Not an easy read but a powerful, emotional and hopeful read all the same. Highlights issues of emotional abuse and coercive control and set against the background of the housing crisis in Ireland. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book

Nesting is a debut novel and a chilling read about insidious psychological domestic violence. From the opening pages setting the scene of a standard family day out, we quickly discover the clues that it’s not as relaxed as it first appears. Ciara is walking on eggshells to appease her husband Ryan, permanently assessing his moods and adjusting her behaviour accordingly. She plans everything to the smallest detail knowing that Ryan will ask her questions about where she’s been or who she’s spoken to. She knows from bitter experience that there will be consequences if he’s not happy with the response. We quickly find out that Ciara and her two young daughters have tried to leave Ryan before but returned to the family home for a fresh start. She regrets this move more than she can ever say and when she finds out that she’s pregnant with her third child, she knows she has to leave. She leaves Ryan in a hurry, grabbing what she can before she’s discovered. She doesn’t have a plan, she’s so beaten down by her life experiences over the last few years. She approaches the council for help, and is offered temporary accommodation in a hotel, where the homeless families are hidden from the paying guests. The family come up against bureaucratic systems and severe lack of housing. In the meantime, she is taking the girls to see their father regularly; he’s sweetness and light now that Ciara has stood up for herself and it’s chilling to hear how charming he can be when he wants to. As time passes, there’s a permanent anxiety that Ryan will win and Ciara will go back to him, he is so convincing and so sure that he is right. His own family and friends back him too, telling Ciara that he’s right and she’s lucky to have him. The story is expertly written and powerfully told. It’s a small insight into how easy it is for women to lose everything and have to start again whilst still carrying the domestic burden of child care, house hunting and working

A difficult read that throws light on some uncomfortable truths so often hidden in the lives around us. Domestic psychological abuse coupled with the realities of homelessness and its effect on families are sensitively depicted. But although the story has its bleakest moments, there is still an underlying theme of how love and friendship can ultimately endure.

This wasn't an easy read in any way. My heart is broken from this sad sad story. My heart was genuinely in my mouth reading this book. Powerful, raw and emotional.

I am not sure how to review this book. I enjoyed reading it but also found it distressing and very sad. Ciara is a women from Sheffield married to a man from Ireland. The beginning of their marriage seemed perfect but Ryan becomes controlling mentally and physically although not the hitting kind. There are also two little girls in the mix who he ignores the majority of the time. Ciara leaves and goes to Sheffield but Ryan is contrite and she returns. A big mistake as once she is home he becomes abusive and unkind again. This time she feels she must leave and makes arrangements to fly home. On the flight she is stopped leaving the country by the Garda. Ryan obviously becomes worse. Eventually she makes the decision to leave but stay locally. She then finds herself pregnant with Noah but does not tell Ryan until obviously he finds out. Ciara is living in a hotel bedroom with three children, little money and frightened for those children. Ryan insists on his rights as a father to see the children but she has this maternal urge to keep them safe knowing that he will not look after them properly. Her other drama is that Ryan’s parents are in the mix thinking he is the best father in the work and this makes Ciara’s life even more difficult with their phone calls etc. The story brings home to readers that this is something that exists in some peoples’ day to day lives. Ciara becomes stronger and things improves very slowly. I enjoyed the characters as I felt they were believable and although the story is hard hitting it is worth a read