What a great and enjoyable book this was to read. Great characters you could get into and a storyline that was great to read - the sign of a perfect book! Highly recommend.so much that I started to read other books published by Faith Hogan

I just adore Faith Hogan’s books, and she’s one of my top go-to authors for a guaranteed beautiful, atmospheric, and authentic read.

This book focuses on three wonderful women, all at different stages in their lives. Jo is a lover of sea swimming, a brave thing to do in Ireland, and even more unusually, she likes to swim at night. Elizabeth finds herself persuaded to join Jo, and they find healing and comfort in this ritual.

Lucy has recently returned to the West of Ireland, with her son, intending it to be temporary, but the pull of home is strong, and she soon finds herself becoming a vital part of the community.

All the characters are going through, and have gone through, immense change in their lives, and have a lot to deal with. There’s a very strong sense of community and friendship in this book.

Haunting and atmospheric, but real and authentic, with love and loss, humour and sadness, this poignant and thoroughly enthralling and captivating novel will completely draw you in. I could not put it down, and it is a book that will stay with me for a long time. It’s a really special book.

“Perhaps it was the sense of how completely irrelevant all her fears were in the face of the utter vastness of the sea and sky around her. She loved the silence and the roar of the ocean, the velvet sky and the inky water. Mostly she loved the fact that it made her feel alive in a way that nothing else could.”

Set in a small coastal Irish town, The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club is told from multiple perspectives. There's Elizabeth, whose life feels like it's only just beginning following the death of her husband. There's her best friend Jo, whose daughter Lucy and son Niall visit from Dublin. Lucy agrees to help at Elizabeth's late husband's GP clinic and in the interim becomes a founding member of The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club alongside Jo and Elizabeth. Finally, there's Dan, a visiting writer from London who's come to Ballycove to finally discover where his life began.

The story is broken down into parts (a.k.a months) and effortlessly flows between these multiple points of view. I really enjoyed hearing from each of their perspectives and seeing how the story unfolded. While I saw some reveals coming, others were a pleasant surprise. Hogan's writing style was poignant, with elements of humour to expertly break up the dramatic moments.

To me, The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club was simply a joy to read. It was filled with both heartwarming and heartbreaking moments but ultimately felt like a warm hug. It's a story of love and loss, friendship and community. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was also fantastic.

I loved this emotional rollercoaster of a book. The three leads worked well together and were great characters and I enjoyed their stories... definitely a warmhearted uplifting story

My goodness, this pulls at the heartstrings!!

Faith Hogan is the queen of the emotional roller-coaster and this has everything to have you smiling through blinding tears, your heart will burst with love and sadness and you will be sure to get a lump in your throat while reading at the powerful message of hope and friendship.

I loved that to sort through your minds cluttered box, to find a way through the drama which envelopes these women that to simply have a midnight swim in the sea with like-minded women who never judge but encourage and respect and help. It really is the most beautiful thing!

This book speaks to you on so many levels and will resonate with so many. It tells the stories of how three women who are at different stages in life, three women who have their own roads to tread how they come together in the simple act of swimming and in doing so not only through the power of their unique friendship but through the healing power of finding peace in your own mind they start to recover, heal, find courage, find strength and learn to move forward it really is a beautiful yet simplistic story which will touch your heart and soul, I can not recommend it enough.

This is a book I have had on the TBR pile for a while now and having now read it I can't believe it took me so long.
A gorgeous, heartwarming read about Jo, her daughter Lucy and their friend, recently bereaved Elizabeth as they take to the waters of Ireland. Prepare to shed some tears.

A lovely warm story of people finding their way back to a little coastal village and discovering that all they need is right there rather than the big cities they lived in. No is dying from cancer and enjoys midnight swims with Elizabeth who is recovering from the financial fallout of her husband's death. Lucy comes home to her mum and takes over the doctors practice while her son is trying to survive without electronic games. Nicely interwoven stories and well written characters

This book was so good I went right over and took out other books by Hogan. Several! Her books are all cozy and warm with strong characters.

What a great and enjoyable book this was to read. Great characters you could get into and a storyline that was great to read - the sign of a perfect book! Highly recommend.

What a wonderful book!.Full of interesting characters, an emotional storyline and a title that tells you what brings them all together. If you want a good book to make you laugh and cry along with the characters then this is the one for you - oh, and be prepared to put aside whatever you were supposed to be doing to get to the end!

