What do you think?
Rate this book
Better Together
Sometimes it isn't easy to win your heart's desire.
Journalist Sheridan Grey believes she's going places. But when she loses her job, her boyfriend and her flat, the only place she's going is to a small-town newspaper. Writing horoscopes and reporting on dog shows certainly isn't the successful career she craves.
Home-loving Nina Fallon's life is shattered when the exploits of her actor husband become national news. Now she's avoiding friends as she runs Ardbawn's guesthouse on her own.
When Sheridan moves into the guesthouse, she realises life in Ardbawn isn't as quiet as she expected. And that Nina holds the key to the story that will make her name as a reported again. But Sheridan's desire to uncover the past puts her on a collision course with the present, and with the man she's come to love. Suddenly she has more to lose than ever dreamed possible.
Is she better off going it alone? Or is love the greatest prize of all?
Journalist Sheridan Grey believes she's going places. But when she loses her job, her boyfriend and her flat, the only place she's going is to a small-town newspaper. Writing horoscopes and reporting on dog shows certainly isn't the successful career she craves.
Home-loving Nina Fallon's life is shattered when the exploits of her actor husband become national news. Now she's avoiding friends as she runs Ardbawn's guesthouse on her own.
When Sheridan moves into the guesthouse, she realises life in Ardbawn isn't as quiet as she expected. And that Nina holds the key to the story that will make her name as a reported again. But Sheridan's desire to uncover the past puts her on a collision course with the present, and with the man she's come to love. Suddenly she has more to lose than ever dreamed possible.
Is she better off going it alone? Or is love the greatest prize of all?
438 pages, Hardcover
First published March 27, 2012
137 people are currently reading
773 people want to read
About the author
Sheila O'Flanagan
95 books1,200 followersAs you can see, a Dubliner all my life. My parents owned a grocery shop in the Iveagh Markets, in the Liberties area of the city and I guess city blood runs through my veins.
As a child I enjoyed reading and telling stories and everyone thought that I end up in a job which had something to do with books and literature. But though I applied for a job in the library all of the job offers I got were in commerce.
I turned down lots of them before my mother accepted one for me (I was on holiday at the time). It was in the Central Bank of Ireland and that’s how my career in financial services began.
I started out in administration and then moved jobs until finally I was working as a dealer in a commercial bank. Eventually I was promoted to Chief Dealer (the first female CD in the country). I traded lots of different things – foreign exchange, swaps, options, bonds…all of the kind of things you read about in the papers and that sound very technical and difficult. Of course once you’re doing it, it’s not half as technical as it sounds.
But I still loved reading and writing (which I did in my spare time) and I desperately wanted to write my own book. I guess I never quite got over the fact that I was never offered the library job! In my thirties I decided that it was now or never and I sat down, stuck Chapter 1 on a page, and started. I wrote the whole thing before sending it off.
I was offered a publishing deal (with no advance) by an Irish company but only if I wrote a different book! So back to the drawing board, I started again. It was another two years before it was published. It wasn’t until I’d written a few books and was offered a contract (this time with an advance!) from another publisher that I felt able to give up my trading job and write full time. So, even though it took a long time, I eventually realised my dream of being a full-time writer.
And now I also write a business column for the Irish Times.
When I’m writing a book I want to do three things:
* Tell a good story
* Make the reader feel like they know the characters
* Make each book better than the last
I don’t write for any particular audience but I suppose I must have people like me in mind – people who have busy lives and who like to escape into someone else’s for a while.
I love writing books. I hope you enjoy reading them.
As a child I enjoyed reading and telling stories and everyone thought that I end up in a job which had something to do with books and literature. But though I applied for a job in the library all of the job offers I got were in commerce.
I turned down lots of them before my mother accepted one for me (I was on holiday at the time). It was in the Central Bank of Ireland and that’s how my career in financial services began.
I started out in administration and then moved jobs until finally I was working as a dealer in a commercial bank. Eventually I was promoted to Chief Dealer (the first female CD in the country). I traded lots of different things – foreign exchange, swaps, options, bonds…all of the kind of things you read about in the papers and that sound very technical and difficult. Of course once you’re doing it, it’s not half as technical as it sounds.
