Great characters, beautiful setting. Loved the legends behind the village. Made a change for the persons loss. Great storyline.

I was so excited to read Ali McNamara's latest novel. It has been a little while since I delved into her world and it was so great to be back. The stories that this author writes are feel-good reads with strong female leads with just a little hint of magic about them. This was no exception

When I mention magic, this might be the fates aligning or might be something more but it really does give you, as a reader, a true sense of escapism. You have to put real life and any sort of cynicism or disbelief you have to one side for the duration of the book and let this author whisk you away into her world. I read this book in just 2 sittings and I'm sure I can say the same thing about her previous novels too because they really do just envelope you and allow you to hide away in whatever world lie within for 300 or so pages!

This is a little bit of a spin off from the last Ali McNamara that I read 'Breakfast at Darcy's' and it was great to be back in Ireland again and to revisit some of the characters from that novel. This is by no means a sequel though and you can definitely read this book despite not having read breakfast at Darcy's. For fans of that book though, it will be lovely to be back in that setting and surrounded by the same kind of Irish legends that we enjoyed in the first book.

I really enjoyed getting to know Main character Ren over the course of this novel. She is incredibly easy to get along with and easy to relate to because she is her own person and has her own business but we know she has been hurt in some way in the past and therefore has her guard up. I loved reading about someone so really and yet someone I could so easily see myself being friends with. She and her partner Kiki are on this journey together and I loved meeting Kiki too, she is definitely the Ying to Ren's Yang and so the two of them really work well as a team. If anything I would love to read a spin off finding out what happens to Kiki now this novel is over-please?

There are of course a few male characters to get to know in this novel too, always a happy co-incidence. I loved hotel manager Finn and his fabulous dog Fergus. He is very like Ren and so I had high hopes for the tow of them from the start of the novel-not giving anything away though! There are also some real characters in the village and possibly some people to help Ren along her way.

This is the perfect summer read because of the location and the little touch of magic that lies within the pages and so i highly recommend adding this to your summer TBRs. I am sure you will have just as much fun as I did hanging out with Kiki and Ren and helping them along on their quest to find the perfect house!

How lovely a word is serendipity? It means a happy accident and happens to be the name of the main character of this book, although she prefers to be known as Ren. Ren runs a property seeking company and has travelled to Ballykiltara to find the perfect retirement home for her client. She believes she has found this in The Welcome House but it is shrouded in mystery and legend. No-one knows who owns the house but it offers welcome and shelter to anyone who needs it. The Summer of Serendipity was a delightful read full of wonderful characters such as the endearing Kiki who raised more than a few smiles with her way with words, wise Father Duffy who advises Ren to listen to her heart not just her head and Finn, the tall, dark and handsome hotel owner. It's not just the house which has secrets to be uncovered in this book as both Ren and Finn have sorrows in their past they are keen to keep hidden. I loved this story, in particular following the relationships between the characters as they begin to find contentment. It is charming, very enjoyable and with more than a hint of magic. Perfect summer reading.

Love, love, love Ali McNamara's books - they just make me smile and sigh with bliss.

It is like putting on an old familiar cardigan that fits just right and keeps you perfectly warm when you open a story written by Ms McNamara. What was really lovely about this book was a quick revisit with characters from 'Breakfast at Darcy's'.

Serendipity Parker is a house hunter with a special knack for finding just the right property for her clients. She is in Ireland to hunt down a house with very particular specifications and she thinks she has found it outside the village of Ballykiltara. However, this may be a more difficult job than usual as she is unable to find who owns the house and there is a rather mysterious story attached to the property. Aided by her trusty side-kick, Kiki, Serendipity tries to unpack the truths from the myths and successfully complete her mission but maybe this time she is not meant to get the house.

This is a lovely story with just the right amount of romance and friendship with a sprinkling of magic and mayhem. Kiki was an absolute crack-up of a character and I couldn't wait to see what was going to come out of her mouth next. Ren, as Serendipity is typically called, is a very likable character and even though you know she shouldn't really succeed in buying 'The Welcome House' a little piece of you wants her to get whatever she wants as she does things ethically and with a sense of kindness. As you read this book you just want to wrap yourself in Ireland and breath the air that fills the pages. Once again Ms McNamara did not disappoint with her ability to spin a glorious yarn.

I wasn't sure what i was going to make of this book - but as it progressed I found that i was enjoying Ren's search for the perfect house -- and the answers to all her questions about this beautiful part of Ireland.

On the surface, this is is a light-hearted, possibly even fluffy book, but I think it goes much deeper than thank and allows you to consider bigger questions around hospitality and the warmth of people towards those who need a helping hand. Coupled with a bit of history, some mysteries and local customs, this makes for an interesting read.

Ali McNamara has a engaging style -- once you get past the scene setting chapters, this has the makings of a wonderful and absorbing book. 4*

A lovely story about the magic of Ireland - unfortunately it lacked something for me.
Nice characters and scenery, also some interesting myth and legend tied in.

