#Blog Tour #Book Review of Life’s What You Make It by Sian O’Gorman @rararesources @BoldwoodBooks

Thank you to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to participate in the blog tour for Life’s What You Make It, a new novel by Sian O’Gorman.

Dreams can come true, you just have to believe…
All new from Irish bestselling author Sian O’Gorman
‘Utterly irresistible and joyful – The Perfect Summer Read!’ – bestselling author, Faith Hogan
After 10 years in London, working in a stressful City firm, Liv O’Neill returns home to Sandycove, a picturesque seaside village, just outside Dublin to care for her mother after a fall.

Whilst Liv reconnects with friends and family, she is amazed by Sandycove’s thriving community spirit with its artisan shops, delis and cafes – it’s not quite the place she left behind.

As village life begins to creep under her skin, Liv is forced to confront the things that drove her away.

Can Liv balance her past, present and future and find her own happy place?

And will a handsome young doctor help her make a decision about the life she really wants?

Suddenly her old life in London begins to seem extremely unappealing and Liv is forced to use her family’s past in order to forge a brand new future.

Purchase

My thoughts:

This was my first book by Sian O’Gorman and I immediately fell in love with her writing style, the setting of a small villige at the seaside near Dublin and all the lovely, quirky, big-hearted charactersSian O’Gorman created in her Life’s What You Make It.

Olivia O’Neill is working in London as a PA of a highly-strung, overdemanding financial genius with a drink problem. She’s been doing it for ten years and cannot imagine going back to the tiny village where she was born and raised by her mum. Then suddenly her boss is sent to a rehab clinic and Liv gets an unexpected five week holiday to go back to Ireland and help out her mum who’s had an injury. Liv’s flatmate and best friend Roberto keeps telling her that she needs to find what makes her really happy and make her life the life she deserves, but up to now overworked Liv’s never had time to see the big picture.

Once she is back home, she is amazed at how easy it is to step back into her lovely, close-knit community and how right it feels to finally allow herself to do what she likes, wear things that she likes, and care for people around her. There’s a mystery of her own family to uncover, there are a few adorable pets, the village gossip to catch up on, the best friend to help, a festival to organise, possibly an old business to revive, and …a handsome man tofall in love with. Liv may have lost the sight of her own unique personality and her own dreams, but here she gets a second chance at living the best life possible and finding her happiness.

Liv’s a very likeable protagonist. She is sweet and considerate (despite feeling guilty for living too far away from her mum to be able to see and help her often enough). Loved her friends Roberto and Bronagh-so different and so much fun to read about. There is a whole cast of wonderful secondary characters that make you feel welcome in their village. There are also a few bad apples that create the tension and drama, but there is a great sense of confidence that whatever life throws at you, you are not helpless, you can choose how to deal with it.

I really enjoyed the setting- sun, salty air breeze and seagulls, lifelong friendships and family connections, old memories and new experiences that link you together. This was an enjoyable read, sweet, optimistic, heart-warming, and fun, and I will definitely be looking forward to reading more from this talented author.

Thank you to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources, NetGalley and BoldwoodBooks for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

Author Bio –

Sian O’Gorman was born in Galway and now lives just along the coast from Dublin. She works as a radio producer alongside writing contemporary women’s fiction inspired by friend and family relationships.

Social Media Links

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msogorman

Twitter : https://www.twitter.com/msogorman

Newsletter Sign Up Link https://bit.ly/SianOGormannewsletter

Bookbub: www.bookbub.com/authors/sian-o-gorman