Tag: Ireland

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Bookouture Blog Tour for The Irish House by Ann O’Loughlin

About The Book

The Irish House: A totally heartbreaking and powerful story about families, secrets and finding your way home

My dearest Marianne, have you ever completely loved one person? What I am about to tell you now, I have told no one…

Beautiful Kilteelagh House in Ireland, with its avenue of trees and its acres of wildflowers, was somewhere Marianne thought she’d never be again. At least, not without her beloved grandmother Collie. But when Collie passes away, she has just one request – for Marianne to leave behind her glamorous life in New York and to raise Collie’s orphaned granddaughters in the wild Irish countryside. Heartbroken and determined to fulfil her grandmother’s dying wish, Marianne has no choice but to say yes…

All Marianne and her cousins have left is each other, and letters from Collie that keep arriving from beyond the grave. They become a lifeline for Marianne, and she soon realises that her grandmother still has a lot to still teach her. And after a chance encounter with gorgeous local handyman Jack, Marianne wonders if Collie believed being back at Kilteelagh House would help her find love, too?

Soon, Marianne can’t help but begin to fall in love with this place that is so full of memories, of secrets, and perhaps even a little bit of Irish magic. But then out of the blue, a letter from Collie arrives that changes everything…

Will Marianne ever be able to decide where her heart truly belongs? Or will she have to run away from the only people who have ever truly understood her?

An absolutely heartbreaking and heart-warming read overflowing with Irish charm that will make you laugh, cry and hold your loved ones close. Perfect for fans of Susanne O’Leary, Cathy Kelly and Kathleen McGurl.

Buy link: https://geni.us/B0BS6ZR7LFsocial

My Thoughts

Oh my heart! I went through so many emotions while reading this book by a new to me author.
Fashion designer, Marianne from New York arrives in Balgaddy, Dublin Ireland after being summoned there for the reading of her grandmother Collie’s will. She feels so guilty as work had kept her busy the past several years while her grandmother’s health deteriorated, and she was unable to travel to Ireland while her grandmother was still alive.
She inherits Kilteelagh House, her grandmother’s pride and joy, her house which means everything to her. The conditions are she must be the guardian to her two young nieces, one 6 the other 15 and she is to live at Kilteelagh House for a year while doing so.
Unsure of herself and her parenting skills at first she gains confidence the longer she is there.
As she falls in love with the house as much as her grandmother has she also falls in love with a local man. Discovering all the house has to offer, like sitting and enjoying all the flowers as the seasons pass. The descriptions are so beautiful I can vividly imagine the house as the author paints such a vivid picture of it, breathtaking. The letters are what got to me. Each month Marianne is given a letter her grandmother has written to her before her death. These letters boost her confidence 10-fold and give her practical advice and also talk about her grandmother’s life all the while offering up secrets, she has never shared with anyone else. She is now the keeper of secrets and it’s a huge responsibility to hold all the while it explains the current family dynamics. The book is heartbreaking but warm and relatable. I completely loved it and must read more by this author.

Pub Date 14 Apr 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

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The Author

Ann is the Irish author of five novels and has been translated into eleven languages. Her first novel The Ballroom Cafe was also an ebook bestseller and in the top 20 bestselling books of 2015 on Amazon UK. Ann loves to write and often gets up at 5am to get the words down, before starting her other job of writing as a news reporter. A leading journalist in Ireland, Ann has covered all major news events in a long career with Independent Newspapers, Ireland. She is now a senior journalist with the Irish Examiner specialising in legal issues. Ann has also lived in India. Originally from the west of Ireland she now lives on the east coast with her husband and family.

Author social media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annoloughlinbooks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/annolwriter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annoloughlinbooks/

Newsletter: https://www.bookouture.com/ann-oloughlin

Have a most splendid day and thanks for visiting today.

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The Maid of Ballymacool by Jennifer Deibel, Captivating, I could not put it down

About The Book

Brianna Kelly was abandoned at Ballymacool House and Boarding School as an infant. She has worked there since she was a wee girl and will likely die there. Despite a sense that she was made for something more, Brianna feels powerless to change her situation, so she consoles herself by exploring the Ballymacool grounds, looking for hidden treasures to add to the secret trove beneath the floorboards of her room.

When Michael Wray, the son of local gentry, is sent to Ballymacool to deal with his unruly cousin, he finds himself drawn to Brianna, immediately and inescapably. There is something about her that feels so . . . familiar. When Brianna finds a piece of silver in the woods, she commits to learning its origins, with the help of Michael. What they discover may change everything.

Fan favorite Jennifer Deibel invites you back to the Emerald Isle in the 1930s for this fresh take on the Cinderella story, complete with a tantalizing mystery, a budding romance, and a chance at redemption.

