I desperately wanted to write my own book. I guess I never quite got over the fact that I was never offered the library job! In my thirties I decided that it was now or never and I sat down, stuck Chapter 1 on a page, and started. I wrote the whole thing before sending it off.
I was offered a publishing deal (with no advance) by an Irish company but only if I wrote a different book! So back to the drawing board, I started again. It was another two years before it was published. It wasn’t until I’d written a few books and was offered a contract (this time with an advance!) from another publisher that I felt able to give up my trading job and write full time. So, even though it took a long time, I eventually realised my dream of being a full-time writer.
And now I also write a business column for the Irish Times.
When I’m writing a book I want to do three things:
* Tell a good story
* Make the reader feel like they know the characters
* Make each book better than the last
I don’t write for any particular audience but I suppose I must have people like me in mind – people who have busy lives and who like to escape into someone else’s for a while.
I love writing books. I hope you enjoy reading them.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
June 19, 2022
Irland in den 1980er Jahren. Dominique wächst bei sehr strengen und sehr gläubigen Eltern auf. In der Schule ist sie eine Außenseiterin. Doch dann ändert sich alles, als sie Brendan kennenlernt. Er ist fast zehn Jahre älter als sie, und Dominique verliebt sich in ihn. Als sie mit 19 Jahren schwanger wird, sind ihre Eltern entsetzt. Doch Brendan hält zu ihr und die beiden heiraten. Brendan kann seine Firma sehr erfolgreich aufbauen, und alles scheint sich für die kleine Familie gut zu entwickeln. Doch dann kommt plötzlich doch alles ganz anders, und Dominique muss ihr Leben ganz neu ordnen.
*
Mein Leseeindruck:
Ganz ehrlich, auf den ersten Seiten war ich schon mal nahe dran, das Buch abzubrechen. Es hat eine Weile gedauert, bis ich mich an den Schreibstil der Autorin gewöhnt hatte.
Die Geschichte wird oftmals einfach nur erzählt, es fehlen manchmal seitenlang Dialoge. Zwar erfährt man so auch eine ganze Menge, aber ich persönlich hatte hier oftmals das Gefühl, gar nicht richtig in die Handlung mit einbezogen zu werden als Leser. Ich konnte oft nicht "eintauchen" in diese Geschichte; ich war nicht "life" dabei.
Auch gab es für meinen Geschmack einige Längen. Es gab ein paar Stellen im Buch, da habe ich einfach nur sehnsüchtig darauf gewartet, dass etwas passiert.
Dennoch ist die Geschichte an sich sehr schön. Es war durchaus interessant, Dominique auf ihrem Weg zu begleiten und ihre Entwicklung mit zu verfolgen. Von einem schüchternen blassen Mauerblümchen hat sie sich zu einer starken und selbstbewussten Frau entwickelt.
Ich gebe dem Buch drei Sterne. Es war eine schöne und interessante Geschichte, aus der man meiner Meinung nach aber noch etwas mehr hätte herausholen können bzw. sie etwas "lebendiger" erzählen können.
*
Mein Leseeindruck:
Ganz ehrlich, auf den ersten Seiten war ich schon mal nahe dran, das Buch abzubrechen. Es hat eine Weile gedauert, bis ich mich an den Schreibstil der Autorin gewöhnt hatte.
Die Geschichte wird oftmals einfach nur erzählt, es fehlen manchmal seitenlang Dialoge. Zwar erfährt man so auch eine ganze Menge, aber ich persönlich hatte hier oftmals das Gefühl, gar nicht richtig in die Handlung mit einbezogen zu werden als Leser. Ich konnte oft nicht "eintauchen" in diese Geschichte; ich war nicht "life" dabei.
Auch gab es für meinen Geschmack einige Längen. Es gab ein paar Stellen im Buch, da habe ich einfach nur sehnsüchtig darauf gewartet, dass etwas passiert.
