I loved this story and am now ready to go visit the folks in Sandy Cove. What a great place to spend your summers growing up. Do you have a favorite Aunt or Uncle? I did. What a special relationship Maeve and Phil have. How much fun would it be to visit with “The Old Birds”? Those ladies are a hoot! I loved the characters in this story and enjoyed learning their stories. We had heartbreak, healing, growing, and decisions that had to be made. I hope there is another story so I can keep with Maeve, Paschal, Phil, Oliver, “The Old Birds” and the rest of the Sandy Cove residents and friends. I hope you enjoy this story as much as I did. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

Maeve is an up and coming overworked interior designer in London whose health has brought her in desperate need of some rest and relaxation. Her Doctor orders her to take an immediate vacation warning her of dire consequences should she not. While contemplating what type of vacation to take, she receives a call from her beloved recently widowed Aunt Phil in Sandy Cove off the coast of ireland to help her solve a mystery left behind by her late husband , Having grown up in ireland with summers spent in Sandy Cove, Maeve feels this is the perfect time for a visit. What she finds about her return is more then she could have imagined.

This is a lovely romantic read for those who dream of a quieter pace of life. I enjoyed the author's descriptions of Sandy Cove and the delightful characters of this community. I rate this read 3.5/5 stars.


Thank you to #Bookouture and #Netgalley for the DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Secrets of Willow House is a modern Irish tale set in Kerry, in the NW sector, peopled with characters who share with you their secrets and strengths. I adored Maeve and her Aunt Phil, as well as Oliver Taylor and Paschal - the ladies have excellent taste and even better luck - but it takes a bit of doing to get them on the right track. But is the right track headed right through Sandy Cove, or is it in the more entertaining, fast-paced London? And who are Betsy Malone and Fanny l'Amour? What role did they play in the last days in the life of Uncle Joe?

Susanne O'Leary is an author I will watch for, one I am pleased to refer to friends and family. Her descriptive passages about Kerry and the Skellig Islands had gotten them added to that old bucket list.

I received a free electronic copy of this Irish novel from Netgalley, Susanne O'Leary, and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

Maeve is under doctor's orders to take a rest. A complete change of scene. She is run down and on the brink of having a medical breakdown due to stress and constant work. Luckily for her a bolthole with her aunt in Ireland is just the fix she needs.

Maeve returns to recuperate and do absolutely nothing. Sandy Cove is idyllic and her aunt is very happy for the company. Having lost her husband just a year ago, Phil is also trying to come out of the sadness that has gripped her this past year. She also is worried over the state of the house which is now beginning to show its age. She does not have the money for major repairs but she knows that it has to be done. Phil is also surprised at what she has found on her late husband's computer - there are incomings of money unaccounted for and she is worried whether he was in something illegal.

What Maeve discovers and shares with her Aunt is as surprising as it can get. It also is their saving grace and a way for Phil to go on living at Sandy Cove in the way she always wanted to. Sandy Cove also puts Maeve in a dilemma as to whether she really wants to go back to the fast paced life of an interior designer in London or live in Sandy Cove with someone whom she has strong feelings for.

The pull of career and finance against love is nicely balanced here and it is fortunate that it works out well and easily. Life is not always so fortuitous.

A light family story, extremely descriptive of Ireland (one that makes you want to visit now).

"Secrets of Willow House" is a cute, cozy read from author Susanne O'Leary. This is the first book in the new "Sandy Cove" series.
I really enjoyed spending time with Maeve and her Aunt Phil at the Willow House. The setting is a small village in Ireland. Maeve goes to help her aunt figure out a mystery surrounding her deceased Uncle Joe.
I loved seeing where the relationship with the two men in Maeves life was going and also, how her relationship with her Aunt grew.
I can't wait for more in this series.
Thank you to NetGallery, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Sometimes what the doctor ordered is exactly what you need to shine a different light on your life.

