Such a fantastic read! It's no wonder that Faith Hogan is one my very favourite authors!

Miranda has lived in Ballycove all her life, and has never wanted to live anywhere else. Her life has panned out differently from what she expected, but Miranda wouldn't have it any other way. She is now approaching a time when she should give up work, but only one of her three children wants to follow in her footsteps; Miranda is not convinced that she will keep the successful business thriving, and every local family depends on the income provided to keep food on the table. What is she to do?

This is a wonderfully warm family saga from an author who really understands what makes each and every one of us tick. Creating fabulously diverse characters she does justice to the wonderful Irish countryside, incorporating all the beautiful scenery into this story. Told both in the present and in the past, we learn about all the trials and tribulations Miranda has survived and all about her children, who she knows and understands much better than they realise. A terrifically rounded tale, and wholly complete which ends in the most perfect fashion, I loved everything about this novel and really cannot recommend it, or anything else by this author, highly enough. A full five shining stars - and it deserves each and every one.

My thanks to publisher Aria for my copy via NetGalley and to Vicky Joss for my spot in this tour. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.

We ran out of heating oil on Saturday (due to a combination of a monitor on the blink and the distraction of Christmas – don’t ask.) As a result, our house has been freezing, just as Storm Brendan blew in. Brrrrrr!

Why am I telling you this? Because the one thing that has warmed me through while I’ve been waiting for a fuel delivery is reading this charming novel. It has left me with a happy glow, a bit like the Ready Brek kid from the advert, and I was both loathe and happy to get to the gorgeous ending.

Many of my favourite authors are Irish. Maeve Binchy, Cathy Kelly, Emma Hannigan, Marian Keyes all have pride of place on my bookshelf, because their writing is full of life and passion and warmth and real life characters. Faith Hogan is the latest name to be added to my list of go-tos when I am looking for a warm and genuine story full of Irish charm. This book brings Ireland to life within its pages, filling the story with the countryside, scenery and community of rural Ireland and its people. It tells the story of a village, the woollen mill that has put in on the map and kept its populace in jobs, and the family whose responsibility it is to keep the mill running. The story is told across dual timelines as we discover Meredith’s struggles with her grown children now, and her story growing up in Ballycove as a child and young woman, and how the repercussions from events then have shaped the future.

There is a great and realistic mix of characters in this book, not all of whom were likeable. In fact, I was surprised to read a couple of reviews of this book which said that the readers loved all of the characters, because I did not. (Just goes to show how we all react so differently to the same story!) Despite this, they were all believable, because not everyone in real life is likeable after all! I was fully involved in all of their stories from the beginning and, despite wanting to slap some sense into a least one of them, I was happy with the way everything played out in the end, and the very last paragraph made me sigh with happiness.

If you are looking for a gorgeous, feel-good read, with a good depth of story (someone else has referred to this as a saga, and I think it could indeed be classed as a mini version of such), set in a beautiful landscape with characters and a community you can care about, look no further. You absolutely will not be disappointed.

I’m a fan of Hogan’s work and jumped at the opportunity to get stuck into ‘The Place We Call Home.’ She is an amazing storyteller – whisking us to beautiful locations and giving us a fantastic array of characters, some you love the bones of but some you simply can’t stand, just how we do in life I think.
With this book, we have themes of family, friendships and deep-seated secrets and desires, as well as feeling like we belong. We are taken on quite the journey and are given some great characters; they are funny and successful, full of love and heart and of course have that Irish charm that can land them in a whole heap of trouble. Typically, they are all searching for their own happiness but are they going to find it back in Ballycove, back home.  
It is a nicely paced story, so well written especially moving between past and present. This gorgeous saga kept me engrossed for hours. I simply didn’t want to put it down once I’d started – so prepare, give yourself a whole afternoon and get cosy!

Young Miranda Reilly, longs for something to fill her long, summer days in her slumberous town of Ballycove. Adolescent Richard Blair, leaves the noise of London behind to spend his summers in picturesque Ballycove with his grandparents. The two youngsters meet and become instant friends. 

As the years pass, despite the separation and distance, their fledgling relationship blooms like the soft pink of a rose and continues to flourish.  Miranda gains employment in the town’s mills and Richard gets accepted into a prestigious university. Come the thorns in the pink of the rose. As their lives turn in different directions, so does their relationship. When Miranda hears that Richard is engaged and to be married, not one to sit on her laurels, she makes the most of her situation. When Paddy Corrigan, manager of the mills, sets his mind to winning her heart, Miranda doesn’t put up much resistance to the handsome, ambitious young man. 