Dennoch ist die Geschichte an sich sehr schön. Es war durchaus interessant, Dominique auf ihrem Weg zu begleiten und ihre Entwicklung mit zu verfolgen. Von einem schüchternen blassen Mauerblümchen hat sie sich zu einer starken und selbstbewussten Frau entwickelt.
Ich gebe dem Buch drei Sterne. Es war eine schöne und interessante Geschichte, aus der man meiner Meinung nach aber noch etwas mehr hätte herausholen können bzw. sie etwas "lebendiger" erzählen können.
April 5, 2011
I can highly recommend this book, it has to be Sheila's best boook she has written and Ive read them all and loved everyone of them, I couldnt put this book down but I also didnt want to rush through it and finish it as I didnt want the story to end. I love the people in the book as you can relate to them easily, a brilliant read, cant wait to read her next book when it comes out!
August 1, 2016
Re-read, just because I feel like it.
This is one of the books that I hold dear. Probably because it's realistic, and relatable. Things that can easily happen in real life, yet I do hope I don't have to go through anything like that. I can say that I understand the issue better this time around as compared to when I first read this in my teen years.
This is one of the books that I hold dear. Probably because it's realistic, and relatable. Things that can easily happen in real life, yet I do hope I don't have to go through anything like that. I can say that I understand the issue better this time around as compared to when I first read this in my teen years.
October 20, 2021
En lättläst relationsroman där vi får följa karaktärerna över flera årtionden, vilket jag gillar. Vi får följa hur de förändras, utvecklas och förhåller sig till varandra.
Det händer en stor sak som påverkar och förändrar allt och det står på bokens baksida. Vilket jag tycker är synd. Det händer rätt långt in i boken så jag hade hellre blivit överraskad av det, för nu satt jag och väntade på att det skulle hända. I övrigt en varm bok med karaktärer som är intressant att följa och se hur de förhåller sig till och påverkar varandra.
August 26, 2022
Bit predictable and long winded.
May 6, 2022
This was the first book of Sheila O'Flanagan I have read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It took a little time to get into the book at first, but once I did it was hard to put down.
I don't think I would have liked it as much as I did now, if I had read it 5 years ago. I believe that 18 year old me would have found it dreadfully boring, but now as I am in my 20's I appreciated the pace of the book as well as the plot. I loved that we got to follow more characters than just Domino, and I enjoyed reading about Kelly as a grown up as well. I honestly did not want this story to end and for once took my time reading it, only a few chapters a day. The only thing that disappointed me greatly was that the big event in the book was revealed in the blurb at the back of the book. The blurb was way too revealing of something that happens quite far into the story. I sat and waited for it to happen and was rather frustrated that it took so long for it to happen.
I wasn't sure I would enjoy her writing when I began reading, as I am more of a fan of first-person POV whereas this book is written in a third-person POV. But boy was I wrong. Sheila O'Flanagan wrote it in a very captivating way and I was sucked into the story the same way I usually am with a first-person point of view.
I can highly recommend this book.
I don't think I would have liked it as much as I did now, if I had read it 5 years ago. I believe that 18 year old me would have found it dreadfully boring, but now as I am in my 20's I appreciated the pace of the book as well as the plot. I loved that we got to follow more characters than just Domino, and I enjoyed reading about Kelly as a grown up as well. I honestly did not want this story to end and for once took my time reading it, only a few chapters a day. The only thing that disappointed me greatly was that the big event in the book was revealed in the blurb at the back of the book. The blurb was way too revealing of something that happens quite far into the story. I sat and waited for it to happen and was rather frustrated that it took so long for it to happen.
I wasn't sure I would enjoy her writing when I began reading, as I am more of a fan of first-person POV whereas this book is written in a third-person POV. But boy was I wrong. Sheila O'Flanagan wrote it in a very captivating way and I was sucked into the story the same way I usually am with a first-person point of view.
I can highly recommend this book.
August 27, 2024
I loved this book couldn't put it down, loved how the book kept you guessing and had lots of elements of surprise. Really enjoyed how back stories were interwoven into the story. Such a good read will definitely be keeping an eye out for other books by the author.
