Vicki Notaro’s latest book is one that all Irish women will resonate with

Anywhere But Here is Notaro's third book, and her best by a long shot. The Dublin writer has returned with her strongest book to date, full of heart, charm, wit, and some of the most relatable characters I've met in the pages of an Irish novel in quite some time. Anywhere But Here follows three friends, Matilda, Sadie, and Jess, who are all at different crossroads in their lives. As their personal worlds start to crumble, the trio escapes to Donegal to try to build their lives back up.

The three main characters are endearing and complicated and messy in their own unique ways, but I haven't related to a character quite like Sadie in some time. Career-focused Sadie can't help but compare herself to what her friends have and fails to see that they're also comparing themselves to her, wishing they could be as independent as she is. She's a homebird, a journalist struggling in an ever-changing industry, and incredibly protective of her own heart. She is still child-free and single, but can't help but find herself wondering what her life would be like if she followed a similar path to Jess, who is married with two grown children.

Vicki has a natural wit and charm in all of her books, making them feel both comforting and beautifully honest at the same time. The author writes about being in your late thirties and early forties with such refreshing honesty, but adds in glimmers and glamour along the way to keep the reader pleasantly entertained.

Anywhere But Here is a masterclass in women's fiction, and I'm so grateful we have authors like Vicki Notaro on our little island. Trust me when I say that this is a book that every Irish woman will relate to in some way, whether you're 35 or 75.

What is Anywhere But Here about?

Three friends at life-changing crossroads . . . Matilda: Living the dream: presenting breakfast TV in Dublin and married to a man with a mega media career in the UK. But when she turns up in their London flat to surprise him for his birthday, it's she who gets a shock.

Sadie: Clinging to her journalism career because, apart from a snooty dog, it's all she has. Her house is falling apart, her romantic life is just as ramshackle, and nasty flashbacks to her past are becoming more than just a nuisance.

Buy Anywhere But Here here.

Buy the Kindle version here.

What's so incredibly refreshing about Vicki's books is how her female leads haven't got it all figured out. Like most of us, they are doing their best to wade through the complexities of being a woman in Ireland. Do I have kids? Should I sell my family home? Should I break up with my long-term partner? Have I left it too late to find 'the one'? Do people judge me for being child-free? Will I ever own a home? Should I freeze my eggs? Has my career dried up? The list is never-ending. What's so comforting about Vicki's books is just how real her characters feel. Sadie felt so similar to me in ways that I actually found it weirdly comforting reading about her struggles and worries. Vicki's characters are the type you want to befriend, and ones you'll sorely miss when you finish reading her books.

Jess: The one who was sorted early - married a lovely man, had two gorgeous babies. But with a distant husband and teenage twins who think she's cringe, nothing she believed about herself makes sense anymore. Matilda, Sadie, and Jess take off to Donegal to do some serious soul-searching. But maybe the answers to their problems lie closer to home? Anywhere But Here is a warm, funny, and page-turning novel about finding out what makes you happy when you thought you had it all figured out.