A Week to Remember by Ruth O'LearySynopsis: “When Strangers Collide, Lives Are Forever Altered. Paula has an anxiety attack at her 60th birthday party and realises that her life must change. While her friends are settling into retirement, she craves adventure. Then a shock discovery forces her to question everything she thought was sure in her life. Rachel is about to go into business with boyfriend Craig when he betrays her in the worst way possible. She is desperate to get away and figure out how to move forward. Can she forgive and forget, in order to have everything she has dreamed of? Cathy’s world is turned upside down by a life-altering event. Struggling with her feelings, she sets out to follow in the footsteps of her favourite film, The Way, hoping to find the courage to plan a new life free from fear. As the three women set out on journeys of healing and self-discovery, on the ancient path of the Camino de Santiago, fate causes their paths to cross. Will the Camino provide the answers they seek and the strength to pursue the lives they desire?”

My Review

I loved this book!  

It’s told from the point of view of three Irish women, Paula, Cathy, and Rachel, as they spend a week walking along the Camino de Santiago in Spain, a very famous hiking route in Europe. Each woman is at a different point in their lives and the time on the Camino helps them to make important decisions.

I loved the three women, and really enjoyed following them on their physical and emotional journeys during their week on the Camino.

I identified more with Paula, but I appreciated Cathy and Rachel’s points of view. The character development was really good, as were the twists and turns as they got closer to the Cathedral in Santiago. There were some dark moments, but also some laugh out loud ones too, especially with Rachel’s friend Charley.

Ruth O’Leary is a new-to-me author, and I’ll definitely be looking out for her books.

Highly recommended if you enjoy contemporary feel good fiction set in Europe.

Book 16 of 20 Books of Summer 2025