Shortly thereafter, young Miranda finds herself a happy wife, a loving mother, and when sudden calamity hits, the sole owner of the mills. Older Miranda successfully runs the mills and tries to keep a happy balance of staying close, but not overly involved in the lives of her three adult children: perfectionist Ada, self-serving Simon and successful Callie.

When newcomer Daniel shows up, the family learns he is the son of Richard Blair and with him come long-buried memories of the past for Miranda, and years-long secreted divulgences, are revealed.

In the scenic setting of countryside Ireland, Hogan weaves the lives of her characters, seamlessly between past and present. Captivating her readers through the vivid depiction of Ballycove and its residents, mixing in the history and importance of the material mills, and blending it beautifully with a storyline that keeps you turning page after page. 

I am a devoted fan of Faith Hogan. I know that when I read her books – each usually more than once, I’m going to experience a range of sincere emotions, and always delight in every chapter. 

The Place We Call Home is a heart-warming, delightful, enjoy-every-word, must-read and I whole-heartedly recommend it. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria for the read of Faith Hogan’s, The Place We Call Home.  

Opinions expressed in my reviews are my own.

I’m a huge fan of Faith Hogan’s. A writer who is more than a match for some of the grande dames of Irish women’s fiction, this outstanding storyteller is back with an addictive and compulsive tale of family secrets, the ties that bind and the devastating consequences of love lost and found that kept me riveted to the page: The Place We Call Home.

The beautiful Irish town of Ballycove is synonymous with the Corrigan mills. These mills have created some of the finest wool in all of Ireland and the Corrigan family are lynchpins of Irish society who are regarded as people who lead a life that is as close to perfect as it is possible to get. But scratch beneath the surface of their seemingly carefree and idyllic existence and one will find a tangled web of lies, deceptions and secrets – with the biggest secret of them all being how the family came to own their famed mills…

The mills were never meant to fall into the hands of Miranda and her husband. Yet, when an unexpected twist of fate catapults them both into the driving seat of this enterprise, they find themselves leading a life which they had never previously imagined. Ada has spent most of her life living in her sister’s shadow. Pleasing her mother has always been her number one priority and she had always assumed that she would end up at the mill, but is that what her heart truly desires? Is she so used to putting her own wants and needs last that she has lost sight of who she truly is and what she truly wants?

Callie’s glamorous life as an international designer has given her everything which she could possibly want from her dream job to a gorgeous man. However, what she truly wants is not to have it all or lead a glossy magazine kind of life, but a chance to fulfil her heart’s greatest yearning: to go back home to Ballycove and when a shocking secret is revealed, it looks like Callie’s wish might just end up coming true. Meanwhile, Simon has always been the family’s problem child. Never satisfied with what he has and always wanting more and more, he has ended up alienating all of his friends and when another one of his schemes ends up failing, he finds himself with no other option but to go back home.

Ballycove is calling its most famous sons and daughter home, but can the Corrigans find what they have been searching for? Or do they need to do some more searching further afield before they can find the happiness which they have wanted for so long?

Faith Hogan has penned another gem with The Place We Call Home. A books that delights, enthrals, moves and captivates, The Place We Call Home is an absorbing tale of family, friendships and secrets I absolutely adored. Full of characters that are brilliantly realized  and that leap off the pages, humour, pathos, charm and plenty of heart, make sure you clear your schedule and find a very comfy chair and someone to bring you tea and biscuits on a regular basis, because once you start reading The Place We Call Home, putting it down is definitely not an option.

As fantastic as ever, The Place We Call Home delivers on all counts and will have readers counting down the days until the next Faith Hogan novel.

🤩 I am beyond excited to be a part of the blog tour for the fantastic @faithhoganauthor 🤩

Ok firstly, let me start by saying that no amount of words I could use demonstrate how much love I have for this author and all of her books.
It is an absolute honour to be asked to be a part of the blog tour for this fantastic new release and I am extremely thrilled to share this review.
This is an extremely heartwarming family saga set in the beautiful West of Ireland. As with all of Hogan’s books, I haven’t been able to put this one down. I was completely engaged from the very first page and finished this in just a few hours.
The past and present have been weaved beautifully throughout this book. Hogan has allowed the reader to unpick the story layer by layer. The characters in this book are perfect and the plot has made me shed a tear at certain points. This might be my favourite of all the books Faith Hogan has written and although I say that about all of her books, this one has been an absolute delight to read.
It is impossible to rate this with any less than five stars. This is a fantastic author and a beautiful read. I wish ratings would allow me to give this more than five stars.
I highly recommend this gorgeous read! I am excited to see what else Faith Hogan will bring us in 2020.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Beautiful! Beautiful! Beautiful!