But I still loved reading and writing (which I did in my spare time) and I desperately wanted to write my own book. I guess I never quite got over the fact that I was never offered the library job! In my thirties I decided that it was now or never and I sat down, stuck Chapter 1 on a page, and started. I wrote the whole thing before sending it off.
I was offered a publishing deal (with no advance) by an Irish company but only if I wrote a different book! So back to the drawing board, I started again. It was another two years before it was published. It wasn’t until I’d written a few books and was offered a contract (this time with an advance!) from another publisher that I felt able to give up my trading job and write full time. So, even though it took a long time, I eventually realised my dream of being a full-time writer.
And now I also write a business column for the Irish Times.
When I’m writing a book I want to do three things:
* Tell a good story
* Make the reader feel like they know the characters
* Make each book better than the last
I don’t write for any particular audience but I suppose I must have people like me in mind – people who have busy lives and who like to escape into someone else’s for a while.
I love writing books. I hope you enjoy reading them.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
August 19, 2013
Novi roman... ubuduće i novi izdavač u Srbiji - Čarobna knjiga... Ljubitelji Šilinih romana uživaćete i u ovom... :) (Prim. ured.)
June 22, 2013
Why hasn't an editor taken 100 pages out of this book and make Sheila get to the point?
August 29, 2017
This is my first book by O'Flanagan and though I did not rate it so highly, I am sure I will come back to the author in the future. I have read a few books by Irish women(Roisin Meaney, Marian Keyes...), and they all share a warmth and relatability I haven't found in many other chick-lit books. Better Together tells the story of Nina and Sheridan who deal with considerable changes in their lives. The characters are well drawn out, though, surprisingly, not terribly likable, which was why it lost a star. When I read a book like this, I want characters I wholly root for and care about. Another niggle is that this book is 500 pages long, too long, in my opinion, for a story that could have been told in 300. Nonetheless, O'Flanagan has a very readable style and she truly painted the setting and characters very vividly, that I am interested in exploring some of her other books. Recommend for anyone looking for a light and pleasant read!
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
November 29, 2024
Normally I love her books and while this was a decent read, it needed a fierce editor who could cut about 150 pages out. Just too long, too draggy.
August 8, 2012
Sheila O'Flanagan has written a whopping 17 books in her excellent career, and I was lucky enough to be sent a copy of her latest book Better Together to review. I have to say that I'm not entirely sold on the cover, it's a little bland and generic for my liking, and I do think O'Flanagan's books deserve a lot better, but then again they must suit the main market for her books, as she continually sells well, and this book is already doing well. I do like the colours of it, but it isn't a stand out cover for me. I really liked the idea of a book being based around a woman who knows and loves her sports, that isn't something we read a lot about in women's fiction, and I was curious to see where O'Flanagan was going to take her characters in this one!
Sheridan Grey was proud of her career as a sports journalist at a well known paper, even though her parents seemed to value her two brothers' sporting achievements over anything she did. But when her boyfriend dumps her, she becomes homeless and loses her job, Sheridan starts to wonder where she's gone wrong. She moves to Ardbawn, and starts to live in the guesthouse run by Nina Fallon and her husband Sean. However, behind closed doors, all is not well with their marriage after Nina discovers some shocking secrets actor hubby Sean has been hiding from her, and she doesn't know which decision is to make for the better. Will Sheridan and Nina find happiness again, or will the two women let their broken pasts ruin their futures?
As usual, O'Flanagan has produced a very realistic, easy to read story that draws you in and makes you care about the people involved in the trials and tribulations of the book. Sheridan is a very easy to love main character, easy going, hard-working and just wants to succeed. I felt very sorry for her regarding the relationship she has with her parents, to feel you are always second best isn't nice and O'Flanagan puts across Sheridan's feelings very well. Nina was more difficult to warm to - she's clearly struggling with what to do about her marriage, and I thought she seemed to be a bit of a doormat to Sean, always letting him take charge when things should have been made her decision. In this respect, she's the very opposite of Sheridan and I think that's why these leading ladies worked so well together in the book, and their friendship soon blossomed.
