The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club: an uplifting, emotional story set in the sweeping Irish countryside perfect for fans of Sheila O'Flanagan
- Downloads：9235
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-04-21 15:30:36
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Faith Hogan
- ISBN：B08BV1M1QR
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Reviews
Gia
，
In an impulsive moment， Lucy quits her post as a doctor in a busy Dublin hospital。 Still adjusting to life after divorce and needing to decompress， Lucy and her son， Niall， return to her sleepy， seaside hometown of Ballycove。 Recently widowed， Elizabeth discovers her deceased husband’s gambling addiction has left her neck-high in debt。 Not even the well-established village surgery he left behind will be enough to pay off his debts。 Jo welcomes Lucy and Niall home with sheer joy。 Little do they k In an impulsive moment， Lucy quits her post as a doctor in a busy Dublin hospital。 Still adjusting to life after divorce and needing to decompress， Lucy and her son， Niall， return to her sleepy， seaside hometown of Ballycove。 Recently widowed， Elizabeth discovers her deceased husband’s gambling addiction has left her neck-high in debt。 Not even the well-established village surgery he left behind will be enough to pay off his debts。 Jo welcomes Lucy and Niall home with sheer joy。 Little do they know that the timing of their arrival couldn’t be better。 Lucy agrees to practice in the surgery until Elizabeth can find a replacement doctor， and soon after， they are dealt a devastating hand when Jo is diagnosed as terminal。The midnight swims are what bond and binds these women。 Surrounded by the enveloping， curative， buoyant waves， forever friendships are forged。 Even when their lives seem to be sinking， the lifesaving link of friendship， keeps them afloat。A born weaver of words， Faith Hogan delightfully brings to life the majestic beauty and atmosphere of Ireland while reaching readers’ hearts through her heartwarming characters， and their authentic storylines。 Reading Faith’s books is like curling up in your favorite chair， with your mug or beverage of choice， and sitting amongst your dearest friends。 I am a forever Faith fan。Do read The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club。Thanks to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for the read of Faith Hogan’s， The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club。 。。。more
Annette
，
The book is set in The Irish Republic in a small costal village where life just seems to drift along at a steady pace。。i loved everything about the book， the words just flowed and I was soon engrossed in the story。 The charecters were all likeable and formed a strong bond with each other。 All in all it's a charming and heartwarming read。 The book is set in The Irish Republic in a small costal village where life just seems to drift along at a steady pace。。i loved everything about the book， the words just flowed and I was soon engrossed in the story。 The charecters were all likeable and formed a strong bond with each other。 All in all it's a charming and heartwarming read。 。。。more
Ann
，
Oh Lordy what a beautiful gentle read， even if it did make me sob。 My first book by the author but it definitely won’t be my last。 A tale that’s going to stay with me for some time to come。Three women all at different stages in their lives， find a truth and comfort in their midnight swims in the cold Atlantic。 Emotional， this book grabs at your heart and doesn’t let go。 I was invested in the characters live’s from the first page and I feel bereft now I’ve left them。 I’d so love a sequel so we co Oh Lordy what a beautiful gentle read， even if it did make me sob。 My first book by the author but it definitely won’t be my last。 A tale that’s going to stay with me for some time to come。Three women all at different stages in their lives， find a truth and comfort in their midnight swims in the cold Atlantic。 Emotional， this book grabs at your heart and doesn’t let go。 I was invested in the characters live’s from the first page and I feel bereft now I’ve left them。 I’d so love a sequel so we could catch with how they are all doing in Ballycove 。。。more
Katherine Johnson
，
This is the first novel I've read by this author but it certainly won't be the last。 The plot and the characters are believable and realistic。 As others have said， you can work out what will happen but that didn't stop me getting choked - that doesn't happen often when I read and this happemed three times。The setting of the West Coast of Ireland is beautiful， which along with the themes of friendship and kindness， amongst others， were much needed as we come out of another lockdown。 It was the pe This is the first novel I've read by this author but it certainly won't be the last。 The plot and the characters are believable and realistic。 As others have said， you can work out what will happen but that didn't stop me getting choked - that doesn't happen often when I read and this happemed three times。The setting of the West Coast of Ireland is beautiful， which along with the themes of friendship and kindness， amongst others， were much needed as we come out of another lockdown。 It was the perfect book for escapism and one I could definitely read again。With thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book in advance。 。。。more
