Content warning: This book does deal with rape. It doesn't go into graphic detail of the rape scenes but it doesn't shy away from the topic.

Mercy House is a place for women (really, girls) to hide from their beaten, abused life and stay until they can figure out what they want to do with the rest of their life. Run by Sister Evelyn and two other sisters, they do far too liberal things in the Catholic Church's eyes in order to help the girls' recovery. Then Bishop Hawkins, a nightmare from Evelyn's past, shows up to look at their records. This causes a fight for the survival of Mercy House.

Really well written book. There were several times when I thought I knew what the book was going to be about but then it introduced another conflict or resolution. The character I cared about the most was the house itself. It seemed like a warm, safe haven.

There was one character whose dialogue would go into too much of a stereotype. Also didn't like how open the ending is.

Regardless of ones religion, growing up you may have been taught about its traditions, sacraments, and religious leaders. These are things you are taught to trust and trust without question. As you get older, you begin to learn that traditions and sacraments are not always good and these religious leaders you have trusted are human with fatal flaws. This book encapsulates this knowledge. Sister Evelyn struggles with her personal beliefs against a system that she is supposed to blindly trust and have faith in but finds this same system turning against her. Throughout the novel she exhibited strength, resilience and conviction by standing up for her beliefs, qualities that make her relatable and easy to love.

The author does a wonderful job in narrating Sister Evelyn and the residents’ backgrounds, giving the reader a sense of who they are as characters. We enjoyed seeing the development of the women as individuals and their relationships with each other.

We both really enjoyed this book and felt that the topics addressed in the book need to continue to be brought to light. Although they are controversial, we recommend you continue to read and keep an open mind.

Received this ARC from the publisher for free.

At first I liked this book but as it went along I found it just wasn’t for me. Too many upsetting things happening.

I thought this book was great. I found the story to quite conversational and well written, making for an easy read. Having been raised in the Catholic Church I felt may of the issues raised were quite well addressed. Especially the hypocrisy of the churches teachings vs the way it addresses women and victims of abuse within its own walls as well as it’s impact and potential for hope within the communities the church serves.

There were no easy responses to things that had happened and the characters; all struggled to find a way to have hope, strength and faith. Sometimes the faith was in terms of religion and others from within.

I’ve read some other reviews where people stated some readers may have a difficult time because of the content. I can agree that some may have difficulty with some of the areas of the story, so it may not be for everyone.

Sister Evelyn is a complicated character. She has been running Mercy House in a Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood, a safe haven for abused women, along with Srs Marian and Josephine. When a priest (now bishop) from her past shows up to evaluate (think judge in its worst sense) Mercy House, Sister Evie deals not only with his threatening presence, but her past. As Bishop Hawkins works to close down Mercy House, the sisters do all in their power to protect the women and thwart the bishop.

This is a book that will offend some. Some may say the author has an ax to grind. However, in the age of "me too" this is an important book with an important message. The media is filled with stories of priests and sexual abuse. Rarely do we read about the effects of this power on the nuns.

I loved this book. I laughed and cried. I will definitely be recommending this to my book club and fellow readers. However, I will warn them that this is not completely positive about the Catholic Church. I'm hoping for a sequel.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Not sure how I feel about this book. I loved the premise of Mercy House but sometimes it felt like it was going in too many directions. The sisters of Mercy House were likeable but Sister Evelyn was all over the place. Her happy ending was a little contrived. What happens to Mercy House? This book was a quick read and would probably start a lot of conversations in book clubs. Tied up too neatly and easily.

I received this book as an ARC and it seemed interesting. It’s a quick and easy read and at times entertaining. I had a hard time with main character and some of her motivations. The girls in the home provided comic relief but also didn’t feel fully developed. I felt the author took on too many topics and then rushed to tie it into a neat bow at the end.

What an interesting story of a Catholic community outreach program, Mercy House, the nuns who run it, and its residents! I really enjoyed the story of Sister Evelyn. She turns out to be a woman who has endured abandonment and betrayal, yet still has a heart for helping those in need.

If you want conventional, pious nuns devotedly interpreting the Bible as they serve God in their daily lives this book isn't for you. If you want a sometimes foul-mouthed, recovering alcoholic who puts others before herself while being open to change and recognizing she could have handled parts and people in her life in a better way then Evelyn's your gal. Early in her life as a nun Evelyn has an experience all too familiar to many women that shapes her later life, when along with fellow sisters Maria and Josephine, she opens Mercy House, a safe home for women that have faced domestic violence. When a powerful bishop that has it out for Evelyn comes to New York, she is faced with speaking up for herself and the women that she protects. With her focus on doing what is right for these young women to help them gain confidence it puts her in the crosshairs for defying typical Catholic traditions. Sixty-nine year old nuns may not be popular protagonist choices for authors, but Alena Dillon has crafted an amazing character in Evelyn. Hopefully it will be read by someone who needs someone like her in their life or needs to know that it's okay to be that person, if your intentions are good.