What a feel good book. A great setting, wonderful characters and a lovely uplifting story. I laughed & cried, I loved it.

A sweet book with a good cast of characters and an evocative setting. I warmed to all the characters and was rooting for a Happy Ever After but was also pleased when not every loose end was tied in a bow!! Multiple themes of friendship, keeping up appearances, illness and finding your place.

A quick read - but not light and fluffy - the author has an easy writing style that handles difficult topics well. My first book from this author, I’ll look out for more.

4*

I really enjoyed this book which was very uplifting even though there is death in the story. The characters were well described and I really liked the women in this book. I even wished there was a real Ladies Midnight Swimming Club so I could be a part of it. The only slight detraction for me was that everything ended nicely tied up and was reminiscent of a fairy tale - and they all lived happily ever after. Having said that, I wouldn’t have liked it if everyone‘s life ended up horribly!

Elizabeth and Jo are friends who live in a small town on Ireland’s west coast. When Elizabeth’s physician husband dies and leaves her with a mountain of debt, Jo asks her daughter, Lucy, to take over his surgery while Elizabeth sorts things out. Lucy arrives from Dublin with her teen son and seems in need of healing herself. Jo lets the two in on her secret: midnight plunges in the ocean bring peace.

As the three try to sort out their lives, the midnight swims become central–and become a community rallying point when Jo has her own challenges to face. Charming, heartwarming, and filled with wonderful friendships.

This novel of friendships. Life changes and having the courage to start again was a good read. I received this novel as an advanced reader copy from net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I was drawn in by the title and the premise and it certainly delivered on its promise. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book.

This book was a wonderful chick lit type of story. I think many readers will be able to enjoy these wonderful characters and their journey.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are completely my own.

Elizabeth is grieving the loss of her husband. They may not have have the best of marriages but she is feeling lost without him. That is until Elizabeth finds out that he has left her with crippling debts and that she is at risk of losing everything.
Luckily for Elizabeth she has a wonderful friend in Jo who is there to help support her.
Jo decides the best way to help is to get her daughter Lucy on board to help too.
Lucy has been through a messy breakup and after throwing herself into her work is now in desperate need of a break, so when her mum suggests she heads home for a visit she jumps at the chance and brings her teenage son Niall too.
Lucy enjoys being home with her mum and getting back to a slower pace of life.It is helping her heal and make some decisions with regards to how she wants her future to progress.
The three ladies all become closer and when Jo challenges them all to go for a midnight swim they decide to go for it.
The three of them begin to really enjoy their cold swims together and they all feel it really helps them, but when Jo receives some shocking news its Lucy and Elizabeth that surround and support by making plans to bring the community together for a fundraiser.
Life is going to change for Elizabeth, Jo and Lucy, but with their close and supportive relationship between them they know that they can handle whatever life is going to throw at them.
This is such an emotional and heartwarming read that I simply adored and could not put down.
The setting of the small Coastal town of Ballycove in Ireland sounds like the perfect place to gather you thoughts and escape for some peace and quiet. The community of Ballycove sound wonderful too and always ready to support each other.
Jo, Elizabeth and Lucy are all very different but they become a very tight group. They all have secrets between them too which as you read and get to know them begin to surface.
It was really interesting to get an insight into their lives and find out more about their pasts too.
Faith Hogan has done it again with this engaging and addictive read. A story full of friendship, family that community that will stay with you long after reading the last page.

An extremely enjoyable book. Fantastic characters who become real to the reader and a plot which draws the reader in from the start. Set in Ireland, the locations were beautifully described, the book flowed well and community and friendship were strong themes. The supporting cast of characters could have stories in their own right .
A book I would highly recommend.
Thank you to Netgalley, Aria and Aries and Faith Hogan for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Take the plunge
I stated this book and it seemed like a light romantic read, I did not realise that it's insights and revelations would leave me in tears.
West coast of Ireland, a little town loses its Doctor, the repercussions are enormous and far reaching.
Chief characters are Elizabeth the Doctor's long suffering widow, Jo a kind, community minded friend of Elizabeth, Lucy Jo's daughter and her son Niall. All of these people have overwhelming issues to contend with.
Although we may guess at the outcome we can't be certain of a happy ending.
Well written with skilfully described warm characters, just delightful, thank you Faith and NetGalley.