I really enjoyed the mystery element to the book regarding a story Sheridan is chasing about the owner of the small town newspaper she now works for. We have no idea what is going on for the most of it, and I liked that O'Flanagan managed to keep that mystery element going on throughout the book, bringing in various characters to add different elements to it, and it made it an enjoyable read. I also like how she struggled with whether to write about Nina's story or not, it added a human side to the journalist in Sheridan, and it made her all the more likeable! O'Flanagan writes the small town of Ardbawn very well, and it's easy to imagine the lovely guesthouse Nina owns, the few shops in town where Sheridan goes, and the other locations mentioned in the book. O'Flanagan always writes passionately about Ireland, and this comes across so well on the pages of the book.
Overall, this was another great reader from Sheila O'Flanagan, and people who love her books will definitely love this one. I found the ending happened really quickly for me, things got wrapped up quite quickly and I was surprised by the speed at which O'Flanagan brought it all to an end. O'Flanagan copes well with the emotional problems of both women in the book, dealing with Nina's grief and despair with sensitivity, yet also showing the reader exactly how she is feeling, and also putting across Sheridan's exasperation and need to better herself all the time. I really enjoyed the book, and it was an easy read that I could lose myself in for a couple of days and finished it smiling. A lovely, well written and enjoyable read from one of Ireland's best authors. Recommended!
Sheridan Grey was proud of her career as a sports journalist at a well known paper, even though her parents seemed to value her two brothers' sporting achievements over anything she did. But when her boyfriend dumps her, she becomes homeless and loses her job, Sheridan starts to wonder where she's gone wrong. She moves to Ardbawn, and starts to live in the guesthouse run by Nina Fallon and her husband Sean. However, behind closed doors, all is not well with their marriage after Nina discovers some shocking secrets actor hubby Sean has been hiding from her, and she doesn't know which decision is to make for the better. Will Sheridan and Nina find happiness again, or will the two women let their broken pasts ruin their futures?
As usual, O'Flanagan has produced a very realistic, easy to read story that draws you in and makes you care about the people involved in the trials and tribulations of the book. Sheridan is a very easy to love main character, easy going, hard-working and just wants to succeed. I felt very sorry for her regarding the relationship she has with her parents, to feel you are always second best isn't nice and O'Flanagan puts across Sheridan's feelings very well. Nina was more difficult to warm to - she's clearly struggling with what to do about her marriage, and I thought she seemed to be a bit of a doormat to Sean, always letting him take charge when things should have been made her decision. In this respect, she's the very opposite of Sheridan and I think that's why these leading ladies worked so well together in the book, and their friendship soon blossomed.
I really enjoyed the mystery element to the book regarding a story Sheridan is chasing about the owner of the small town newspaper she now works for. We have no idea what is going on for the most of it, and I liked that O'Flanagan managed to keep that mystery element going on throughout the book, bringing in various characters to add different elements to it, and it made it an enjoyable read. I also like how she struggled with whether to write about Nina's story or not, it added a human side to the journalist in Sheridan, and it made her all the more likeable! O'Flanagan writes the small town of Ardbawn very well, and it's easy to imagine the lovely guesthouse Nina owns, the few shops in town where Sheridan goes, and the other locations mentioned in the book. O'Flanagan always writes passionately about Ireland, and this comes across so well on the pages of the book.
Overall, this was another great reader from Sheila O'Flanagan, and people who love her books will definitely love this one. I found the ending happened really quickly for me, things got wrapped up quite quickly and I was surprised by the speed at which O'Flanagan brought it all to an end. O'Flanagan copes well with the emotional problems of both women in the book, dealing with Nina's grief and despair with sensitivity, yet also showing the reader exactly how she is feeling, and also putting across Sheridan's exasperation and need to better herself all the time. I really enjoyed the book, and it was an easy read that I could lose myself in for a couple of days and finished it smiling. A lovely, well written and enjoyable read from one of Ireland's best authors. Recommended!
September 4, 2012
I love this author's books and despite it being one of her weaker ones in my eyes it was still a nice easy read. Sheridan has lost her job as a sport's reporter in a big Dublin newspaper. She is under pressure from her parents who are high flyers to do better and achieve more. She applies for a job as a general dogsbody in the timy paper produced in the village of Ardbawn and there the trouble starts.