Serendipity Parker loves her job of travelling round the country looking for houses for clients and finding the perfect home so when she travels to Ireland to find another home it should be no different but when she sees the Welcome house and tries to unravel the mystery and the owner of it. The village of Ballykiltara and the hotel where she stays start to get to her and with the manager of the hotel Ren starts to think she may have her happily ever after. A great read and a cast of characters that you care about .

Ren (Serendipity) and Kiki are on a business trip to Ballykiltara, Ireland, to seek a property for their client Ryan Dempsey. Staying in Ballykiltara, they both feel the magic of this small town and get to know the locals, and are caught up in the mystery of the ‘Welcome House’. Legend says that the Welcome House can be used by anyone who needs shelter and food while travelling. Food is always stocked up and beds have clean linen and the house is kept clean and tidy. No one knows who owns this property or even who the caretaker is. Ren likes a challenge and sets out to find these answers, could this be the perfect property for her client Ryan?
The hotel manager Finn and his staff, local priest Father Duffy and Fergus the dog, the white stag and the Raven, all help Ren find just what she is looking for.
I adored this book, it made me feel warm inside and relaxed, a bit of a love story, mystery and magic - absolutely the best read of 2017 for me.
Thank you Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for an advanced review copy of this magical story, I will leave reviews on Goodreads and Amazon, happy to spread the word to get everyone reading this story.

4.5 Stars

There is something just a bit magical about this book, and the legends surrounding the Welcome House in Ballykiltara. When Ren and Kiki first encounter the welcome house they are convinced they have found the property they are looking for, for their customer, so long as Ren can find the owner and persuade them to sell.

Just one small snag local folklore believe the house is magic and that it has now owner, or caretaker or anyone in charge of it at all. Then there are the legends that state that the search for the truth will result in your own downfall. Plus there are many other bits of Irish folklore that appear to have made it into the book.

There is a couple of large mysteries as the heart of this book, and I was fascinated to see how they would resolve. Although not normally a fan of history, and there is a fair amount of ancient history in this story, I couldn't help but be drawn in by the suggestive writing, that captured my imagination.

The setting of Ballykiltara is beautiful, and the area of Ireland will be familiar to fans of Ali McNamara, and those that have read Breakfast at Darcy's. Given I really can't remember the details of that book I wouldn't worry if I hadn't read it, as its not relevant to this new book, other than providing some updates to various characters.

Kiki is an amusing and lovable character, especially with her ability to mix up words at time. She is a great sidekick for Ren, who seems to be Kiki's total opposite. There is definitely romance in the air in Ireland, and the place just weaves a spell over those that stay there, and in my case those that read the book!

In my eyes this isn't the best or my favourite book by the author, but it is an incredibly enjoyable story that I did love a lot, even as a skeptic towards almost all mysticism.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sphere for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Back almost five years ago I picked up Breakfast at Darcy's by this author and I have to confess that whilst I enjoyed

"the descriptions of the scenery, the weather how it changes so suddenly and how it impacts on them all and the local folklore" (Taken from my own review)

I was rather disappointed with the overall plot. Subsequent books I have read by this author have not been poor in the plot department and I was in no doubt I was going  to get a good story when I picked up this one. 

We are back in Ireland (where Breakfast at Darcy's was based and is referred to in this book) this time with Serendipity, Ren to her friends and her rather kooky and ditsy work colleague Kiki.

Ren is a property seeker - she will find the home of your dreams that ticks all of the boxes and get the right price for it, even if said house is not even for sale. This is what brings her to Ballykilltara.

She does in fact find the perfect house for her client.

The house appears to survive on local legend. It is a house that welcomes anyone at any point in their journey and provides them with shelter. That is why it is called The Welcome House. 

Trouble is no one knows who owns the house?

No one knows who maintains the house?

Ren discovers much about local legends and history as she decides to find out for herself about this house. Ren becomes so immersed in the mystery it becomes a personal crusade and not just simply to seal the deal for her client. The house keeps bringing more questions than answers to Ren and if she was not being distracted by the rather dishy hotel manager of where she is staying perhaps she will be able to find out the truth quicker. 

This is a book rich in scenery and place. The author conveys that you could quite easily find yourself in the luxury of the hotel where Ren is staying as well as the simplicity of The Welcome House. Add to that the humour of Mrs Malaprop -  Kiki and the subtle undertones of romance, plus the mystery and you will find like me, drawn right into the book.

I loved this book. It was wonderful. filled with so much love and laughter. The characters were amazing and slotted in perfectly

This sounded like something I would enjoy, and I probably would have if the story and characters were enjoyable. The plot was messy and the characters were pretty much deplorable. Having a character mention that someone can't be gay because they are "macho" is just tacky. So is having a character compare Guinness to "cat piss" while the character is in Ireland.

If this story just focused on the story and "mystery" of the Welcome house it would have been 100% better.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this review copy.

Serendipity Parker is a property seeker, seeking out her clients dream home. Whilst looking for her latest property, she finds herself in Ireland with her assistant Kiki. In the small town of Ballykiltara, she finds the ideal property, known locally as The Welcome House. Wanting to put her negotiation skills into use she begins to try and track down the owner to see if they could be persuaded to sell. The only problem is none of the locals seems to know who the house belongs to, but they do tell her the house has been a local legend for hundreds of years – its door is always open for those in need of shelter and there is always a supply of food in for the hungry or poor. Whilst trying to ignore the local myths and legends, Ren sets about on a mission to find out the true story behind The Welcome House but she finds herself being distracted by Finn, the mysterious manager of the hotel she is staying in. Can she find out the truth about The Welcome House?

