What do you think?
Rate this book
A Little Irish Love Story
Set in post World War II Ireland, this retelling of the Biblical story of Ruth is an incredible love story . . . with a twist.
Elderly Sarah returns to her hometown of Adare, Ireland, with her daughter-in-law, Anna. The suffering that World War II brought them was unimaginable, but they still have each other. With all their loved ones killed in the war, the two women have nothing but a hope that one distant relative will help them. Will this new beginning bring the healing that both of them have prayed for?
With heart-pounding suspense, romance, and mystery tied up in one, A Little Irish Love Story contains unforgettable, human characters that bring humor and sweetness to the sweeping Irish backdrop.
Follow along as incredible moments of passionate faith are gleaned from the pages and a heroic young woman finds the truth about her life—that she is loved beyond what she could have ever imagined.
Elderly Sarah returns to her hometown of Adare, Ireland, with her daughter-in-law, Anna. The suffering that World War II brought them was unimaginable, but they still have each other. With all their loved ones killed in the war, the two women have nothing but a hope that one distant relative will help them. Will this new beginning bring the healing that both of them have prayed for?
With heart-pounding suspense, romance, and mystery tied up in one, A Little Irish Love Story contains unforgettable, human characters that bring humor and sweetness to the sweeping Irish backdrop.
Follow along as incredible moments of passionate faith are gleaned from the pages and a heroic young woman finds the truth about her life—that she is loved beyond what she could have ever imagined.
- GenresRomance
450 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 21, 2013
7 people are currently reading
52 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 20, 2020
I really was not expecting this book to be like this at all. I still don't quite know what I read. I picked it for a book club thinking it would be a fluffy and predictable Christian read.
However, the story and characters were all over the place. At times, I appreciated the spiritual moments and other times they were very strange. The characters all seemed very inconsistent, except ironically Tomas. The whole time I was trying to figure out what I was reading; because, the dialouge would go from corny to uptight in moments. I think the author just had too many different ideas she wanted to touch on so that as the reader, I felt like I couldn't keep track of what kind of story she actually wanted to tell. The ending was somewhat tidy despite the sporadic parts throughout. Technically speaking, the editing was poorly done, and the writing was too "quippy" for my tastes.
That being said, I was never actually bored, and I was genuinely interested in how it ended. It had some unique moments in it and gets props for being more involved than I originally anticipated.
However, the story and characters were all over the place. At times, I appreciated the spiritual moments and other times they were very strange. The characters all seemed very inconsistent, except ironically Tomas. The whole time I was trying to figure out what I was reading; because, the dialouge would go from corny to uptight in moments. I think the author just had too many different ideas she wanted to touch on so that as the reader, I felt like I couldn't keep track of what kind of story she actually wanted to tell. The ending was somewhat tidy despite the sporadic parts throughout. Technically speaking, the editing was poorly done, and the writing was too "quippy" for my tastes.
That being said, I was never actually bored, and I was genuinely interested in how it ended. It had some unique moments in it and gets props for being more involved than I originally anticipated.
March 7, 2020
"I have no choice. I can live broken or I can live perfectly broken as an offering to Him."
This is the first book I have read by Amy Fleming. I started the book thinking that it is a retelling of the story of Ruth set in post-WW II era but realized a few chapters into the story that the only similarity between Ruth and this story is the premise of a young widow traveling back with her mother-in-law to her hometown to start a new life. This story is a historical romance with some suspense component toward the second half of the book. The book follows Anna, a young widow who has suffered many atrocities during the war, leaving for Ireland with her mother-in-law Sarah. In Ireland Anna meets Henry, a wealthy distant cousin of Sarah's, who employs her as a maid in his mansion and their romance begins. Anna is fiery but sweet and incredibly faithful. Henry is awkward, shy, but incredibly loyal. Unfortunately I did not connect with the characters in the book and had trouble understanding Anna's anger and fickle heart, Henry's fear and uncertainty, and their relationship with the secondary characters. The narrative felt somewhat dry and the third-person point of view jumped abruptly from person to person at different times, which made following the plot a bit difficult.
The spiritual truths in the story are clear and extremely encouraging. Henry's conversion is quite a scene to behold and his acts of service and forgiveness are inspirational. Yes, Henry allows for human emotions to overwhelm him, but he always remembers what God would have him do and surrenders to His promptings. Though I didn't fully understand Henry's character, I did appreciate his faith and his living out his faith even in the midst of pain and turmoil.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher via JustRead Publicity Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.
