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Find out moreFeel-good novels are eloquently written tales with real heart, there may be an emotional roller-coaster to travel, but ultimately these books leave you with a feeling of delicious warmth and uplifting joy.
Uplifting and delightful, The Year That Changed Everything is another gorgeous read from Cathy Kelly. Three women have three milestone birthdays on the same day, they don’t know each other, yet a featherlight connection binds them together. In one day, the day of their birthdays, a bombshell shatters the life Callie knew, Sam’s waters break but she might not be ready for motherhood, while Ginger is forced to reconsider who she wants to be. These women aren’t perfect, they make mistakes, yet they are just so likeable and relatable I would be more than happy to be their friend... to hug, to console, to cheer them on. I just adore Cathy Kelly’s books, she writes with a lovely warmth and kindness, beautifully engages with women across the years, and doesn’t shy away from reality. I found myself sinking into a delicious story that wrapped itself around me, and even with heart-ache along the way, The Year That Changed Everything is ultimately a captivating, enjoyable, feel-good read.
Uplifting and delightful, The Year That Changed Everything is another gorgeous read from Cathy Kelly. Three women have three milestone birthdays on the same day, they don’t know each other, yet a featherlight connection binds them together. In one day, the day of their birthdays, a bombshell shatters the life Callie knew, Sam’s waters break but she might not be ready for motherhood, while Ginger is forced to reconsider who she wants to be. These women aren’t perfect, they make mistakes, yet they are just so likeable and relatable I would be more than happy to be their friend... to hug, to console, to cheer them on. I just adore Cathy Kelly’s books, she writes with a lovely warmth and kindness, beautifully engages with women across the years, and doesn’t shy away from reality. I found myself sinking into a delicious story that wrapped itself around me, and even with heart-ache along the way, The Year That Changed Everything is ultimately a captivating, enjoyable, feel-good read.
A gorgeously warm, loving, and occasionally tempestuous tale set within a large family as they learn to cope with grief, new loves, and family revelations. Bess has found love in her sixties, Jojo is desperate for children, Cari is focusing on her job after being jilted at the altar, while Faenia is walking into the past. Relationships, love, and romance are lovingly whisked together in the mixing bowl of life, along with a healthy serving of reality. Several main stories, all link into and skip alongside some smaller ones, I love this format, with glimpses into side lives helping to cement the main stories together. Cathy Kelly writes seamlessly across the ages of the women in this tale, and the varied cast feel as though they could be friends and family. ‘The Secrets of a Happy Marriage’ encourages you to settle down, relax and just enjoy the pleasure of reading a lovely and beautifully engaging story. ~ Liz Robinson
A gorgeously warm, loving, and occasionally tempestuous tale set within a large family as they learn to cope with grief, new loves, and family revelations. Bess has found love in her sixties, Jojo is desperate for children, Cari is focusing on her job after being jilted at the altar, while Faenia is walking into the past. Relationships, love, and romance are lovingly whisked together in the mixing bowl of life, along with a healthy serving of reality. Several main stories, all link into and skip alongside some smaller ones, I love this format, with glimpses into side lives helping to cement the main stories together. Cathy Kelly writes seamlessly across the ages of the women in this tale, and the varied cast feel as though they could be friends and family. ‘The Secrets of a Happy Marriage’ encourages you to settle down, relax and just enjoy the pleasure of reading a lovely and beautifully engaging story. ~ Liz Robinson March 2017 Book of the Month.
One of our Books of the Year 2016. Just so, so gorgeous! Laura lives on her own in the woodland wilds of South West Ireland, a film crew discover she has a special gift, will she be exploited or set free? I always know a book is fabulous when I forget I’m meant to be reviewing and instead find myself completely transported to another world. Cecelia Ahern writes with such a light, magical touch, yet she opens up feelings and allows you to see, to feel, to think. Each part of the story is introduced by a fascinating section taken from a book written in 1933, and links beautifully to Laura. This story is alive with the mystical and unknown, yet is a very modern tale indeed. The writing is so perfect, I actually heard sound… noise touched me, clearly, effortlessly and beautifully, making my heart ache. A delicious enchantment underpins and threads through the story, yet there is also an undertone of unease and foreboding that lingers as you turn the pages, ensuring ‘Lyrebird’ is a bewitching, gloriously delightful read. ~ Liz Robinson December 2016 Book of the Month.
Another lovely, heartfelt, so very readable tale from Cathy Kelly. Sisters Cassie and Coco find plenty of bumps and difficulties in their path, and slowly begin to realise how trauma from their childhood is still affecting them today. Cathy Kelly excels in creating a diverse cast of characters, with females taking centre stage. From little ones, to teenagers, sisters, Mums and Grandmothers, they all add to the inclusive cooking pot of warmth and emotion. I particularly enjoyed how several enticing small individual stories took place alongside and melded into the main one. ‘Between Sisters’ welcomes you into the pages, to become one of the family, to smile, comfort and cheer on these women, and is an engaging, charming read. ~ Liz Robinson
A gloriously evocative and touching read, capable of chattering with energy one minute and settling into an expressive silence the next. It feels as though the author has a cherished connection to the memories of 11 year old Anthony during the Second World War; she skillfully captures his playfulness, excitement, bewilderment and fear. The Welsh mining village and surrounding hills where Anthony lives is brought vibrantly to life, full to the brim with gossip, bustle and affection. The villager’s war is fought on the home front; from the inadequately provisioned home guard, to the men down the mine and most intimately of all, in the mind of one small boy. Through the smiles, laughter, sorrow and tears this novel leaves a satisfying feeling of warmth, and is quite simply a joy to read. One of our Books of the Year 2015. Explore our '80+ Books That Deliver a Hug' listicle for more feel-good or uplifting books.