Rachel Stansel
，
A beautiful story about a small Irish seatown and the people who call it home。 Each character is deep and believable and as a whole， they make a lovely group that you truly care for。 While predictable， this isn't a huge negative for me as the journey of them getting to what you know the end will likely be is the charming bit。 Nice read。Full disclosure - I received the book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 A beautiful story about a small Irish seatown and the people who call it home。 Each character is deep and believable and as a whole， they make a lovely group that you truly care for。 While predictable， this isn't a huge negative for me as the journey of them getting to what you know the end will likely be is the charming bit。 Nice read。Full disclosure - I received the book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Julie
，
If you haven’t already read a Faith Hogan novel， why not！The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club is about three women of different generations who are working through life trying “to be dignified。 。。。。。sometimes， that’s as much as you can manage “ and “the indomitable spirit of friendship “ 。 I find I enjoy book all the more if I like the main characters， and I adored Jo， Elizabeth and Lucy。 I could easily have read this book in one sitting if it was for the inconvenience of life getting in the way！ If you haven’t already read a Faith Hogan novel， why not！The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club is about three women of different generations who are working through life trying “to be dignified。 。。。。。sometimes， that’s as much as you can manage “ and “the indomitable spirit of friendship “ 。 I find I enjoy book all the more if I like the main characters， and I adored Jo， Elizabeth and Lucy。 I could easily have read this book in one sitting if it was for the inconvenience of life getting in the way！ Highly recommended 💕 。。。more
Sandra
，
What a delightful novel about life， love， family and surprises。 You could not ask for more。 Faith Hogan is a very gifted writer。 What an ability to make a setting come to life。 Ireland is the one place that I would want to go back to and spend more time。 Reading The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club was almost as rewarding。 Each character was so well crafted and everyone had his or her part in the telling of this story。 My emotions were taken on a roller coaster ride。 I found several portions very What a delightful novel about life， love， family and surprises。 You could not ask for more。 Faith Hogan is a very gifted writer。 What an ability to make a setting come to life。 Ireland is the one place that I would want to go back to and spend more time。 Reading The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club was almost as rewarding。 Each character was so well crafted and everyone had his or her part in the telling of this story。 My emotions were taken on a roller coaster ride。 I found several portions very sad， but not depressing。 I thought I had figured out the plot and ending but was still pleasantly surprised。 I thank Aria and Aries Publishers for allowing me， through NetGalley， to read this book。 The opinions expressed in this review are my own。 。。。more
Misfits farm
，
Elizabeth has recently lost her husband who was the village GP。 On going through his effects she finds that he was up to his neck in debt from gambling and so she needs to find something to bring money in otherwise she will lose the house。 Her friend Jo has a daughter Lucy who is a single parent and looking for a new opportunity。 Could the two perhaps fit or is the practice way too out of date for someone who has worked in a much more modern environment。 The two older ladies enjoy swimming just Elizabeth has recently lost her husband who was the village GP。 On going through his effects she finds that he was up to his neck in debt from gambling and so she needs to find something to bring money in otherwise she will lose the house。 Her friend Jo has a daughter Lucy who is a single parent and looking for a new opportunity。 Could the two perhaps fit or is the practice way too out of date for someone who has worked in a much more modern environment。 The two older ladies enjoy swimming just for ten minutes or so at night when there is no-one around as they find it invigorating and life affirming。 Some have called this predictable- maybe it is- but in these uncertain times it’s nice to have some predictability and reassurance of fiction。 I loved the characters in this especially Lucy who seemed to have so much to deal with but still came shining through with a smile for all those around her。 There is a warmth in this book- of care and love and putting the past where it belongs- behind us， not always easy。 Being positive and looking forward are a good mantra。 An excellent read with a smile and a message- one life - live it！ 。。。more
