The Irish House
Ratings1
Average rating5
15
Ratings1
Average rating5
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. What readers are saying about Ann O'Loughlin: 'I am speechless and emotionally wrung out after reading this incredibly powerful and moving novel... It tapped into my heart and squeezed out every tear I tried to hold onto but the waterfall could not be held back and the tissue box became my constant companion... Exceptional.' Cindy L Spear ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Wonderful! Powerful, poignant and emotional, the characters were special and Kilteelagh was definitely a character of its own. A very heartwarming contemporary novel... I recommend highly.' Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I adoredthis trip to Ireland.' Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Oh, the magic of a manor house in Ireland.' Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Reviews with the most likes.
A Grandmother's Love. This is, ultimately, a tale of a grandmother's loves - for her daughters, her granddaughters, and her home. O'Loughlin does an excellent job of making the grandmother feel like an active character, even though she is already dead in the very first scene, and indeed the grandmother winds up driving the narrative as much as anything else. Outside of the grandmother, this is a tale of one woman's decisions as her life is thrown into chaos in more ways than one, and now she is tasked with repairing a house and her cousins... while also repairing what she can of her own life. It is a tale of learning and loving and the mistakes we make big and small and the love and understanding that gets us through them all. Written very conservatively without being preachy, this is one that the "sweet"/ "clean" crowd will like, and those that expect more cursing and/ or bedroom action in their women's fiction/ romance blends may find a bit lacking. Overall a solid tale for what it was, this is absolutely one worthy of a few hours of your time. Very much recommended.
Originally posted at bookanon.com.