Grab A Copy Here

My Thoughts

When I first received THE MAID OF BALLYMACOOL I was unable to read it due to prior reading obligations. Now I wish I had chucked those books out the window and gotten right to this one. I absolutely do believe this is the author’s strongest writing yet. You cannot help getting lost in the world she creates. I loved the time I spent at Ballymacool House and Wood and was fascinated to read in the author’s notes that they are still there though Ballmacool is abandoned, roofless and covered in vines. I can’t wait to do more online research on this. Though the story is fictional it is based upon many true events. Just my type of book, very well researched.
Brianna Kelly has known no other life than Ballymacool House and Boarding School. Abandoned there as a baby she grew up there and is a maid there. In charge of her is Mistress Maureen Magee, the headmistress of Ballymacool House and Boarding School for Girls. Very mean, she never sees reason from anyone around her. People aren’t born mean so then you say to yourself what happened personally to make her like this? Mistress Magee absolutely hates Brianna with every fiber of her being, but Brianna can remember a time long ago when she was extremely young that she wasn’t like this towards her. As we are reading, we have to try to piece together why she hates this young lady so much. Michael Wray, the son of a local gentry is sent by his parents to the school the corral his young cousin who is a bit pranksterish and outspoken for the school. He is there to keep an eye on her and keep her inline. Upon meeting Brianna, he is drawn to her quiet, shy and reserved way. Something about her feels familiar, have they met before? Brianna spends her free time in the woods surrounding Ballymacool and has a special tree she has been going to for years for relaxation and where she has found treasure. There is in my opinion a gothic feel to the book, a slow burn romance, a headmistress who is hiding something and a mystery just begging to be solved. I could not turn these pages fast enough. There is also a glossary of terms at the back of the book which is very helpful plus the author’s notes that I’d advise because it gives helpful information pertaining to the story. Excellent book!

Pub Date 21 Feb 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

About The Author

Jennifer Deibel is a middle school teacher and freelance writer. Her work has appeared on (in)courage, on The Better Mom, in Missions Mosaic Magazine, and others. With firsthand immersive experience abroad, Jennifer writes stories that help redefine home through the lens of culture, history, and family. After nearly a decade of living in Ireland and Austria, she now lives in Arizona.

Have a marvelous weekend and thanks for stopping in.

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Can’t Wait Wednesday

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted here, at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. It’s based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. If you’re continuing with WOW, feel free to link those up as well! Find out more here.

I am really looking forward to reading…………….

Publish date June 8,2023 Aria and Aries publisher

I was just approved for this on NetGalley this morning after requesting it yesterday. It sounds great. I enjoy reading books that feature older people. You also can’t beat a book taking place in Ireland by the sea.

Description

People come to the guest house for fresh air and views across the Atlantic. But if they’re lucky, they might just leave with the second chance they didn’t know they needed…

Esme has run the guest house for as long as anyone in Ballycove can remember. But in her declining years, her sight is failing, and when she has a fall on the eve of the summer season, she is forced to take a back seat for the first time in her life.

From her chair in the entry hall, not much passes Esme by. There’s Cora, the wife visiting indefinitely… without her husband; Niamh, the city professional with a life-changing decision to make; and Phyllie, the grandmother whose family is slipping away from her.

Esme’s guests provide the colour that helps her keep her grip on the world. All of them have something they want to escape – or to hold on to. But can Esme help them find their way before the summer is over?

From bestselling Irish writer Faith Hogan comes a new, uplifting story about discovering love, friendship and the healing power of the Irish sea air. It will charm fans of Sheila O’Flanagan, Heidi Swain and Susanne O’Leary.

Praise for Faith Hogan’s books:
‘Uplifting, emotional and brimming with warmth and humour’ CATHY BRAMLEY on The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club

What upcoming read are you looking forward to?

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Bookouture Blog Tour for the Lost Letters of Ireland by Susanne O’Leary

About the Book: 

A totally captivating story about long-lost family secrets and new beginnings, that will whisk you away to the village of Sandy Cove on the gorgeous Irish coast.

Heartbroken and feeling lost after the end of her last relationship, Edwina is looking for a fresh start. And when she hears that a coastguard cottage in the tiny village of Sandy Cove is for sale, she knows it could be her chance. She remembers the village from her childhood with its beautiful sandy white beaches, and wonders if using her life savings to buy the cottage might give her a new beginning in the Irish town beside the sea.

Not long after she arrives, Edwina discovers a message in a bottle during one of her walks along the coast. Written twenty years ago and washed ashore at Wild Rose Bay, it tells the story of a desperate young man, driven to despair after a terrible accident that left him separated from his true love. Touched by his heartbreaking letter, and haunted by its contents, Edwina resolves to find the person who wrote it.

As she begins her search, Edwina meets Shane O’Flaherty, a charming local doctor with green eyes, with whom she feels an instant connection. As the pair walk the cobbled streets of the village together, Edwina’s feelings grow stronger, and she begins to wonder whether Sandy Cove might be the place she can finally call home…

But when she uncovers the identity of the person who wrote the letter all those years ago, everything Edwina thought she knew about Shane changes in an instant. Has she unearthed a secret that should never have come to light? And will it force her to leave the place where she thought she had finally found happiness?

