Cathy Kelly Books In Order
All of Cathy Kelly’s Books in Order!
Who is Cathy Kelly?
Cathy Kelly is an Irish former journalist and best-selling, award-winning writer of women’s fiction. She published her first international bestseller in 1997, Woman To Woman, and wrote more than twenty more since then.
As it is said on her official website, “her trademark is warm and witty Irish storytelling about modern life, always with an uplifting message, a sense of community and strong female characters at the heart.”
She also works as a Global Parent for UNICEF, being an Ambassador for UNICEF Ireland, raising funds and awareness for children orphaned by or living with HIV/AIDS.
How to read Cathy Kelly’s Books In Order?
- Woman to Woman (1997)
- She’s the One (1998)
- Never Too Late (1999)
- Someone Like You (2000)
- What She Wants (2001)
- Just Between Us (2002)
- Best of Friends (2003)
- Always and Forever (2004)
- Past Secrets (2006)
- Lessons in Heartbreak (2008)
- Once in a Lifetime (2009)
- Homecoming (2010)
- The House on Willow Street (2012)
- The Honey Queen (2013)
- A Woman’s Heart (2014)
- It Started With Paris (2014)
- Between Sisters (2015)
- Secrets of a Happy Marriage (2016)
- The Year That Changed Everything (2018)
- The Family Gift (2019)
- Other Women (2021)
- The Wedding Party (2022)
What is the plot of Cathy Kelly’s novels?
For more information about the books written by Cathy Kelly, you’ll find below the official synopsis for all the books:
Woman to Woman (1997) – Best friends Jo Ryan and Aisling Moran have it all. As a fashion journalist with an Irish glossy magazine, Jo has a great career, independence, and a drop-dead gorgeous boyfriend. Aisling is deliriously happy with her brilliant editor husband, two beautiful ten-year-old sons, and a home she’s rag-rolled and stenciled to within an inch of its life. But all that’s about to change. One Friday morning, Aisling finds a receipt for expensive lingerie in her husband’s suit pocket and Jo finds a blue line on her blue-for-positive pregnancy testing kit… By Friday night, it’s all over – or has it only just begun?
She’s the One (1998) – Meet Dee – an agony aunt on an Irish newspaper, with more problems than her readers. She’s engaged to Gary, but he’s far from perfect and his mother is driving her crazy… Now meet Isabel – her husband has just lost everything in a business deal and Isabel has gone home to Dublin with their two teenage girls. Getting the job as women’s editor on the paper would be a dream come true for both women, but they can’t both get what they want…or can they?
Never Too Late (1999) – Evie is a hopeless romantic who’s never had a chance to do her own thing, and deep down she knows that marrying Simon isn’t going to help. Her sister Cara’s a walking disaster when it comes to relationships, and she’s not much better in the workplace either. And her best friend Olivia can’t quite bring herself to admit that she’s married to the wrong man – after all, what would she do without him? When they go home for Christmas, Evie’s father announces that he’s getting remarried. That shouldn’t change anything – but then they don’t know who they’re going to meet at the wedding…
Someone Like You (2000) – Hannah, Emma, and Leonie, three women at critical turning points in their lives, meet on holiday and find themselves changing in unexpected ways. Hannah, young, beautiful and reeling from the betrayal of a lover, decides to throw herself into her career and embrace the single life. Emma, married for two years and hoping to start a family, constantly questions her ability to be a parent, while still allowing her own parents to interfere in her life. Leonie, generously proportioned and equally big-hearted, wonders if she’ll ever find love with three teenage children in tow.
Letter from Chicago (Open Door Series 3, 2001) – a short story. Elsie loves her regular letters from her sister Maisie in Chicago. Maisie emigrated to America forty-five years ago but the sisters keep in touch monthly. The letters cross the Atlantic, back and forth, filled with news about their families, their hopes, dreams, and successes. Of course, it’s not quite as good as seeing each other in person, but they are happy enough with the arrangement. But when Maisie suddenly announces that her granddaughter wants to visit Elsie in Ireland, Elsie is beside herself with worry.
What She Wants (2001) – Do you know what you’ll be doing next year? Three friends-Hope, Sam, and Virginia-all thought they did. Hope would still be slogging it out as a working mom, snatching quality time with husband Marc and her two small children. Her sister Sam was going to be the acclaimed boss of a record label, turning heads as the toughest, most brilliant music mogul around. Virginia would be planning her dream retirement home with her beloved husband Bill and doting on their little granddaughter. But destiny had other plans for them.