This is the first book I have read by Amy Fleming. I started the book thinking that it is a retelling of the story of Ruth set in post-WW II era but realized a few chapters into the story that the only similarity between Ruth and this story is the premise of a young widow traveling back with her mother-in-law to her hometown to start a new life. This story is a historical romance with some suspense component toward the second half of the book. The book follows Anna, a young widow who has suffered many atrocities during the war, leaving for Ireland with her mother-in-law Sarah. In Ireland Anna meets Henry, a wealthy distant cousin of Sarah's, who employs her as a maid in his mansion and their romance begins. Anna is fiery but sweet and incredibly faithful. Henry is awkward, shy, but incredibly loyal. Unfortunately I did not connect with the characters in the book and had trouble understanding Anna's anger and fickle heart, Henry's fear and uncertainty, and their relationship with the secondary characters. The narrative felt somewhat dry and the third-person point of view jumped abruptly from person to person at different times, which made following the plot a bit difficult.
The spiritual truths in the story are clear and extremely encouraging. Henry's conversion is quite a scene to behold and his acts of service and forgiveness are inspirational. Yes, Henry allows for human emotions to overwhelm him, but he always remembers what God would have him do and surrenders to His promptings. Though I didn't fully understand Henry's character, I did appreciate his faith and his living out his faith even in the midst of pain and turmoil.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher via JustRead Publicity Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.
January 3, 2014
I loved this story! I have already passed it on to two friends to read and I NEVER lend books! I enjoyed the Biblical story of Ruth tied to Sarah's story, but without being a contrived plot line. The characters were very human and I enjoyed disliking and then loving them. (Just like the people we know in real life!) The many twists and plot turns kept me up late at night turning pages, which doesn't usually happen when reading a love story. I am looking forward to a sequel already, Amy Fleming! Please?
March 18, 2020
A LITTLE IRISH LOVE STORY
Amy Fleming
I’ve attempted this book several times now, finally being able to get through it with my last attempt.
I wasn’t expecting so much nonsensical talk that was quite inconsistent to be put into this Irish Love Story. I couldn’t keep concentration as the writing would lose my attention often. The POV jumped around as well and that attributed to my confusion.
This story is a historical romance based on Anna now a widow post WWII and her mother-in-law, Sarah, making their way back to the homeland, Ireland.
There is where Anna becomes a maid in the home of Sarah’s distant wealthy cousin, Henry. They end up falling in love and getting married. She ends up getting kidnapped and left with no memories. Everyone thinks Anna is dead. The person that she’s with, claims he is her husband. There are plot twists and mental illness threaded through this entire book. I don’t feel like I got the Irish Love Story or any Biblical moments at all. I am incredibly disappointed and wouldn’t recommend.
Amy Fleming
I’ve attempted this book several times now, finally being able to get through it with my last attempt.
I wasn’t expecting so much nonsensical talk that was quite inconsistent to be put into this Irish Love Story. I couldn’t keep concentration as the writing would lose my attention often. The POV jumped around as well and that attributed to my confusion.
This story is a historical romance based on Anna now a widow post WWII and her mother-in-law, Sarah, making their way back to the homeland, Ireland.
There is where Anna becomes a maid in the home of Sarah’s distant wealthy cousin, Henry. They end up falling in love and getting married. She ends up getting kidnapped and left with no memories. Everyone thinks Anna is dead. The person that she’s with, claims he is her husband. There are plot twists and mental illness threaded through this entire book. I don’t feel like I got the Irish Love Story or any Biblical moments at all. I am incredibly disappointed and wouldn’t recommend.
February 22, 2020
Where to begin? First of all it needed significantly better editing. There were many extra words and words missing. There were wrong words used. Sometimes it felt like English was the author's second language. Secondly there were too many superlatives. No one in the book is the kindest, strongest, prettiest, cheerfulest, godliest, etc. Thirdly the author spent a lot of time describing characters with said superlatives but never had them personify the qualities attributed. One character is the "most loving", but is so "fiery" she often scares her husband. Fourthly there is very little post-war or Irish feeling about any of the settings or dialog. The author throws in some token talk of belief in wee folk (by devout Christians?) late in the book, but nothing consistent or real would ever make you think this was set in post-war Ireland. I appreciate that the author put a lot of time and heart into this book, but it's almost like she never went back and read what she wrote. Things are so inconsistent and there are so many mistakes. I would not recommend this to anyone and only finished it because it was for a book club.
