The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue is a beautifully written novel that explores love, desire, and the complexities of human relationships. Rachel, a young student working at a bookstore, is captivated by James from the moment they meet. Their friendship blossoms as they navigate the challenges of life in Cork city during the looming financial crisis. When Rachel falls in love with her married professor, Dr. Fred Byrne, James becomes her confidante and accomplice as they hatch a plan to bring Rachel and Fred together. However, things don't go as planned, and secrets and compromises start to unravel, intertwining the lives of all involved.

O'Donoghue's prose is evocative and enchanting, drawing readers into the richly depicted world of Cork city and its inhabitants. The characters are complex and compelling, each with their own desires and flaws, making for a deeply engaging and emotionally resonant story. The novel is infused with both heartache and humor, capturing the complexities of human emotions with skill and sensitivity. The Rachel Incident is a triumph of storytelling, a beautifully crafted tale that will leave readers pondering the intricacies of love and relationships long after the final page.

I am actually surprised by how much I really liked this book. I couldn’t put it down and flew through it basically in one day. The writing sucked me in, the drama kept me around, and I simply enjoyed this book.

The Rachel Incident is a slice of life, coming of age story that does a great job of showing what its like to be a girl in her early twenties. This book felt so real to me that I had to look it up and make sure it wasn’t a true story.

I saw some of the other reviews for this book mention that they couldn’t finish the book because some of the characters are so unlikable. Umm in what world is every person likable all of the time?? In my opinion, these are realistic characters that are just doing their best. But, I will say that I wish we knew the other characters a little bit deeper than just their actions.

If you don’t like slice of life novels (aka you want there to be a point to the story), this may not be for you. But I really loved it.

The Rachel Incident is a relatable coming of age novel, Rachel reflects on a period of her life when she experienced living with her best friend, turbulent relationship, studying for her degree and figuring out her path in the world.

In all honesty I was prepared to go into this book which I assumed was about an affair between Rachel and her college professor (I was getting slight My Dark Vanessa vibes and I was interested) It turns out this book was not what I was expecting.. Really this book follows a a very messy year of Rachels life, there are some difficult topics mentioned that were difficult to read, although this book is the type I love to read and I'd rate it a pretty solid 4 stars it feels a little forgettable and I'm not sure I'd think about it in the future or when recommending books to others.

I liked the story line, but it just felt like there was a lot missing. It seemed kind of superficial, like it was a report more than a story. It good be an excellent, engaging book if it were fleshed out a little more, especially the last couple of chapters.

Loved this little gem of a book.

An Irish coming of age novel.

Readers of Sally Rooney, Dolly Alderton and Genevieve Novak will love this.

It’s a beautiful, witty and engaging story about navigating life through the confusion, messiness and financial struggles of your early 20s, discovering who you are and ultimately finding love in unexpected places.

It’s a wonderful novel of friendship, struggles and love. The characters are flawed and fabulous. And they work in a bookshop!

I loved it!

Look out for this one when it’s released on 27 June 2023.

Thank you to #carolineodonoghue and #NetGalley for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the Copy of The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue. I love books about relationships and how they grow and change, so I thought I would try this book. I’m not sure I was the demographic for this one. I was offered this book because I loved Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, but I’m not sure why. The relationship between Rachel and James was odd and I never felt any true emotion between them. I couldn’t relate to Rachel at all, and thought she was a boring character who turns out to be a not very nice human.
I must have a stunted sense of humor because I didn’t find anything humorous in this "brilliantly funny“ book. Instead I found it a little depressing. If you have a different sense of humor and enjoy reading about really young adults finding their way in the world this might be the book for you. It just wasn’t the best book for me. 3 stars because I think not enjoying this book could be more about me and my mood than it was about the book itself.

I received this book from Knopf and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5. This is a character-driven, dare I say, coming-of-age story (I tend to hate coming-of-age stories) about a girl named Rachel and her best friend stumbling their way into adulthood in Ireland during the recession of 2010. There is not that much plot in this story, but it is a fantastic exploration of friendships, sexuality, growing up as a millennial, and the importance of reproductive rights for women. All-in-all, I loved this. It was messy, but it was just so relatable and realistic. Knocking off a half star because I wish certain relationships were explored on a deeper level, and I think Rachel finding success as an adult toward the end of the book was more rushed than I would have liked.

This book is perfect for fans of Sally Rooney and had a vibe similar to that of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. Definitely worth a read when it is published on June 27th, 2023!

Thanks again to Knopf and NetGalley for the book to review! It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

The Rachel Incident focuses on the lives of Rachel, her friend and roommate, James, and her boyfriend, also named James, who are coming into adulthood in Cork, Ireland, following the economic crash of 2008. Lots of trials and tribulations and drama, combined with the everyday monotony of trying to make a living and survive in a troubled economy.

The book is primarily told from Rachel's point of view, and I loved her voice! She wasn't always likeable, but she was fully-developed as a real person who sometimes made good choices and sometimes didn't. The author also did a great job of showing what it was like to live in Ireland during that time. I really became invested in what happened to the characters, and couldn't wait to find out what happened next. But the book also addressed larger societal issues, in a subtle way. Would definitely recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for honest feedback..

I ended up loving this book. When I first started reading, I thought I had so little in common with Rachel, an Irish girl, who got in the kinds of trouble you get in when you don't much like yourself. With her best friend, James, she both shares a flat and works at a bookstore. She develops a crush on one of her professors. When she learns he has just written a book, she plans an elaborate launch for him at the bookstore. There she learns more information than she wanted to know.