Paudie O'Malley is a successful business man who was responsible for Sheridan losing her job in City Scope and is also her new employer in Ardbawn, Sheridan reckons if she can dig up a bit of dirt on him she can make her name as an investigative reporter.
Nina and Sean own the local guesthouse where Sheridan chooses to stay for her short time in Ardbawn and seems to know more about Paudie than she is letting on...
The three characters tie in nicely together in a story about a small country village , love, loss and potential murder. 7/10
Paudie O'Malley is a successful business man who was responsible for Sheridan losing her job in City Scope and is also her new employer in Ardbawn, Sheridan reckons if she can dig up a bit of dirt on him she can make her name as an investigative reporter.
Nina and Sean own the local guesthouse where Sheridan chooses to stay for her short time in Ardbawn and seems to know more about Paudie than she is letting on...
The three characters tie in nicely together in a story about a small country village , love, loss and potential murder. 7/10
July 1, 2019
A nice easy read.
January 14, 2024
This was sooo long and not much happens!
March 8, 2014
It took me a long while to get into this book and I think I only persevered because I had someone say how good a writer and how well she managed relationships. For a long while I wasn’t a bit convinced and almost gave up a few times. I didn’t find the character of Sheridan particularly engaging. However once Sheridan loses her job as sports writer and takes on the job in the village of Ardbawn and becomes involved with non and her guest house it did pick up. However I found it an easy book to also put down again. I never felt compelled and I think it was a case of just easier to go along with this than start another book, but I found myself skimming bits. I wasn’t convinced by the end. It felt like we spent too long getting into it and then it was wrapped up in a rush. Also that it could have done with being cut a lot. I have decided that the person who recommended this writer to me and I are on a different wavelength.
May 28, 2017
Het is best een leuk boek. Toch pakte het me niet zoals andere boeken van Sheila O'Flanagan. De opzet van het boek was anders dan die van boeken die ik laatst van haar gelezen heb. Dat vind ik wel een pluspunt. Anders wordt het te voorspelbaar. Ook speelde de journalistiek een belangrijke rol in het verhaal. Hetgeen me ook aansprak, aangezien ik zelf in dat vakgebied heb gewerkt. Toch bleef het verhaal gevoelsmatig op een afstand. Ik weet niet of dat aan het verhaal ligt of aan het feit dat ik de afgelopen dagen wat moeite had om me te concentreren. In ieder geval raakte dit verhaal mij minder dan andere boeken van Sheila O'Flanagan. Ondanks dat ga ik zeker nog meer boeken van haar lezen, want ze is een goede schrijfster.
June 11, 2013
I used to be a big Sheila O'Flanagan fan but I've struggled with her books in the last few years and very nearly didn't bother to try Better Together.
I'm glad I did read it though because I thought this book is her best book ever. It was different in that there was a real mystery to be solved, some intriguing glimpses at things which had happened for the characters in the past and which were now affecting their future. I honestly didn't know what was going to happen in terms of the mystery or the romance elements of the book.
An involving, intriguing and hugely enjoyable read. I'm a Sheila O'Flanagan fan again!
I'm glad I did read it though because I thought this book is her best book ever. It was different in that there was a real mystery to be solved, some intriguing glimpses at things which had happened for the characters in the past and which were now affecting their future. I honestly didn't know what was going to happen in terms of the mystery or the romance elements of the book.
An involving, intriguing and hugely enjoyable read. I'm a Sheila O'Flanagan fan again!
August 21, 2024
Love this author keeps me turning the pages & not getting any work done really enjoyed
February 25, 2025
No plot, flat characters, badly written and poorly edited. I can only put me finishing it down to stubbornness on my part.
September 23, 2018
SO sad that I have finished it. Sheridan was incredible. I adore courageous, intelligent women. I'll be mulling over the storyline for hours.
May 12, 2013
I broke my 50 page rule (give up if you're not enjoying it by page 50) for this one. In fact it wasn't until way after page 50 I actually got into the story. Reasonably glad I persevered. Sheridan is quite annoying, but I liked the village atmosphere and Nina's guest house. Not so sold on the ending, it's all a bit twee.