ʚϊɞ Shelley's ʚϊɞ Book Nook
，
What a lovely surprise to read a very engaging book， which kept me wanting to know what happens next， without making it too obvious either。 The great way that the chapters were titled from each person's point of view was very enlightening and the points of view were from very different perspectives。。。male and female， young and older。I loved the characters so much。 The story was so intriguing and had lots of humour whilst keeping you wondering the outcomes of the various character j What a lovely surprise to read a very engaging book， which kept me wanting to know what happens next， without making it too obvious either。 The great way that the chapters were titled from each person's point of view was very enlightening and the points of view were from very different perspectives。。。male and female， young and older。I loved the characters so much。 The story was so intriguing and had lots of humour whilst keeping you wondering the outcomes of the various character journeys。 Set in a place I would love to visit。。。the details sounded so beautiful。 A wonderful read from beginning to end that I couldn't put down。 Ms Hogan has a way of creating loveable， incredible characters and make you want to really invest in their story。 A fabulous tale with some surprising twists that keep you flicking the pages。 Disclosure:Thank you NetGalley， Faith Hogan and Aria & Aries for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own。#MidnightSwimmingClub #NetGalley 。。。more
Janet
，
Date reviewed/posted: April 8， 2021Publication date: May 6， 2021When life for the entire galaxy and planet has turned on its end， you are continuing to #maskup and #lockdown to be in #COVID19 #socialisolation as the #thirdwave （ #fourthwave #fifthwave？） is upon us， superspeed readers like me can read 300+ pages/hour， so yes， I have read the book … and many more today。I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley， the publisher and the author in exc Date reviewed/posted: April 8， 2021Publication date: May 6， 2021When life for the entire galaxy and planet has turned on its end， you are continuing to #maskup and #lockdown to be in #COVID19 #socialisolation as the #thirdwave （ #fourthwave #fifthwave？） is upon us， superspeed readers like me can read 300+ pages/hour， so yes， I have read the book … and many more today。I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley， the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review。 From the publisher， as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews， I let them do it as they do it better than I do 😸。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。。。An emotional story about taking chances， finding new friends and living life to the fullest。This was a lovely book - a great storyline， wonderful characters and absolutely full of heart and love。 It was enjoyable to read - and I already have my sister reading it off my kindle as I kept telling her about it。 I will recommend this book to friends， family， patrons， bookclubs and strangers on the tube who are reading: I find that once they figure out that I am a Canadian and not a Trump-loving MAGA-idiot they like to discuss books。 （lol！）Take this book to the beach （or your back yard， porch or balcony） and enjoy it - just wear a tonne of SPF110 as you will lose track of time as you read this。 - If we are in the 5th or 6th wave/mutation of COVID19 by then， stay inside: no tan is worth dying for。 As always， I try to find a reason to not rate with stars as I simply adore emojis （outside of their incessant use by "🙏-ed Social Influencer Millennials/#BachelorNation survivors/Tik-Tok and YouTube Millionaires/snowflakes / literally-like-overusers etc。 " on Instagram and Twitter。。。 Get a real job， people！） so let's give it 🏖️🏖️🏖️🏖️🏖️ 。。。more
Kerry Britnell
，
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review。 This is a story of life， of friendship， of family but most of all about women。 In particular the strength of women。 Three women all at different points in their lives who's lives cross in a small Irish village。 The support they bring to each other in times of struggle is beautiful and uplifting。Well written with stunning imagery and life like characters。 A must read and I will definitely be seeking out more by Fai Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review。 This is a story of life， of friendship， of family but most of all about women。 In particular the strength of women。 Three women all at different points in their lives who's lives cross in a small Irish village。 The support they bring to each other in times of struggle is beautiful and uplifting。Well written with stunning imagery and life like characters。 A must read and I will definitely be seeking out more by Faith Hogan。 。。。more
