Reviewed by Emma Crowley
It's the day before the wedding ...
Three strangers arrive home to Ireland to the house that gave each of them refuge when they needed it most. They are there to celebrate the winter wedding of their beloved Annie, the woman who fostered them in their childhoods.
Now Julia is a world-famous singer living in luxury in Paris and Eddie is a chef in London, while Steph spends her days on a remote Greek island, running a writers' retreat with her older lover.
All three have moved on from the past, but as the wedding celebrations get underway, certain truths come to light. It turns out that some hurts last longer than others ...
As Annie says 'I do', with an unexpected twist for her wedding party, will Julia, Eddie and Steph discover their own happy-ever-afters in time for Christmas Day?
Many thanks to Hachette Ireland via NetGalley for my copy of It’s That Time of Year to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
The wonderful Roisin Meaney had already brought us the brilliant The Restaurant in the Summer of 2020 and towards the tail end of the year she published It’s That Time of Year. It was a real treat of a read, perfect to curl up on the couch with on a cold winter’s day. It’s not a Christmas book as such although it does take place in the days preceding the big day. It’s a warm and cosy read following Annie as she prepares for her wedding. It is to be a small event, just the way she wants it, but she has asked several of her foster children to return to the small village in Clare where she lives so they can join in the celebrations. But the three people out of the many she fostered over the years are all battling with their own demons and emotions. Will there be unity and cause for joy and happiness or will what they are grappling with threaten to ruin the big day alongside a snowstorm?
It’s That Time of Year is a slow and comforting read and I definitely felt it was giving off Maeve Binchy vibes as it reminded me so much of her novels. Maeve was an author beloved by so many so to get that same feeling from Roisin’s book was amazing. I felt the story had a lovely, natural, engaging flow to it and that the characters were allowed to just share their stories at the most perfect pace. There was a sense that Annie was a very wise woman. One who offered comfort, hope and support to those who needed it the most. She never put pressure or unnecessary force on people to share their burdens but would always be there at just the right time when someone felt the need to let go and share their troubles and issues. Annie was the matriarch of the story, although not connected by blood to the three people who she has asked specifically to come to her big day, still she was their mother figure in the absence of one.
Annie is a doer and a helper. She always helps people out be it driving the meals on wheels van, reading in the church or aiding any community endeavour. You can sure count on Annie. She is 60 and this milestone birthday sees her facing big changes in her life as she is going to have to sell the farmhouse where she fostered so many and where endless special memories were created. It’s too big for her and for another reason alluded to throughout the story she will have to move in with her new husband Matt. Annie was a wonderful character written with such empathy and simple understanding. We see the decisions she is silently wrestling with but yet pushes these to one side as Julia, Eddie and Steph return to their safety net but will it remain intact for them or will their concerns, anxieties and difficulties prove to be too much?
Julia is 40 and has spent the past 25 years living in Paris. She is a singer who has had success but is now struggling to write new material. She has been having an affair with Jean Luc and wishes that it could come out in the open and their love can be shared for all to see. Julia shares a real emotional connection with Annie as she lost her parents when she was 3. Annie stepped in and was there for her until she chose to leave the nest. Yet she can always rely on Annie for words of wisdom and a shoulder to cry on. The reader can sense that at this point in time Julia is not truly happy in her own skin, it’s like there is a shadow hanging over her. She is not comfortable with the amount of fame she has attracted and she feels an enormous pressure to conform to what a celebrity should be. She wears a haunted look and is worn out from being in the spotlight and despite such acclaim she is desperately lonely. Will returning for Annie’s wedding help her to feel protected and safe and finally aid her in confronting what is tormenting her? Can she just be plain old Julia Murphy instead of a famous singer and a mistress?
Steph was the most messed up out of the three Annie has invited. She was a tearaway as a teenager and caused endless trouble for her foster mother. This will be the first time she has returned to see Annie since she left. There’s is a fractured history as Steph has been an absolute horror with truancy disappearances and just a general standoffish mood full of defiance. She seemed to have a huge chip on her shoulder in relation to her family history but Annie could see she was suffering. She kept asking her to do something which could see Steph have some sort of resolution and acceptance but she firmly resolved not to do this. Steph is a wanderer but for some time she has settled on a Greek island with an author and they run writing retreats but from the way she talks and the experiences she describes the reader can tell she is not living a contented life in the sun.
It was easy to see what Steph needed to do with her life but she comes back just the same as ever and appears not to have grown and changed. Did she just endlessly move about her problems from one place to another not seeing any way out or what direction she should go in? Honestly, I couldn’t warm to Steph. Yes, I could see that she was damaged but she just seemed too woe is me and there was no get up and go about her. She was just miserable and yes I know she was experiencing a tough time but Annie was always on her side she just never chose to fully let her in.
Eddie is the final person chosen to come to Annie’s wedding. He has been living in London for the last 8 years and makes out he has the best chef job in the world and has worked in top quality restaurants. He allows this illusion to keep going when in reality he works in a normal run of the mill restaurant. He is no closer to realising his dreams. He spent a brief time with Annie as he returned to his family aged 5 but yet a huge gulf still exists between Eddie and his family members. Are the demons of the past just that too difficult too quash one and for all.? For me Eddie was the most under developed character, I wanted to know more about him. His inner workings, thoughts and opinions. I felt we barely scratched the surface of him whereas I felt more of a pull to Annie, Julia and Steph.
As well as getting to know the three foster children returning as adults, every few chapters or so we get a glimpse into Annie’s past life and I loved these sections of the book. It really helped to gain such a deeper understanding of Annie as to what really motivated her in spending so much of her life helping children in need. I loved how we saw her life long friendship with Cora begin, develop and mature and you just wish that you yourself could have such a lasting and solid friendship to see you through life. Delving into Annie’s past gave us such a deep and special insight into all aspects of her character and this also allowed me to appreciate her even more. It showed she was a special and unique person who always saw the bigger picture when others could not and she knew just what they needed when they couldn’t see the wood for the trees in the darkest of times. I hoped she would have the special and most memorable day that she deserved but there were numerous obstacles in her path not to mention all the soul searching and angst that each and every character was experiencing.
It’s That Time of Year was a gorgeous, comforting read and it was an absolute delight to have a second new book from Roisin in the space of a few months. This book was special and I loved how the threads all wove together coming towards the end. I’m already looking forward to The Book Club which is due to be published in June.
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