Loved the chracters, the storyline, the flow of the story. Great easy read, a good feel good book. It brought all emtions to the story

3.75 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A sweet story about friendship and family, set in Ireland. Many different narrators and a beautiful setting make this a fun read!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Ladies Midnight Swimming Club is a heartwarming story about three women facing difficult life changing events that will impact their lives forever. Jo, her adult daughter Lucy, and the neighbor Elizabeth, find themselves forming a special bond. Somehow Lucy and Elizabeth promise to join Jo in her usual midnight swim in the cold ocean. This all takes place in the quaint Irish Village called Ballycove, which is Jo and Elizabeth’s home and was Lucy’s home in her younger years. This little swimming adventure brings them closer together as they share their fears, circumstances and dreams and as a reader you come to understand what each woman’s life was like before they formed the Swim Club.
I enjoyed all three of these likable characters . The story left me feeling a bit nostalgic for the special connection between a mother and daughter and for the special friendship women often form with each other.

A sweet story of friendship in an Irish village. On the whole nice characters and good conversation, though the plot was predictable and a little shallow in places. Niall's (the teenage son) story could have been better fleshed out in places, but at other times it was fine. I think my main criticism is that at times the characters feel a little two dimensional But the book is a light , feel good read leaving the reader to fill in the possibilities in the future of the characters.
The version I read was unedited . There were several instances which could benefit from editing (Mother Agatha regularly became Mother Agnes, sometimes in the same sentence !)
Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Calendar Girls meets Long Lost Family! Lots of great characters to get to know in this book, and the connection between each of them is heartwarming. This book covers friendships, secrets, starting afresh, and hope. Characters develop and grow in a beautiful way, particularly Niall and Elizabeth. I also enjoyed the setting and understanding how babies born out of wedlock and their mothers were treated.

Oh my goodness what an emotionally charged and amazing book this one is.

As the synopsis tells you, this is the story of three women and of different generations and each one is a point in their lives when decisions need to be made. The swimming club is something that may sound completely mad to some, I mean swimming in the sea at midnight doesn't sound like something that most women would think about. The author, however, had different thoughts about it and I for one am so glad she did as it was such a fabulous story to get caught up in.

The three women are Jo, Elizabeth and Lucy. Jo and Lucy are mother and daughter, Elizabeth is a long time friend of Jo. They live in a small isolated village on the west coast of Ireland. Changes in their lives bring them together and it is together that they start to work through things.

The author has once again done a wonderful job of creating characters that have so much depth to them and setting up the story for what follows. There is a sort of inevitability for one of them, in fact, for all three there is an inevitability about what will happen. Oh dear! that was so vague!

This is an emotional book and it is very difficult to read when you have eyes full of tears. A mix of happy and sad ones and you will discover more over the course of the story. I want to say so much about what happens in this book but that would spoil it for those of you who have not read it yet.

This is the second book I have read by this author and the second time she has made me cry. If you are after a story that is one about life, love, friendship and change then you really should look at this one. It is a simply gorgeous book that I would absolutely recommend.

This book is heart warming & heart breaking all at once.

I really enjoyed all the characters and following their stories throughout their time in Ballycove.

I liked the layout of the book. Having the chapters dedicated to different characters gave the reader time to get to know each of the characters and how their stories became entwined.

The ending was bittersweet but had an overall sense of calm.

This book also explores some difficult topics such as cancer and mother & baby homes.

I gave this 4 stars!⭐

Thank you to Aria & Aries for an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Three women all facing a crisis in their lives - and set in an idyllic little town of Ballycove in Ireland.

Elizabeth faces a financial crisis and personal disillusionment on the death of her husband Eric. He has racked up thousands in debit and she cannot find a way out of it. She is sad at the way her marriage turned out, a sham from beginning to end. Her friend Jo knows that something is wrong with her health, but does not know how serious it is and there is Lucy the young doctor who will be their guiding light and savior though she is unaware of it. Lucy herself in a dead end job with no satisfaction at the end of it, with a son Niall who is unsettled and trying to get to grips with life after a betrayal and a divorce.

Three women completely different lives and the story of how they come together to support each other, find solace and move on from the blows they've received.

I felt so good at the end of this read, a feeling that was necessary in the present climate. A story of companionship, of being supportive without being oppressive, and especially one of kindness.