June 21, 2024
3.5, was good but not incredibly special? Got worried that it was going to end in the way I didn’t want but was pleasantly surprised
March 19, 2017
Een goed boek. Echt van genoten. Ik had moeite om het weg te leggen. Daardoor heb ik dit boek vrij snel uitgelezen, ondanks de dikte. Het verhaal bevat een aantal serieuze onderwerpen, maar heeft een positieve toon. Daardoor is het op geen enkel moment een zwaar verhaal. Ik leefde ook echt mee met Dominique. Het verhaal eindigt ook zoals ik gehoopt had.
August 14, 2020
Varken bra eller dålig. Boken hade lätt kunnat kortats ner många sidor. Det händer inte så mycket dalar och toppar i boken utan en jämn gång, inget överraskande och boken är ingenting som etsar sig kvar i mina tankar. inte hennes bästa bok
April 10, 2020
What a Brilliant Book, l did not know It was going to be so gripping and so addictive, honestly l could not put this book down.
I wonder why Sheila O Flanagan is one of my favourite authors, she never disappoints. This book will be one of my favourites.
Dominique lives a charmed existence, as being wife of Ireland’s most successful businessman, Brendan Delahaye - until the day Brendan disappears, leaving his company in disarray and Domino and their daughter alone to face the music.
Stand by Me is the story of Dominique’s recovery and her journey from being married to being deserted by her husband, to learn to be strong, independent and learn to be happy again.
With a new man ready to step into the gap left by her deserting husband.
Brendan comes home, handsome and charismatic as ever, expecting life to carry on just as it was before.
I got lost in this book while l was reading it from beginning to end.
I was fully interested in the story and the characters, that never diminished.
The only problem with the book, there should of been an epilogue to round everything off. Just too see how everyone had moved on, and to see who had managed to stay together, how their lives had been generally, after everything that had happened.
Apart from that, l throughly enjoyed this book, and the perfect time to read, while in isolation.
It’s lengthy but easy reading, and such a heartwarming ending, you can’t get enough of this book.
This is definitely a Ten out of Ten no doubt Loved it !
I wonder why Sheila O Flanagan is one of my favourite authors, she never disappoints. This book will be one of my favourites.
Dominique lives a charmed existence, as being wife of Ireland’s most successful businessman, Brendan Delahaye - until the day Brendan disappears, leaving his company in disarray and Domino and their daughter alone to face the music.
Stand by Me is the story of Dominique’s recovery and her journey from being married to being deserted by her husband, to learn to be strong, independent and learn to be happy again.
With a new man ready to step into the gap left by her deserting husband.
Brendan comes home, handsome and charismatic as ever, expecting life to carry on just as it was before.
I got lost in this book while l was reading it from beginning to end.
I was fully interested in the story and the characters, that never diminished.
The only problem with the book, there should of been an epilogue to round everything off. Just too see how everyone had moved on, and to see who had managed to stay together, how their lives had been generally, after everything that had happened.
Apart from that, l throughly enjoyed this book, and the perfect time to read, while in isolation.
It’s lengthy but easy reading, and such a heartwarming ending, you can’t get enough of this book.
This is definitely a Ten out of Ten no doubt Loved it !
August 23, 2017
I couldn't put this one down.
I must say, I didn't go out of my way to get this book, nor did I do research before buying it as I usually do before going on one of my book hunts. I picked this book up by accident as it was lurking around in my room, after my sister had bought way back in 2011. I was so surprised by how fast I was drawn to every character in the story. It's human, raw and relatable. It has really helped me, especially that I'm going through some drastic changes in my life and I felt like I could relate to Domino on so many levels. I love how the story shows the complex characters, the mistakes, the changes that human beings go through in life and deal with them, so differently. And yet, you realise at the end that we all make mistakes, and in that how similar we are.
I fell in love with the vulnerability of each character and saw myself in them. I'm very glad that I stumbled across this book and felt the need to pick it up and start reading it. I did not want it to end.