Nancy
，
Thank you NetGalley， Faith Hogan and Aria & Aries for the ARC of The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club。 This is my personal review。The story is about three women who are all at different places in their lives。 Each have issues in their lives they are dealing with and they get together at a beautiful location to overcome the issues。It is a beautiful story so beautifully written showing the life changes they can deal with when they have friends and family to lean on for the strength to overcome these Thank you NetGalley， Faith Hogan and Aria & Aries for the ARC of The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club。 This is my personal review。The story is about three women who are all at different places in their lives。 Each have issues in their lives they are dealing with and they get together at a beautiful location to overcome the issues。It is a beautiful story so beautifully written showing the life changes they can deal with when they have friends and family to lean on for the strength to overcome these life’s changes。 This book is an excellent choice for a book club to read。 。。。more
Jenn （burlingtonbibliophagist）
，
Book REVIEWThe Ladies Midnight Swimming ClubBy Faith HoganThank you to @netgalley and Aria &Aries for my gifted ecopy in exchange for an honest reviewThe descriptions of the small sea-side town of Ballyrock Ireland had me yearning to travel and explore。The story focuses on three women Jo， her daughter Lucy， and Elizabeth。 Each of these ladies find themselves at a crossroads in their life， Ballyrock is where they intersect。 What follows is a story of friendship， self discovery and redemption。 Whi Book REVIEWThe Ladies Midnight Swimming ClubBy Faith HoganThank you to @netgalley and Aria &Aries for my gifted ecopy in exchange for an honest reviewThe descriptions of the small sea-side town of Ballyrock Ireland had me yearning to travel and explore。The story focuses on three women Jo， her daughter Lucy， and Elizabeth。 Each of these ladies find themselves at a crossroads in their life， Ballyrock is where they intersect。 What follows is a story of friendship， self discovery and redemption。 While on their own paths these women offer emotional support to each other， forming tight bonds regardless of their age and experiences。 The story itself was predictable but I thoroughly enjoyed the journey。 The book felt like a Sunday Hallmark movie perfect for watching/reading with my mom or a few close girlfriends。 。。。more
Mary
，
The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club is a fantastic book about family and friendship set in a small coastal village in Ireland。 Elizabeth， Jo， and Lucy are dealing with their own personal issues but come together to help each other find the strength to overcome and start over。 This was a very delightful read。 Thank to the author Faith Hogan， publisher Aria & Aries， and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for a honest review。 The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club is a fantastic book about family and friendship set in a small coastal village in Ireland。 Elizabeth， Jo， and Lucy are dealing with their own personal issues but come together to help each other find the strength to overcome and start over。 This was a very delightful read。 Thank to the author Faith Hogan， publisher Aria & Aries， and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for a honest review。 。。。more
Diane Merritt
，
Such a well written and beautiful book about family and friendships。 Warmed my heart。 Definitely one to pick up。Thanks to the author， the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book。
Liz
，
Thank you NetGalley for this early copy of The Ladies Midnight Swimming Club。 What a lovely read about new beginnings， friendships and change。 The relationship between the main characters was lovely and the kind of friendships everyone would love to have。 My overall take on this book was how gentle and kind everyone was。 Sure there was some ugliness dealing with divorce， grief and loneliness but it was a growing process vs a hateful one。 The setting of the book was a character in itself。 After r Thank you NetGalley for this early copy of The Ladies Midnight Swimming Club。 What a lovely read about new beginnings， friendships and change。 The relationship between the main characters was lovely and the kind of friendships everyone would love to have。 My overall take on this book was how gentle and kind everyone was。 Sure there was some ugliness dealing with divorce， grief and loneliness but it was a growing process vs a hateful one。 The setting of the book was a character in itself。 After reading the book one just longs to be in Ireland watching the storms roll in and embracing warm days when they happen。 Taking long walks by sea and dashing into the cold Irish Sea seems very enjoyable too。 This is the first book I have read written by Faith Hogan。 I found her style is perfect for when you want to escape into a slightly predictable but very enjoyable read。 I equate it to watching a feel good Hallmark movie。 You are not taxed at all， you get to smile and shed a tear or two and everything works out in the end。 。。。more
