Love is the easy bit - Mary Grehan

'The characters are real, earthy and believable ... the issues are thought-provoking and relatable ... the ending is uplifting' Novelicious.com

For fans of the luminous and emotional story-telling of Maggie O'Farrell and Kim Edwards, Mary Grehan's Love is the Easy Bit goes on a shattering and exhilarating journey that will resonate with anyone who has questioned how they have ended up in the life they have.

For eleven years Sylvia Larkin has been a mother - and she knows, deep down, that she's no good at it. Seeing her husband's loving relationship with their daughter Kate, she believes she's simply been going through the motions. She feels like a fake.

When a former lover turns up, reminding her of the striking young artist she once was and the life she gave up, Sylvia finally loses her grip and nearly destroys her own world, and that of her family.

Coming so close to the edge, however, brings Sylvia face to face with her demons and the realization that she must try to fix her life. It is a journey of heartbreak, challenge and painful surprises. And for Sylvia, her husband and Kate it is one in which the destination will remain unknown until they get there ...

'Love. It feels like a word from science class that you nod along to but don't really understand,' Sylvia says. And anyone who has ever felt the strangeness and wonder of being in a role that doesn't quite fit will be captivated and moved by Sylvia's journey into the heart of being a wife, mother and daughter.

'What a talent! ... An unforgettable heroine' Irish Examiner

'Her descriptions are scalpel sharp and her perception deep. This book, about an artist, is itself a work of art.' Metro Herald

'Her descriptions are those of an artist ... [her] observations have charm and originality' Irish Independent

'Real in its story-telling and sometimes frightening in its honesty ... a fine accomplishment' Dublinduchess.blogspot.com

Mary Grehan trained as an artist and now works as an arts manager and curator. She has travelled widely, lived in many places and is now based in Co Waterford. Love is the Easy Bit is her first novel