February 24, 2020
Okay so here are my thoughts on this book- first and foremost the editing was not good at all... I’ve never read a book with so many mistakes/wrong words/extra letters. I read this book for a book club and hadn’t yet read the synopsis, so when I started it I thought to myself “this is similar to Ruth and Boaz” ... surprise! It was supposed to be a modern retelling of the biblical book of Ruth. But there was soooooo (too) much more. I really enjoyed the first few chapters of getting to know the characters. Then the whole story kind of blows up. The author seemed to love this story and her characters and had a lot she wanted to do in the book, however some of the ideas and characters were just too much. With all that being said, I needed to find out what was going to happen. I enjoyed the Henry/Anna duo, and I thought Tomas/Daire was hysterical and I did feel a little twinge of pity for him. Usually you only get the girly butterflies reading about the couple falling in love once, but in this book you get to see them falling in love for a second time too, which I enjoyed. The story itself (simplified) was interesting. But alas, there were quite a few characters that were just too much, and the editing though 🤯🤯
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2020
I have an affinity for all things Irish—my ancestry is part Irish—so I enjoyed the setting of this story. I appreciated the love story, and always enjoy a good twist to a story, but found it hard to follow at times. The dialogue was not authentic either to Ireland or to the era, and much of it was mundane and banal.
The [SPOILER] twist was dark and frightening, and sadly, quite plausible. Ms. Fleming’s version of the aftermath was, to me, questionable but not impossible.
I liked Anna’s spunky personality and Henry’s pensiveness; love it when opposites not only attract but balance each other in a happily ever after.
ROBIN’S FEATHERS
THREE FEATHERS
I received a complimentary copy of this book, but was under no obligation to read the book or to post a review. I offer my review of my own free will. The opinions expressed in my review are my honest thoughts and reaction to this book.
#Blogwords, Tuesday Reviews-Day-on-Monday, #TRD, Book Review, A Little Irish Love Story, Amy Fleming, JustRead Publicity
The [SPOILER] twist was dark and frightening, and sadly, quite plausible. Ms. Fleming’s version of the aftermath was, to me, questionable but not impossible.
I liked Anna’s spunky personality and Henry’s pensiveness; love it when opposites not only attract but balance each other in a happily ever after.
ROBIN’S FEATHERS
THREE FEATHERS
I received a complimentary copy of this book, but was under no obligation to read the book or to post a review. I offer my review of my own free will. The opinions expressed in my review are my honest thoughts and reaction to this book.
#Blogwords, Tuesday Reviews-Day-on-Monday, #TRD, Book Review, A Little Irish Love Story, Amy Fleming, JustRead Publicity
March 19, 2020
This is such a sweet novel and is so much more than just a Christian romance novel. "A Little Irish Love Story" is set in Ireland following World War II and the lives of two women trying to start over and live life following this major life-changing time. Mirroring the Biblical account of Ruth, this book focuses on Sarah and her daughter-in-law Anna, and the hope that they have for a new beginning. So many things appealed to me about this book just from reading the description as Ruth is my favorite book in the Bible and World War II is a time period that I enjoy reading about. However, once I started reading I realized that was so much more to love about this book than just based upon what I had read on the back cover. The characters come to life and immediately I empathized with them. The author's style of writing really brought the setting to life that I felt like I became a part of the story. The parallel between Ruth and this story was amazingly portrayed and I loved the elements of mystery and suspense woven throughout the book. I highly recommend this book and am eager to read more from this author!
*Thanks to JustRead Publicity Tours for including me on this book tour.*
*Thanks to JustRead Publicity Tours for including me on this book tour.*
March 6, 2020
This was an intriguing story that started out with a fast pace jumble of events. Then it slows down with you trying to piece together the characters and the events. Just when you think you know how the story is going to play out the pace picks up and it changes. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book and not sure if I would like it. Actually I found that I did like it despite a few quirks here and there in the story. You get investing into the chaos of the characters.
This is a Christian base story set in WWII Ireland. The story has a bit of romance, suspense, and danger. Anna lost her husband in the war; they were only married for a short time. The story has a modern Ruth weaving through it. She has a close bond with her mother-in-law Sarah. Anna moves back to Ireland with her mother in law afterwards. Anna gets a job to help support herself and her mother in law cleaning house for Henry. That is the extent of the Ruth tie.
The story plot and its characters are detailed. The main characters are Anna and Henry both are likable characters and have a lot of depth to them. Henry admires Anna’s hard working ethics and she is attractive. They get to know one another as friends. Everything looks good for them.
Then suddenly the story changes locations when Anna finds herself stranded on an island with some amnesia. She is rescued by another man who claims he is her husband. Like I said there is a lot of plot twist. This part I found hard to focus at times but at the same time the story was intriguing. Overall a fast read.
This has been one of the most unique stories I have read in a long time.
I received a free copy of this product from JustRead Tours in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this information accordance with the FTC Regulations.