Claire Mc Partlin
，
I really enjoyed this book set in an Irish village about a mother and daughter， the Mother's friend， and also a newcomer seeking answers。Jo is the midnight swimmer initially， but once her daughter comes back to the village for a while with her son she ropes her in too， along with her friend Elizabeth。Elizabeth is the previous doctor's wife and lives in a big house。 He has died fairly recently and left her with crippling debt， which she knew nothing about。 Their marriage wasn't a happy one， more I really enjoyed this book set in an Irish village about a mother and daughter， the Mother's friend， and also a newcomer seeking answers。Jo is the midnight swimmer initially， but once her daughter comes back to the village for a while with her son she ropes her in too， along with her friend Elizabeth。Elizabeth is the previous doctor's wife and lives in a big house。 He has died fairly recently and left her with crippling debt， which she knew nothing about。 Their marriage wasn't a happy one， more one that benefited them both at the time。 But now Elizabeth has to sort out what to do， and as Jo's daughter， Lucy， is at a bit of a crossroads in her life and career she is persuaded to take over the doctor's surgery for a short time to help out。 But of course as time goes by Lucy realises that maybe she's in the right place for her now。 Her son， Niall， though is a different matter。 He's a teenager and living in a 'backwards' Irish village is the last thing he wants， especially as he's also struggling with the fact that his parents divorced and his Dad now lives in Australia。Also in the mix is Dan， a TV scriptwriter， also at a bit of a crossroads in his life， and in Ireland to try and write his book， and see if he can find some answers to a question he has about where he came from。The mix of characters worked really well， I liked them all。 They eventually worked through their problems and came through it happier。 There are some very sad moments too though， so you'll need a tissue， but through the sad moments also come moments of everyone pulling together and appreciating their life a bit more。 I do love a Faith Hogan book， she just has a way that draws you into the story and the lives of the characters。 。。。more
Michelle S
，
This is a heartwarming novel set in the west of Ireland。 It’s a tale of friendship and family， but also of grief and transformation。 The author’s passionate depiction of the gorgeous ocean setting made me homesick。 Reading this is like a yoga class， gentle and comforting。 It’s predictable， but still enjoyable。
Beverly
，
This is a beautiful story about friendship， starting over， finding courage to let go of who they were in order to become who they were meant to be。 This is my first book of the year that I will recommend again and again。 Three women （Elizabeth， Jo， Lucy） come together in this book and all are at a crossroads of a sort。 This story is about letting go of the past and empowering themselves and each other in order to meet the challenges that they will face。 The bracing cold of the ocean helps them s This is a beautiful story about friendship， starting over， finding courage to let go of who they were in order to become who they were meant to be。 This is my first book of the year that I will recommend again and again。 Three women （Elizabeth， Jo， Lucy） come together in this book and all are at a crossroads of a sort。 This story is about letting go of the past and empowering themselves and each other in order to meet the challenges that they will face。 The bracing cold of the ocean helps them slough off who that they thought they were and their fears and look boldly forward。I love that fact that we hear Elizabeth's story （or a lot of it -- until she is ready to speak herself） through Dan （a visiting writer） who comes upon them （by accident， the first time） during their dip in the sea。 He's enchanted by their laughter and abandon and stays not to watch， but to listen。 Dan is at his own crossroad and is in search of answers about his own life before he can move forward。Even the loss of one of their own helps them to move forward to their new lives。 A must read！ And。。。for me。。。a call to step outside my own comfort zone！ To 2021！ The Year of Stepping Outside of Comfort Zones and explore What Lies Ahead！ 。。。more
KT
，
