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Castlelough #2
Fair Haven
Beloved for novels that "deliver laughter, tears, and so much joy" (Romantic Times), JoAnn Ross brings another of Coldwater Cove's citizens to life in this poignant tale of family and friendship, loyalty and loss, courage and suffering.
Erin O'Halloran has witnessed the atrocities of war firsthand. But when she travels to Western Ireland to attempt to save a dying friend and mentor, she faces her greatest challenge yet. And when she happens to meet the love of her life, matters become unexpectedly complicated.
After spending years capturing war's horrors in his camera lens, photojournalist Michael Joyce escapes to his Irish family's farm, yearning to shut out the world. But fate has other plans for him—including unbidden feelings for Dr. O'Halloran and the unexpected rewards of fatherhood.
Surrounded by Ireland's magic, Erin and Michael begin to see nightmares replaced by dreams. But it will take more than one miracle before they discover the answers to their deepest questions—the ones they had never dared ask.
Erin O'Halloran has witnessed the atrocities of war firsthand. But when she travels to Western Ireland to attempt to save a dying friend and mentor, she faces her greatest challenge yet. And when she happens to meet the love of her life, matters become unexpectedly complicated.
After spending years capturing war's horrors in his camera lens, photojournalist Michael Joyce escapes to his Irish family's farm, yearning to shut out the world. But fate has other plans for him—including unbidden feelings for Dr. O'Halloran and the unexpected rewards of fatherhood.
Surrounded by Ireland's magic, Erin and Michael begin to see nightmares replaced by dreams. But it will take more than one miracle before they discover the answers to their deepest questions—the ones they had never dared ask.
432 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2000
40 people are currently reading
272 people want to read
About the author
JoAnn Ross
238 books798 followersNew York Times bestselling author JoAnn Ross has written over a hundred novels for a bunch of publishers. Two of her titles have been excerpted in Cosmo and her books have also been published by the Doubleday, Rhapsody, Literary Guild, and Mystery Guild book clubs.
A member of the Romance Writers of America's Honor Roll of best-selling authors, she's won several awards, including Romantic Times's Career Achievement Awards in both category and contemporary single title.
Currently writing a new Honeymoon Harbor series for HQN set on the Washington peninsula, that will launch in April, 2018, JoAnn lives with her husband (her high school sweetheart, who proposed at the sea wall where her Shelter Bay books are set), in the Pacific Northwest.
A member of the Romance Writers of America's Honor Roll of best-selling authors, she's won several awards, including Romantic Times's Career Achievement Awards in both category and contemporary single title.
Currently writing a new Honeymoon Harbor series for HQN set on the Washington peninsula, that will launch in April, 2018, JoAnn lives with her husband (her high school sweetheart, who proposed at the sea wall where her Shelter Bay books are set), in the Pacific Northwest.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
July 21, 2018
Again as in the first case of the series, a character gets knocked off although we are told he is at his death-bed at the start and that is what brings the heroine to town. Heroine is a doctor who does relief work and comes to help her friend with his practice, a friend who is dying. Hero is a former war photographer who has buried himself in his farm to out-run what he saw. When the book opens a an eight year old daughter he didn't know he had is dropped on him. The book follows the pattern of the first and was uneventful and I guess a little boring in places. There is a reincarnation theme between h/H which kind of didn't gel well for me. Then the whole mystery of what is plaguing his daughter was also meh. Overall not that impressed and I doubt I will be reading the next one especially since the blurb makes it clear Kate's story is not a reunion romance as I expected.
June 13, 2009
This is another of the Ireland Series that Joann Ross has done. I like this one alot. She really makes you want to visit Ireland and get to know the people there. If only it would really be like that.
Erin O'Halleran is a relief Doctor that has come to Ireland to find a cure for her best friend that is suffering from being gased while in a violent country, as a relief Doctor. She is commited to finding a cure for him.
Michael Joyce is a photojournalist that has come home to Ireland to heal from his awful experiences in wartorn country's. While there he suffered a horrible wound that almost took his life. If he hadn't been airlifted out of the situation he would have died just as many others did that day. He has alot of guilt and flashbacks that he is trying to work through.
One day while at his farm he comes into the house to find a woman there. She is the mother of the woman that he had an affair with years ago. She claims that her daughter is now dead and that she has his daughter in the car. Not knowing that he even had a child, he is stunned, but when he sees this beautiful, charming child he falls for her imeadiately.
Michael goes with his friend Tom to pick up the american woman Doctor at the airport. He is immeadiately intrigued by her, though he can't let her see that. Over time he can't stay away from her and their attraction is mutual, but they are both afraid that Tom may have feelings for Erin, and put off their own feelings to protect him. But when Tom explains that he loves Erin as a sister and has brought her here to meet Michael, feeling that they are perfect for each other, Micheal and Erin can no longer put aside their feelings for each other and act upon their attraction.