What a wonderful magical story! I have read Ali McNamara books before, so knew this wasn’t going to be your usual chick-lit romance story. As usual, Ali has added a dash of mystery and magic to a story packed with love, friendship, myths, legends and good old Irish charm. The setting sounds beautiful and all the characters are so likeable. Whilst you can, to some degree, guess the ending, it is done so differently (you’ll understand what I mean when you read it). I love how the mystery and magic make it so different to all the other books out there. Fabulous read!

5 Stars!

Thank you to Netgalley, Publisher and Ali McNamara for the opportunity to read this book . I am a big fan of this author and all her books have a magical element, this was another of those

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I loved The Summer of Serendipity. It is unashamedly women's fiction with the kind of warmth and romance that makes it such a pleasure to read. I'm not usually one for any element of magical realism, but the mythology, superstition and omens of ravens and stags worked highly effectively and convincingly to enhance the story without dominating it so that they were broad brush strokes that could be accessed on many levels from spirituality to coincidence to suit the reader's taste.

I thought the sense of place was excellent. I've never been to Ireland, but Ballykiltara had all the elements I imagine, from Guinness serving pubs to misty lakes and changeable weather, making for an area I could picture vividly in my mind's eye.

However, what made The Summer of Serendipity such a lovely read was the characterisation. From Ren to Finn and Fergal the dog I found each person distinct and realistic so that I could easily imagine chatting to them in the town of Ballykiltara. The gradually uncovered back stories to Ren and Finn gave them added depth and appeal too.

I thought the quality of Ali McNamara's writing was so good. The prose flowed so that there was never any awkwardness, making for a highly pleasurable reading experience and the dialogue felt absolutely perfect. But aside from the quality of writing, a great sense of place and warm human characters, it was the attention to detail in the plot I most enjoyed. Ali McNamara knows her mythology and there is a smashing mystery to be uncovered here too surrounding Welcome House.

The Summer of Serendipity is a lovely summer read. My only regret is that I haven't read Ali McNamara before. I shall be putting that right immediately.

I'm a big fan of Ali McNamara. She writes wonderful women's fiction and a lot of her books - including this one - have a magical element to them which makes them a joy to read. This book reminded me a lot of the early magical based Cecelia Ahern books - and I mean that as a big compliment. It includes Irish myths, legends, a ghost story and is all set in a charming Irish small town.

Apparently this book is a follow on of sorts to one of Ali's earlier books Breakfast at Darcy's. I haven't read that and I can confirm I thoroughly enjoyed Summer of Serendipity without having read the first book. So it can be read as a stand alone novel. As far as I can tell, it isn't a sequel anyway - it just has a few of the same characters. I'l definitely be reading Breakfast at Darcy's soon now having enjoyed this one so much.

If you're a fan of Ali's already, you won't be disappointed with this one and if you've never read her work, then this is as good as any place to start. Simply put: she writes great books!

This is a charming book by the author of from Notting hill, with love, actually and a sort of half sequel to Breakfast at Darcy's.
It is about a property finder, Ren, discovering a town in Ireland as she searches for a dream property for one of her clients and finds it, but has a wee bit of trouble securing a sale. The characters were fun and well drawn (and we see a couple return form breakfast at Darcy's), and the plot was enjoyable, with just a sprinkling of magic (but not in a weird way).
Thoroughly recommend it to anyone who enjoys light fun, romantic books. I think that Ali MacNamara is getting better with each book.

Serendipity Parker runs a property seeking business, she is asked to find the perfect house for a wealthy customer, so she travels to Ballykiltara in Ireland with her employee and friend Kiki to seek out the perfect house.
Ren, as she likes to be known, finds the perfect house for her client, ‘The Welcome House’, the only problem is no one knows who owns the house, the door is always open for anyone needing shelter and the cupboards are always stocked with food, Ren decides she needs to find the owner so she can buy the house. The house has a mystical presence surrounding it so with the help of the local priest, Father Duffy, she decides to look into the legends and myths of the house.
Ren is slightly uptight, until she meets Finn who is the manager of the hotel where she and Kiki are staying and after spending time with him, he helps her break down the barriers from her past.
There are some great characters in this book, Father Duffy, Kiki, Eddie and Finn and it was also nice to see Darcy and Dermot from Breakfast at Darcy’s pop up in this story.
This is a lovely warm hearted book, it’s filled with romance, laughter, legends and ghosts and was a joy to read.

This is an absolutely wonderful book, complete with love, romance and friendship. It links in with one of her previous books though you don't have to have read it to enjoy this book as a stand alone. It follows the story of Serendipity (Ren) who discovers an empty house in Ireland which is the start of fun and intrigue. Ali's writing is always light and easy to read while also being engaging. I very much enjoyed this book and look forward to more.

Another great book by Ali. A must read this summer