I must say, I didn't go out of my way to get this book, nor did I do research before buying it as I usually do before going on one of my book hunts. I picked this book up by accident as it was lurking around in my room, after my sister had bought way back in 2011. I was so surprised by how fast I was drawn to every character in the story. It's human, raw and relatable. It has really helped me, especially that I'm going through some drastic changes in my life and I felt like I could relate to Domino on so many levels. I love how the story shows the complex characters, the mistakes, the changes that human beings go through in life and deal with them, so differently. And yet, you realise at the end that we all make mistakes, and in that how similar we are.
I fell in love with the vulnerability of each character and saw myself in them. I'm very glad that I stumbled across this book and felt the need to pick it up and start reading it. I did not want it to end.
April 17, 2012
This is the book that made me fall in love with Sheila's stories and start to read more and more of her books. In this story, Dominique is a girl I could relate to myself and girls I know around me - worried about life without men, worried about being single and staying with parents forever. Once she found Brendan, she was willing to compromise her feelings to please her husband and keep marriage going, but she hadn't realised that her marriage wasn't the one she wanted to be. It is a story of re-discovering herself - what her life is about as an individual. This is the same question other characters in the story keep asking themselves.
It is an amazing story. Worth reading!
It is an amazing story. Worth reading!
March 5, 2018
This book was ok. it took me forever to read it. was a bit boring for me. For the first half of the book you read about the main character's emotional ups and downs waiting for the hardship to happen. then the hardship happens and you still read a lot about her emotional ups and downs. The author also keeps referring back to the main character's post partum depression. The only way I was able to finally finish it was to skip large parts of it, and doing so took nothing away from the story. I still was able to know what was happening and able to keep up.
September 24, 2020
I really liked this book, but it did feel overly long in places. I thought the portrayal of Domino Delahaye was done very well and her reactions to the situation she found herself in was lifelike and believable.
Chick lit/women’s fiction of a really good standard. I’m loving these Irish authors at the moment.
Chick lit/women’s fiction of a really good standard. I’m loving these Irish authors at the moment.
August 14, 2015
Sjajna knjiga, citana na plazi, ali na momente vrlo teska, ume da natera suze na oci. Brzo se cita, neodoljiva je, jedva sam cekala da vidim sta ce biti sa Domino i Brendanom... neocekivan kraj! Preporuke!
June 5, 2011
I loved this book and couldn't put it down. It's great to find a book that draws you in and you can't wait to read more.
April 21, 2017
Once I started reading this book, I could not put it down. I was intrigued by the evolution of the heroine from Dominique, young and insecure, to dazzling Domino strong, confident and independent.
August 11, 2017
Boring. No twists. Hard to read and took ages.
March 21, 2022
Dominique blev som väldigt ung gravid, vilket inte ansågs alls lyckat från det starkt troende hemmet. Men den blivande pappan Brendan var fast besluten om att stå vid hennes sida och friade. De bygger upp ett liv tillsammans och Brendans byggföretag går lysande och expanderar utanför Dublin och Irland. Domino hanterar hemmet, dottern och en massa välgörenhet.
📖
Men så en dag är Brendan plötsligt försvunnen. Företaget står på ruinens brant och Domino och dottern Kelly är helt utlämnade. Polisen, banken och media jagar dem hela tiden.
Ilskan och besvikelsen är enorm. Var är han? Vad har hänt?
Världen rasar kring mor och dotter, och sakta men säkert tvingas de båda bygga upp sina liv från grunden igen.
📖
”Vid min sida” är en relationsroman med mycket starka känslor. Som läsare får jag brottas med svek och frustration. I vissa delar blir det lite för mycket ältande och dåligt framåtdriv, men det finns även vänskap och värme som balanserar berättelsen.
Har tyckt väldigt mycket om författarens tidigare böcker och ville gärna älska denna också. Den är dock inte riktigt lika bra, men helt klart läsvärd.
📕📗📘📙av 5📚
#vidminsida @sheilaoflanagan @lbforlag #blurb #caritasläsning2020 #65 @akademibokhandeln #akademibokhandelnhalmstadcity
📖
Men så en dag är Brendan plötsligt försvunnen. Företaget står på ruinens brant och Domino och dottern Kelly är helt utlämnade. Polisen, banken och media jagar dem hela tiden.