Fans of Sheila O’Flanagan, Mary Alice Monroe and Debbie Macomber will fall in love with this gripping, heart-warming and utterly charming Irish romance.

MEDIA PACK

Book: The Lost Letters of Ireland

Author: Susanne O’Leary 

Pub Day:  October 20th 2022

Buy Links: 

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0B6VPSW5Vsocial

Apple: http://ow.ly/VfjB50JYR57

Kobo: http://ow.ly/AviZ50JYQZN

Google: http://ow.ly/z2wZ50JYRvW

My Thoughts

Being of Irish nationality I love to visit Ireland through books as I dream of actually visiting there someday. This was a magical visit to the beautiful south-west of Ireland to the fictional village of Sandy Cove on the gorgeous Irish coast.
Edwina is ready to settle in and make a new start and she does so by buying five cottages in Sandy Cove. Immediately the gossip starts with villagers speculating on who bought the cottages and wondering if they will be torn down and what building will replace them. You just can’t escape the small-town gossip mill.
Walking along the beach she finds a bottle that has been washed up upon the shore and after reading the heartbreaking message the only thing she can think about is finding the person who wrote the letter. She’s not sure if this will even be possible as the message has been written twenty years ago.
I was drawn into Edwina’s life as she discovers family secrets, has a reunion,shows graciousness and forgiveness and finds a special relationship. A mix of the perfect amount of romance and heartwarming scenes.
The author pulls you into her writing world with the scenery, set up and characters.
The loose threads from previous books have come together and I look forward to more in this entertaining series.

Pub Date 20 Oct 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

AUTHOR BIO

Susanne O’Leary is the bestselling author of more than twenty novels, mainly in the romantic fiction genre. She has also written three crime novels and two in the historical fiction genre. She has been the wife of a diplomat (still is), a fitness teacher and a translator. She now writes full-time from either of two locations, a ramshackle house in County Tipperary, Ireland or a little cottage overlooking the Atlantic in Dingle, County Kerry. When she is not scaling the mountains of said counties, or keeping fit in the local gym, she keeps writing, producing a book every six months.

Visit Susanne at her website, http://www.susanne-oleary.co.uk

Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoroleary

Twitter: https://twitter.com/susl

Website: http://www.susanne-oleary.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susanne.olearyauthor/

Bookouture Email Sign Up: https://www.bookouture.com/susanne-oleary

Please visit other blogs on the tour here

Thank you for stopping in today to learn more about The Lost Letters of Ireland. Have a marvelous day!

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The Lady Of Galway Manor Review

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My Review


This book holds a special place in my heart. You see, an ancestor of mine sailed from Galway when she was sixteen years old without her family. I don’t know the circumstances of the traveling .
By the time I had thought of asking my grandmother about our Irish ancestry she had passed, an opportunity passed never to be retrieved.
I absolutely loved reading about this book taking place in Galway. The book has such an authenticity to it. I have such an understanding of it now and truly feel as though I visited Ireland in the 1920’s. The spoken Irish language,the descriptions of the foods,the places they went,the day to day life,the flooding. It all made the book come alive for me. It was so interesting reading the legend of the Claddagh ring and how the jewelry shop has been in the same family for so many generations.
I need one of these gorgeous rings.
Thank you to the author for writing such a charming book. I very much enjoyed it!
#TheLadyofGalwayManor #NetGalley.

Publishing Feb 01,2022.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

GoodReads Synopsis

In 1920, Annabeth De Lacy’s father is appointed landlord of Galway Parish in Ireland. Bored without all the trappings of the British Court, Annabeth convinces her father to arrange an apprenticeship for her with the Jennings family–descendants of the creator of the famed Claddagh Ring.

Stephen Jennings longs to do anything other than run his family’s jewelry shop. Having had his heart broken, he no longer believes in love and is weary of peddling the ÒliesÓ the Claddagh Ring promises.

Meanwhile, as the war for Irish independence gains strength, many locals resent the De Lacys and decide to take things into their own hands to display their displeasure. As events take a dangerous turn for Annabeth and her family, she and Stephen begin to see that perhaps the “other side” isn’t quite as barbaric and uncultured as they’d been led to believe–and that the bonds of friendship, love, and loyalty are only made stronger when put through the refiner’s fire.

Travel to the Emerald Isle for another poignant and romantic story from the enchanted pen of Jennifer Deibel.

The Claddagh ring is a traditional Irish ring which represents love, loyalty, and friendship (the hands represent friendship, the heart represents love, and the crown represents loyalty). The design and customs associated with it originated in the Irish fishing village of the same name in Galway. The ring, as currently known, was first produced in the 17th century. en.wikipedia.org

About The Author

Jennifer Deibel is a middle school teacher and freelance writer. Her work has appeared on (in)courage, on The Better Mom, in Missions Mosaic Magazine, and others. With firsthand immersive experience abroad, Jennifer writes stories that help redefine home through the lens of culture, history, and family. After nearly a decade of living in Ireland and Austria, she now lives in Arizona.

Thank you for visiting today.