What I really like about the books by this author I already read is that she puts middle aged people in the limelight. Often society thinks the only thing they can still look forward to is to spend some time in the old people's home, but there are a lot of 'golden oldies' who are perfectlly able to do a lot more than that. And rightly so!

This story takes us from busy London to quiet village on the Irish seaside where the lives of auntie Phil and Maeve are about to make a u-turn.

Being alone is often synonym for being lonely and you can keep on feeling sorry for youself or you can yourself a mental kick and go for it. Somtimes all it takes is the cry for help in unraveling a secret.

The story makes you realize that you are never too old to find love, a special friendship or a new purpose in life. Choices have to be made. Are you better off with you devil you know or will you risk a dive in the unknown?

I enjoyed this lovely story very much and it made me want to visit Ireland (in the summertime LOL). Auntie Phil is quite a character and you just have to love her and 'the old birds'. I would like to know what will happen next. 5 stars.

Thank you, Susanne O’Leary, Bookouture and Netgalley.

Lighthouse on the cover is always a good start for me......and this book does not disappoint. As the title suggestions....lots of secrets, leading to lots of twists. I really enjoyed this book. Love the small town of Sandy Cove and can't wait for more. It's a new author for me but I can't wait to track down other books by Susanne O'Leary.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it.

I thought reading this book would be like sailing in the calm waters with some waves swaying the boat of my emotions. What I didn't know was the way I would be sucked into the story.

Maeve needed a break from her exhaustive interior designer work, hence goes to Ireland to spend 2 weeks with her aunt Phil and Willow House. A secret hidden away in the laptop by her late Uncle, a chance for second love for Maeve, and a second wind of life for Phil made this book a fabulous engrossing read.

The two ladies captured my heart, Phil more than Maeve. The strength and class that Phil showed in her demeanor, the courage which lit a fire in her personality inspired me to never give up. The story had its sweet moments, and it was fun to see Auntie and niece binding and becoming close friends and confidantes.

My niggles, a male love interest was suddenly shown to be Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde just to let us know why Maeve rejected him and chose the other man. That change felt abrupt and jarred my senses. A man who was gentle and kind and who had a daughter in a custodial fight in the court suddenly became a bed-hopping blackmailing Casanova.


Overall, barring this point, the book was great fun, and I think now I have Ireland as one of the countries I want to visit in this lifetime.

Maeve McKenna is a busy, overworked interior designer in London. Needing some time out from her hectic job and lifestyle, she decides to go to visit her Aunt Philomena in Sandy Cove, County Kerry, Ireland. Here she spent many a teenage year and experienced a kiss from a mysterious boy that she’s never been able to forget. When she gets to Willow House, she finds her aunt lonely following the death of her husband a year ago. She also finds Philomena has let the house go and decides to spend her break helping her restore Willow House to its former glory.

This was a lovely heart-warming read which instantly transported me to the beautiful Sandy Cove as soon as I started the book. As soon as Maeve returned to her aunt’s home, my imagination ran wild with the smell of the ocean and the visions of the beautiful Irish coast. The storyline was really comforting and all the characters were so likeable, it just felt like you had been welcomed into a big warm family hug.

When Maeve begins to help her aunt clear out her late uncle’s belongings, they discover a mystery that Uncle Joe had left behind and begin to work together to unearth the secret he had hidden. I loved the relationship between Maeve and her aunt and really enjoyed this part of the book. All of the characters worked so well together and there wasn’t any character who I didn’t really like. It was great to see Maeve’s character develop as the book moves on and for her to finally see that perhaps she the life she left behind in London wasn’t the right one for her.

This is an absolutely perfect book for a lazy summer read and it is one which will certainly leave you with a smile on your face and joy in your heart. It is full of family relationships, secrets, love and romance. The characters are so believable that you will feel like you have known them forever. If you want to read a heart-warming, life-changing book, then look no further than this one!