This was a joy to read from the moment I experienced the first swim to the end; it was pure escapism with moments of happiness and sadness。 It was refreshing to read a novel based on older， well-developed characters finding their place and growing。 Jo’s love of the sea and swimming drew me in， but Elizabeth’s journey as a widow kept me there。 The dynamics and relationships were believable， and the cosy setting of Ballycove was just what I needed。 It is beautifully written， emotional， and I could This was a joy to read from the moment I experienced the first swim to the end; it was pure escapism with moments of happiness and sadness。 It was refreshing to read a novel based on older， well-developed characters finding their place and growing。 Jo’s love of the sea and swimming drew me in， but Elizabeth’s journey as a widow kept me there。 The dynamics and relationships were believable， and the cosy setting of Ballycove was just what I needed。 It is beautifully written， emotional， and I could easily see it adapted to the screen for an uplifting movie。 。。。more
Diana Brown
，
Thank you Netgalley and Aria & Aries for the chance to read the advanced copy of The Ladies' midnight swimming club by Faith Hogan。 I absolutely loved this book！ This book was exactly what I wanted to read for 2021！ 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 turns to her friend Jo for help。 Jo who has been hiding a secret of her own， calls her daughter Lucy in Dublin to help run t Thank you Netgalley and Aria & Aries for the chance to read the advanced copy of The Ladies' midnight swimming club by Faith Hogan。 I absolutely loved this book！ This book was exactly what I wanted to read for 2021！ 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 turns to her friend Jo for help。 Jo who has been hiding a secret of her own， calls her daughter Lucy in Dublin to help run the village surgery。 Lucy， newly divorced， wants to leave the city， is determined to make the most of her fresh start。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。Faith Hogan is a new author for me， but I definitely will be reading more of her books！ The characters of Elizabeth and Jo were written so well that you could feel their pain and grief， as well as their joy when they were out in the water。 This book shares a lot of emotions， and maybe that is just what this world needs right now。 。。。more
Pauline
，
A story about grief， hope and friendship set in a charming Irish village。I really enjoyed this story and there were some interesting characters。I read this book in one day as I didn’t want to put it down。Thank you to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review。
theliterateleprechaun
，
A dip in the Irish Sea is all it takes to wash away their troubles！ After reading this phenomenal book， I just want to dive in there next to Elizabeth， Lucy and Jo – hooting and hollering， starkers crazy！Faith Hogan has written an emotional， uplifting story set in the sweeping Irish countryside and I have high hopes that The Midnight Ladies’ Swimming Club will be a contender for first place as the best book I read in 2021。 This is one of those books that sneaks into your heart instantly and you A dip in the Irish Sea is all it takes to wash away their troubles！ After reading this phenomenal book， I just want to dive in there next to Elizabeth， Lucy and Jo – hooting and hollering， starkers crazy！Faith Hogan has written an emotional， uplifting story set in the sweeping Irish countryside and I have high hopes that The Midnight Ladies’ Swimming Club will be a contender for first place as the best book I read in 2021。 This is one of those books that sneaks into your heart instantly and you just know that it will stay with you for a long time。 When I wasn’t reading， it’s all I could think about， wishing I could get back to Ballycove sooner rather than later。 Being born in Ireland， I’m very familiar with ‘Ballycove’; a hybrid of so many of the little places dotted along the north west Atlantic coast that I’ve visited over the years。 It was like going home。 The cast of characters was stellar ~ I loved every one of them。 Hogan has put so much thought into each one， making them realistic and appealing to readers。 The three main ladies may not have made all the right decisions in life， but buoyed up by each other and a common desire for midnight swims， they find that the solution to their worries isn’t so far away。 Hogan takes us on a journey with them as they transform their own lives and the lives of those they love。 Despite being different ages， they are united by a chance to start again。 When Elizabeth’s husband， the local doctor， dies， leaving her 62，000 Euro in debt， she turns to her bestie， Jo for help。 Jo enlists the help of her daughter， Lucy， also a doctor， to take over the practice。 Lucy is glad for the fresh start; unfortunately， her teenage son isn’t so sure。 Just as these lost souls create a life they love， Jo’s world is turned upside down with shocking news。 The nightly midnight dips in the freezing Irish Sea give them a chance to forget life for a while and laugh as they wash away their fears。 “Don’t you feel alive？ I feel the same thing every day I come here。 It anchors me in a place that’s mine within the vastness。”With a year like we’ve all just experienced， isn’t this what we all need？ Grab your swimsuits and meet me at the water’s edge at midnight。 Come on， you know you want to！Quite possibly one of the best books I’ve read in years， this emotional story about taking chances， finding new friends and living life to the fullest needs to be on your radar come May 6， 2021。A heartfelt thank you to Faith Hogan， Aria & Aries， and NetGalley for this five=star advance copy in exchange for an honest opinion。 。。。more