Just Between Us (2002) – In the Irish Country town of Kinvarra, the Miller girls are generally perceived to have it all. The girls’ mother, Rose-calm, elegant, and unchanging-is about to celebrate her fortieth wedding anniversary. But as plans for the party of the decade take shape, it’s revealed that nothing in the lives of Rose and her daughters is as it seems. And as the secret heartaches the four women have kept hidden from each other begin to emerge, they’re set to discover whether they’re strong enough to handle the truth-and whether greater happiness awaits them still.
Best of Friends (2003) – Abby Barton’s TV career is taking off and now she and her husband can have the life they’ve always dreamed of in a lovely Irish town — at least, in theory! But when your husband takes you for granted and your teenage daughter hates you, an adoring old flame can spell danger to your seemingly perfect life. Fortunately, Abby has her friends Sally, Lizzie, and Erin to keep her sane. Together and on their own, these four women are about to face highs and lows they never anticipated. Only from each other can they learn that life is for the living and that they need to grab it with both hands…
Always and Forever (2004) – Once upon a time, in the beautiful town of Carrickwell, lived three women. Three women who thought they had life pretty much mapped out. Ambitious Mel had a high-flying career, caring Daisy wanted a child with the boyfriend who was everything to her, and hot-headed Cleo was ready to step into the family business once she’d finished her hotel management degree. Until the landscape shifted and it all came tumbling down.
Past Secrets (2006) – From the outside, the welcoming, garden-adorned houses of Summer Street are the picture of Irish charm. But on the inside, unexpected and heartbreaking secrets swirl. At thirty-four Summer Street, wise and kind Christie Devlin has the remarkable ability to see into the lives and hearts of others — and may have the answers when her neighbors’ carefully hidden secrets bubble to the surface. But when Christie’s own past comes back to haunt her — posing a threat to her picture-perfect marriage — this time the answers aren’t as clear.
Lessons in Heartbreak (2008) – Izzie Silver is a New York success story, a highly successful booking agent at a top-notch modeling agency. But while she dreams of starting an agency for plus-sized models, at heart she’s still the convent schoolgirl from the exquisite Irish coastal town of Tamarin. Which is why falling in love with a married man is something Izzie couldn’t possibly imagine herself doing-until it happens. And it’s something she feels she could never tell her beloved family. Meanwhile, back in Tamarin, there’s heartache, too. Will the family be torn apart by the secrets they can’t reveal…or will they have the courage to share their heartbreak and their joy?
Once in a Lifetime (2009) – Star Bluestone sells her beautifully crafted tapestries at Kenny’s. Made with natural dyes, they embody her earthy spirit and creative vision, but she has a special reason for caring about Kenny’s that extends far beyond her sales. And for Ingrid Fitzgerald, hotshot political journalist and wife of workaholic David Kenny, the store is the “other woman” in her marriage. With her children leaving home and her career taking off, she is worried that her marriage could be in jeopardy. Charlie Fallon, one of David’s staff, is among the first to hear the rumor that the store is faced with a takeover bid. With an owner who doesn’t seem his usual self and the threat of closure looming closer-what does the future hold for these women who are bound together by its fortunes?
The Perfect Holiday (Quick Reads, 2010) – a short story. Sometimes all we need is a relaxing holiday in the sun. For Anthony and Carole, a week in a lovely Greek hotel has helped them mend the cracks in their marriage. For widowed Jessica, it’s the longest she’s ever gone without visiting her beloved husband’s grave. However, when the flight doesn’t go according to plan, they are each forced to face up to the very things they have been avoiding for so long. By the time they land, they have learned important life lessons about themselves and each other that change them forever.
Homecoming (2010) – They say you can’t go home again, and truth be told, Eleanor Levine never planned to. Yet here she is, back in Ireland after a lifetime in New York, moving her treasured possessions-including her mother’s handwritten book of recipes for living-into a cozy Dublin apartment. With its picturesque Georgian villas, redbrick houses, and central garden, the Golden Square is just large enough for anonymity. At least, that’s what actress Megan Bouchier hopes, when a tabloid scandal sends her fleeing the paparazzi, back to the place she felt safest as a child.
Christmas Magic (2011) – A heartwarming collection of festive short stories for the holiday season-only available on eBook. Can the sisters, Dolores and Genevieve, finally break free from their mother’s powerful grip? Can Larissa learn to embrace the endurance test that is the Office Christmas Party or will this year’s be too much to handle? Can Alice open her home and her heart to the one visitor that she doesn’t want this Christmas? And when mysterious Madame Lucia sets up shop with her crystal ball above a travel agency, will the staff be convinced that fate really can play a hand?