I absolutely loved this book. Author Susanne O'Leary did an amazing job at making the characters and the scenes come to life. I truly felt as if these characters were my family because I was so invested in them. I also loved the twists and turns brought on through out the book to keep you on the edge of your seat.
This was the first book I have read by Author Susan O'Leary, however, it will not be my last. I csmt wait for the next book in this series!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book. This is my honest opinion of the book.

Maeve needs a break and Aunt Phil needs some help...and a friend. When Maeve opts to take a holiday and visit her Aunt in Sandy Cove on the Irish coast, she expected to relax a bit. She didn't expect that Aunt Phil had let the place go after the loss of her husband. She finds herself helping Aunt Phil sort through her uncle's things and fixing up the house. Then she realizes this is more rewarding than her job back in London. A nice setting, a loving family, a nascent love interest, and good writing combine to make this a fun read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm hoping there will be more.....

What a charming story. The author transports you to the cliffs of Ireland. You can smell the ocean, feel the sand in your toes, and the cool water when you dive in the ocean.

Maeve is an overworked interior designer in London whose ordered to take a holiday due to stress. She's always had fond memories of times she and her sister spent with their aunt and uncle in Ireland so she heads there. Her uncle passed a year ago, due to work commitments, she was unable to attend the funeral. Her Aunt Phil is thrilled she's coming for a visit.

Shortly after arriving to Ireland, Maeve, realizes the house is in dire need of repairs. Her aunt's finally ready to deal with her husband's computer and financial stuff, asking Maeve for help. This is where the fun begins!

There's a surprising double life exposed, a wee bit of romance, and a great solution to enable repairs at Willow House. You'll have to read it to find out more.

I was provided a free ARC from Net Galley and the publisher for my honest review.

Thank you Net Galley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this book and provide an honest review.

Maeve McKenna has had two panic attacks and her doctor advises her to take a break from the world of interior design before it costs her, her health. Her clients seem to think that she is available to them 24/7. She decides to return to her roots, to her childhood when she was at her happiest, to County Kerry in Ireland and her Aunt Phil. Aunt Phil lost her husband a year ago and feeling a tad lonely is happy to have Maeve stay with her for awhile.

Together they set about solving a mystery that Uncle Joe left behind. A mystery that could hold the key to future happiness not just for Aunt Phil but Maeve as well. Maeve quickly learns that there are things more important in life than getting wallpaper confirmations at 6am on a Sunday.

I'm very excited about this series and I hope that Ms. O'Leary will transport us back to the magical spot that is Ireland very, very soon!!

When Maeve has worked herself to a near breakdown her doctor tells her that she must take some time off and so she decides to go and visit her Aunt Phil in Sandy Cove in Ireland, the scene of many happy childhood holidays. It couldn't have come at a better time for Phil, it is a year since the death of her husband Joe and she has just started going through his belongings and there are some things that she needs Meave's help with!

A lovely warm feelgood book, great characters and locations and the best bit is its first of a series so we will be going back there! Perfect beach read.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This is a real feel good story based in Ireland. Made me feel all warm inside. Loved the characters.

A story of family, love and the relationships that bring it all together. Maeve works too hard and on doctors order goes on a long awaited break back to her Aunt Phil is Ireland. She meets old friends and makes new ones. A secret has been unearthed could it be true? Read this wonderful book and find out! A book for a rainy day. Guaranteed enjoyable
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

A 5 star book that takes place in Ireland. I loved the authors writiing! I felt these characters were so well written they felt like family! The setting itself makes me want to live there! So many emotional twists I couldn't put this down! Absolutely delightful! I can't wait for more in this series! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review! Great read on a rainy day or a vacation read !!!! Loved this!

I loved my time spent at Willow House with Maeve and her aunt Phil. It is set in a small village of Kerry, Ireland, and the Atlantic coast setting sounded delightful.

We get to discover just what Uncle Joe's secret was that contributed to Maeve visiting her aunt, and I'll admit I had put the blocks into place quite a bit before the character.