Shea is a sweet imaginative child that beleives that she has a gurdian angel following her around along with a gurdian angel dog too. She suffers from frequent headaches and doesn't want to tell her new found "Da" about them, feeling that he might not love her as much with a problem. One sunday she attends church with her Great-Grandmother and has a seizure or fainting spell. Erin and Tom check her out but can find nothing wrong with her. Later when she is found in the kitchen in the middle of broken pottery and has clawed her face and arms and pulled out her hair, being close to unconscience. Erin immeadiately orders her taken to the closest Hospital and calls in a famous nerosurgeon. She has a brain tumer.
Micheal is devistated about his little childs tumer. He feels that maybe god is somehow punishing him for being saved that day when so many others died. But as Shea recovers from her surgury and they find that she will be okay, he sees that his faith is renewed and that his new found love for Erin will be his saving Grace.
Erin O'Halleran is a relief Doctor that has come to Ireland to find a cure for her best friend that is suffering from being gased while in a violent country, as a relief Doctor. She is commited to finding a cure for him.
Michael Joyce is a photojournalist that has come home to Ireland to heal from his awful experiences in wartorn country's. While there he suffered a horrible wound that almost took his life. If he hadn't been airlifted out of the situation he would have died just as many others did that day. He has alot of guilt and flashbacks that he is trying to work through.
One day while at his farm he comes into the house to find a woman there. She is the mother of the woman that he had an affair with years ago. She claims that her daughter is now dead and that she has his daughter in the car. Not knowing that he even had a child, he is stunned, but when he sees this beautiful, charming child he falls for her imeadiately.
Michael goes with his friend Tom to pick up the american woman Doctor at the airport. He is immeadiately intrigued by her, though he can't let her see that. Over time he can't stay away from her and their attraction is mutual, but they are both afraid that Tom may have feelings for Erin, and put off their own feelings to protect him. But when Tom explains that he loves Erin as a sister and has brought her here to meet Michael, feeling that they are perfect for each other, Micheal and Erin can no longer put aside their feelings for each other and act upon their attraction.
Shea is a sweet imaginative child that beleives that she has a gurdian angel following her around along with a gurdian angel dog too. She suffers from frequent headaches and doesn't want to tell her new found "Da" about them, feeling that he might not love her as much with a problem. One sunday she attends church with her Great-Grandmother and has a seizure or fainting spell. Erin and Tom check her out but can find nothing wrong with her. Later when she is found in the kitchen in the middle of broken pottery and has clawed her face and arms and pulled out her hair, being close to unconscience. Erin immeadiately orders her taken to the closest Hospital and calls in a famous nerosurgeon. She has a brain tumer.
Micheal is devistated about his little childs tumer. He feels that maybe god is somehow punishing him for being saved that day when so many others died. But as Shea recovers from her surgury and they find that she will be okay, he sees that his faith is renewed and that his new found love for Erin will be his saving Grace.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2022
Erin O Halogen is a doctor in war zones, she has witnessed the atrocities of war.
Her good friend, Tom was right there with her. Tom is from a small Western Irish village.
He is dying and asks Erin to come in and fill in at his small medical practice until he passes.
Michael Joyce is a war photographer and a famous one. He has had enough of war and has come home to the same village that Tom and Erin are in.
He is pretty much willing to be a hermit and shut out everything.
But, life has other plans!
He finds out he has a daughter, Shea, who is 8 years old and needs him badly.
She has been through her own hell in Dublin and the violence of that area.
Erin, Michael and Shea start to heal from their traumatic experiences and find each other.
Lots of Irish magic and new possibilities!
Her good friend, Tom was right there with her. Tom is from a small Western Irish village.
He is dying and asks Erin to come in and fill in at his small medical practice until he passes.
Michael Joyce is a war photographer and a famous one. He has had enough of war and has come home to the same village that Tom and Erin are in.
He is pretty much willing to be a hermit and shut out everything.
But, life has other plans!
He finds out he has a daughter, Shea, who is 8 years old and needs him badly.
She has been through her own hell in Dublin and the violence of that area.
Erin, Michael and Shea start to heal from their traumatic experiences and find each other.
Lots of Irish magic and new possibilities!
April 4, 2011
3 1/2 stars. Part of a series set in modern Western Ireland, Fair Haven tells the story of Michael an award winning war photographer turned farmer and Erin, a relief doctor helping out with an ailing friend's practice in Michael's hometown. Both share in common love and concern for this friend, as well as both being haunted by their experiences in war torn lands full of atrocities and suffering. There are other ghosts as well -- Michael's deceased father puts in several appearances and a variety of supernatural/magical events and beings abound from angels to vivid memories of past lives.
At times, the magic and amount of time spent in the characters' heads as they sorted out their feelings and issues were more than I wanted to wade through. However, often the story was absorbing and made up for those distractions. I enjoyed the depiction of life in the little Irish village as Michael and Erin fall in love while Erin tries to save their dying friend. A big part of the story is Michael finding out he has a daughter, becoming a father overnight to an adorable little girl who tells detailed stories about her guardian angels but keeps a dark secret. I also found myself interested in the secondary characters, wanting to know more about them, and already plan to read further in the series.
