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This Is How It Ends

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This Is How It Ends

By: Kathleen MacMahon
Narrated by: Caroline Lennon
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£5.99/mo after 3 months. Offer ends on 5 July 2026 at 11:59 BST. Cancel monthly.

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Ireland . . .
America . . .
Family secrets . . .
Laughter . . .
Tragedy . . .
Swimming . . .
Dogs . . .
Big beaches . . .
Loneliness . . .

A story of unexpected,
life-changing love©2012 Kathleen MacMahon Contemporary Fiction Fiction Genre Fiction Women's Fiction Heartfelt
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Critic reviews

When you have long forgotten many other fictional lovers, there is something about Addie and Bruno, their past and their world, that will not go away
An exceptional novel . . . It is truly a story for our time. This is How it Ends signals the belated arrival of a new Irish commercial writer with an extraordinary gift and a voice that is entirely her own
Kathleen MacMahon's prose could not appear more effortless or beautiful . . . The twist in this tale is utterly unexpected and satisfyingly unpredictable . . . A bittersweet, engaging novel that will no doubt become a book-club darling
A tender love story. A book about love, family, children and that glorious sense of being alive
The beginning of bank protests, alongside the American election and how crucial it seemed, send a tremor through the narrative
All stars
Most relevant
Great characters in this Irish family with connections to their American-Irish family. A story written with grace and insight into the vagaries of love and death between humans, animals and the glories of the planet. This story is well formed and will have you both laughing and crying at different times. Thoroughly enjoyable and one that will remain in the mind for a long time to come.

My only criticism is there are frequent lines quoted from songs and the narrator Caroline Lennon made no attempt to put the words to music which left the lyrics sounding somewhat flat and dull. Perhaps the narrator is tone deaf or did not know the tunes, but I just felt it was the one negative for an audible listen.

Beautiful and poignant

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After hearing of the huge advance Kathleen MacMahon received for this novel and the publishing hype around it I was ready to be critical ! However there needs to be more hype around this beautiful novel. It is the sort of book that you want to start listening to all over again once you've finished. It's the sort of book you want to buy for all your friends. So beautifully written and narrated I felt that I was there, living with the characters. The descriptions of the coast are so evocative I wanted to move to Ireland. In a way this is superior chick lit, superior Marian Keyes but so much more. I have struggled to find anything else to listen to since finishing this amazing novel.

Lives up to the hype

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Having read Nothing but Blue Sky by Kathleen MacMahon, which is exquisite, I eagerly bought this but it couldn’t be more different. It’s so prosaic I can’t believe it’s the same author. I’ve stopped listening the narration was so tedious.

Weak

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