The Blurb :
Three women, three different stages of life, united by one thing: the chance to start again.
When Elizabeth's husband dies, leaving her with crippling debt, she must turn to her friend, Jo for help, who calls in her daughter, Lucy to run the village surgery. Leaving her city life, and past demons, behind, Lucy is determined to make the most of her fresh start.
As life slowly begins to resemble something normal for the three women, Jo's world is turned upside down when she receives some shocking news.
In search of some solace, Jo and Elizabeth find themselves enjoying midnight dips in the freezing Irish sea. Here they can laugh, cry and wash away all their fears. As well as conjure a fundraising plan for the local hospice; to take a dip in the nip.

My Thoughts :
Set in Ballycove, Ireland. We meet Elizabeth, Jo and Lucy.
After Elizabeth’s husband Eric dies, leaving her with the lots of debt and his GP business, Jo asks her daughter Lucy, who is also a doctor in Dublin, if she can come home to Ballycove with her son Niall to help out for a while in the practice until Elizabeth can get back on her feet and sorted.
Jo has always loved to swim in the sea and suggests to Elizabeth to join her, which then in turn leads to Lucy joining them. They realise its a time when they can dip their toes into the water and have a chat, laugh a little and generally be free. I loved visualizing where they were and could almost smell the sea air and saltiness. The whole swimming in the sea element of the story was one that drew me in to the book as it was different to other books I have read
Although three very different people and ages, it was great they all had a story to tell.
I do really enjoy Faith Hogan’s stories and this one did not disappoint.
I loved all of the characters and learning about their backgrounds.
This story is most definitely about friendships, loss, heartbreak and second chances.
Looking forward to more stories very soon.

What a unique exhilarating storyline! The author dug deep into humanity and relationships! I treasure my friendships with people who are 15 years older and younger than myself. Yet, we all get together with others to form a unique bond.
Jo is the anchor who brings her daughter together with her friend Elizabeth. But yet it’s the draw of the sea and the swimming and others that truly bring everyone together. However, there is so much heartbreak for all of these ladies throughout this book that you can’t help but keep reading to pull for them.
The characters are strong and believable and everything they experience happens to people every day!

I definitely would recommend this book!

I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

Favorite Quotes:

To be honest, I think we were all a little in awe of your extensive vocabulary when it came to telling her where to go. The parish priest had to run into the pantry to hide his smirk.

The walls held charts that looked as if they could belong in a museum. The blinds that had stuck closed many years earlier had a tatty, neglected air about them. Even the doors creaked onerously as they were opened; it seemed they too were ready to hand notice in.

I’m sorry, Lucy, but consider yourself stepping into the TARDIS and re-emerging somewhere in the early 1970s.

‘It should be in the nip. A dip in the nip! That’s what I’d enjoy most, thinking of all of you, down here, in the altogether and jumping into the water… Think about it, Elizabeth, even old crabby boots O’Neill… herself.’ And they all began to laugh at the notion of Eric’s former receptionist pulling off her interlocking knickers before diving into the cold Atlantic.

What’s she thinking? The sight of her in the buff will be enough to frighten every fish from the bay.

‘I’ll strategically add in a pink ribbon to cover everyone’s jiggly bits at the end,’ she intoned to the startled Elizabeth as she began to unpack a fairly complex-looking camera.

My Review:

I adore Faith Hogan and her latest missive was yet another one to savor. I read it slowly and enjoyed every storyline while keeping my fingers crossed for a happy ending that tied them all together, and of course, she delivered in spades. I am enamored with Ms. Hogan’s agile craft and nimble word skills, she has her own unique brand of insightfully written and poignant storytelling that pulls in just the right amount of wry humor to balance out the drama and tension. I have never been to Ireland and every time I read one of her tales it ignites my desire to see the land of leprechauns and distant ancestors. I have enjoyed every book of hers I’ve had the luck to pick up and I covet the ones I don’t have. She has mad skills and a lifelong fangirl in me.

This wonderful novel took me through a whole gamut of emotions while I was reading it. It was so emotional, heart-warming and poignant that it broke my heart and mended it in one swipe. Be prepared for tears, but I assure you that you will be smiling through those tears.

This was a beautifully constructed story of sisterhood, of the friendships women find with other women, and of hope. The community around the women in this story was warm and welcoming to anyone who arrives in the village. It sounded like the perfect antidote to the stresses and strains of city or even town living, and made me want to head to Ireland forthwith.

