I enjoyed this one and am glad I took a chance on it. Fair warning, you will cry while reading this book.

We follow three characters, a young girl named Skye, a woman in a terrible marriage, named Stella, and a woman who can't leave her home, named Rea.

 

Rea and Stella are neighbors and we find out that Rea realizes exactly what kind of marriage Stella has right now. When the two women finally meet and become friends the book works much better. Thankfully the author, only keeps the women solo at the first little part of the book before merging them. You are going to wonder who Skye is and what she has to do with things, I guessed, and was wrong. And then I guessed again, and was right. I was shocked at Skye's story though. Harrington takes on some very tough subjects in this one and I think she did them very well.

I did think though that Rea's issue was a bit too readily resolved. I loved the outcome of Stella's though. We have some additional characters in this one and they all get a chance to shine.

Unlike with other books taking place in Ireland, this one really is just focused on three homes. We don't get a sense of Ireland in this one. This could be every women's story, which I liked. 

 

The writing was very good and you get a sense of three distinct voices while reading this. You get headers for each chapter though that let you know who is speaking. But after a few chapters, I didn't need those at all.

The men are not that important in this one, the women really are and we get to see how past and present link up between these women and families. 

 

The flow worked great, though I found myself most eager to read Skye's story and wanted to rush to get back to her again and again. I even had to go back and read this book twice, since in my hurry sometimes, I skipped over a few things about the other characters.

The setting of this book really is a small neighborhood in Ireland, as well as another country. I won't say which, cause that will spoil you to other plots in this book.

 

The ending I found lovely, though I wanted more. It was way too short an epilogue for me.

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'Beyond Grace's Rainbow' is an amazing read and I wish I'd read it sooner. It's a story of courage, friendship, forgiveness and love.

Grace is an ordinary woman who finds hidden strength to cope with the lightning bolts life throws at her. A single mother, she has a close-knit, eclectic group of friends and family who love and support her through the difficult times. Liam, her son's father a recovering alcoholic reappears in Grace's life when she diagnosed with Leukaemia. He wants to try again and has been alcohol free for over a year but can Grace trust him with her son's happiness and in the circumstances does she have a choice?

The quality of the characters ground this story; give it a realistic edge which stops it being overly sentimental. That said it is a poignant read with characters that are easy to empathise with. It will melt even the hardest heart as Grace fights to survive for her son.

'Beyond Grace's Rainbow' is a well paced read with lots of humorous scenes to temper the drama and a well thought out plot with unexpected twists. It's a feel good, memorable read. Well worth the tears.






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'The Life You Left' is a charming, compelling book with a distinctive ethos. Full of memorable characters, you don't want to say goodbye to. This multi layered story melds mystery, romance, paranormal and suspense together beautifully.

Paul abandons Sarah and her three small children after ten years of marriage. His communication method is cowardly and she believes he is ill but this is only the tip of the iceberg. The problems Sarah faces are realistic and her courage in facing up to her crumbling world makes her a heroine worthy of your support.

The emotional trauma Paul's leaving engenders forces Sarah to accept she has an unusual gift which she uses to help those around her. She also reacquaints with two important people from her past who are instrumental in her future survival.

A distinct Irish culture defines this story, which I loved. Beautifully drawn, believable characters ensure your empathy or ire depending on their role. Intricately woven with mystery and suspense providing poignant plot twists 'The Life You Left' delivers much more than you can imagine from the title or blurb and is well worth reading.

I received a copy of this book from Harper Impulse via NetGalley in return for an honest review.









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This is a freebie from Harper Collins. Not sure if it's my thing, but posting in case someone else is interested. In the description they say it's "women's fiction." Is that a more politically correct way to say chick lit or is it a totally different thing?

Beyond Grace's Rainbow - Carmel Harringt... The last few reviews I've done haven't been very successful so for my next review book I wanted something good but I wasn't expecting this!

All I can say about this book is 'WOW'! I could easily do a three word review on this and it would be 'Read it, now'! It's a book of all extremes, you'll either be crying with laughter or crying with sadness.

It revolves around Grace, a thirty-something single mum to Jack. Jack's father is an alcoholic and although he provides for him, he hasn't ever seen him. Grace, feeling unwell, goes to the Doctors where she's diagnosed with leukemia. All her friends step in to help with Jack.

Her friends are a lively bunch, there's Abby, an artist, desperate for love. Tom and Gerry (geddit?), the gay couple who are a delight to read about, Tom is the strong dependable type while Gerry is much more flambouyant. Then there's Sean and Tara, a doctor and nurse respectively, they are trying for a baby.

This is a book that covers two emotive issues, cancer and adoption, on the cancer issue it just gives you enough medical information but without overwhelming you, you do get an excellent sense of what's happening with Grace's treatment. With the adoption issue, every case is different yet I found this was handled sensitively.

There's so much I want to say about this book but won't because I'll give the plot away. The characters are all identifiable, all typical characters that you would find in a book like this. It focuses on strong friendship and how people help each other out when the chips are down.

A powerful debut novel, a book that will stay with me for a long time. I don't recommend this book. I insist you read it, I promise you it won't let you down.