Is it ever too late to reclaim the life you never lived?
Rosie O’Malley has not drawn breath after tragically losing her mother and then being abandoned by the one man she knew she loved. Burying her grief and heartbreak, Rosie threw herself into running Sandycove’s Cliff Top hotel determined to make a success of her mother’s legacy and keep a roof over her family’s heads. It’s now ten years later and this weekend, the hotel throws open its doors to host its very first wedding.
Boston-based Patrick Power touches down at Dublin Airport for his brother’s Seán’s wedding, having dedicated the last decade to building his thriving Irish restaurant business. A decade earlier, he left behind the love of his life and try as he might, he’s never been able to forget her.
Imagine Patrick’s shock when he discovers the wedding is being held in Cliff Top, Rosie’s hotel – the girl he let slip away.
As Sandycove shimmers in a heatwave, can Patrick navigate a family wedding as well as his own feelings? And will Rosie realise she’s been living her late mother’s life and not her own? Can she forgive Patrick for leaving her or will ambition and responsibility once again stand in the way of love?
The Summer Everything Changed by Sian O’Gorman will be published by Boldwood Books on 5 March 2026 and is available to pre-order on Amazon. I may have been just a little overexcited when the NetGalley approval arrived — this was one I couldn’t wait to begin. My thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the advance digital review copy.
SIAN O’GORMAN
In the absence of a social media profile, the author’s introduction below is drawn from their Amazon author page:
Hello everyone!
I have always wanted to tell stories and somehow – miraculously! I have found myself lucky enough to explore the lives of others in my novels. All of them are set in the part of Ireland where I live – beautiful south Dublin from Dun Laoghaire to the villages of Sandycove and Dalkey. They are bustling communities, full of characters and houses facing the sea.
My characters are women struggling to make a life that works for them. As we know, life is rarely plain sailing and I will always deal with the more challenging situations – the kind that have the power to force us to change tack but ultimately the kind we learn and grow from.
Balanced with that is buckets of Irish charm and humour because none of us can survive without having a bit of fun. There is always a love story but it has to be the very best kind, the one worth waiting for, that you barely dared to dream about.
I really hope you enjoy my books and I am thrilled with how many people seem to enjoy them.
Lots of love Siân xxx
Originally published here: Amazon (2024)
For ease of reference, I’ve included an Amazon link to the currently available titles. Naturally, the books can also be ordered from any good bookshop.
My Review
Cancel Your Plans – You’ll Need Tea & Biscuits for This One
This is my second Sian O’Gorman novel — and I think that makes this one even more special. I went into The Summer Everything Changed already hoping to fall in love all over again… and within just a few pages I knew I was in the safest of hands. That comforting, heartfelt warmth I remembered was right there waiting for me.
There is something about Sian O’Gorman’s writing that feels like exhaling. Her stories don’t just entertain; they wrap around you. From the moment I returned to Sandycove, I felt as though I had stepped into a place filled with heart, history and community. The setting shimmers with warmth, but it’s the emotional depth that truly stays with you. These characters feel real — flawed, loving, burdened, hopeful — and you don’t just read their journey, you feel it.
Rosie’s quiet strength and buried heartache moved me more than I expected. There’s such tenderness in the way her story unfolds — that delicate balance between responsibility and longing, between honouring the past and daring to choose your own future. I felt her hesitation, her guarded hope, her vulnerability. And when those emotional walls begin to shift? Oh, I felt that too.
This is a story about second chances, but it’s also about forgiveness — not just of others, but of yourself. It’s about family, community, shared history, and the ties that pull us back to where we truly belong. The wedding setting adds such a beautiful sense of togetherness and atmosphere — I could almost feel the summer heat, hear the laughter, sense the undercurrents of old memories and unresolved feelings simmering beneath the surface.
And I have to say, once I started reading, I genuinely could not put it down. This is one of those books where you tell yourself “just one more chapter”… and suddenly it’s much later than you planned. The world outside fades. The to-do list waits. Meals are delayed. These are the kinds of stories that deserve – no, require – a comfy chair, a steady supply of tea and a packet of biscuits within easy reach. Consider yourself warned.
There were tears — the lovely, hopeful kind — and by the final pages I felt completely uplifted. Not in a dramatic way, but in that quiet, soul-soothing way that lingers long after you close the book.
Finishing this novel confirmed something for me: I want to read everything Sian O’Gorman writes. In fact, I may have immediately purchased every available title on Kindle just so I know they’re there waiting. Her stories offer the most beautiful break from real life — immersive, emotional, comforting and utterly absorbing. Once you begin, you simply don’t want to leave.
A truly heartfelt, radiant read that left me full of warmth and already longing for my next visit to Sandycove.
#SianOGorman #TheSummerEverythingChanged
#BoldwoodBooks #NetGalley #BookReview
See About My Reviews and Review FAQ for full star rating explanations and review guidelines. This review may also appear on my social media channels and selected book platforms. All links were correct at the time of publication. Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley, thanks to Boldwood Books. This review reflects my own reading experience. This review is original content. Please credit and link back if you wish to quote.
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