3.5 stars- An interesting read with engaging characters that you really root for, but it could use a little editing. The story dragged in places and but in other places, where you might want more detail, it was curiously lacking. But overall I enjoyed the book.

I was provided an advance reader copy of the book for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for the arc of Mercy House. I gave this book 2.5 stars rounded up to 3. I struggled to get through a lot of this book, which is about a group of catholic nuns that run a safe house for battered women in New York. Once this book became more about the bad priest and the sexual issues within the church I struggled to continue. I found myself skimming the better part of the last third of the book thinking...here we go, the bad priest, male domination, unfairness, revenge, cover ups. It just didn’t seem original or all that different from what has actually happened.

I am always drawn to books about Irish Catholics set in NY. Charming Billy by Alice McDermott is a favorite. While this book was an easy read the subject matter was just a little too sensitive and intense for my liking. Child, domestic and clergy abuse just to name a few. So depressing. Certainly can’t recommend to many of my Irish Catholic relatives.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was an intense book dealing with many of today's controversial issues regarding the Catholic church and women's reproductive rights. The author created very real characters with real conflicts although I feel some of the characters' situations did get a bit over the top. Overall, this is an engaging story.

I. loved. this. book. I loved it. A great ensemble cast, a beautifully flawed heroine, lots of grappling with nuanced dilemmas, and a story line that provided surprises even in the final, satisfying pages. I'm so glad that I read this one- definitely recommend!

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion, which I am always happy to give. My thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity. #NetGalley #MercyHouse

Absolutely loved the characters in Mercy House and how author Alena Dillion addresses serious issues faced by women daily with love and humor. Looking forward to reading books by Alena Dillion for decades to come!

A story about several nuns who run a home to help women in trouble, such as abusive relationships and unwanted pregnancies. The nuns are very concerned, protective and helpful to the women who come to them for help. The book is well-written, but the story seemed very anti-Catholic. I’m not Catholic, but I felt very uncomfortable while reading the story. It seemed to put a lot of focus on the problems in the church with priests sexually abusing children and abusing their power within the church. I don’t think many Catholics will enjoy this book.

Let me first say that I loved everything about this book! It is not a book you need a few chapters to get into the plot. Sister Evelyn (Evie) takes you nose first into her world of becoming a nun and her daily life at Mercy House. The characters are so vibrant and real that I immediately fell into their Bed-Stuy east NY world . From the trifecta of nuns that reminded me of the personalities and humor from the movie Sister Act. To the residents of Mercy House, each with their own story of how their life circumstances and decisions ultimately brought them all to the house with the angel door knocker. This is fantastic story about acceptance of not only others, but ourselves. I will definitely be looking for more titles from this author!

This was an absolutely stunning read! 5 stars for the exquisitely human characters in this compelling tale, who portray the limitless ways that people are misled, abused, and let down by their faith, their families, and their lives. This book, however, is far from hopeless. Nun Evelyn and her tribe of misfits prove to be smart, wily, courageous, and compassionate. My heart soared for these women.

Alena Dillon crafts her novel, Mercy House, around a Bedford-Stuyvesant safe house run by 3 nuns. Evelyn, the 70ish year old leader of the 3 nuns works hard, with the support of her friends Maria and Josephine, to make a difference in the lives of the young women seeking refuge at Mercy House, all while battling her own secrets.

I thoroughly enjoyed Evelyn’s burning desire to protect the girls at Mercy House, those who trust her. And I also enjoyed the story’s perspective- bouncing between characters, seamlessly woven together throughout the novel.

The Mercy House Girls: Desiree, Mei-Li, Lucia, Katrina, Esther- I felt a strong connection to their struggles, and I found myself staying up WAY too late to find out how Evelyn will continue to protect the girls, as well as battle the Bishop, all while protecting and honoring such friends as Father John.

Watching Evelyn fight her way through her own inner turmoil, while growing to the strong voice she so much wanted to teach the young women at Mercy House was a true story of redemption and courage in the face of fear. How each step we take might be scary, no matter our age, but in the end it is worth it.

One portion of the story that seems somewhat out of place was the culmination of Evelyn and Eloise’s friendship, with a span of 40 years since their last meeting as nuns, it felt rushed and seems to drop out of thin air, even though it was previously mentioned a few times.

Mercy House is a novel about the machinations behind the scenes of some of The Church's clergy. I found the characters to be believable and sympathetic. As I read more and more, I found myself rooting for the main character, Sister Evelyn. Sister Evelyn is not the perfect nun, but she has strong faith in her religion and people who are suffering. She is a crusader whose struggle against the the evil lurking in the hierachy of The Church. The only reason that I did not give the book five stars is that I feel that the story is overloaded with too many characters. All in all, a very interesting and fascinating read!