The Future's Not Ours to See

The Carmel Sheehan Series, Book 2

De: Jean Grainger

Narrado por: Siobhan Waring

As someone raised in an orphanage, Carmel knows she should be grateful for a roof over her head and a respectable family, but she would love nothing more than to escape Birr, Co Offaly and get away from her husband, the monosyllabic Bill and his horrible sister forever.

Life as Mrs. Sheehan should be bearable, all she had to do was look after the house and cook Bill’s meals. She didn’t even need to speak to him, in fact, he preferred that she didn't.

But, as her fortieth birthday approaches, Carmel knows the change must be now or never. Her birth mother has offered her a lifeline from beyond the grave in the form of handsome, charming and kind Dr. Sharif Khan.

He's offering her a new life in London, one he assures her that her birth mother Dolly would want her to take, but the decision must be hers. A life filled with joy, friendship and the legacy of her mother’s enduring love for her awaits.

But can Carmel do it and scandalize the parish? Can she finally realize her own worth and live her life on her own terms?
The Future’s Not Ours to See is the next book in the Carmel Sheehan Story.

©2017 Jean Grainger (P)2025 Gold Harp Media

kind and loving

Carmel meets Bill and his children at her mother’s funeral. Bill, believing her to be his child, welcomes her into the family. An unscrupulous 'son' of a patient, threatens Sharif's business. Grainger does a beautiful job of weaving relationships and solving problems in a kind and loving way. In this book, she was able to give backstory as necessary and without giving unneeded details. A very good story with a wonderful narrator.

GOOD STORY THAT FOCUSES ON FAMILY, LOVE AND LOSS…

This was a good story of an Irish woman named Caramel, who was raised in an orphanage. Once she aged out of the orphanage, she immediately entered into a loveless marriage. Her husband owned a farm out in the countryside. Her husband’s sister Julia, lives in the same home. Julia is a nightmare — she’s a horrible, hateful woman whose goal in life is to make Caramel miserable. Eventually Caramel finds the courage to leave home with only whatever second hand clothes she can fit in suitcase. She told no one she was leaving.

Caramel escapes to London where she meets a good-looking, Pakistani doctor (Shariff) who, with his own money, built and runs a respite hospital. Caramel gets a job in the hospital. She and Shariff eventually fall in love.

Being treated as an equal for the first time in her life, Caramel begins to gain self-confidence.

Caramel also gains a new family. Shariff tracked down Caramel’s birth father, after Shariff had been taking care of Caramel’s birth mother before she died of cancer the year before the couple met.

Along with a brand new dad that she soon begins to adore, she gains a sister and brother who warmly welcomes Caramel into the family. All her life, more than anything, Caramel wanted a real family. Her new sister Jennifer is happily married and is a new mother.

Her new brother Luke is a police officer. Finally Caramel has a finance who adores her and her family. But there is a fly in the ointment that threatens Sherif, Caramel, Shariff’s medical license and the respite home he worked so hard to build.

Julia, finds out that Caramel is now engaged to a rich man and she wants a big chunk of his money. And she wants to hurt Caramel as soon as she can. To accomplish this, Julia finds a grubby, money hungry guy named Derrick whose mother is at Shariff’s hospital and is near death.

Derrick makes up all kinds of false rumors that his mother is receiving substandard care. He sets up his mother’s room to look as if she really is receiving poor care. He takes pictures and then threatens to go public with the “information; he threatens a lawsuit unless Shariff’s insurance company pays up.

Caramel, Shariff and Caramel’s family are determined to defeat both Julia and Derrick.

The story has some really good characters and the plot was interesting. I have to say that as much as I adore Jean Grainger and EVERYTHING she writes, I didn’t fall in love with this book.

I can’t say enough positive things about the narrator, the FANTASTIC Siobhan Waring. She could read the dictionary and I would be entranced. Ms. Waring has the most WONDERFUL voice, and she’s absolutely brilliant with accents.

Ms. Grainger has a new Mags Monroe book coming out soon — I am SO HOPING Ms. Waring will again be the narrator.

Book 2…

Thank you for making this book an audiobook. Such an uplifting rest of the story, especially the end with “Bill” acknowledging Carmel’s happiness. Hope “What Will Be” (Book 3) becomes an audiobook. I’ve listened to all your others as I do my 86 year’s old life. They make me happy
Again, thank you Jean Grainger

Wonderful

I loved these 2 books. The ending was amazing. Jean is a great writer and so is Siobhan