The Book of Love by Fionnuala Kearney

One love. Two people. Twenty Years.

From the moment their eyes met across the room at a house party, Erin and Dom were meant to be.

If only it could be so simple. Over the years, the highs and lows of life conspire to keep them apart.

But a notebook can bring them together. On the blank pages of their love story, they write down everything they can’t always say – the secrets, the hopes and the love.

Falling in love is easy but staying in love is where the story begins…

The Book of Love is such a beautiful love story following Erin and Dom’s romance which is told through alternating chapters which jump back and forth in time, we take a journey with them from when they first met right through their joyous highs and tragic lows. The chapters are told from both of their points of view so we get to build a perfect picture of both characters and their love for each other shines through as well as their insecurities.

I loved reading the notes that both Dom and Erin wrote to each other in their notebook, I did find it a little sad at first thinking that they couldn’t have the bond to be able to say what they needed to say to each other but if I really think about it there are things I hold back from saying for not wanting to upset my partners feelings or not quite knowing how to say it out loud and this is exactly how Erin seemed to feel.

I found this storyline quite emotional at times and the issues that Erin and Dom face over the course of their relationship are all things that unfortunately many couples face day to day in the real world. One particular part of the book concerning their daughter Maisie did bring a lump to my throat.

I was quite content reading this book thinking this is a beautiful storyline well worthy of a 4 star review but then I reached a part in this book that I wasn’t expecting and straight away that 5^th star was awarded! I don’t want to say anything else on this part of the book and I really hope other reviewers respect this too and do not give anything away as having the author completely pull the wool over my eyes with not even a small inkling is not something that happens often so I want everyone that reads this book to experience that same shock when they read this part ( YES YOU WILL KNOW WHAT PART!)

This was a touching romance that will take you on a roller-coaster of emotions as you see the struggles that Dom and Erin face and yet their total love and devotion for each other will warm the heart.

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The Day I Lost You by Fionnuala Kearney

THE DAY I LOST YOU WAS THE DAY I DISCOVERED I NEVER REALLY KNEW YOU

When Jess’s daughter, Anna, is reported lost in an avalanche, everything changes. Jess’s first instinct is to protect Rose, Anna’s five-year-old daughter. But then she starts to uncover Anna’s other life - unearthing a secret that alters their whole world irrevocably . . .

THE DAY I LOST YOU WAS THE DAY YOU TORE OUR FAMILY APART.

The Day I Lost You by Fionnuala Kearney follows the story of Jess who has received the worse news any mother can, her daughter Anna has been reported missing after an avalanche. As Jess is trying to cling on to the hope that her daughter is found she is desperately trying to cling onto her granddaughter Rose and attempting to keep life as stable as possible for her. As days past Jess begins to uncover things about her daughter’s life she had no idea about, did she really know her daughter at all?

This book took a few chapters before I could settle into the storyline but before long I was familiar with characters and could feel the emotions and struggles that Jess was enduring through the pages. The storyline is a very emotive one as the characters deal with the uncertainty of what happened to Anna and Jess is comforted by her rock, her sister Leah who was such a strong and thoughtful character. Theo was one of my favourite characters and a close friend to Jess, he  is facing his own troubles but is still there for Jess in her time of need but it was great to have his storyline weaved so well around the Anna situation.

The book is told from both Jess and Theo’s points of view which allows us to get to know them both on a deeper level but what I also loved was the way we got to know Anna through her blog entries as it allowed us to develop our own picture of her rather than just seeing her through other people’s eyes.

For me this book was like a game of pass the parcel as we begin to unwrap each layer we find yet another part of the secret revealed until we eventually have all the pieces of the puzzle and I was in complete shock! I actually thought until just over half the way through this book that it was rather predictable and my attention was beginning to waver but then there was the unveiling that proved me completely wrong!

Fionnuala Kearney has delivered a heart wrenching read with well-rounded characters that we all hope for a happy ending for them. I actually preferred this book to the author’s debut, I found the storyline flowed perfectly and was very well thought out so this book gets the thumbs up from me.

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You Me and Other People by Fionnuala Kearney

THEY SAY EVERY FAMILY HAS SKELETONS IN THEIR CLOSET . . . 

But what happens when you open the door and they won’t stop tumbling out? For Adam and Beth the first secret wasn’t the last, it was just the beginning. You think you can imagine the worst thing that could happen to your family, but there are some secrets that change everything.

And then the question is, how can you piece together a future when your past is being rewritten?

You Me and Other People is Fionnuala Kearney’s debut book and after reading this one I am looking forward to what this author will present us with next time around as this really was a well crafted debut.

When the book begins we meet Adam and Beth who have just split up after Beth found out that Adam has been unfaithful and as the book progresses it soon becomes clear that this is not the only secret that Adam has been hiding. The book alternates between Adam and Beth’s points of view which worked perfectly for this book as it gave us a chance to see the thoughts and emotions of both characters which gave us an unbiased view on the situations that arose in the book.

The did struggle at the start of this book and I have to admit to giving up on it and trying again a few weeks later and I am so glad that I did try again as it really is such a deep and well thought out storyline. I think the reason I struggled was because I didn’t like either of the main characters at the start of this book but as the book progressed and the characters developed and they reached different emotional stages of separation I soon became to like each of them. I actually felt guilty for liking Adam’s character as he well and truly screwed up and yet by the end of the book I loved him as much as Beth.

I loved how unpredictable the book was, I was not expecting the bombshell that was dropped and I love it when an author can spring something on me that shocks me to the core!

This book deals with so many issues on top of the infidelity and heartbreak. The author takes our characters through each step of separation from the hurt to the anger to the process of trying to move forward and build a new life but the one thing we are never quite sure of all the way through is if it is finally over for good or if there was a chance to work through it and start again. The storyline also shows the effect separation has on family and friends too and this part was told well.

I thought this was a praiseworthy debut and I will definitely be looking for future releases by this author.