If Only

By: Melanie Murphy

Narrated by: Amy McAllister

Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's Summary

The warm, sparkling first novel from Melanie Murphy, author of nonfiction best seller Fully Functioning Human (Almost) is full of heart, humour and magic.  

Erin is about to turn 30, and her life is definitely not where she thought it would be. She hates her job, she's jealous of her perfect flatmate - and she has just called off her wedding.  

A trip home to Ireland to celebrate her birthday with her beloved grandmother is exactly what Erin needs, and she's spent days preparing herself to break the news about her broken engagement.

What she's not prepared for is the gift she receives: a secret family heirloom that will change everything.  

Could this be the answer Erin has been looking for - the key to the happy life she's always dreamed of? Only time will tell....

©2019 Melanie Murphy (P)2019 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

me gusto pero no tanto

me gusto pero me pareció muy largo y el final un poco abrupto. le doy un 6

wonderfull!

brought back my love for books I recommend this for anyone who feels lost in life

Beautiful Story!

This story is incredibly beautiful. The journey you take with Melanie’s writing is one full of self learning & love. During a bit of a hard time, this book was a welcome break. My only dislike is that it isn’t longer.

Amazing!

I loved this book! It was an amazing story and the narrator did a great job making it come alive! I would definitely recommend this book!

Loved it! *spoilers*

I very much enjoyed ‘If Only’.

I appreciate a story told from this modern perspective that people in my generation are not settling as often as generations before us and are often lost at an age when our parents and grandparents had long since established their lives. We all feel that pressure that we’re “behind” in life and it’s refreshing to see that explored.

I also really liked how honest Erin’s character was. It’s rare that we get to see all the dark and typical thoughts that cross peoples minds in real life and it was done so naturally. We got to see her stupid humor and paranoia and quirks and insecurities and moments of being selfish or being a bad friend and it made her feel so alive. We also got to see her fight the negative parts of herself and learn from them. We got to see her use the necklace in ways that made her appreciate her real life and trust herself. It was such a great thing to see her learn to trust herself.

I was really into the seemingly mundane day-to-day situations and conversations between her and her friends that, when you looked below he surface, is meaningful without being as obvious. It truly just felt so real that I connected with it in a way different then most stories.

I also loved the evolution of ErIn’s character, the foundation of friendship, the effect of family, the serious topics represented without it being the “theme” of the story, the realistic timeline of her falling for Finn.

Such a lovely story! It felt so warm. One of my favorite movies is “About time” and this book gives me the same feelings. Brilliant job to Melanie Murphy!

awful ‘gay best friend’ character

The writing was a bit schoolgirlish and rambly. The main character’s best friend is this dreadful character and a horrible LGBT stereotype.

The narrator was quite enjoyable to listen to - I’m not sure I could have stuck the book if I had been reading it rather than listening to it

A beautiful & feel good read!

I loved this book by Melanie Murphy! I felt like I had lots of things in common with Erin with judging people too quickly, having slef-esteem issues & the bond that she had with her gran! I was in tears with their final reunion in the last chapter! It made me think about the 'what ifs' in my life and it reminded me that I'm happy living in the present. Making sure to have no regrets! Thank you Mel for sharing this wonderful story x

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

This book gives me the tinglies

I couldn't stop! I listened to the audio book while reading the actual book. I cried, laughter and cried again. I think anyone could relate to the main character. Not having a clue where your going in life is so stressful and I think we all wish we could take a look at what certain situations would be like if we did x and y.

I truly fell in love with this book. definitely something I would read again.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Everything was perfect 💚

beautiful words said in a beautiful way.... I normally say my heart is replaced by a jar of whisky but this may have actually got my cold stone heart to flutter xx 💚💚💚

Sad that I finished it

amazing book, lighthearted yet it makes you consider some deep topics. I felt part of the world so it was a shock when it ended, I thought it would tell more of the story

A gripping and relatable read!

I've been a fan of Melanie Murphy's online content for some time and given her sweet and bubbly nature but ability to tackle difficult issues head on, I was delighted when she published her first fiction novel, If Only.

From the very start I was gripped by the concept and story, the characters were all very different yet relatable and I found the performance by Amy McAllister brought the emotion to life.

I laughed along and cried in places to this wonderful story and was heartbroken when it ended. I'm new to audio books but this truly has me converted, it felt like a true friend was sharing a heartfelt story!

I hope Melanie has more fiction novels on the horizon!

The feels!

Such a wonderful book, so I easy to follow, flows beautifully and the story is so wonderful! The narration is incredible also, such a beaut voice!

I enjoyed every moment of this story.

Absolutely loved it. Had me so hooked that I finished it in 2 days. I loved the story - it was real, honest and touching. It covered a lot of interesting topics, but still managed to flow really nicely. It was written with loads of personality too! I could really relate and empathise with the characters. Had me giggling so many times and the modern references made it feel so current.
Melanie, you've done yourself proud and I can't wait to see what you do next!

Great debut novel from a lovely author.

The story clicks very well with the Irish narrator and is a very good example of casual magic in an otherwise ordinary everyday life. Very relatable characters and enjoyable dialogues . Loved the casual rainbow mentions too.

I'm genuinely surprised!

I listened to it while my longish (4h+ daily) commutes to work. I bloody loved it. The story, the idea of the pendant, the characters (Reid is my favourite!). The main character is so... human. I'm so happy that Melanie had a chance to publish it. For anyone thinking about this book in a way "oh, another's YouTuber book"... Don't. Just. Read. It.

Just okay

The idea for the story was good. However, I really struggle to finish listening. Not gripping or suspenseful. The best friend character was awful and his voiced accent grated. The main character was unlikable, unrealistic and didn't act like the adult she was meant to be.