This is a Christian base story set in WWII Ireland. The story has a bit of romance, suspense, and danger. Anna lost her husband in the war; they were only married for a short time. The story has a modern Ruth weaving through it. She has a close bond with her mother-in-law Sarah. Anna moves back to Ireland with her mother in law afterwards. Anna gets a job to help support herself and her mother in law cleaning house for Henry. That is the extent of the Ruth tie.
The story plot and its characters are detailed. The main characters are Anna and Henry both are likable characters and have a lot of depth to them. Henry admires Anna’s hard working ethics and she is attractive. They get to know one another as friends. Everything looks good for them.
Then suddenly the story changes locations when Anna finds herself stranded on an island with some amnesia. She is rescued by another man who claims he is her husband. Like I said there is a lot of plot twist. This part I found hard to focus at times but at the same time the story was intriguing. Overall a fast read.
This has been one of the most unique stories I have read in a long time.
I received a free copy of this product from JustRead Tours in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this information accordance with the FTC Regulations.
March 18, 2020
The beginning of this story is harder to get into, I left the book for a while before I came back and gave it another chance. But when I did, and after about chapter 8 when Anna and Henry get married, the book is impossible to put down. I was hooked. Most romance novels end after the “Ruth and Boaz” couple get married, well not this one! Anna is kidnapped and drugged so that she doesn’t have any memories, and is presumed dead by everyone else, especially by her husband Henry. You won’t be able to put the book down until you find out who Anna’s captor is and how she will ever be reunited with her love. Will she ever remember Henry or her faith in God?
There are powerful spiritual moments in this book, unlike any I have seen in a while. I definitely appreciated those. The characters deal with some very difficult and adult issues: aftermath of war and forced prostitution, adultery, memory loss, and betrayal. You don’t always see issues like these addresses in Christian fiction novels. Sometimes I didn’t fully understand the characters or their emotions nor could I always process all the upheaval going on. Overall though I enjoyed the journey the author took me on!
There are powerful spiritual moments in this book, unlike any I have seen in a while. I definitely appreciated those. The characters deal with some very difficult and adult issues: aftermath of war and forced prostitution, adultery, memory loss, and betrayal. You don’t always see issues like these addresses in Christian fiction novels. Sometimes I didn’t fully understand the characters or their emotions nor could I always process all the upheaval going on. Overall though I enjoyed the journey the author took me on!
March 18, 2020
This book was sent to me through a "Blind date with a book" Through the JustRead Tour program. This is a new to me author, and I was excited to read it. Post World War II, Ireland is not a era that I am well read on. I was excited to go on this adventure. The author has done good research. The story of Anna and Henry reminded me a lot of the book of Ruth in the bible - and this is a retelling of that story set in the 1940's. Ms. Fleming has written some original characters. She has written an intriguing story line. I was drawn in within the first few chapters. I enjoyed this book.
I received a copy of this book through the JustRead Publicity Tour blogging program. All thoughts are my own.
I received a copy of this book through the JustRead Publicity Tour blogging program. All thoughts are my own.
February 18, 2020
I was going to say just pretend my brain blew up on this review but then my brain actually blew up...
So the beginning of this book had some potential. A woman and her mother in law got on a bus together. So far so good. Basically everything after that was ridiculous and crazy.
Anna is a crazy mental person that needs help. And its got nothing to do with the things that happened to her in the war. She seemed to be taking control of her life from that. She was bipolar and flew into some seriously insane rages. Just know she is still the most stable person in this book.(after Tomas)
Henry is a loser who can't do anything for himself. All he does is spout off about secrets that weren't his and is a terrible husband. Everything was genuinely his fault. He started Tomas on his insane mission. Barely married a day and he is already hiding from Anna because he is too uncomfortable when she talks to him about her struggles. Everyone acts like he is such a nice person that helps them. He is basically pushing his wife off the cliff and is offended when she isn't there to comfort him.
Poor broken Tomas needs so much help it is crazy. His character was the most consistent at least.
Sarah, Father Donnelly, and Ashling are all worthless, selfish, brats. Anna comes back and can't remember anything, yet there was a time when each one had the thought of being offended that she didn't want to do something. Ashling was offended that Anna wanted to go to her own house after they first got back from listening to the dramatic testimony of how Tomas abused her. Sarah was offended in the same way at the beginning because Anna didn't want to stay with this creepo woman. Donnelly was offended about something else I am sure.
Sean is a reasonably reasonable person. Even though Anna blew up about him driving them to listen to Tomas' testimony when neither of them could drive. It's ok, Anna got over it in a split second so it still worked out. That seriously happened so many times. Anna rages, Henry does nothing to help her, Anna is back to loving everyone. She is obviously incredibly bipolar but everyone acts like it is a good thing for her.