But it didn't matter, as it was how they pieced it together that was entertaining, and deciding what to do about the information once they have it, which really made this book.

I loved how Maeve changed over the course of the book, from an incredibly stressed out interior designer, with hilarious but fussy clients, to how she is back in the place of her childhood summers

There are a couple of men interested in Maeve, and one of them appealed to me far more than the other, but you'll need to read it to see who they are and how it played out.

This is another enchanting read from Susanne O'Leary and I'm delighted to learn it is the start of a series. I can't wait to return to Sandy Cove.

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

Secrets of Willow House is completely delightful! Forced by her doctor to take a vacation or risk a heart attack, interior designer, Maeve goes to Ireland to visit her Aunt Philomena. Phil, as she is known, asks Maeve for help sorting out her late husband’s computer files and help her determine where the money in that secret bank account came from. Just what was her uncle up to in his retirement? The answer it would seem is quite a lot...but I give no spoilers. Along the way Maeve meets some very interesting people that bring a new perspective into her busy life. Readers also become surrounded by the sounds, smells, and traditions of Ireland, always a plus. This is a well written story with developed, relatable characters, and I greatly appreciated the lack of major angst that can bog down otherwise good stories. In short, I totally enjoyed the time spent reading. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book. Most highly recommend.

I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are entirely my own.

What a wonderful read this was! I may be a little biased, since it takes place in Ireland in beautiful county Kerry, but I’m pretty sure I won’t be the only one enjoying this lovely book. It’s almost the definition of feel good – reading it felt like sunshine. Like the smell and taste of a pint of Guinness.

”’I’ll drink to that,’ Maeve said and took a sip from her glass. It tasted both sweet and bitter, with a slight fizz. Just like life, she thought.”

It was great to be transported back to Ireland through Susanne’s words. The characters in this book were lovely, not stuck-up or annoying or Mary Sue-like. Not at all. They felt like honest, real Irish people and it was the first ‘feel good’ novel I’ve read this year that actually made me feel good.

When we first meet Maeve McKenna, she’s living and working in busy London. She’s an interior designer with a burn out and her doctor is ordering her to slow down, to take a break and get some rest. Her boss reluctantly agrees to give her two weeks of leave and Maeve decides to go back to Ireland. Her home. She wants to stay with her sister before driving down to the Ring of Kerry, but before she knows it, she’s already in Sandy Cove and staying with her aunt Philomena Duffy.

Phil’s husband Joe died a little over a year ago and he left his wife some mysterious secrets. She needs Maeve’s help to figure it all out because she can’t deal with it on her own. The two of them were very close when Maeve was little, but they’ve grown apart over the year. Being back in Sandy Cove is making the two women reunite. Maeve falls in love with Ireland all over again and starts to wonder whether she’d prefer a life in rural Kerry over a glamorous one in London.

Of course, there’s a bit of a love triangle in the story. There’s posh and wealthy literary agent Stephen Taylor back in London, who wants to take her out to fancy parties and buy her dinner. But there’s also Paschal Sullivan, a marine biologist who runs a second hand bookshop in the summer when he’s not giving lectures at Cork University. Yes, it might be a predictable trope, but isn’t that what we all want in a chick-lit novel? I was just really glad that nothing had happened between Maeve and Stephen before she and Paschal started messing around. If there’s one thing I can’t stand, then it’s cheating.

The author did repeat herself a lot, though. I think the thought proces of ‘should I go back to London and my life or should I stay here’ was mentioned at least ten or fifteen times. I get it, it’s a big part of the book, but nevertheless it got kind of annoying at times. Doesn’t make it a bad book, though. I still really enjoyed it – I finished it rather quickly, and that says a lot. I just couldn’t put it away, I suppose!

So, I’m giving this book four well-earned stars and I’m hoping others will enjoy it just as much as I did.

"'I'm beginning to take to this drink,' she confessed.
'Be careful,' he warned. 'It can be addictive'"