What Eden Did Next: The moving and uplifting bestseller you'll never forget
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By Sheila O'Flanagan
avg rating
6 reviews
A NO. 1 BESTSELLER IN IRELAND – MAY 2022
The all-absorbing, life-affirming new novel from the bestselling author of THREE WEDDINGS AND A PROPOSAL and THE MISSING WIFE.
‘Do I rejoice when a new Sheila O’Flanagan book hits the shelves? I do’ Roisin Meaney
Five years after the death of her firefighter husband, Eden knows better than anyone that life can change in an instant. Now, instead of the future she had planned with Andy, she has Lila – the daughter he never got the chance to meet. And instead of Andy, she has his family.
Then Eden meets someone. Someone she knew before Andy, before Lila, before the tragedy. Someone who reminds her of how she used to be. But Andy’s mother has other plans. And Eden is facing an impossible choice. One that could tear a family apart . . .
Honest and emotionally gripping, What Eden Did Next is an irresistible, sometimes heart-breaking, ultimately joyful, novel of love, loss – and finding your own way to happiness.
‘I would highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to get lost in a good plot’ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
‘Warm, mature and insightful . . . A story that speaks to the heart and soul of who we really are’ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
‘Eden is such a tenderly crafted character and it doesn’t take long to fall in love with her’ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Readers love Sheila’s books
‘One of my favourite authors’ Marian Keyes
‘Sheila writes with such verve and positivity and emotional intelligence – she knows just what it is to be a woman’ Veronica Henry
‘Reading a Sheila O’Flanagan novel always feels like sitting down for a cup of tea with a friend – she writes with such warmth and empathy’ Beth O’Leary
‘A refreshing, unapologetic, funny, absorbing page-turner which left me wanting to read another Sheila O’Flanagan novel straight away!’ Emily Gunnis
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With thanks to the Reading Agency and the publisher of “What Eden Did Next” for providing Methley Book Club with copies of this enjoyable book.
I do enjoy a good ‘family saga’ type of tale, from time to time, and this one did not disappoint. I found both the storyline and the characters to be immediately engaging. The book was easy to read and I looked forward to the time I spent with it each day.
An uplifting read which has encouraged me to seek out more novels by the author.
This is not my usual genre for reading but it was a pleasant read and I liked the story and the characters. Nicely written with just the right amount of description to place the story without going over the top. Definitely sad and uplifting in turn with a large doe of hope. Like I said not my genre but I can see why Sheila O'Flanagan is a top selling author.
A very well constructed narrative with interesting and believable characters. It started slowly building up to the main story so as to introduce the situations and relationships. I particularly liked how Sheila
O’ Flanagan understands her female characters and the dilemmas they faced.
I shall definitely seek out her other novels.
An enjoyable, well written read. I thought the characters were well drawn so that I was interested in their stories. Eden is a young widow with a 4 year old child who has become very close to her inlaws but a chance meeting with a childhood friend opens up new choices and dilemmas. I enjoyed the witty depiction of the neighbours on the ' friendly ' housing estate. Definitely recommend this novel if you enjoy a family based drama. An engaging read.
I loved this book. It was easy to read because the story was well crafted, it really drew me in. The characters were all believable, Eden was a bit of an easy going drifter who didnt really seem to be in control of her life after her husband died. She found life after becoming a widow with a small child daunting at first and relied heavily on her inlaws for help and support. This was fine for her at first, but she became stronger as her work gave her confidence and when she met up with someone from her past she bagan to loosen the threads that held her so tightly to her inlaws. She faced some of her demons from her childhood and began to process them differently when she realised that life is not a straight line of events that are easy to process but a path that needs to be negotiated with eyes wide open. She did make her decision to move on, while still keeping in touch with her husband's family but not letting them control her or her life.
It was an excellent read, I would highly recommend it.
This is a story of how events and circumstances dictate the life we lead. At age 10 the tragic death of her parents takes Eden away from her childhood home and friends. 20 years later as the widow of Andy, a hero firefighter killed in service, five years before, and mother of his child, she is unexpectedly reunited with her childhood companion. How to extricate herself from the cocoon which her dead husband's family have created without alienating them is at the heart of this tale.
The characters are well described and believable. The ending is well constructed with no loose ends.
There are no villains or nasty people in the book which stretches credulity somewhat.
Jacqui @ Methley Book Group
