Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this fantastic title! I find it hard to believe THE SEVEN O'CLOCK CLUB is a debut novel!
Author: Amelia IrelandPublisher: Berkley
Release Day: April 15, 2025
Special thanks to Berkley for a complimentary arc of this title for review. Opinions expressed are my own.
Four strangers are brought together to participate in an experimental treatment designed to heal broken hearts in this surprising and heartfelt debut novel from author Amelia Ireland.
Review:
THE SEVEN O'CLOCK CLUB by Author Amelia Ireland is a mesmerizing, emotional story that takes a turn I had no idea was coming. I'm glad I went into this one virtually clueless, not knowing what to expect, as I think it enhanced the overall reading experience, and when the shocking turn occurred, I was already so deeply invested in these character's lives that I couldn't turn back even if I wanted to. Without giving anything away, I'll say I'm still not completely clear how I feel about the twist in this one - maybe because it was so unexpected to me - but I do know I was riveted in my seat from beginning to end and finished emotionally drained.
Four strangers respond to different ads seeking participants for a new, experimental grief counseling group set to meet once a week a seven o'clock in the evening. The four who show up couldn't be more different except for one thing . . . all four at struggling with moving on from a personal, devastating loss in their lives. Middle aged Victoria appears arrogant and indifferent, unkempt Freya is a shell of her former self, Mischa is young, innocent and anxious to please and then there's Callum, a bad boy rocker who plummeted from the top of the music world to hit rock bottom in a pool of alcohol, drugs and careless sex. None of the four wants to be there so why are they? What drove or persuaded these four individuals to get up off the floor and seek help? And who is Genevieve - the mysterious, secretive leader of the group? As this story unfolds, each individual's story is revealed - their grief, their shattered dreams, their personal disaster - as they slowly begin letting down their guard. As weeks go by and all four continue showing up, relationships form, and hearts begin healing. And yet, there's a growing unease that Geneviere is keeping something from them. And when she finally plays her trump card, total shock ensues for both characters and readers if they've gone into this book blind. That's all I can say about the plot line without spoilers. Read the book one page, once chapter at a time, and it'll consume you. I still can't stop thinking about it a week or so later.
THE SEVEN O'CLOCK CLUB is an emotional rollercoaster that highlights grief, depression, healing, human connections, and forgiveness. Readers will find it easy to feel empathy for these characters as they are written with such expertise and depth, such emotion, that it almost feels like you're a part of the seven o'clock club too. I finished the book over a week ago and still find myself thinking about it. Highly recommended to fans of Literary Fiction and Magical Realism.
Synopsis:
In a perfectly ordinary building, four strangers who couldn't be more different meet for the first time. Their skepticism of this new kind of grief therapy—and the unnervingly perceptive group leader—means they're all wary, but as the weeks go by, they find themselves returning again and again, pulled to work toward healing, even if it means first facing the pain head-on.
A sharp-tongued lawyer who has no intention of letting down her walls, a fragile young woman looking for a place to belong, a musician at the top of his game who's one drink away from losing it all, and an interior designer facing the crumbling of her picture-perfect life—this unlikely group slowly opens up, not only to the possibility of a happier future but to friendship, change, and even romance.
When a shocking revelation reveals the real reason they were chosen for this group, it shakes the very foundation of what they thought they knew. What began as a journey designed to heal turns out to be a much greater test of friendship, strength, and love as they realize happiness is just outside the door...if they're brave enough to seek it.
A sharp-tongued lawyer who has no intention of letting down her walls, a fragile young woman looking for a place to belong, a musician at the top of his game who's one drink away from losing it all, and an interior designer facing the crumbling of her picture-perfect life—this unlikely group slowly opens up, not only to the possibility of a happier future but to friendship, change, and even romance.
When a shocking revelation reveals the real reason they were chosen for this group, it shakes the very foundation of what they thought they knew. What began as a journey designed to heal turns out to be a much greater test of friendship, strength, and love as they realize happiness is just outside the door...if they're brave enough to seek it.
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