From this month onwards my friend and I have started a book club and this month’s reads is Breakfast at Darcy’s which I highly recommend reading!

Plot:

When Darcy McCall loses her beloved Aunt Molly, she doesn’t expect any sort of inheritance- let alone a small island! Located off the west coast of Ireland, Tara hasn’t been lived on for years, but according to Molly’s will Darcy must stay there for twelve months in order to fully inherit. It’s a big shock. And she’s even more shocked to hear she needs to persuade a village full of people to settle there too.

Darcy must leave behind her independent city life and swap stylish heels for muddy wellies. Between sorting everything from the plumbing to the pub, she meets confident, charming Conor and sensible, stubborn Dermot- but who will make her feel really at home?

Review:

Breakfast at Darcy’s begins with the main character at her aunt’s funeral in Ireland. Not long after this the aunt’s solicitor has to discuss matters with her in private which leaves Darcy intrigued. 

After this discussion, Darcy travels back to London with a huge decision to make. She loves her life in London and her job however, feels that she’d be letting her aunt down if she didn’t follow through with her final wish. 

Thanks to a minor confrontation with a work colleague at a party, Darcy’s decision becomes much easier to make and she finds herself travelling over to the island of Tara to carry out her aunt’s request- to live on the island for a year and to build a community of fifteen people to live there with her. At first, she has no idea how she is going to manage it. As time goes on she finds herself enjoying life on the island, and it also helps that she has charming Conor and grumpy Dermot to keep her occupied. 

Initially I wasn’t quite sure about the two main male characters, yet as I approached the end of the book, I was not too surprised at the outcome because at the back of my mind it shows all the evidence with the way Ali writes.

The twisting and turning plot in Breakfast at Darcy’s is more than enough to keep you hooked, as well as the traditional Irish folklore that is weaved throughout the various sub-plots. Being part Irish myself I was particularly interested in these parts! As well as this, there is the mysterious character of Eamon who we meet at various points in the story and who I couldn’t help but be drawn to. 

My Thoughts:

From the beginning of this novel I was hooked. You know a novel is great when you find relatable traits to the main character, when Darcy went on about buying clothes I automatically agreed with the following in terms of waiting for the item until it goes down in price in the sales “But what if they’d sold it before then? What if this was the only one? I couldn’t possibly let something as perfect as this slip through my fingers. I just had to have it” this is also my thought process every time I read the back of an amazing book when I am always, always tempted to go into bookshops as I cannot leave it without buying books that catch my interest. 

It has been a great adventure reading this novel. So far, Ali’s novels tend to do that and I cannot wait to read more by her as she is becoming a favourite author of mine without a doubt. The consistency in grabbing my attention and watching the characters laugh, live, grow and small town style adventures they go on. 

Seeing how these characters are growing together as part of a community. It touched me how some of these characters were very shy at first then became more confident, softer in personality and how they all get on well as a community of colourful people including the smaller characters mentioned. 

I enjoyed walking along the beaches and coast of Tara whilst walking the puppies it creates such a peaceful vibe to this novel. As they say, “Change is what happens when people come to Tara: some of the changes are there for all to see and comment on, and others are more subtle, but much more significant”

I really liked the humour and how natural Darcy and Roxi’s friendship where as I find this added to the novel even more. 

I am not sure if this is true but I would like it to be as it denotes I have learned something interesting from this novel about guardian angels that we use every day and don’t even know it, “An idea suddenly springs into your head out of nowhere. That’s your angel helping you”from one of the characters mentioned later on in the novel is witty and very wise beyond her years. 

5 / 5 STARS! Loved this novel to pieces and I wish I was living on the island as well.