‘The Woman Who Upped and Left’ is an entertaining and effortlessly readable novel. The first paragraph had me chortling and I settled in with a smile. 43 year old Audrey Pepper is genuinely engaging, she is divorced, rushes around after her 18 year old son and his girlfriend, makes the occasion mistake, and has forgotten that she is also entitled to a life. Audrey finds herself with a decision to make, a decision that could change the way she feels about herself. Fiona Gibson writes with empathy and an extra sparkle of wit, while this is an amusing (on various levels) and delightful tale, it is also grounded in reality. Audrey could easily be your friend or your colleague and her misunderstandings could be yours. Cheer Audrey on and wish her happiness as the pages to this satisfying and enjoyable novel almost turn themselves, how lovely! ~ Liz Robinson
Lovely, warm and engaging, 'The Perfect Gift’ is just that, a delightful treat of a book. Loveable, spirited Roisin always knew she was adopted, she came back home to start up her food emporium and lick her wounds after a doomed love affair, then a 30th birthday letter from her birth mother speaks to her soul. Roisin may be the main character, however this is a proper family and friends story, with a range of catastrophes, thrills and celebrations all jumping up and down and adding to the drama of the tale. Emma Hannigan doesn't just bring the wonderful characters to life, I felt as though I could step into the story, walk down the streets of Ballyshore, buy yummy foodie items in Roisin’s shop and have a natter with Mo to pick up all the gossip. The pages just flew by, and although on occasion my heart ached, this is basically a book to make you smile. ~ Liz Robinson Please note that this is currently an eBook only edition. You may select the eBook format you are interested in by viewing the 'other formats' field at the top of the page.
One of our Books of the Year 2015. December 2015 Book of the Month. Absolutely delightful! Cecelia Ahern always writes with stirring compassion and a delicious secretive quirk, so I was really looking forward to starting this, her twelfth novel. ‘The Marble Collector’ lived up to my expectations as a really touching, quite, quite beautiful read. Not exactly a slow burner, as the writing is so eloquent, however the more you read, the more you understand, and the more you are enveloped by and become absorbed in the story. The chapters are either from daughter Sabrina’s perspective (over one day), headed ‘Pool Rules’ or from her father Fergus’s entire lifetime of ‘Playing with Marbles’. Focusing on secrets and how well we know and understand ourselves and our loved ones, this engaging novel thoroughly provokes thoughts and feelings. As I closed the last page, and had a little ponder, I found myself giving ‘The Marble Collector’ a warm and loving hug. ~ Liz Robinson
Her sister Coco runs a vintage dress shop and has shied away from commitment over the years. Coco believes men complicate things, and she's got enough to contend with. Until a face from her past returns. Watching over them is grandmother Pearl, tucked away in her little house in Delaney Square. But something is keeping her awake at night. Was she right to do what she did all those years ago? And then there's Elsa, the polished face of daytime TV, who's battled demons of her own in the past and come out on top. Now Elsa faces one final fight - but it will require more bravery than anything which has come before.
September 2015 MEGA Book of the Month. A book to completely lose yourself in, this is a wonderful quirky little gem. Set in Australia, Millie, Agatha and Karl begin a journey of discovery and along the way contemplate death, love, forgiveness and understanding. Speech isn’t separated from the story, instead it appears in italics, which actually creates a slight feeling of separation from the characters, while maintaining a dreamlike quality. Brooke Davis captures both older and younger thoughts and feelings quite beautifully, she encourages a different perspective on age and death to flutter free from the pages. Lost & Found has the ability to be sad, touching and amusing all in the same breath, and while creatively imaginative, it is very much grounded in and liberates an essence of life and what it is to be human. ~ Liz Robinson Click here to view a reading guide for this book. A 'Piece of Passion' from the author... It was all play: books and childhoodI grew up on ten acres in a quiet bush town called Bellbrae. It was pretty idyllic: the air smelled of eucalyptus, we were friends with all our neighbours, and we had the space and time to play and imagine. I have lovely flashes of book-related memories that I sometimes catch as they float by: being read to by my parents, reading on long car trips and trying not to give into car sickness, being told off by Mum for reading in the dark. I look at all my childhood books now and I can feel the magic of that time. I can’t remember not feeling like books were important.I don’t think this is something I could have explained as a kid—now I can attach language to the feeling, and suggest that it was something to do with the way reading tapped into my imagination and my love of learning and the need I might have felt to develop an understanding for the way people are. But as a kid, it felt natural and I loved it and I didn’t know why. It was just something I thought everyone did, like the way we all did colouring-in, and played the recorder, and dressed up in Mum’s old bridesmaid dress and glittery shoes. It was all play to me. ~ Brooke Davis
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Feel-good novels are eloquently written tales with real heart, there may be an emotional roller-coaster to travel, but ultimately these books leave you with a feeling of delicious warmth and uplifting joy.