This was a poignant read of the past and the present, a family saga which showed how life turned out for 2 families, where a decision taken in the past had ripples of effect in the future.

A father William saved the life of another man's son and lost his life in the bargain. 30 years later, his wife Julia came back to the same beach where she met with the child saved, now a grown man, Tom.

My first book by author Penny Feeny, I loved the landscapes of the beach of Ireland, where the tag line that the past never dies ran true. The author's descriptions had me imagining the beauty of the setting in my mind. Along with Julia, came her daughter Bel for some soul searching.

This was a long slow read where the past merged with the present. The story followed the lives of all the characters Julia nd her children Matt and Isobel, Matt and his family. Emotions clashed like the waves in the beach sometimes in anger or fear, and most times in love and forgiveness. The two families needed closure so that they could move ahead. The past seemed to have everyone in its grips. The author has foretold a story which brings all this to the forefront.

My niggles too came through, it was a long slow read with a rushed ending. I wanted a bit more emotions from the characters.

Overall, it was a good read where I enjoyed some parts more than the others. I loved the cover, especially.

I savored the writing of this book. It's incredibly atmospheric, bringing you right to the cliffs and the sky of the beach and the little village near it. Loved Rachel and other characters. Lovely delightful read to enjoy on a rainy afternoon with a cup of tea and some dessert.

This is an interesting and very readable story of life in rural Ireland and the impact of visitors, plus the impact the place and its residents have on those visitors. At the heart of the story are two main families from very different backgrounds. Worth reading.

Julia loses her first husband when he dives into the waves to rescue a small boy in Ireland. she returns to England to raise her son and continue her work as a pediatrician. She remarries, Leo, who is an artist, but finds eventually she cannot live with him. thirsty years after losing her first husband, Julia returns to the beach where he lost his life and eventually comes face to face with the boy that he rescued, who is no longer a boy but a young man. It's quite the saga and not themost satisfying book I have ever read.

"They called it the secret beach" a secluded, not well-known beach in Ireland. Will stands on the ledge above the beach searching for his family when he hears the cries of a child and he can't tell if they are cries of excitement or fear. He sees a little boy lose his footing and topple into the water. Without hesitation, Will runs into the freezing ocean and only one person survives the water on that day.
It's now thirty years later and the story fast forwards to that same beach and town in Ireland. The two families whose lives were entangled on that day come together seeking closure and answers to their questions. Has Matt, the little boy saved from that ocean on that fateful day wasted his life seeking something that seems to evade him?
The story is a good one and is presented on many levels, how the past affects all of the people in both families. It fell a little short on the ending and the characters needed more development for me, however, there is room for a sequel. Feeny does an excellent job describing the countryside and beach in Ireland. Doonshean is a townland situated in the western County Kerry, Ireland.

The Beach at Doonshean
Penny Feeny
August 15, 2019

Julia and William Wentworth, a young Irish couple lived near the beach at Doonshean. After stopping for a drink with their son, Matt, they started having a discussion of sorts that found them at ends with each other. William was tired of the talk and said he was heading home. Julia sat for awhile with Matt thinking over words spoken. William drove near the beach at Doonshean when he noticed a scuttle of people on the shore running and shouting. He pulled in to find a young boy in the waterfront caught in a riptide. William ran down the hill and out into the water. He was able to save the child but he was taken down by the tide.
Julia was overcome at his loss. She took Matt and moved to London to continue on with her practice in pediatrics. Years down the line she met and fell in love with a semi-famous artist, Leo.
As the years progressed Matt grew and married Rachel. Julia and Leo lived in the same home for years. Their daughter, Isabel, now grown as well has just returned from working in Sudan. She is staying with her brother and his wife in their childhood home as Julia has chosen to retire and live in Matthew and Rachel’s smaller home in London.
This book is a family history that gives us a picture of the Wentworths, their children and the life to follow. It also introduces us to the Farrilley clan of Dublin. Tom Farrilley was the young boy who was saved that day on Doonshean Beach. Via Julia’s sudden trip to Dublin to stay at a rental Bed and Breakfast cabin we find the two families histories collide once again.
It was a long read but one I continued to enjoy. The story was told in an English and Irish dialect that made the telling very appealing. It’s not a light comfort read but a novel of an entertaining familial journey, a good women’s saga.
The Beach at Doonshean by Penny Fenny will be published on August 15, 2019. It is published by Aria and is available online by Amazon Digital Services.

Thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review
First time reading this Author and thoroughly enjoyed this book
A fabulous story of love reflection and soul searching throughly enjoyed it and can highly recommend.

I adore any book written in or about Ireland, and this book does not disappoint. It involves tragedy and heartbreak, and wraps up with love in the midst of beautiful scenery.

A good book, well written and engrossing.
I loved the plot, the fleshed out cast of characters and the setting.
This is a book full of emotions, a perfect summer read.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

THE BEACH AT DOONSHEAN is a richly drawn family drama, set against the backdrop of the Irish coast. The characters wrestle with echoes of the past and the honest challenges of family dynamics in ways that felt true and very believable. I particularly loved author Penny Feeney's lush and vivid descriptions of the stark beauty of the beach and the landscape around it. A great summer read in the style of Maeve Binchy.

Loved the story very likeable character's,working of a dysfunctional family loved Rachel and Matt,found a bit hard to understand Julian and her reason for going back to Ireland after so many years was not clear in the plot.I personally thought that some of the characters needed more work especially towards the end,it felt a bit rushed unless there is a sequel to the book.

The beach at doonshean by Penny Feeny.
A really good read with likeable characters. I liked Rachel she was my favourite. I liked the ending too. I also liked the cover. 4*.