I loved the idea of swimming at night in the bracing sea, although personally as a person who doesn’t swim, I found myself desperately wishing I could swim, and wondering if I have left it too late to learn. Just after I had finished this touching novel, a friend of mine was on holiday in Cornwall and found herself invited to join in with a group of women who went swimming every day together. The first day she acted as a spotter for some of the women, but the next day found herself braving the chilly waters and not thinking about the onlookers, to join in with them and swim for a few minutes. She found it both liberating and exhilarating, and it just made me feel even more inspired.

In addition to Lucy, Jo and Elizabeth, we also get to know Lucy’s son Niall who is struggling with being moved from Dublin, and coping with his parent’s divorce. We also see Dan, who is visiting the area in order to write a book, and to look for his birth mother.

This book touched me so much that for a few days afterwards I couldn’t read anything else, because the characters and the location were so firmly in my head that I almost didn’t want to part with them. The importance of friendship, and the value of sisterhood and community was so moving and so real, that I was left feeling bereft at the end of the book. The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club was one of my favourite reads so far this year, and one that I can’t recommend highly enough!

This is an amazing read, an emotive story set in a small seaside village on the West coast of Ireland with friendship at its heart.

The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club was founded by Jo, who coerced her daughter and friend to join her. They all have their own problems but their midnight swims help them connect, talk, laugh and be inspired. . . . . This is a story which focuses on these three ladies, Lucy’s son and a writer who has come to stay in the village whilst he writes a novel and searches for his past.

It is a moving story, dealing sensitively with several emotive issues. It is a tale of searching for the truth, coping with grief, overcoming obstacles and making the most of your life and opportunities, even when everything seems to be against you. Throughout the story it is the friendships and support characters give to each other that make it a beautiful, heartwarming read that I have no hesitation in highly recommending.

Thank you to Aria and NetGalley for my copy of this lovely book which I have voluntarily read and honestly reviewed.

I have read and loved a few of Faith’s books now. By no means have I read everything that she has written but I am getting there. I read the synopsis for ‘The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club’ and it certainly sounded like the emotional but ultimately uplifting story that I have come to expect from Faith. So without further ado, I grabbed a cup of tea, grabbed my Kindle and settled down for an afternoon of reading. Overall I did enjoy reading ‘The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club’ but more about that in a bit.
I have to be honest and say that for me, the story was a little slow to get going but once I got into the story that was it and I was away so to speak. This wasn’t a book that I could read all in one day but I did manage to binge read over the course of a few days. I found that I became so wrapped up in the story that I would lose all track of time and just how quickly I was getting through the book. I found ‘The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club’ to be an interesting and emotional read, but ultimately an uplifting read.
‘The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club’ is well written but that is certainly true of all of Faith’s books to date. She certainly knows how to grab your attention and draw you into what proves to be a compelling story. I love the way in which she describes the three leading ladies. She writes so vividly and realistically that the characters seemed just as real as you and I. Faith certainly makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story themselves and at the heart of the action so to speak.
In short and overall I did enjoy reading ‘The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Faith’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.

One of those life affirming, inspiring reads that stays with you long after you close the book. I was absolutely charmed by this book; Faith Hogan has written a book full of emotion and spirit, with characters you will take instantly to your heart. Touching on Irelands history of forced adoption as well as homosexuality, illness and the true impact that living a lie can have on all the people trying to maintain a level of respectability and responsibility within their local and small community.
Faith Hogan paints a gorgeous scenic picture, it isn’t hard to imagine ourselves in Ballycove and taking a dip in the Irish Sea.
With the focus on the three ladies, Elizabeth, Jo and Lucy, we have three people in very different situations, all dealing with things that are weighing them down. They find some freedom, calm and release in the midnight dips in that freezing water. It was good to see the story told from their points of view and how each character impacted and supported the rest. Each character is special in their own way, seeing the growth and independence of Elizabeth and the inspirational strength of Jo.
Although there are serious themes and emotional moments (grab the tissues!) it is littered with moments of humour that provide a nice balance. Faith Hogan’s writing is brilliant, the story is very well paced and engaging – I didn’t want to put it down!
Heartwarming, tender and will enrich your heart, I highly recommend this book – definitely one of my favourites this year.

Liz, Jo, and Lucy discover that allowing themselves to be one with nature can be cleansing in this insightful novel about letting go of the old and facing the (sometimes daunting) new. It’s a straightforward, pleasant read in a charming setting of an Irish coastal town. There’s not to overthink or figure out, it’s best to just go on the ride that the author has created. Some may say it is predictable, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It allowed me to take a much-needed brain break and swim with the ladies of the club. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.0 for the setting reminding me of a favorite tv show. For a full review, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to Aria Books and NetGalley for a digital ARC of the book.