Ilskan och besvikelsen är enorm. Var är han? Vad har hänt?
Världen rasar kring mor och dotter, och sakta men säkert tvingas de båda bygga upp sina liv från grunden igen.
📖
”Vid min sida” är en relationsroman med mycket starka känslor. Som läsare får jag brottas med svek och frustration. I vissa delar blir det lite för mycket ältande och dåligt framåtdriv, men det finns även vänskap och värme som balanserar berättelsen.
Har tyckt väldigt mycket om författarens tidigare böcker och ville gärna älska denna också. Den är dock inte riktigt lika bra, men helt klart läsvärd.
📕📗📘📙av 5📚
#vidminsida @sheilaoflanagan @lbforlag #blurb #caritasläsning2020 #65 @akademibokhandeln #akademibokhandelnhalmstadcity
September 10, 2010
When Dominique Delahaye marries Brendan Delahaye at the tender age of 19 whilst pregnant everyone says that it’s only a shot-gun wedding and it won’t last. Twenty years later and Brendan and Dominique are still going strong, along with daughter Kelly. They’re the hottest couple in Cork, appearing in the magazines and newspapers frequently, as Brendan’s building business hits fantastic and dizzy new heights and as Dominique frequents charity functions and becomes known as ‘Dazzling Domino’. Everything comes crashing down, though, the day that Brendan disappears without a trace, leaving Dominique and Kelly in the mire. Dominique moves up to Dublin and manages to get herself a job and a new life but finds herself unable to stop thinking and wondering about Brendan. But when Brendan returns, will Dominique be able to stand by her man?
I’m a really huge fan of Sheila O’Flanagan and have enjoyed the majority of her books that I’ve read – there’s only one or two I haven’t read of hers, in actual fact and she’s become an author whose books I really look forward to. I really enjoyed her last release The Perfect Man and as soon as I spotted her new book Stand By Me on Amazon I couldn’t wait to read it. It sounded just as great as her other books and when I received a proof copy to review I couldn’t wait to get stuck in to see if it was as good as Sheila’s other books. Thankfully, it was!
The official synopsis for Stand By Me makes mention of Dominique’s husband Brendan disappearing. However, that doesn’t actually happen until well into the book – so far into the book that I was actually quite surprised when it eventually happened. The book is more about Dominique and Brendan’s story as a couple. The book begins with a Prologue set at some point in the future, before taking us all the way back to 19-year-old Dominique when she first meets Brendan. Things move quickly between the pair and Dominique falls pregnant and then we follow their story as they marry, as Dominique has her daughter Kelly, and the years pass slowly but surely until we reach the present day. It was a surprising way for the story to be told – after all, I was expecting to jump right into the present day and for Brendan to disappear but it’s not like that at all. Sheila builds the story from the beginning and tells it as it’s meant to be told. Thinking about it, building up the story like that really worked as far as I’m concerned. Instead of just throwing us into the deep end without getting to know the characters, Sheila took us right to how it all began so we could learn the history of the characters and have an affinity with them.
As well as focusing on Dominique and Brendan’s marriage and everything that happens up until the point when he disappears, we also see into the lives of those closest to Dominique and Brendan. We have the Brady’s, Dominique’s parents and brother, who are a bit obsessed with religion and have a few issues it has to be said and then we have the Delahaye’s, Brendan’s side of the family. It’s a big ensemble cast and although Dominique, Brendan and Kelly are the main focus there are a lot of wider issues dealt with in the book with wider members of the family. There’s the marriage of Greg and Emma, Brendan’s brother and Dominique’s friend. Emma is married to Greg, as mentioned but while in her teens hankered after Gabriel, Dominique’s brother, and there was a lot of tension there. Then, of course, there’s the fallout from Brendan’s disappearance for everyone to deal with and things do get a bit hard for both sides of the family.
