Get The BookBrowse Anthology, our 880 page collection of our past decade of Best of Year reviews, now available in hardcover!

What do readers think of The Seven O'Clock Club by Amelia Ireland? Write your own review.

Summary | Reviews | More Information | More Books

The Seven O'Clock Club by Amelia Ireland

The Seven O'Clock Club

by Amelia Ireland

  • Readers' Rating (30):
  • Published:
  • Apr 2025, 368 pages
  • Rate this book

About this book

Reviews

Page 1 of 4
There are currently 29 reader reviews for The Seven O'Clock Club
Order Reviews by:

Write your own review!

Anne M. (Madison, WI)

Ride the rollercoaster
I was very much looking forward to the book and the premise that four strangers join a therapy group together in order to get over some common, unnamed struggle. As the characters unfolded, the book took the reader into the backstories of the four strangers and there were, predictably, some intersections.

Then came the big reveal (which I won't mention here) and I immediately felt disbelief. I was dismayed that this novel was not what I wanted it to be about! How could I have been fooled?! Not one to put down a book and stop reading (I probably only left two books unfinished in all my years), I decided to continue out of curiosity, to see where it was going.

So glad I did! The book took a really delightful turn, unexpected and inspiring, and very comforting in many ways. You will get what I mean when you read it! Highly recommend! Just don't stop reading!
Ellen G. (Montclair, NJ)

The Seven O'clock Club
I loved this book! I was totally engaged from the first page. The characters were unique and each had a story to tell. As the stories unfold, each person reveals the devil they are dealing with, Friendships develop and the group comes together to help each other get through their issues. The surprise ending is what makes this book so rewarding. I highly recommend this book and will recommend it to my book club once it is published.
Darcy C. (San Diego, CA)

Holy smokes – – what a ride!!!
Oh my gosh, by golly!! THIS BOOK IS EXACTLY WHY I READ!!!
I never lost interest in this book at any point. To me, I could relate to all of the characters. I love getting goosebumps from a book! Each time revelations in the story made me pause and truly reflect on these magic moments. The book has a very understandable situation for the characters. I had no idea that I was going to be getting my socks knocked off. I am not trying to be vague as you can read the book synopsis. I'm trying to convey the ways that this book truly affected me. I certainly don't want to deny any reader of the too-rare-occasion of being 100 moved by a book.
There is a huge "U-turn " or "wtf" moment that gave me full – body – chills. Isn't that one of the best feelings ever — When a book can do this!?! As a matter of fact, I got full goosebumps five or six times reading a novel. That has never happened to me before. I believe I was in the absolute perfect state of mind to love every word in this book.
Melanie B. (Desoto, TX)

Thoughtful and Insightful Novel
I didn't want to put this book down. The author does an excellent job of moving the reader through the grief processes of four very different people who somehow manage to share a common experience of loss and the healing acceptance of letting go and moving through their pain. I highly recommend this book for anyone experiencing loss and looking for a way to accept and live with it. I think this is a very good book for reading group discussions.
Allison R. (Twinsburg, OH)

Connection in life and death
This book captured my attention right away because while you have a vague idea of what is going on, some kind of group therapy or grief counseling, you want to figure out how these people will manage to heal. The characters are interesting, mostly likable, and relatable. The author does a good job sharing their stories and their grief from their unique perspectives. And while they are all very different, they have a lot in common and form a very strong bond within the first couple meetings. I enjoyed the theme around the importance of human connection and telling one's story in order to heal and move on from grief. "Perception is reality" is a saying I have heard before and it rings true here in so many way as this book does an excellent job of walking you through different dimensions of truth.
NM

A New Kind of Therapy
Amelia Ireland's debut novel The Seven O'Clock Club is the story of four people who have volunteered for a new type of grief therapy. This sounds like a simple story, but it is anything but simple. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it's such a creative narrative, such a unique look at grief and loss. It's a real page turner that had me reading late into the night, lost in time and lost in the story. Ireland has created characters that are at once grief-stricken, funny, fearful, and strong. The things they come to learn about themselves and each other help mend their broken hearts. Such a refreshing way to look at second chances and new beginnings. I highly recommend this book, so mark your calendars for the April 15, 2025, publishing date! Thank you to Book Browse and Berkley/Penguin Random House for my advanced reader copy.
Barbara J. (Tucker, GA)

Mind Games
Four strangers with diverse stories are invited to join an experimental therapy group. As they attend,or opt out of, these meetings, we learn
pieces of their story. At some point, I felt that I was a participant in the meetings of The Seven O'clock Club as author Amelia Ireland asked questions to draw each person out. I found myself connecting with some of these questions. You will be surprised by what you learn about each character and perhaps even a bit about yourself. I thoroughly enjoyed this exploration.
MariaH

Heartfelt Characters
Amelia Ireland's debut novel is ostensibly about four people who come together to heal from their respective traumatic experiences. The grief group therapy theme was initially off-putting to me. However, the author is able to quickly enmesh you in the protagonists' lives and leaves you seeking more information about them. Each chapter is presented from the point of view of a different character and allows the characters to develop slowly and thoroughly. Almost imperceptibly, you come to care deeply for the four main characters. I was equally shocked, saddened and elated at different times throughout the book. This is quite difficult to achieve and makes the book a special read.
This is also an effortless read that still has me thinking about the characters well after the story's conclusion. I highly recommend this debut novel.

More Information

Read-Alikes

BookBrowse Book Club

  • Book Jacket
    The Devil Finds Work
    by James Baldwin
    A book-length essay on racism in American films, by "the best essayist in this country" (The New York Times Book Review).
  • Book Jacket
    The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris
    by Evie Woods
    From the million-copy bestselling author of The Lost Bookshop.
  • Book Jacket
    The River Knows Your Name
    by Kelly Mustian
    A haunting Southern novel about memory and love, from the author of The Girls in the Stilt House.
  • Book Jacket
    Real Americans
    by Rachel Khong
    From the author of Goodbye, Vitamin, a novel exploring family, identity, and the shaping of destiny.

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket

    Happy Land
    by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

    From the New York Times bestselling author, a novel about a family's secret ties to a vanished American Kingdom.

  • Book Jacket

    The Seven O'Clock Club
    by Amelia Ireland

    Four strangers join an experimental treatment to heal broken hearts in Amelia Ireland's heartfelt debut novel.

  • Book Jacket

    One Death at a Time
    by Abbi Waxman

    A cranky ex-actress and her Gen Z sobriety sponsor team up to solve a murder that could send her back to prison in this dazzling mystery.

  • Book Jacket

    The Fairbanks Four
    by Brian Patrick O’Donoghue

    One murder, four guilty convictions, and a community determined to find justice.

Who Said...

Give me the luxuries of life and I will willingly do without the necessities.

Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

J of A T, M of N

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.