Faith Hogan has done it again! Her latest novel, The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club is an absolutely beautiful book; once again Faith Hogan writes from the heart and will warm the heart of every single reader who picks up this book.

We return to Ballycove (the setting of The Place We Call Home) on the west coast of Ireland to meet three fabulous ladies: Elizabeth, Jo and Lucy. Although it's my second visit to Ballycove, The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club is a standalone novel with only a brief mention of the Corrigans who featured in Faith Hogan's earlier book. I felt like I was waving to old friends when they were mentioned; that's how deep Faith Hogan's novels bury themselves into your heart, however, nothing could have prepared me for the impact of The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club.

Elizabeth has just discovered the extent of her husband's debt following his death and can't see how she can keep her home, never mind keep the doctor's surgery running when she needs to find a new GP. Jo suggests that her daughter Lucy might be willing to help Elizabeth; Lucy is a doctor in a Dublin hospital and welcomes the change of pace a move back home will bring, besides she can keep a closer eye on Jo as we all know how much our loved ones like to tell us that everything is ok in the brief time we spend with them.

In a story that is a cross between The Calendar Girls and Philomena, the women of the town all come together to take a midnight dip for charity and a stranger arrives in search of answers in the abandoned old convent. I laughed and cried but mainly smiled my way through The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club. Faith Hogan's writing is so uplifting that even the sad bits are heartwarmingly beautiful. This is a truly gorgeous novel that I will never forget and it's one I most definitely want to read again.

The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club is Faith Hogan's best novel yet (and her others are pretty amazing); I really didn't want my visit to Ballycove to end. This breathtaking novel is so full of life that it beats in time with your own heart and burrows its way in to ensure you will never forget it. Heartwarming, beautiful and filled with emotion, The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club is an outstanding novel that I really can't recommend highly enough.

I received a digital ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

A charming tale of friendship, loss, new beginnings and love in the most delightful seaside village. The star of this tale was definitely Ballycove. The authors ability to help the reader immerse themselves in the small village, with its gentle, decent folk and stunning scenery made the book a treasure to read.
I look forward to reading her other books next.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. In fact, it’s pushed my urge to go wild swimming again soon. I loved the friendship between Elisabeth and Jo.
The depiction of rural village life kinda makes me want to move out of the city now. The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club is a great read that deals with family, friendship, new beginnings and some things in between and it’s a lovely new addition to the many women’s fiction books I’ve read.

Set on the coast in beautiful Ireland, the community spirit of Ballycove permeates this novel from start to finish. There is a great feeling of comfort and coming home throughout, despite the direst of circumstances. Three women are brought together when they go for a night-time swim in the freezing waters and it seems as though their troubles are lifted from their shoulders as they float weightless in the sea. As we find out, Jo, Elizabeth and Lucy all have their own story to tell. Lucy and Elizabeth's marriages are over and they set about finding a new purpose to their lives. Jo has a different path to tread. But they are not the only ones who are looking for home and acceptance. Lucy's son, Niall and Dan also are looking for a place to belong.

I thoroughly enjoyed following all the stories as they evolved. As each chapter focused on a different character, you discover their lives and see the village through their eyes. Crossing the generations, you get a sense of family and belonging. There is a mystery to be solved which gradually comes centre stage but I liked how the ending left a few things more open. Just like life, not everything is tied up neatly.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book

Who says you can’t go home again. Home is the quaint village of Ballycove. We meet newly widowed Elizabeth, whose husband was the town doctor. Jo, whose daughter Lucy and son Niall, are looking for something different from the modern hospital she works at. Dan, newly jobless and looking for something other than London

The indomitable spirit of friendship, finding oneself, and moving forward is front and center in this book. It’s a heartwarming story, with wonderful characters. I especially enjoyed the mature women...so refreshing. The story line draws you in immediately, and the writing is top notch. So nice to read a story where no one is tearing anyone down.

Thanks to Ms. Hogan, Aria and Aries and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone!

A feel good story about love, friendship and new beginnings. An easy read ideal for a holiday. It's the first book I've read by this author but I'm going to look for her others.

When I read the blurb for this book, I knew it would be a story full of emotion and it did not disappoint. A truly wonderful story set against the Irish coastline that made me laugh and want to cry all at the same time.

