Life’s What You Make It by Sian O’Gorman

Dreams can come true, you just have to believe…

All new from Irish bestselling author Sian O’Gorman

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.

My Thoughts

⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is the first book I have read by Sian O’Gorman, and as soon as I started reading I fell in love with her refreshing writing style.

Olivia is working in London as a PA to a financial genius – however the job is far from straight forward as her boss is temperamental and also seems to have a drink problem. After sticking with the job for the past ten years, Olivia can’t begin to imagine doing anything else with her life, let alone entertain the thought of returning to the village where she grew up.

When her boss is suddenly admitted to rehab, Liv finds herself with an unexpected five week holiday, and it seems to have arrived at the perfect time when her mother is injured and could really benefit from her daughter returning to Ireland to support her whilst she recovers. Liv’s best friend Roberto is constantly telling her that she has to do what makes her happy in life, but she has struggled to see the possibilities until now.

Upon her return home, she is amazed by how easily she manages to fit back into her old life in the tight-knit community, and on top of this, the freedom that her return has provided. She can now wear what she wants, and more importantly, spend time doing what she enjoys. Her return to the village seems to provide her with the push she needs to finally find happiness and to obtain the life she truly deserves.

Liv is one of those characters that you feel a connection to from the start. Despite the difficulties of her work life, she has remained a kind hearted woman who loves those around her dearly. The relationship she shares with her flatmate Roberto, who is also her best friend is heart warming and realistic, exactly what a close friendship should be with both supporting one another through all the obstacles thrown their way. I really enjoyed following Liv’s story as she came out of her shell upon her return to Ireland, I felt that this was truly the moment you got to see who she really was as an individual.

The storyline flowed beautifully from start to finish and was packed with heartwarming moments, alongside those that really tugged at the heart strings at times too. Dealing with some serious issues along the way, the author does a marvellous job and tackles these subjects with understanding and sensitivity. The setting is brought to life wonderfully and allows you to really get a sense as to what life would be like living within the village.

A beautifully written story that captured my heart.

You can purchase a copy of this book by following the link below

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3nQWuJ0

About the Author

*Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources, Boldwood Books and Sian O’Gorman for providing me with a gifted copy of this book in return for my honest review. All thoughts are entirely my own and not influenced in any way.*