The story is narrated by Rachel eleven or twelve years later. We know without having to guess that she lands on her feet and is doing well. She is in London, far from the little village in Ireland where she lived and far from the Irish troubles. We go back and forth with her narration but most of the book is about her past and how she handles life when big things happen. There is a Rachel incident. The writing got better as Rachel navigated her way through the incident and I found myself unable to put the book down.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rachel and her friend James are two twentysomethings living in Ireland  and trying to navigate the beginnings of adulthood during a recession. Much of their story involves there being no jobs available and trying to make it on the bare minimum. They basically live to party.
James eventually admits he is gay. The "incident" arises from Rachel trying to protect James's lover. She becomes notorious in her town and flees to London, where she comes across her ex. Carey is, by far, my favorite character.  This book read fairly quick, but I didn't really like Rachel very much and  "the incident" was kind of a dud. I kept waiting for more to happen I guess.

I find Caroline O'Donoghue's adult fiction a little difficult to place into a genre - is it just regular fiction? Contemporary romance? Probably somewhere between the two, but smarter than the latter genre is often given credit for. I needed something not super heavy but an engaging page-turner for a recent holiday so thought I'd give this a go... and it turned out to be the perfect pick!

The Rachel Incident is a keenly observed novel of one young woman (Rachel) trying to find her place in the world, navigate that strange area between being a teenager and student and fully functioning adult, and learning to live with (and learn from) mistakes you make. It's also a story of friendship and love and how to balance the too.

Apologies if all of that makes this sound cheesy - the story is far from it - and one I would recommend highly; it's certainly my favourite of O'Donoghue's three adult novels so far.

Thank you first to NetGalley, the publisher and author for granting me a copy of this book in return for my honest opinions.

The book is a coming of age story about a young girl in her twenties attending university. Her best friend is a gay man named James and coincidentally her boyfriend is also named James, although she calls him Carey.

I felt the book was just okay. For me it lacked depth. It was not the type of books I was riveted to and could not put down. It was an okay read, but not a must read

There were some good areas in the story, but not enough to put it in my must read list

Three stars for me

A funny coming of age novel that will resonate with any age group. Rachel is in her 20’s, attending uni and working at a bookstore when she meets James. They become flat mates and the best of friends through all the ups and downs that life in your 20’s throw your way.
Thank you Net Galley for the ARC for this brilliant novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC.

Rachel is a university student who meets James at the bookstore where they both work. Chance and situations bring them together and they decide to live together. Rachel is straight and James is gay, but that's not initially known to Rachel or the reader.

Their friendship is electric. They quickly become best of friends and devoted to each other.

The book is told from Rachel's perspective and travels back and forth in time, which may be a bit confusing, although I was able to follow it. The narrative follows James and Rachel through their work, their friendship, their various relationships, and the way they both navigate a situation that involves them both--one that is fraught from its beginning and reverberates through their lives.

Rachel's POV is engaging. She's an interesting character, though not endearing. James is a major player but also an enigma in his way, fascinating and yet untouchable. The story weaves back and forth, from past to present, with the cohesive details coming out bit by bit.

There are painful parts and parts when you want to shake the main character and parts that break your heart. I really appreciated the background of Ireland during this time period--the financial and economic insecurity and fear, the dynamics of a city that sometimes functions as a small town where everyone knows everyone's business, and the complications of relationships and choices made. It is relatable to read about young people who are trying to figure themselves out, figure their world out, find where they belong, and deal with the choices--good and bad--that they have made along the way.

overall kept me engaged and reading..

3.75 stars

Very good. Rachel was incredibly unlikable at times—her choices and her lack of communication, no matter how young she was, was a little much. There were also points where I felt like the importance of Dr. Byrne was more said than felt... it was definitely more of a story between Rachel and James. I was prepared to give this 3 stars, but then the full circle evolution of Rachel and Carey won my heart. Definitely one I'm thinking of picking up for my home library upon release date. I know this will be a fan favorite of many literary obsessives, and I could see it as a high-budget film.

Unsurprisingly, this book is about Rachel, a young twenty-something in Cork in 2010 who moves in with her gay best friend, James. The two of them become intimately involved with an older couple over the course of a year, before things fall spectacularly apart. I enjoyed this read, though it did get bogged down a bit in the middle.

Not for me but might be good for others! So glad I could review it and read if but not sure it was for me unfortunately I didn’t love it

I went into this blind: I never read the synopsis. So, the first few pages had me wondering if I was going to like it. But, once I caught on to Rachel's cadence, so to speak, I started to enjoy it. By the end, I loved it. Personally, I feel the need to compare this to Maame. Both are "coming of age" stories of women in their early twenties. Both title characters have a different backgrounds than I do. Maame has been getting rave reviews by everyone but me. I couldn't relate. I found her a bit charming but it lacked something for me. It lacked a certain depth to the writing. What Maame lacked for me, Rachel totally made up for. I found Rachel to be relatable even though our lives are totally different. While I did some dumb things in my twenties, Rachel does far worse--and yet, I could still relate to her. Kudos to the author for developing real characters. Even the ancillary characters were well-rounded enough to fully picture them. It is also culturally topical without trying too hard. Sex and sexuality are well presented for the timeline and location of the story (Cork, Ireland in 2010). I can't wait for this book to be published so I can recommend it. I hope this gets as much attention as Maame because it deserves to be in the mainstream.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC. I would gladly read this author's next book.

Loved this so much. Wonderfully entertaining, moving and funny. I'd recommend this to fans of all fiction, not just the literary type. There's so much to appreciate here.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I stopped reading at 42%. My lack of satisfaction with this narrative could be a result of my difficulty lately with reading stories about people in their twenties. I just have a hard time getting interested in these stories. This author definitely has a skillful turn of phrase here and there, but as the pages turned I found myself less and less interested in the characters' lives. Maybe there's some big incident coming that will make everything worth waiting for, but I just can't bring myself to care about it.