Elizabeth is a character who when faced with her husbands debt, tries to find a way through the mess he has created and with the love and support of Jo, Lucy & Alice she starts making plans to see what she can rescue of her life.

This story takes you on an emotional journey of love and heartbreaking loss, you get to meet Niall who is struggling since his parents divorce and his Grandmother Jo who is hoping some time away from Dublin for him and his Mum might be the tonic they need. I flew through this book in just a couple of days as once I had picked it up, I was reluctant to put it back down.

I loved the midnight swimming club and how stories from the past helped to create a happier future. A wonderful read that I highly recommend, although you might want a tissue tucked up your sleeve just in case.

This was a sad but uplifting tale if that’s possible, life in a rural Irish village, families , grief loss and illness all feature which make it sad but the friendship, love and family bond give this book the feel good factor.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

A beautiful tale of friendship, hope & happy endings, thoroughly enjoyed another winner from Faith Hogan

Elizabeth is a woman released from a long, but unhappy, marriage after the death of her GP husband Eric. She is unsure what the future holds, but is looking forward to a life out from under Eric's domineering shadow - until that is she finds out he has left her with crippling gambling debts that look likely to leave her with nothing.

Shocked and upset, Elizabeth turns to her oldest friend Jo for advice. Fortunately, Jo has a plan: her daughter Lucy, a doctor, is also trying to piece her life back together in the wake of a divorce and coming back home to run the GP surgery might just be the new start she needs - even if Lucy's teenage son Niall is likely to be a bit reluctant to be dragged to the back of beyond on the west coast of Ireland.

Things start to look up as Elizabeth and Lucy work together to get their lives back on track, with the indefatigable Jo in support. But then Jo's world is turned upside down with some shocking news of her own, and it looks like the time comes for her to need to support of her nearest and dearest.

Heartbreak lies ahead, but the three woman form a strong bond enjoying midnight dips in the freezing Irish sea, encouraged by Jo who has always been a keen sea swimmer. Although Elizabeth and Lucy are reluctant at first, they soon find themselves enjoying their nightly dips and the freedom to laugh, cry and clear their minds that comes with their midnight swims. They eventually hatch a plan between them that is designed to celebrate Jo's life in the best way imaginable, and raise some money for a good cause at the same time - by getting all the women in the village to join them in a sponsored midnight swim branded as a 'dip in the nip'.

The combined stories of these three women is a masterclass from Faith Hogan in exploring warm friendship, deep love, coping with loss, and new beginnings. But she also weaves some gold in the rest of the novel with Niall's story of finding acceptance and a place to belong, which was joyful, and a delightful thread about a character called Dan who is searching for the mother he never knew in this little corner of west Ireland.

As the stories of Elizabeth, Jo, Lucy, Niall and Dan collide, Hogan uses the theme of the bond between mother and child beautifully, but it also allows her to shine a light on the plight of those women who found themselves in the Irish mother and baby homes. It is shocking to read about the hundreds of women and children that died in these homes, and the babies that were taken from their mothers, in the days when to be an unmarried mother was considered to be shameful in the eyes of God and respectable people, but I really enjoyed the way Hogan examines this through her characters, bringing in some interesting threads about discrimination and hypocrisy along the way - and wraps everything up in a glorious, bittersweet ending.

This is an incredibly emotional story and although you know pretty early on that there is going to be a hefty dollop of sadness to come, this is actually a very uplifting tale that will warm the cockles of your heart, and have you craving the wild beauty of the west coast of Ireland. If you are looking for a book to make your heart full and your eyes brim over with tears, then The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club is it.

“She loved the silence and the roar of the ocean, the velvet sky and the inky water. Mostly she loved the fact that it made her feel alive in a way that nothing else could. She even loved the biting cold that ate through her skin and into the very marrow of her bones – in some absurd way, it warmed her from the inside out, as if it lit some fire that would never be extinguished.”

The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club is the sixth novel by award-winning, best-selling Irish author, Faith Hogan. It’s not until the death of her husband Eric, Ballycove’s local GP, that Elizabeth O’Shea discovers the extent of his deceit. She knew he drank, but not that he gambled, and to her dismay, he was more prolific at both than he was at being successful as a GP. The level of debt he has left her with in the form of loans is staggering. Will she lose everything?

