Book Summary and Reviews of The Seven O'Clock Club by Amelia Ireland

The Seven O'Clock Club by Amelia Ireland

The Seven O'Clock Club

by Amelia Ireland

  • Readers' Rating (33):
  • Published:
  • Apr 2025, 368 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

Four strangers are brought together to participate in an experimental treatment designed to heal broken hearts in this surprising and heartfelt debut novel from author Amelia Ireland.

In a perfectly ordinary building, four strangers who couldn't be more different meet for the first time. Their skepticism of this new kind of grief therapy—and the unnervingly perceptive group leader—means they're all wary, but as the weeks go by, they find themselves returning again and again, pulled to work toward healing, even if it means first facing the pain head-on.

A sharp-tongued lawyer who has no intention of letting down her walls, a fragile young woman looking for a place to belong, a musician at the top of his game who's one drink away from losing it all, and an interior designer facing the crumbling of her picture-perfect life—this unlikely group slowly opens up, not only to the possibility of a happier future but to friendship, change, and even romance.

When a shocking revelation reveals the real reason they were chosen for this group, it shakes the very foundation of what they thought they knew. What began as a journey designed to heal turns out to be a much greater test of friendship, strength, and love as they realize happiness is just outside the door...if they're brave enough to seek it.

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The Seven O’Clock Club by Amelia Ireland
Love the cover - have you read it?
-Elizabeth

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Readers will be charmed by the well-drawn characters and impressed by Ireland's high-wire act. It's irresistible." —Publishers Weekly

"The divine Amelia Ireland has written a surprising and glorious debut novel. Ireland has created a world where broken hearts are mended and grief can only be released in mutual understanding. When Freya, Mischa, Callum and Victoria meet Genevieve Dempsey, they are lost and broken. As the novel unspools, they find their way to back to truth and ultimately—love." —Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Left Undone

"Finished in one sitting. Had no idea where it was going but knew there was something lurking. Incredible twist. Ends with a final lap of the ride when you think it is all over. Different. Clever. Genuine. Sad. Reminded me in parts of the Outlaws show. I will be recommending this to friends." —Ericka Waller, author of Goodbye Birdie Greenwing

This information about The Seven O'Clock Club was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

Write your own reviewwrite your own review

Kristina

Best read of the year
This book was hands down my favorite read of 2024. I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC, which is an honor but doesn’t impact my rating. I found the characters all to be interesting and enjoyed learning more about each one. I was intrigued to learn more about the sessions and found the overall plot a delight. Truly my favorite book from 2024.

Anne M. (Madison, WI)

Ride the rollercoaster
I was very much looking forward to the book and the premise that four strangers join a therapy group together in order to get over some common, unnamed struggle. As the characters unfolded, the book took the reader into the backstories of the four strangers and there were, predictably, some intersections.

Then came the big reveal (which I won't mention here) and I immediately felt disbelief. I was dismayed that this novel was not what I wanted it to be about! How could I have been fooled?! Not one to put down a book and stop reading (I probably only left two books unfinished in all my years), I decided to continue out of curiosity, to see where it was going.

So glad I did! The book took a really delightful turn, unexpected and inspiring, and very comforting in many ways. You will get what I mean when you read it! Highly recommend! Just don't stop reading!

Ellen G. (Montclair, NJ)

The Seven O'clock Club
I loved this book! I was totally engaged from the first page. The characters were unique and each had a story to tell. As the stories unfold, each person reveals the devil they are dealing with, Friendships develop and the group comes together to help each other get through their issues. The surprise ending is what makes this book so rewarding. I highly recommend this book and will recommend it to my book club once it is published.

Darcy C. (San Diego, CA)

Holy smokes – – what a ride!!!
Oh my gosh, by golly!! THIS BOOK IS EXACTLY WHY I READ!!!
I never lost interest in this book at any point. To me, I could relate to all of the characters. I love getting goosebumps from a book! Each time revelations in the story made me pause and truly reflect on these magic moments. The book has a very understandable situation for the characters. I had no idea that I was going to be getting my socks knocked off. I am not trying to be vague as you can read the book synopsis. I'm trying to convey the ways that this book truly affected me. I certainly don't want to deny any reader of the too-rare-occasion of being 100 moved by a book.
There is a huge "U-turn " or "wtf" moment that gave me full – body – chills. Isn't that one of the best feelings ever — When a book can do this!?! As a matter of fact, I got full goosebumps five or six times reading a novel. That has never happened to me before. I believe I was in the absolute perfect state of mind to love every word in this book.

Melanie B. (Desoto, TX)

Thoughtful and Insightful Novel
I didn't want to put this book down. The author does an excellent job of moving the reader through the grief processes of four very different people who somehow manage to share a common experience of loss and the healing acceptance of letting go and moving through their pain. I highly recommend this book for anyone experiencing loss and looking for a way to accept and live with it. I think this is a very good book for reading group discussions.

Allison R. (Twinsburg, OH)

Connection in life and death
This book captured my attention right away because while you have a vague idea of what is going on, some kind of group therapy or grief counseling, you want to figure out how these people will manage to heal. The characters are interesting, mostly likable, and relatable. The author does a good job sharing their stories and their grief from their unique perspectives. And while they are all very different, they have a lot in common and form a very strong bond within the first couple meetings. I enjoyed the theme around the importance of human connection and telling one's story in order to heal and move on from grief. "Perception is reality" is a saying I have heard before and it rings true here in so many way as this book does an excellent job of walking you through different dimensions of truth.

...24 more reader reviews

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Author Information

Amelia Ireland

Amelia Ireland lives in London but travels extensively to far flung places. She likes to rock climb, kite surf, and ride horses. She is also a mother to two very dramatic children.

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