For the most part, I liked Dominique. She had grown up in a religion-dominated family and was eager to break free and become her own person. Then she met Brendan, fell pregnant and got married. After the birth of her child, Kelly, she suffered from post-natal depression and O’Flanagan wrote those scenes beautifully as the depression took a hold of Dominique and it took her a while to fully get over it. However despite my sympathy for her, I was a bit annoyed at how much she relied on Brendan. She strove to be independent from her family and then she went and become needy with regards to Brendan. She did, however, come into her own once Brendan disappeared and she began to re-build her life. I wasn’t really a fan of Brendan. He seemed OK early on but when he abandoned his family, that was that as far as I was concerned. I loved Kelly, though, especially as we got to know her better as she got older. The rest of the Delahaye/Brady family all seemed OK. Some had their issues and there were a few plot twists concerning a few members of each family but the main crux of the book was about Dominique, Brendan and Kelly. One of the stand-out characters from the Delahaye family was Greg, he and Dominique had a close relationship and I liked how he helped her through a difficult time.
Sheila O’Flanagan really excells at telling stories and I just got lost in the book while I was reading it. From beginning to end, I was fully interested in the story and the characters and that never diminished. My only problem, really, was the way everyone stood by Brendan after he returned. That really bugged me, because he didn’t deserve it. I also think there should have been an epilogue to round everything off. Just to see how everyone had moved on, and to see who had managed to stay together and how their lives had been generally after everything that had happened. Apart from that, though, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and it’s the perfect read to curl up with as Autumn and Winter close in.
I’m a really huge fan of Sheila O’Flanagan and have enjoyed the majority of her books that I’ve read – there’s only one or two I haven’t read of hers, in actual fact and she’s become an author whose books I really look forward to. I really enjoyed her last release The Perfect Man and as soon as I spotted her new book Stand By Me on Amazon I couldn’t wait to read it. It sounded just as great as her other books and when I received a proof copy to review I couldn’t wait to get stuck in to see if it was as good as Sheila’s other books. Thankfully, it was!
The official synopsis for Stand By Me makes mention of Dominique’s husband Brendan disappearing. However, that doesn’t actually happen until well into the book – so far into the book that I was actually quite surprised when it eventually happened. The book is more about Dominique and Brendan’s story as a couple. The book begins with a Prologue set at some point in the future, before taking us all the way back to 19-year-old Dominique when she first meets Brendan. Things move quickly between the pair and Dominique falls pregnant and then we follow their story as they marry, as Dominique has her daughter Kelly, and the years pass slowly but surely until we reach the present day. It was a surprising way for the story to be told – after all, I was expecting to jump right into the present day and for Brendan to disappear but it’s not like that at all. Sheila builds the story from the beginning and tells it as it’s meant to be told. Thinking about it, building up the story like that really worked as far as I’m concerned. Instead of just throwing us into the deep end without getting to know the characters, Sheila took us right to how it all began so we could learn the history of the characters and have an affinity with them.
As well as focusing on Dominique and Brendan’s marriage and everything that happens up until the point when he disappears, we also see into the lives of those closest to Dominique and Brendan. We have the Brady’s, Dominique’s parents and brother, who are a bit obsessed with religion and have a few issues it has to be said and then we have the Delahaye’s, Brendan’s side of the family. It’s a big ensemble cast and although Dominique, Brendan and Kelly are the main focus there are a lot of wider issues dealt with in the book with wider members of the family. There’s the marriage of Greg and Emma, Brendan’s brother and Dominique’s friend. Emma is married to Greg, as mentioned but while in her teens hankered after Gabriel, Dominique’s brother, and there was a lot of tension there. Then, of course, there’s the fallout from Brendan’s disappearance for everyone to deal with and things do get a bit hard for both sides of the family.