Read
June 13, 2013This is a terrific read. Only problem is I read it too quickly because I wanted to know what was going to happen. But I loved every minute of it. The characters are very real, their dilemmas are easy to identify with. Highly recommend as an enjoyable read.
February 11, 2014
Such a good book, literally couldn't put this down. The characters were great and the plot wasn't too predictable. I liked the final chapter too and the book had a good element of mystery, aswell as love in it too. The cover doesn't give it justice.. but I would definitely recommend this!
May 29, 2015
Sheridan annoyed me. I could not warm to her. Nina was weak and annoying. I read first 170 pages and skipped to the end.
November 16, 2012
a lovely cute story, perfect for the homesick irish girl abroad
June 23, 2013
Another great read from Sheila O'Flanagan.
November 4, 2013
I bought not knowing what to expect, and it hasn't disappointed me! Looking forward to the next one!
March 12, 2016
Thoroughly enjoyable. Very contemporary and honest.
February 5, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyable read.
January 16, 2022
This is what I call a bread and butter book. A book that is best suited to pass the time on a beach or on the decking of a remote cabin in the woods but is ultimately one you leave behind for the next guest to pick up as it leaves no significant lasting impression. I read it because it was the only book I had that began with the letter B as part of my 2022 reading challenge. It had the flavour of a Nora Roberts with a dash of Marian Keyes thrown in, both authors I have enjoyed reading in the past but for me it was just a bit dull and predictable.
Sheridan Grey is an annoying protagonist. I think as a reader your expected to feel sorry for her in lieu of her emotionally defunct parents, tomboyish looks and redundancy from a male dominated environment that she had to fight so hard to be respected in. What I found was someone who was self deprecating, irritatingly self absorbed and just so annoying that I'm not sure how I manged to read a single page owing to the fact my eyes were constantly rolling to the back of my head.
Even the supporting characters felt overly exaggerated. Sheridan's folks were gross caricatures of "sporty" parents, pushing the "winner takes all" moto to such an extreme that it left them devoid of any emotional warmth. Nina and Sean, the chalk and cheese couple whose lives and personalities were full of every marital cliché possible. Elva O'Malley your typically hysterical, bored, beautiful housewife riddled by a deep unhealthy obsession for Nina's husband (obvs!). The discovered secret that threatens to hurt all those that Sheridan loves (which actually amounts to her lusty, saccharine, weak at the knees blossoming relationship with the son of her nemesis) was so glaringly obvious that I'd worked it all out not even midway through the book! Can't even say I gave Miss Marple a run for her money as it really was that easy to solve!
It lacked the depth of character that Marian Keyes brings to the people in her books and the passion that Nora Roberts can bring to core relationships when she writes. But that being said, its a story the flows, has believable dialogue between characters and is set against a stunning backdrop. Its a formulation that will work for lots of readers and no doubt be enjoyed by those that love an uncomplicated romance novel.
Sheridan Grey is an annoying protagonist. I think as a reader your expected to feel sorry for her in lieu of her emotionally defunct parents, tomboyish looks and redundancy from a male dominated environment that she had to fight so hard to be respected in. What I found was someone who was self deprecating, irritatingly self absorbed and just so annoying that I'm not sure how I manged to read a single page owing to the fact my eyes were constantly rolling to the back of my head.
Even the supporting characters felt overly exaggerated. Sheridan's folks were gross caricatures of "sporty" parents, pushing the "winner takes all" moto to such an extreme that it left them devoid of any emotional warmth. Nina and Sean, the chalk and cheese couple whose lives and personalities were full of every marital cliché possible. Elva O'Malley your typically hysterical, bored, beautiful housewife riddled by a deep unhealthy obsession for Nina's husband (obvs!). The discovered secret that threatens to hurt all those that Sheridan loves (which actually amounts to her lusty, saccharine, weak at the knees blossoming relationship with the son of her nemesis) was so glaringly obvious that I'd worked it all out not even midway through the book! Can't even say I gave Miss Marple a run for her money as it really was that easy to solve!