Corrigan Mills in Ballycove wove the finest wool. Miranda and husband Paddy became the owners through a hand of fate. And now after Paddy's death and her health scare, she had to take some decisions. Her children Ada, Callie and Simon too needed to decide what they wanted from life. Then there was Richard Blair, the original owner and his son Daniel.

It was exactly 03:16 am when I wrote this review. A book which was supposed to be just an appetizer for the Sunday read turned out to be tale, a saga which I was compelled to finish, however late the hour. That was the power of author Faith Hogan.

Her lyrical twining of the past with the present, capturing the essence of Ballycove, showing me the depth in her characters, the heart of the book was at the right place. Indide my heart!! I loved the main character Miranda; her patience and intelligence bowled me over.

I felt humbled that I got the opportunity to read the story of that woman who was a young girl in love, a wife and a mother, yet maintaining her forbearance and dignity all through the pages. I could see the author's writing, sparkling like the sun's rays on the surface of the gentle stream.

Every word spoke its emotion deep in my heart. There was something in this book which tolled its bells of resonance in me. The story showed me the different generations, relationships, and family, all tied lovingly with the bond of love.

Yes, it was simply that heart-touching. I could just sigh and hold my kindle to my heart as I read the last line.

A family saga set in Western Ireland. The setting is vivid and provides the perfect ethos for this story. Family secrets, love, lies, hardship, loss, and after much angst and drama, the light at the end of the tunnel, make this a poignant but ultimately satisfying story. This immersive read draws the reader into a quintessentially Irish way of life, with a solid plot, that showcases the spectrum of human emotions. Authentic, complex characters and a chance to escape into another world.

This is a story to be savoured, the pace is gentle and you get to know the characters well, both in the past and present. Not all of them are likeable, but this is a reflection of life, so you wouldn’t expect them to be.

The mill is the lifeblood of the community, a character on its own. It witnesses so much, over the years, and is the source of happiness, sadness, poverty and riches. The details of its running and historical significance give the book depth and make the story more believable.

A flowing family saga of life, love and lies, beautifully told.

I received a copy of this book from Aria via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

It must be the curse of every Irish author to be compared with Maeve Binchy, but on this occasion… I’m sorry, I really have to! I remember so well the joy of discovering books like Light A Penny Candle and Circle of Friends, losing myself in the stories, totally unable to set them aside and leave the worlds they created. And this book gave me exactly that same feeling – warmth and comfort, a strong sense of place, an all-consuming story, characters that made me feel for them so very strongly. I thought this book was wonderful: and I really should add that Faith Hogan’s writing style and talent for story-telling are entirely her own.

This book is perhaps a little different from her others. I think it’s probably fair to call it a saga – but I’m almost afraid to use that word, lest it diminishes the book in some way. It’s a dual-time story, with a perfect balance between the two threads, a seamless shifting between the past and the present day. The chapters headed “The Past” follow Miranda’s life, from childhood, firmly anchored in the wonderfully drawn town of Ballycove. It’s an enchanting story of families and their secrets, friendship and first love, moving slowly into adulthood, chronicling the many life changes, the moments of joy along with the heartbreak and loss.

The present day story focuses on Miranda in later life, now at the helm of the Corrigan Mills: she’s approaching the point when she needs to consider handing over to another. Corrigan Mills, largely through her efforts and actions, has always been the heart of the community: she needs to be sure that it continues to provide that support.

In that present day story, the focus is very much on families and their complexities. The author’s great strength has perhaps always been her characters, and I loved the Corrigan family. The mills have always been central to the life of daughter Ada, to the exclusion of all else: she lacks empathy and emotion, has a buttoned-up remoteness, and an obsession with keeping a tight grip on the purse strings. She feels she’s the obvious choice to take her mother’s place – but Miranda is understandably less convinced. Son Simon is a rogue – a totally unashamed one, with a distinct edge of likability however badly he might behave, but with no real interest in the mills other than as a source of income. Daughter Callie’s successful career as a designer has taken her away from Ballycove, into a new life, unlikely to want to return.

Their lives slowly play out, with a few surprises and those strong echoes from the past. It’s a perfectly paced story, an unexpected outcome – and it really is an absolute joy to allow the story to carry you away to its conclusion.

I really don’t think Faith Hogan’s writing has ever been better. Her love for her characters is palpable, the story told with a warmth that radiates from the pages, with that constant focus on the emotional connection that makes a place “home”. An unreserved recommendation from me – and the most perfect way to start a new reading year.

(Review copied to Amazon UK, but link not yet available)

The Place We Call Home by Faith Hogan

Hogan wrote a mesmerizing epic love story that spans generations and families. Set in the beautiful western part of Ireland, where the beauty of nature lavishes in a place where your heart will settle, love will flourish, and definitely have all the right ingredients to call this place home. That is Ballycove.

Miranda Reilly met Richard Blair, a Londoner, in Ballycove as he spent his summers there for years with his grandparents and they became very close childhood friends. Through the years, their friendship developed more seriously until Richard is accepted in a prestigious university and their communication and visits between each other fell to the wayside. 

The Blair family for generations have run the mills and over the years have really struggled to keep it afloat. With news that Richard is engaged to be married, Miranda entertains another suitor, Paddy Corrigan who is working for the Blairs and is helping them keep the mills afloat. 

Hogan wrote and weaved beautifully the past and present about Miranda’s life, how the mills thrived into a multi-million dollar business and became the pride of Ballycove, and how the Blairs and Corrigans’ history have intertwined with secrets and revelation sure to tear your heart out. Hogan was a master of writing an amazing cast of characters in this intimate small town setting. I loved how the characters and their flaws all contribute well to the plot of the story. 

The story pacing and how the present story interweaves with the past throughout the story was perfectly thought out and well placed, and moved the story beautifully. In just the right amount of time, the story revealed the next layer upon the next in a  story timeline that kept my interest. The story tugged at my heartstrings and be sure to keep a handkerchief nearby. The sweet and tender story really got me and I enjoyed every minute reading about the beautiful Ballycove and it’s amazing residents.

Faith Hogan is fast becoming an auto-buy for me, I just love the story and characters in her books, always something to keep you riveted.

This book is set in Ireland around a wollen mill, so being of Irish descent and loving anything wool/yarn related this was a no-brainer for me!

Miranda was the glue of the whole story, the matriarch of Corrigan Mills, who ran everything with a wise but very people orientated way about her, and let her children have their own way, but just to a certain extent.  I really enjoyed the back and forth in the story between the past, when Miranda was younger, and the present day, when she was older/having a few health problems/trying to decide on her successor at Corrigan Mills.  Miranda's husband, and her childrens Father, Paddy, had died many years ago and Miranda was left to rescue the finances of Corrigan Mills.  It was a shame as I really liked Paddy's character, and wish we'd heard more about him.

Miranda had three children, Ada, Simon & Callie. Ada was the eldest and very irritating, such a closed off cranky sort of character that, even though I knew she had certain issues going on, I just couldn't warm to her and she just annoyed me throughout the book.  Simon was a freeloading charmer, who waltzed through life hoping the next big 'deal' was going to make him a millionaire and living off the goodwill of his rich friends in the meantime.  Callie was my favourite, I loved her character - well apart from the 10 year affair she was having with a married man!

The story flipped back and forth between when the Mills were owned by the Blairs, and Miranda's friendship with the Mill owners grandson, Richard, over the years.  How Miranda and her husband Paddy came to run and eventually own the Mills and just the lives of everyone around, including Richard's son who came back to Ballycove looking for a change of pace after a divorce.

A really lovely family story set over the years, with everyone eventually working through their own issues and finding new paths, either in a new direction entirely or returning to their old home.  Very enjoyable.

This was my first read of 2020 and the perfect one after having a family Christmas as it revolves around the Corrigan family and all the dynamics which most families experience. 

The beautiful setting of Ballycove in Ireland resounded with me as I grew up in a small Irish village and the unique village connections I could relate to. 

The woollen mill is the centre of the Ballycove community. Miranda Corrigan has rescued it from closing and puts all her efforts into its success . 

The dual storyline weaves a beautiful insight into Miranda’s life. From her first love Richard Blair and her marriage to Paddy Corrigan we share in her heartaches and happiness. 

Miranda’s children , Simon, Ada and Callie are all a very important part of her life, and her motherly concern for them is brilliantly portrayed. 

Overall this is a gentle story which explores family relationships, love, letting go, finding yourself and being content in your life. The place we call home and our childhood experience are an important part of the person we become and  Faith Hogans understanding of relationships and circumstances is first class . I throughly recommend this book and thank netgalley and the publishers for my chance to read it.

A two-storyline saga set in Ireland, this is my first novel by this author. A novel of surprises and twists, the pace is never to much for this reader and though, without revealing any details, everyone seemed to have a satisfactory (happy) ending, this would have been my only quibble. However, that's probably me and certainly won't be enough to prevent me from reading any more of this author's novels.

My thanks to both Avon and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher.   This is a family saga set in Ireland and was an enjoyable read,  not the best I have read from this author though but would still recommend.

Thank you so much to Vicky from Head of Zeus for asking me to read and review this gorgeous book by Faith Hogan.
 I thoroughly enjoyed it and just love Faith’s style of writing.⠀
 ⠀
 
💫Blurb💫⠀
 
“Welcome to Ballycove, the home of Corrigan Mills…⠀
 Set against the backdrop of the beautiful Irish countryside the famed mills have created the finest wool in all of Ireland. Run by the seemingly perfect Corrigan family, but every family has its secrets, and how the mills came to be the Corrigan's is one of them…⠀
 ⠀
 Miranda and her husband were never meant to own the mills, until one fateful day catapults them into a life they never thought they'd lead.⠀
 ⠀
 Ada has forever lived her life in her sister's shadow. Wanting only to please her mother and take her place as the new leader of the mill, Ada might just have to take a look at what her heart really wants.⠀
 ⠀
 Callie has a flourishing international career as a top designer and a man who loves her dearly, she appears to have it all. When a secret is revealed and she's unceremoniously turfed out of the design world, Callie might just get what's she's been yearning for. The chance to go home.⠀
 ⠀
 Simon has always wanted more. More money, more fame, more notoriety. The problem child. Simon has made more enemies than friends over the years, and when one of his latest schemes falls foul he'll have to return to the people who always believe in him.⠀
 ⠀
 Ballycove isn't just a town in the Irish countryside. It isn't just the base of the famous mills. It's a place to call home.”⠀
 ⠀
 
💭My thoughts💭 ⠀
 I
 thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved how it was set in Ireland, and Ballycove sounds beautiful. I also loved how each chapter was told from a different character’s perspective because you’re able to get to know them all individually which somehow manages to make the plot all merge together. Some of my favourite bits were when the chapters went back to the past, it gave the story a gorgeous nostalgic feel.⠀
 ⠀
 
I loved all of the characters, and Miranda is such a wonderful mother, even though her grown up children are difficult. Although I didn’t like Ada until near the end, I found her bitter and self obsessed, but that fit perfectly in with the plot. ⠀

Each character got their happy ending towards the end which was lovely because I was completely rooting for them all. The end of the book, for me, was pure perfection, I had goosebumps because I hoped it would end that way. All in all, a beautiful read, absolutely worthy of ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⠀

This story was told from the point of view of Miranda, as well as from her three adult children, Ada, Simon and Callie. I think the problem I had with this story was that I couldn't warm to any of Miranda's children. Miranda's story on its own was strong. Perhaps it would have been better to have told the story solely from her point of view. I was interested in the running of the mills, and I liked the introduction of David. I liked the little teaser at the end also - it felt fitting. A good story, but a tad long.

The Place We Call Home by Faith Hogan is a family saga about the Corrigan family.
A slow moving story  set in Ireland and told in a dual storyline.
There are some interesting characters but unfortunately the story did not engage me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Aria for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

A great saga that kept me hooked till the last page.
It's engrossing and enjoyable, full of emotions and it never bores.
I loved the great cast of characters, the vivid setting and the well crafted plot.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Oh, I love this book.  A lovely saga that reminds me of books written by Rosamunde Pilcher.  I look forward to reading more by Ms. Hogan

Thanks to netgalley and Aria books for an early copy in return for an honest review 
Huge fan of this lady and her books are never  disappointing   and this book The place we call home is certainly  'the creme de la  creme '
A dual time  saga set in the west of Ireland   at Corrigan mills it's a family   at war with itself  in many ways greed lust heartache  this  OUTSTANDING  book has it all in abundance  you really want to shout and shake some of them especially  Simon but it's a totally mesmerising journey  with Miranda  at the helm  I totally  recommend  this Fantastically entertaining book.