At times, the magic and amount of time spent in the characters' heads as they sorted out their feelings and issues were more than I wanted to wade through. However, often the story was absorbing and made up for those distractions. I enjoyed the depiction of life in the little Irish village as Michael and Erin fall in love while Erin tries to save their dying friend. A big part of the story is Michael finding out he has a daughter, becoming a father overnight to an adorable little girl who tells detailed stories about her guardian angels but keeps a dark secret. I also found myself interested in the secondary characters, wanting to know more about them, and already plan to read further in the series.
November 22, 2016
I enjoyed the story. At first I thought it would take me awhile to connect with the characters,but before I knew I was engrossed in there lives and wanted to know what was going to happen next. Quick read for me after that.
October 1, 2019
Erin O'Halloran was a child genius - going to college at 15 and then medical school. Then she went to work for a medical organization that went to war zones. For 6 years, she worked under primitive conditions and made a best friend of an Irish doctor, Tom Flannery. Tom is now a doctor in his western Ireland, thanks to being sprayed during a war. Erin goes to help him out, intending to cure him. What she gets instead if Michael Joyce, a renowned photo-journalist who has also retreated to his roots. Tom and Michael grew up together and Tom wants Michael and Erin to get together. Michael also gets a previously unknown daughter when her mom is killed in Northern Ireland. Tom eventually dies, Michael and Erin do get together, along with visits from his dead father and his daughter's guardian angel. Good blend of Irish supernatural and reality. Well done.
October 22, 2018
This is the story of Erin O'Halloran and Michael Joyce set in Castlelough, Ireland. Michael is a world famous photojournalist who has now returned to his hometown. Erin a doctor who works in war torn areas has come to Ireland to help a friend who is dying. They meet and their is an instant connection. Life has a few curves for them before a happy ending. The book was a quick easy read.
October 21, 2018
Good story. I personally do not like books with disappearing characters.
October 17, 2019
It was fair. The writing was fine. The story was enjoyable. 3 stars and no more and no less.
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February 10, 2020Very sweet little story set in Ireland, with a touch of magic. The hero and heroine clash wildly before their destiny reveals itself. A good read for a winter day.
July 26, 2020
Such a cute read. A few themes were traditionally unconventional, like ghosts and reincarnation, but nonetheless, a very cute, heartwarming read.
June 15, 2022
I’ve been meaning to read this book for over a year, and I’m so happy I finally did it. I loved the way everything is described, and the switching between povs was a really nice change from most books I read. The brooding strong man falling for the high strung female is always a good story. And I did tear up near the end when Shea was not doing the best. Overall, a really great story that grasped at all of my emotions all at once.
December 13, 2023
Heart Warming Story
Loved this novel. Like life, it's a story filled with both tears and joy. The tears softened by the intertwined love between the main characters.
Loved this novel. Like life, it's a story filled with both tears and joy. The tears softened by the intertwined love between the main characters.
January 24, 2011
I think of the 3 books in the trilogy, this is my favorite. I love the magic of Ireland, the sweetness of the romance and how dark and brooding Michael Joyce was. From the cabin Erin rents to the rolling green fields, Ross had me fully immersed in her small Ireland village. The paranormal elements added just the right touch of magic to the story.
April 1, 2013
Okay. I found this book laying around in an old box. No one knew where it came from. I decided to read it. A very good positive story, with expected happy endings, although a few minor twists thrown in. A little more racey in a couple of parts than I expected and a little of the unnatural, although in a fun way. A clear story line around the horrors of war, although not the direct plot.
September 4, 2016
Another wonderful story about a small town in Ireland and a very close family in a fairy country. Erin O'Halloran came to Western Ireland to help one of her oldest friends with his medical practice due to his health. She had no intention of falling in love but meeting Michael Joyce really was destiny. This a glorious tale of dreams and Angels. Great read.
August 27, 2007
If you loved Nora Robert's Irish trilogy you will love this book set in Castlelough Ireland. Other books set in this Irish village include Legends Lake and the beautifully written A Woman's Heart. A lovely Irish trilogy with characters you will fall in love with.
February 18, 2011
A fast read which brings the characters and stories of Western Ireland to life. The novel covers family and friendship, loyalty and loss, and courage and suffering. Most of all, this is a story of love and it's miraculous power.
August 27, 2007
Love books set in Ireland so I couldn't help but fall in love with this one as well. Great story!
September 1, 2008
Romantic story line set in Ireland--fairies-miracles--loss and finding love---
July 2, 2012
Ireland, angels, faeries and romance..all wonderfully written.
October 16, 2012
Was incredibly slow and could not get into it. Read first 60 pages and never finished book. Boring
November 28, 2012
Looking forward to the 3rd book, which I ordered from Amazon today even though it was kind of expensive and I don't know why.
March 14, 2015
Another enjoyable entry in this series,I loved the scenes with just the kids, I think they really added to the story. Now I can't wait to read Kate's story.
January 14, 2016
Heartwarming modern fairytale
This was another story by Ross that kept me turning pages and allowed me to feel like I was right there with the wonderful characters she creates.
This was another story by Ross that kept me turning pages and allowed me to feel like I was right there with the wonderful characters she creates.
September 10, 2016
Some funny typical Irish humor. More
December 19, 2014
A nice cozy read.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews