Straight in with the Walshes & their ridey men I reread Rachel's Holiday recently & was so so glad I did. I had forgotten how the drama swishes around the Walsh sisters like a whirlwind. After 25 years what has Rachel been up to? Like an old friend I hoped she was well & nothing bad had happened... Hmmm New boyfriend Quin, I wanted to dislike him but he really had her corner & grew on me as the story went. We're back in Ireland & it's all a to do as Mrs Walsh is having a surprise party orchestrated by herself of course but more drama is due. I smiled & giggled again. I caught up with old friends, said oh Rachel to myself so many times, and had a good emotional cry with Rachel when she needed it. Oh my goodness that bought a lot of baggage back to the fore. Wasn't expecting that. Deep breaths & a raw weep later I read on. Written with a raw integrity that made my heart ache, I was at odds how to feel at times, with age comes more experience & understanding and I think Rachel may be one of my all time favourite heroines. I needed to know she's doing OK. I hope Marian Keyes sees fit to let us know how the Walsh clan are doing in another 25 years. Again, Rachel has it all and I'm so so glad she's back. Thank you Michael Joseph Books for my gifted proof copy.

I have been reading Marian’s books for over 20 years and my favourites have always been the ones that involve the Walsh sisters. When I heard she had written a sequel to Rachel’s Holiday which was to be published for the 25th anniversary of the first book, I was so excited to catch up with them and see where their lives had taken them. I was incredibly lucky to receive an advance reader copy of Again, Rachel and immediately dropped everything else to read it. One of my favourite things about Marian’s books is that they make me feel a huge range of emotions - they almost always make me both laugh and cry. Within the first few pages of Again, Rachel I was laughing out loud. Multiple times I stopped to read out a particularly hilarious line to my husband. The writing style is wonderful as always - it feels effortless to read as if you’re having a chat with a much loved friend. Catching up with the familiar characters was such a pleasure. But as with all of Marian’s books, I knew there would be a serious and painful topics discussed, and this book was so exception. Grief, addiction and relationships ending are just some of the heart-breaking subjects the characters have to deal with. They are written in such an honest and raw way that I found myself sobbing on numerous occasions. Told both in the present and in flashbacks to Rachel’s past, we see her make realisations about what really happened that could have a huge impact in every area of her life. In her return to Rachel’s story, Marian’s writing is at its very best. Dealing with incredibly difficult topics with sensitivity and honesty it’s impossible not to empathise with the characters. Although there are times when this book broke my heart, I felt such joy as I followed Rachel’s journey to try and find acceptance and happiness within herself. This was exactly the book I needed to read. One of my very favourite authors, this is probably now my favourite of her books. Just perfect.

I am relatively new to the world of Marian Keyes - my mum gave me a copy of Rachel's Holiday along with Jilly Cooper's Riders when I finished university and was able to read for pleasure again. Each one of her stories is an absolute joy. She writes about difficult subject matters with such dexterity and brilliance. I was lucky to receive an advanced readers copy of Again, Rachel and finished it the night before publication tucked up with my dog next to the fire. Again, Rachel is the long awaited sequel to the iconic Rachel's Holiday. In this sequel we meet Rachel as she is living a good life in Ireland. She is working as an addiction counsellor at the rehab centre that treated her many years ago, she is in a relationship with a nice man and she has a strong connection to her family base. All goes up in the air though when her ex Luke arrives on the scene and emotions of the past are stirred up. I think this is Keyes at her absolute best. It is gloriously funny. The way she writes the Walsh family and their dynamics around one another is always brilliant to observe. She tackles the realities of life with an addiction and living with recovery so well. I can't think of many books that explore recovery in the years after discovering an addiction. It is so refreshing to read about in Again, Rachel. This book also tapped right into my emotions and I think it will be a balm to so many readers. I just wanted to reach through the pages and pull Rachel into a tight embrace at one point. She feels so very real to me. This was a triumphant return and I am looking forward to rereading all of the books in which the Walsh sisters appear as I can't bear to stay away from them.

Revisiting Rachel is an absolute delight. I loved that her life had moved on a fair chunk but that some aspects of her thinking had not, without giving anything away. The same humour is there and the support of her mad family, but she still struggles with turmoil, as we all do. It was a brilliant read as always, Marian knocking it out of the park as usual!

Twenty five years after the successful introduction of Rachel Walsh in Rachel’s Holiday we return once more to the Walsh clan and catch up with Rachel one of Marian Keyes most well rounded and interesting characters. Rachel is now a counsellor at the Cloisters, where we originally met on her “Holiday” although she has split from her husband, the gorgeous Luke, she is happy in her new relationship with Quin, until that is Luke returns to Ireland and walks back into Rachel’s life. For me the endearing joy of Marian Keyes’ novels is that they are yes, very funny and very much in a traditional “chick lit” style, however the two things that Marian does brilliantly is she adds real depth to the characters and situations they find themselves in.Firstly things that Marian has suffered herself , addiction and depression are intricately and truthfully interwoven into her characters lives. Secondly it is the way she writes family. The interactions between the five sisters and the wonderful Mam and Dad Keyes are intimate and joyous and feel very real. So you laugh, and swoon a little at the romance but you also cry and feel the true impact of some of the heartbreaking scenarios that Rachel and her family face. All I can say it welcome back Rachel, it has been well worth the wait.