Again, Rachel

Again, Rachel was my first book by Marian Keyes but is actually the seventh book in the popular Walsh Family series. I wasn't sure what to expect but I enjoyed stepping into this story that balances family drama, heart, humour and the theme of resiliency.

Despite the six books before it, this book can be read as a standalone and I easily slipped into Rachel's life. Rachel is an addiction counsellor at The Cloisters, an addiction rehabilitation centre that she attended twenty years before as a patient. When her ex-mother-in-law passes away, Rachel attends the funeral and upon seeing her ex-husband Luke, unresolved feelings come to the surface which complicate her life and current relationship.

This story is filled with well-developed characters. A LOT of characters actually (I ended up making a character cheat sheet), but they each added something to the story. From Rachel and her large family to her addiction rehab clients, Keyes uses this large cast to introduce emotional topics while balancing these heavier scenes with humour. We also get a look into Rachel's life as a recovering addict; how people treat her and how she treats herself but what made this book for me was how Keyes included significant backstories for many of Rachel's clients, bringing her readers into the addiction counselling process from a variety of viewpoints.

Again, Rachel is enjoyable if a bit overly dramatic, slower burn kind of read. I learned a lot about addiction and appreciate how Keyes didn't shy away from big, emotional issues (see trigger warnings below disclaimer) and the complicated messiness of family.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to DoubleDay Canada and Penguin Random House Canada for this advanced copy provided in exchange for my honest review.

Trigger Warnings: stillbirth, death of a child, divorce, death of a parent

My Rating: 4 stars

Author: Marian Keyes

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Type and Source: Trade Paperback from publisher

Publisher: DoubleDay Canada

First Published: April 5, 2022

Opening Lines: The touch of his hand, lightly circling 

my belly button, woke me. Still half-asleep, I enjoyed the feel 

of his fingers tracing lower.

Book Description from GoodReads: From internationally bestselling author Marian Keyes comes the eagerly awaited sequel to Rachel's Holiday.

Back in the long ago nineties, Rachel Walsh was a mess.

But a spell in rehab transformed everything. Life became very good, very quickly. These days, Rachel has love, family, a great job as an addiction counsellor, she even gardens. Her only bad habit is a fondness for expensive sneakers.

But with the sudden reappearance of a man she'd once loved, her life wobbles.

She'd thought she was settled. Fixed forever. Is she about to discover that no matter what our age, everything can change?

Is it time to think again, Rachel?