Desiree
，
A feel-good， moving， emotion-filled story placed in a sea-side village in Western Ireland。 Three women， all very close but all in different phases of their lives。 Jo， the spunky elderly woman and mother to Lucy， whose life is about to be turned upside down。 Lucy， a doctor and a recently divorced single-mother， looking for a new lease on life adventures to her hometown before hoping to send much needed time with her son Niall。 Elizabeth， with a recently deceased husband who provided a loveless ma A feel-good， moving， emotion-filled story placed in a sea-side village in Western Ireland。 Three women， all very close but all in different phases of their lives。 Jo， the spunky elderly woman and mother to Lucy， whose life is about to be turned upside down。 Lucy， a doctor and a recently divorced single-mother， looking for a new lease on life adventures to her hometown before hoping to send much needed time with her son Niall。 Elizabeth， with a recently deceased husband who provided a loveless marriage and mountains of debt on his passing， tries to find her way with help from Jo and Lucy。 Throw in the new addition to the town， Dan， and you have quite the story that ends with making your heart swell and yours eyes water。 The characters in and their stories were relatable; we all know people who are like these people or maybe we see ourselves in them。 Bits and pieces were a bit predictable， but that didn't take away from the greatness of the story。 This is the first book I've read by Faith Hogan， but I am now very interested in reading more from her！Thanks to NetGalley and Aria and Aries for the eARC in exchange for an honest review。#succeedingatreading2021Read for a total of 5h 2min 。。。more
Denise Forrest
，
Maeve Bunche or Amanda Prowse meets the Calendar Girls。I loved this gentle tale of a small community in Ireland。 When Elizabeth’s GP husband dies she is horrified to discover that he ran up thousands of pounds of gambling debts， leaving her virtually penniless。 Needing to find a way to keep the practice running in order to generate income， she turns to the daughter of her best friend Jo。 Lucy is working unhappily in a hospital in Dublin but agrees to act as locum for a couple of weeks to tide El Maeve Bunche or Amanda Prowse meets the Calendar Girls。I loved this gentle tale of a small community in Ireland。 When Elizabeth’s GP husband dies she is horrified to discover that he ran up thousands of pounds of gambling debts， leaving her virtually penniless。 Needing to find a way to keep the practice running in order to generate income， she turns to the daughter of her best friend Jo。 Lucy is working unhappily in a hospital in Dublin but agrees to act as locum for a couple of weeks to tide Elizabeth over。Gradually， secrets are revealed and although it was fairly easy to guess the connections between characters， the way they were revealed was done in such a lovely way。 I admit to shedding a few tears at the beautiful writing。This is the first book I’ve read by this author but I will definitely be reading more。 I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Jeanie
，
NetGalleyMember ReviewCover Image: The Ladies' Midnight Swimming ClubThe Ladies' Midnight Swimming Clubby Faith HoganPub Date: 6 May 2021Review byjeanie m， ReviewerLast updated on 25 Dec 2020My RecommendationWith thanks to faith hogan netgalley for a truly outstandingly humbling book。 I wept buckets at certain times ， the care and love shared between Elizabeth lucy and her mum jo was heartwarming ♥ Dan who had come to ballycove to write a book witnessed something very special i really can't prai NetGalleyMember ReviewCover Image: The Ladies' Midnight Swimming ClubThe Ladies' Midnight Swimming Clubby Faith HoganPub Date: 6 May 2021Review byjeanie m， ReviewerLast updated on 25 Dec 2020My RecommendationWith thanks to faith hogan netgalley for a truly outstandingly humbling book。 I wept buckets at certain times ， the care and love shared between Elizabeth lucy and her mum jo was heartwarming ♥ Dan who had come to ballycove to write a book witnessed something very special i really can't praise this book enough and highly recommend it。 。。。more
Gea
，
I didn't want this book to end！ A true celebration of life， and whatever it brings us: the good， the bad and the ordinary。 Because that's how lives are lived。 Strong characters， a beautiful setting on the Irish coast， and ultimately， uplifting and inspirational。 I didn't want this book to end！ A true celebration of life， and whatever it brings us: the good， the bad and the ordinary。 Because that's how lives are lived。 Strong characters， a beautiful setting on the Irish coast， and ultimately， uplifting and inspirational。 。。。more
Literary Redhead
，