265 pages Bookouture Publisher Publication date

July 31, 2026

ABOUT THE BOOK

‘It devastates me that this will be the first you’re hearing of the bookshop. But it’s yours now, and I hope it can heal you despite everything you might hear about our family. Good luck, dear Ciara, and remember to never give up…’

Standing amongst the wildflowers that border the abandoned bookshop, Ciara’s heart begins to swell. She never met her mysterious distant relative Martha, but there’s no denying that this place, filled with beautiful old books, is captivating. Trapped in a dead-end job and a tiny apartment in Dublin, this inheritance could change everything for her.

As visitors from Cherrywood village arrive to welcome Ciara, and she learns to love each priceless edition she now owns, it’s Ronan, the handsome lawyer with hazel eyes and husky voice who makes a lasting impression. Can he help her learn more about Martha? Why was Ciara chosen to protect the bookshop’s legacy, and why all the secrecy? The only certainty is the butterflies Ciara feels every time she locks eyes with Ronan. Is it crazy to imagine herself re-opening the bookshop and staying forever?

But nothing prepares Ciara for the letter she finds hidden high on the rickety shelves, for the heart shattering story of an abandoned baby and a devastating family secret. The truth about Martha could mean Ciara loses the bookshop forever.

Ciara is faced with an impossible choice: close the doors of her new home and return to her old life in Dublin, or stay to find out the truth and risk everything for a new life in Cherrywood…

MY THOUGHTS

The Secret Bookshop in Ireland is the first exciting book in the Sisters of Cherrywood.
A young woman is shocked when receiving her daily post she opens it to learn she has inherited a house from someone she had never met.
A life changing event happens to a young woman and she visits the house and sees so much potential in it and her dog loves the area too.
The small town has declined in people living there and property value as the older folks living there have died off and no one younger wants to live there and improve the houses.
Through her solicitor she learns about the woman she has inherited the house from and her father’s family history. I loved learning about the past lives of the characters she researched that lived in the small town many years ago. Their lives were not easy and tragedy paid them a visit more than once. At first I didn’t like her mother’s character she seemed to want to take control of her daughter’s life but then she became more likable and was a big help to her daughter.
There may be a romance brewing but with several men seeming to be interested who will be the best fit?
I absolutely loved the idea of bringing the bookshop back to life in Cherrywood and there are several older characters who remembered how it was in the past and they are willing to help bring it back the way it was.
I also enjoyed getting to know the solicitor and his mother, both pleasant characters.
I greatly look forward to seeing how things are progressing in the next book and hopefully there will start to be a regeneration of the small town now. Excellent read!

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Susanne O’Leary is the bestselling author of more than 30 novels, mainly romantic fiction set in Ireland. Her many books set in County Kerry have been hugely popular with readers all over the world. She shares her time between Dublin and Kerry, where she and her husband have a little cottage near the beach. The wild, beautiful landscape, the small villages and the friendly people of that county have inspired her to write her feel-good stories. She’s been inspired to write about people of all ages and walks of life, with lots of romance, and more than a dash of humour.

When she is not writing or reading by the fire, Susanne loves heading for the great outdoors, walking on the beaches or scaling the green hills of her favourite county.