The Woman On The Bridge by Sheila O'Flanagan

Today is my turn on the blog tour for book "The Woman On The Bridge" by author Sheila O'Flanagan, this is a RandomThings tour. The book is available to buy now as a treebook or ebook, link HERE for Amazon UK.

About the Author:

Sheila O'Flanagan is the author of 30 bestselling novels including What Eden Did Next, Three Weddings and a Proposal, The Women Who Ran Away, Her Husband's Mistake, The Hideaway and The Missing Wife. She lives in Dublin with her husband.

www.sheilaoflanagan.com / Twitter: @sheilaoflanagan Facebook.com/sheilabooks

For my stop I have my review, enjoy, non spoiler as usual.

The Woman on the Bridge by Sheila O'Flanagan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 4 days

Pages - 448

Publisher - Headline review

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Dublin. The 1920s. As war tears Ireland apart, two young people are caught up in events that will bring love, tragedy - and the hardest of choices.

In a country fighting for freedom, it's hard to live a normal life. Winnie O'Leary supports the cause, but she doesn't go looking for trouble. Then rebel Joseph Burke steps into her workplace. Winnie is furious with him about a broken window. She's not interested in romance. But love comes when you least expect it.

Joseph's family shelter fugitives and transport weapons. Joseph would never ask Winnie to join the fight; but his mother and sisters demand commitment. Will Winnie choose Joseph, and put her own loved ones in deadly danger? Or wait for a time of peace that may never come?

Ireland's tumultuous independence struggle is the backdrop for an unforgettable story of courage and heartbreak, in which heroes are made of ordinary people. Inspired by the story of Sheila O'Flanagan's grandmother, The Woman on the Bridge is the unmissable, compulsive new novel from a bestselling author.



My Review

1920's Ireland, civil unrest and a country at war wanting to be free and amongst that we have Winnie - working in a shop, can do measurements without tape and likes the simple life. When the shop is damaged it brings a meeting with rebel Joseph. We alone with Winnie are dragged into the cause and finding ourselves caught between sides in the war and the dangers of being a civilian within it let alone the partner of a rebel.

I do enjoy books like this, I never used to read Historical fiction but find as I get older I am enjoying it more and more. Plus my history isn't the best so I generally find within reading books like this I stop and research & O'Flanagan does a great job bringing to life the characters and a time period of history.

Winnie comes from a working class style family, Joseph's family whilst having money are very involved in the troubles and supportive/activists with freedom. As Winnie and Joseph's relationship develops we see her being pulled further into the other side, strong belief's and the trouble and threats that come from this.

It is a love story essentially but not exclusively that, set around a rough and at times bloody period of Irish history and we get other veins of normality and harsh reality. Alcoholism, DV, family dynamics, love, loss, grief it is a mixed bag and envelopes the reader in the characters lives, trials and tribulations whilst giving us some important history with emotive moments.

I have read O'Flanagan before and will read her again, 4/5 for me this time.

View all my reviews

Three Weddings and a Proposal by Sheila O'Flanagan

Three Weddings and a Proposal by Sheila O'Flanagan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages -

Publisher - Headline Review

Source - Vine copy

Blurb from Amazon

At the first wedding, there's a shock

The second wedding is unexpected

By the third, Delphie thinks nothing could surprise her. But she's wrong . . .

Delphie is enjoying her brother's wedding. Her surprise last-minute Plus One has stunned her family - and it's also stopped any of them asking again why she's still single. But when she sees all the missed calls that evening, she knows it can't be good news. And she's right.

Delphie has been living her best life, loving her job, her friends, her no-strings relationships and her dream house by the sea. Now she has to question everything she believed about who she is and what she wants. Is her mum right - is it time to settle down? Or does she want to keep on trying to have it all?

Each wedding of a glorious summer brings a new surprise. And as everything Delphie thought she had is threatened, she has the chance to reshape her future . . .



My Review

Delphie has a job she loves, she gets to experience the riches of life she can't afford, her boss is a great guy. What she lacks in her personal life she more than makes up for in her work achievements much to the Umbridge of her family. When tragedy strikes Delphie's life is turned upside down and she finds herself caught up in chaos, relationship dramas, feuds all whilst trying to sort her own life out.

I liked Delphie, strong, independent, career driven, focusing on what she wants despite everyone else pressuring her to settle down, marry a person instead of her job. I liked the dynamics between the characters, how different some of them are, bitchy, bridezilla and ugh the creeps at her work. I was spitting chips and some of the antics/attitudes. And one point I actually gasped out loud, I was raging!

Perfect book for a poolside read or just getting out of your own life to nip into someone elses, it has tons of drama to keep you hooked. Past love coming back into her life, marriages, scandal, families, job issues, a strong independent business woman - not just your typical love story. I liked it, sure I have read O'Flanagan before and I will read her again, 4/5 for me this time.

View all my reviews

All For You by Sheila O'Flanagan

All for You by Sheila O'Flanagan
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Pages - 512

Publisher - Headline

Source - Gift from a friend

Blurb from Goodreads


As TV's favourite weather forecaster, Lainey is good at making predictions. But what she doesn't foresee is that her own life is about to hit a stormy patch. With a string of failed relationships behind her, surely history isn't about to repeat itself with her beloved Ken? To add fuel to the fire, her estranged mother announces that she's returning to Dublin. Deanna has always been dismissive of Lainey's choices - particularly in men. And Deanna's lectures are the last thing Lainey needs now.


Yet is there more to her mother than she knows? Uncovering some long-concealed family secrets, Lainey begins to reassess her life. Is the happy-ever-after she's always dreamed of really what she wants after all?



My Review

Meet Lainey, beautiful, successful, on tv doing the weather, educated in meteorology she is a really smart lady. Her mother is a feminist, famous and carving out her mark in the world and travelling all over to spread the good word, her and Lainey do not have the easiest of relationships. When it comes to Lainey's love life she has had two broken engagements and frets over her relationship with Ken and where is it going? All Lainey wants is to settle down with the man she loves, surely that isn't too much to ask?

Ok so lets start with what I did like, I love learning stuff in books, wee random snippets of info is always welcomed. Every chapter gives you a word relating to something to do with meteorology and what it means, first time I have had that in a book and I loved it. It isn't a subject I have given much thought to but to be honest, after reading the snippets I think I would pick up a book relating to it to learn a bit more. I liked her parents who although they didn't play a massive centre stage part but when they are in it they are lovely characters who helped shape Lainey.

What I couldn't get on with was Lainey's complete inability to see how fabulous she is on her own right. Every thought focuses on pleasing her other half or if something if blatantly the guys fault she blames herself. I think my problem is I have had personal dealings watching folk go through this type of behaviour and find it really upsetting and frustrating. You just want to reach into the book and wake her up! Reading it was very frustrating although it is testament to to the authors writing ability that she has captured it so well to evoke that response.

Her mother, Deanna, is frustrating for a very different reason, she goes the opposite way and is completely focused on the fight for feminism. Nothing gets in her way, I do mean nothing, and she has no qualms ramming it down folks throats. The two characters are worlds apart and I got annoyed in equal measures for very different attitudes and behaviours by the two. I did like when we flash back to Deanna's past and learn a bit more about her and why she became the way she did.

The writing itself is very easy to get on with, it was the characters traits and actions that I found really wearing. I am sure many people will get on well with this book however it just wasn't for me. This was my first time reading this author and whilst I didn't enjoy this book I would read her again as I think the presented issues was more my problem, 2.5 out of 5 for me.

View all my reviews