Elizabeth, the local doctor's wife, has recently become a widow and has found that her husband died leaving her with crippling debt, their large house and his practice. Not quite true to list this as having been read as I gave up after 4 chapters, deeply irritated by the transparent plot and ridiculous ease with which the cardboard, stereotypical characters chopped and changed their lives. This one started out with the idea of Elizabeth, but then, somehow it grew into something far greater than I had imagined for any of the women on the page. On the background of Ireland’s awful legacy of the Catholic homes for unmarried mothers and forced adoptions, Hogan’s story also touches on the toll taken by laws against homosexuality, and the overwhelming imperative to maintain the veneer of respectability in a small Irish community.

Throughout the story it is the friendships and support characters give to each other that make it a beautiful, heartwarming read that I have no hesitation in highly recommending.

Set in a small coastal Irish town, The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club is told from multiple perspectives. The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club was founded by Jo, who coerced her daughter and friend to join her. Additionally, all characters repeated the same thing in each of their chapters - during the charity swim, at least 3 of them mentioned the fact that the men's group had strung up lanterns, and the repetition was common throughout the rest of the book as well. She is at present taking a break from her employment over the summer in an attempt to reconnect with her son but he misses his friends and finds the quiet, slower pace of life in the area boring.

In a state of anxiety and confusion, Elizabeth decides to confide in lifelong friend Jo about everything that is happening, secrets she has, until now, kept private. A story with a nicely woven plot and some wonderful highlights—the ladies swimming in the altogether at midnight is a vision of warm friendship and individual courage. She was never a fan of Lucy’s ex-husband but she always respected Lucy’s decisions and has been there for her through thick and thin. Elizabeth O'Shea has recently become the widowed wife of the local GP, Eric, but it has been a long time since there had been any love and care in their marriage. I just adore Faith Hogan’s books, and she’s one of my top go-to authors for a guaranteed beautiful, atmospheric, and authentic read.Hogan's writing style was poignant, with elements of humour to expertly break up the dramatic moments. And they all began to laugh at the notion of Eric’s former receptionist pulling off her interlocking knickers before diving into the cold Atlantic. This is an amazing read, an emotive story set in a small seaside village on the West coast of Ireland with friendship at its heart.

Be prepared to read this book with a box of tissues, but also, to laugh out loud and cheer for them all. On arrival it’s clear to Jo that Lucy is under pressure and any decision she now makes for her future must take into account Niall and her life back in Dublin.Their relationship had been hard work and distant for some time, but after he dies Elizabeth is left reeling when she discovers that he had a gambling problem and has left her thousands of pounds in debt. The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club is a heartwarming, uplifting and captivating character-driven piece of contemporary women's fiction and it is packed with so much heart and soul, humour and emotion.