4.5 stars for The Coast Road by Alan Murrin coming out on June 4.

It's been a long time since I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning reading a book, but this one kept me up well past midnight.

The women in the story all have troubled marriages - one has left her …more family, one considers leaving her family, one should probably leave her family.
The stories and fates intertwine in a small Irish town on the coast, where they all struggle to be their authentic selves, while dealing with the demands of their husbands and children.

I loved these characters, particularly the frustrated Izzy, who needs more than her current life gives her but isn't sure how to go about getting it.
And then there's Colette, who left her husband and children to live her authentic life, but is still struggling due to internal and external constraints.
And finally there is Dolores, who is fighting to keep her family together by ignoring her husband's wandering eyes and body.

This year I seem to be drawn to Irish novels (not on purpose) and here's another great one with an important story. Any one of us who has dealt with the expectations and constraints that women sometimes (often?) face will relate to this compelling story!
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperVia for the advance readers copy, this review is my opinion. (less)

This is a fantastical story of two sisters and the power of the mountain they live on. At first the plot seems straightforward - two hikers are murdered near the trail on the mountain and the young sisters are caught up in the community's search for the suspect. But they …more are chasing other demons - some which are visible and some which are not. This isn't my usual genre, but I was quickly wrapped up in Sheila and Angie's story and grew to love and admire both these very different girls. I didn't really understand parts of what was going on (did it really happen or was it only in their imaginations?) but I was compelled to suspend belief and go with the story. Will definitely recommend to friends who like thrillers and fantasy! (less)