The House on Willow Street (2012) – Tess used to be happy, living in the Irish coastal village, Avalon, her only regret being that everything went wrong with her first love. Suki left Ireland years ago to marry a politician but returns when she fears a biographer may uncover her secrets. Danae is the village postmistress; her past is her business and that’s the way she wants to keep it. In Galway at a wedding, Mara wants to ask the groom why he told her he loved her? Needing to put her past behind her, Mara gets ready for a fresh start. Can these four women lay their pasts to rest? Or do they need to look back before they can live for the future?
The Honey Queen (2013) – In the beautiful town of Redstone – the shops and cafes are full of cheerful hustle and bustle. And amidst all this activity, two women believe they are getting on just fine. Francesca’s boundless energy helps her to take everything in her stride, while Peggy, has always been a restless spirit. But now she has opened her own knitting shop. It’s a dream come true, but she still feels adrift. When Australian-raised Lillie returns to Ireland, she is drawn right into the heart of Redstone’s community. But what she thought would be an ending is actually just a beginning…
It Started With Paris (2014) – At the top of the Eiffel Tower, a young man proposes to his girlfriend – and in that second, everything changes – for the couple, but also for their families back in Ireland… Leila’s been nursing a badly broken heart since her husband upped and left, but she’s determined to put on a brave face for the bride. Vonnie, a widow and exceptional cake-maker, is just daring to let love back into her life, although someone seems determined to stop it. And head teacher Grace finds the impending wedding of her son means that she’s spending more time with her ex-husband. After all those years apart, is it possible she’s made a mistake?
Between Sisters (2015) – Sisters Cassie and Coco have been there for each other ever since their mother disappeared when they were children. Responsible Cassie spends every moment trying to be the perfect wife and mum, but can’t help feeling she’s getting it all wrong. Commitment-phobic Coco adores running her vintage dress shop – but since a disastrous break-up, her love life’s become an antique. Their lives are full to the brim – so why do they both feel that something is missing? As the sisters try to find their way to lasting happiness, fate has a few surprises in store as the past makes a sudden appearance in the present…
Secrets of a Happy Marriage (2016) – Recently married Bess should be blissfully happy, but as she plans a party for her husband, the cracks are beginning to show. Jojo, Bess’s stepdaughter, has a point to make: Bess has swept into her father’s life but she won’t ever replace Jojo’s late beloved mother. Cousin Cari is a strong career-woman who isn’t unnerved by anything – apart from facing the man who left her at the altar – and he’s on the guest list. As the party brings them all together, can the Brannigans discover the secrets of a happy marriage before it is too late?
The Year That Changed Everything (2018) – Ginger isn’t spending her thirtieth the way she would have planned. Tonight might be the first night of the rest of her life – or a total disaster. Sam is finally pregnant after years of trying. When her waters break on the morning of her fortieth birthday, she panics: forget labour, how is she going to be a mother? Callie is celebrating her fiftieth at a big party in her Dublin home. Then a knock at the door mid-party changes everything…
The Family Gift (2019) – Freya Abalone has a big, messy, wonderful family. She has an exciting career as a celebrity chef. She has a new home that makes her feel safe. But behind the happy front, Freya feels pulled in a hundred directions. Life has thrown Freya some lemons – and she’s learned how to juggle! But she’s keeping a secret from her family, and soon something is going to crashing down… All families have their struggles and strengths. So can Freya pull everyone – and herself – together when they need it most?
Other Women (2021) – Sid wears her independence like armor. So when she strikes up a rare connection with unlucky-in-love Finn, they are both determined to prove that men and women can just be friends. Can’t they? Marin has the perfect home, attentive husband, two beloved children – and a secret addiction to designer clothes. She knows she has it all, so why can’t she stop comparing herself to other women? Bea believes that we all have one love story – and she’s had hers. Now her life centers around her son, Luke, and her support group of fierce single women. But there’s something that she can’t tell anyone…
The Wedding Party (2022) – For the first time in years, the beautiful Robicheaux sisters are returning to their childhood home. Decades after they first met, their parents are getting married again-to each other, in a week’s time! Indy is used to high-stress situations in her job as a midwife-but she knows that keeping the peace in her family of big personalities is a different matter entirely… Eden is on the brink of political success and a surprise family wedding is the last thing she needs. Especially when a long-buried secret is threatening to destroy everything. Savannah might look like she has it all, but she’s spent her whole married life hiding the truth. It’s a fragile façade that’s unlikely to withstand a week spent with her sisters. Rory lives with her gorgeous girlfriend and tends to avoid family gatherings. Particularly now, as her new book might just reveal more than her sisters or parents would like…
What should you read if you like Cathy Kelly’s novels?
If you like reading Cathy Kelly’s stories, you may be interested in Jill Mansell, Erica James, Marian Keyes…