For the most part, I liked Dominique. She had grown up in a religion-dominated family and was eager to break free and become her own person. Then she met Brendan, fell pregnant and got married. After the birth of her child, Kelly, she suffered from post-natal depression and O’Flanagan wrote those scenes beautifully as the depression took a hold of Dominique and it took her a while to fully get over it. However despite my sympathy for her, I was a bit annoyed at how much she relied on Brendan. She strove to be independent from her family and then she went and become needy with regards to Brendan. She did, however, come into her own once Brendan disappeared and she began to re-build her life. I wasn’t really a fan of Brendan. He seemed OK early on but when he abandoned his family, that was that as far as I was concerned. I loved Kelly, though, especially as we got to know her better as she got older. The rest of the Delahaye/Brady family all seemed OK. Some had their issues and there were a few plot twists concerning a few members of each family but the main crux of the book was about Dominique, Brendan and Kelly. One of the stand-out characters from the Delahaye family was Greg, he and Dominique had a close relationship and I liked how he helped her through a difficult time.
Sheila O’Flanagan really excells at telling stories and I just got lost in the book while I was reading it. From beginning to end, I was fully interested in the story and the characters and that never diminished. My only problem, really, was the way everyone stood by Brendan after he returned. That really bugged me, because he didn’t deserve it. I also think there should have been an epilogue to round everything off. Just to see how everyone had moved on, and to see who had managed to stay together and how their lives had been generally after everything that had happened. Apart from that, though, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and it’s the perfect read to curl up with as Autumn and Winter close in.
July 22, 2018
I loved this book to the end. I believe as women, we all can identify with Dominique or rather the Dazzling Domino. I liked the fact that the book was so realistic as well as enjoyable. We all have many friends when we are riding in the glory but few or sometimes none at all when our circumstances change. Despite the highs and lows, I am happy that Dominique eventually chose to live for herself. That was a happy ending!
December 7, 2022
This was a very sound four stars. I found myself feeling the pain of mother and daughter. A proper storyline and a satisfying finish. My feeling is that it could have been a very good five stars had several more of the main characters been fleshed out a bit more in terms of thoughts and feelings. A little restructuring as well, this was a big book, and it would have made an excellent trilogy. This author is new to me but I’ll happily read her again.
October 28, 2017
For a chick flick I thought this book was really good. Quite often you can find them predictable but this wasn't and it was fantastic how it magnified many people's relationships not just her own. I would of given 5 stars if she had continued with an extra chapter - I'm a sucker for happy endings in such books haha!
June 27, 2020
En underbar bok, där man följer med Dominique i hennes uppgång och fall, och återuppbyggnad. När hon väljer att inte ge upp, utan börjar ta tag i sitt eget liv och börjar tro på sin egen förmåga börjar dåtid och nutid få ett annat perspektiv och prioriteringarna för vad som är viktigt för Dominique blir tydligare och hon blir sann mot sig själv.
April 1, 2021
I thought it would take at least couple weeks to finish this book but in the end I just couldn’t put it down. It took me only 4 days to finish this book. The book is realistic and Domino was such a strong women who put all the things together again after Brendon left her with no messages. I am wondering if there is a story about Domino and Paddy thou.
April 4, 2024
I have a few of this authors books and really enjoyed them. Unfortunately not this one. I found it extremely boring, tedious and repetitive, although it had a promising start. Actually could not wait to finish it and was so disinterested and unengaged with the characters, I couldn’t really care less what happened to them.
April 13, 2024
Stand By Me is a story about a woman discovering herself. As we follow Dominque's journey, we watch her evolution from a young, insecure girl into a confident, independent woman. A great story with very well-developed characters. I would definitely recommend giving it a read!
Full review: https://telinapatricia.com/stand-by-m...
Full review: https://telinapatricia.com/stand-by-m...
August 17, 2018
Nice book, loved it but the first half of the book was a bit boring, but from page 200 the book dived well into the emotional and hardship part of the Dazzling Delahayes twisted family and relatives.
August 1, 2021
Another good life story from Sheila O'Flanaghan.
A good range of characters to get to know. Some good eens and some with home truths to tell. I am really enjoying these type of stories and Sheila books are the ones I go to.
A good range of characters to get to know. Some good eens and some with home truths to tell. I am really enjoying these type of stories and Sheila books are the ones I go to.
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