Elizabeth’s closest friend, Jo Harris is addicted to the natural high she gets from swimming at midnight in the icy Irish Sea off Ireland’s west coast. She manages to draw her friend into trying it, and during this intimacy Elizabeth reveals her problem. Jo is delighted to be able to offer a potential solution in the form of her daughter Lucy.

Lucy Nolan has taken leave of absence from her high-stress A&E position in a Dublin hospital, and is taking her teenaged son, Niall back to Ballycove to catch up with her elderly mother before doing some travelling. She’s not at all sure about filling in for Eric O’Shea, but agrees to help out for two weeks, until more permanent help can be found.

While Niall is quickly bored with village life, wishing he could go to live with his father in Australia, Lucy is enjoying the country practice much more that she would have expected, and then a more compelling, if worrying, reason to stay on is revealed.

Dan’s scriptwriting job in London has come to an ignominious end and he’s taking the opportunity to see if he can write the novel he has always planned, and a quiet cottage in Ballycove is the ideal spot. It also presents what he sees as the last chance to find the birth mother who gave him up thirty years earlier.

On the background of Ireland’s awful legacy of the Catholic homes for unmarried mothers and forced adoptions, Hogan’s story also touches on the toll taken by laws against homosexuality, and the overwhelming imperative to maintain the veneer of respectability in a small Irish community.

As Hogan introduces her characters and fills in their back stories, it seems fairly obvious how the plot will develop, but the journey there is a very agreeable one and her descriptive prose easily evokes the Mayo coastline and her love of it. This is truly a heart-warming and uplifting read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Aria and Aries

This is the first book I have read by Faith Hogan and it most definitely won’t be the last. I laughed, I cried, I was completely engaged from the outset.

The story centres around Jo, her friend Elizabeth, and her daughter Lucy. Each has their own struggle and the book really showcases the power of friendship, especially at those difficult points in life when you aren’t too sure what will happen next.

I really enjoyed having chapters from different characters points of view and loved the descriptions of the landscape. I would highly recommend.

Feel good story with a touch of magic.

The allure of the Irish coast beckons as several people work out life challenges in the picturesque town of Ballycove.
Author Dan decides to leave Dublin and take time out to write a novel, and to investigate a question he’s wondered about most of his life.
Elizabeth, wife of the village doctor, finds herself left with huge debts when her husband dies. As she faces the future she also faces the boundaries of her married life.
Jo, a close friend of Elizabeth’s, persuades her divorced daughter and coincidentally a doctor to takeover the surgery until Elizabeth can move forward. Lucy’s son Niall accompanies her into what he views as a fresh new hell. He’s busting to join his father in Australia,
Jo talks Elizabeth into joining her for late night swims—refreshing and releasing. Magical!
A story with a nicely woven plot and some wonderful highlights—the ladies swimming in the altogether at midnight is a vision of warm friendship and individual courage.
I saw the writing on the wall for one subplot from early on in the novel, making it all too neat, but then I thought, Why Not?
A tight knit story, with occasional lapses where some happenings are maybe a tad too fortuitous. But then this is a novel of hope and stretching oneself, so again, Why Not?
A very enjoyable and warm read!

An Aria & Aries ARC via NetGalley
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club is the fourth novel I have reviewed by Faith Hogan after What Happened to Us, The Place We Call Home and My Husband's Wives, all of which I loved.

Elizabeth is a GP who is newly widowed after her husband Eric passed away. Jo is an older lady who has lived in a tiny Irish village all her life and Lucy is her daughter and also a doctor and works in the local A&E department. Lucy has had a hard time too as her husband is now living with another woman in Australia and Lucy has a son.

The women come together to swim in the Irish Sea and share their lives and troubles.

It's the freezing water of the sea itself that opens the book and I could really envisage the visual swimming scene. The word choices were perfect throughout the book and evoked powerful emotions and settings and I wanted to know what was going to happen next.


Another great novel by Faith Hogan which focuses on the importance of family, new found friends as well as an abundance of secrets lies and laughs as well as everybody opening up about hard, happy and sad times.

Faith Hogan's writing always grips me and her richly created characters capture my heart. I wanted to get to know them all. What I love about Faith Hogan's novels is that her love for her native Ireland is present in every page and her books are so atmospheric.

Thanks to Faith Hogan and Aria & Aries for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

I am eagerly awaiting the next Faith Hogan novel and her novels make me feel proud that I have Irish blood and am half Irish as they show how beautiful Ireland is.

Faith Hogan is, hands down, my favourite Irish author.

5 stars.