It lacked the depth of character that Marian Keyes brings to the people in her books and the passion that Nora Roberts can bring to core relationships when she writes. But that being said, its a story the flows, has believable dialogue between characters and is set against a stunning backdrop. Its a formulation that will work for lots of readers and no doubt be enjoyed by those that love an uncomplicated romance novel.
July 6, 2018
Better Together, is such a delightful read, entertaining, heartwarming and a little suspense, and a great twist at the end.
Nina and Sheridan were characters you can’t help falling in love with, and begin to care about. They just want to be loved.
Sheridan is from a family that are a sports mad, and did not how to fit in, and she did not know her own inner beauty, or how to portray herself as a woman to find a man to love her and to satisfy her.
Nina, had no affection from her mother, ran the family business for decades. Her husband Sean had affairs, dramas, and shocked with a twist at the end.
I rate this 📖 book an eight out of ten. It is a page turner because you could not wait What was going to happen next.
It definitely did not disappoint.
This is the second book l have read from this wonderful author, and definitely won’t be the last.
Nina and Sheridan were characters you can’t help falling in love with, and begin to care about. They just want to be loved.
Sheridan is from a family that are a sports mad, and did not how to fit in, and she did not know her own inner beauty, or how to portray herself as a woman to find a man to love her and to satisfy her.
Nina, had no affection from her mother, ran the family business for decades. Her husband Sean had affairs, dramas, and shocked with a twist at the end.
I rate this 📖 book an eight out of ten. It is a page turner because you could not wait What was going to happen next.
It definitely did not disappoint.
This is the second book l have read from this wonderful author, and definitely won’t be the last.
July 16, 2021
Sheridan Grey is a sports reporter that gets retrenched, Mr Slash n Burn who bought the newspaper she worked on, has had tragedy in his life (wife committed suicide) leaving him with 4 children. Sheridan sends out her CV and gains an admin position on a paper in a rural township, which Mr Slash n Burn also owns and she decides to do some detective work on her employer who she suspects may have killed his wife. It all comes unstuck when she falls in love with his son, and discovers that there is no reason to suspect Mr Slash n Burn regards his wife; that he is a savvy business man who rescues failing businesses and supports lots of community events and clubs in his rural township.
August 12, 2024
Den här boken är inte svårläst, men den är väldigt långsam. Det känns som att en fjärdedel av boken hade kunnat kapas utan att tappa något innehåll. Det är väldigt mycket fokus på utseende, eventuellt hade detta räckt att kapa för att göra boken något kortare. Huvudpersonen Sheridan förlorar sitt jobb som sportjournalist vid en nedskärning och hamnar i en håla för att jobba på en lokaltidning. Som karaktär är hon rätt irriterande, väldigt självupptagen och med någon konstig hämndagenda mot en ensam person som har tagit ett affärsbeslut? Det är svårt att känna med henne, istället blir jag irriterad.
Read
May 2, 2020 Very interesting book. Even though there were a whole lot of characters, their stories were so beautifully woven together that it was difficult to put down the book which of course could not be read at one go.
Only wish that the story had ended with Sheridan and JJ deciding to marry and live happily ever after. But maybe, that is another story.
Hopefully, Nina will also find her true love in Sean, Paudie or someone else.
Only wish that the story had ended with Sheridan and JJ deciding to marry and live happily ever after. But maybe, that is another story.
Hopefully, Nina will also find her true love in Sean, Paudie or someone else.
November 14, 2020
I struggled to put this down. With only a small cast of characters, and an interesting plot device that quickly pulled the two main characters together, I couldn't wait to see how the story developed. Once the main story had picked up, sub plots kept me guessing with what had happened, and more importantly, what was going to happen. The climax was rather delicious, and the resolution made me smile, but I would have like to seen more of it.
February 23, 2019
Predivna i topla ljudska prica sa srecnim krajem. Svako od nas nosi u sebi pobednicki duh koji samo ceka da se probudi, ali samo ako to sami zelimo. Sa Šilom O'Flanagan se osecate kao da se znate celog zivota i kao da se prica odvija u vasem gradu, mestu i selu, kao da ste vi glavni junaci....cista desetka, odnosno petica!!! <3
Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews