Family Matters

'A sweet, quintessentially Irish novel guaranteed to add a little magic to your day!'
Liane Moriarty on Reluctantly Charmed


For the first time in her life, Evie McCarthy sees Death coming for her. Clear as day. She just wants enough time to help her family realise the important things in life.

Her big-hearted granddaughter Rosie is in love again. She falls in love too quickly and this time it's serious.

Rosie's married sister, new mum Molly, is sleep deprived, exhausted and wondering what happened to her life.

Rosie and Molly's mum, Yvonne, is hiding her own devastating secret. Something so shameful she can't face the consequences.

Between the jigs and the reels, they pull one another up and over and come to understand that sometimes you have to give up the life you planned to get the life that's meant for you.


Funny, poignant, real and engaging, Family Matters is a thoroughly captivating story of three generations of women, each facing down their troubles to find the power of family.

'A delight to read.'
Good Reading on Reluctantly Charmed

'An enchanting read, with laugh-out-loud humour ... A tale of nostalgic beauty.'
Weekend Post on The Enchanted Island

Ellie is an Irish Australian author based in Geelong, Victoria. She is the author of four novels, the first of which, Reluctantly Charmed, was a top ten Australian debut and a bestseller. Her most recent novel, Family Matters, was published in 2022. Ellie's writing has been described as charming, whimsical, funny and touching. To date, all of her books have been set in Ireland and she's not entirely sure why. Australia has been home for over ten years but her storytelling blooms from the streets of Dublin.

Contemporary, warm-hearted, funny, poignant and satisfying - for fans of Monica McInerney, Cecelia Ahern and Josephine Moon Sometimes life is entirely different to how you dreamed it would be and sometimes that's okay. For the first time in her seventy-nine years, Evie McCarthy is plagued by the smell of roses. Death is coming for her. Clear as day. She's lucky she has the gift of second sight. It's served her well as Ballyhay's matchmaker, and now she's being forewarned. She just wants enough time to help her daughter and granddaughters realise the important things in life. Her big-hearted granddaughter Rosie is in love again. That one, she falls in love too quickly. And she won't bring him to meet her gran. Rosie's married sister, Molly, with two small boys is sleep-deprived, exhausted and wondering what happened to her life. Motherhood isn't supposed to be like this, is it? Rosie and Molly's mum, Yvonne, is hiding her own devastating secret - she's deeply ashamed and unwilling to face the repercussions of her decisions. Between the jigs and the reels, they pull one another up and over and come to understand that sometimes life doesn't play out how you hoped it would. But it is a good life.

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