Last rant from me is how nobody tells Anna who she is. She is depressed and sad because she thinks nobody is looking for her. What do they do? Continue to lie to her. What does she do? She snaps and runs back to "Daire" because she thinks he is the only one who loves her. The worst part is, it's probably true.
Nothing in this book makes sense. It is NOT "A Little Irish Love Story". It is a sample of every mental sickness people could have with zero love except toxic insane love.
Hopefully this doesn't get me kicked out of book club...
So the beginning of this book had some potential. A woman and her mother in law got on a bus together. So far so good. Basically everything after that was ridiculous and crazy.
Anna is a crazy mental person that needs help. And its got nothing to do with the things that happened to her in the war. She seemed to be taking control of her life from that. She was bipolar and flew into some seriously insane rages. Just know she is still the most stable person in this book.(after Tomas)
Henry is a loser who can't do anything for himself. All he does is spout off about secrets that weren't his and is a terrible husband. Everything was genuinely his fault. He started Tomas on his insane mission. Barely married a day and he is already hiding from Anna because he is too uncomfortable when she talks to him about her struggles. Everyone acts like he is such a nice person that helps them. He is basically pushing his wife off the cliff and is offended when she isn't there to comfort him.
Poor broken Tomas needs so much help it is crazy. His character was the most consistent at least.
Sarah, Father Donnelly, and Ashling are all worthless, selfish, brats. Anna comes back and can't remember anything, yet there was a time when each one had the thought of being offended that she didn't want to do something. Ashling was offended that Anna wanted to go to her own house after they first got back from listening to the dramatic testimony of how Tomas abused her. Sarah was offended in the same way at the beginning because Anna didn't want to stay with this creepo woman. Donnelly was offended about something else I am sure.
Sean is a reasonably reasonable person. Even though Anna blew up about him driving them to listen to Tomas' testimony when neither of them could drive. It's ok, Anna got over it in a split second so it still worked out. That seriously happened so many times. Anna rages, Henry does nothing to help her, Anna is back to loving everyone. She is obviously incredibly bipolar but everyone acts like it is a good thing for her.
Last rant from me is how nobody tells Anna who she is. She is depressed and sad because she thinks nobody is looking for her. What do they do? Continue to lie to her. What does she do? She snaps and runs back to "Daire" because she thinks he is the only one who loves her. The worst part is, it's probably true.
Nothing in this book makes sense. It is NOT "A Little Irish Love Story". It is a sample of every mental sickness people could have with zero love except toxic insane love.
Hopefully this doesn't get me kicked out of book club...
April 1, 2020
I am reading this book right now. One of my favorite stories in the Bible is Ruth. I like the character of Henry. He is not like most alphas in other books. Anna expresses an innocence even though she has been married and widowed.
I received the book through a “Blind Date with a book” through the JustReadTours program. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.
I received the book through a “Blind Date with a book” through the JustReadTours program. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.
February 1, 2023
Rounded down to 1.5
March 14, 2025
I would give it fewer stars if possible....
September 7, 2016
A Little Irish Love Story - By: Amy Fleming
What do you get when you mix a couple craving love, Nazi concentration camps, rich Irish landowners, and crazy chemists? You get a book called A Little Irish Love Story, but it's a most unusual story.
The scene opens with Anna, camp survivor, following her mother-in-law Sarah to her Irish hometown Adare. At this point I figured it was going to be a historical-fiction version of the Ruth and Naomi story and settled in to watch out for Boaz - but while the wealthy relative soon came on the scene, he was no confident kinsman-redeemer.
Henry is rich and lonely. His shyness appears to be his biggest issue, but you soon find out that there's more.
As Anna and Henry start to dance around each other, interested but unsure of how to proceed, unreality reared its ugly head - at least for me. After all that Anna had survived, she was so quick to move on? After decades of being afraid of approaching a woman, Henry was jumped at the chance to date Anna? Then, as their situation changes, they seem to run hot and cold alternately. This certainly adds to the drama of the story, but when the crazy chemist pops up, the storyline got plain creepy.
At this point I wanted to put the book down. It felt almost as if I were reading a fantasy book at that point, and one that was rather unbelievable, as well. If not for having promised this review, I might have put the book down, when suddenly things started looking up. Still strange, but much more interesting and possible, and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.
By the end of the story I felt as if those strange parts were worth it. The author was surely going to make an amazing point about real, true, Biblical love after all, right?
Well, she did - but not with whom I expected. The final resolution of the love angle fell rather flat with me, between all of the hots and colds and running away and letting go. I wanted the ending that happened - but I wanted it built up more. More resolved. More details figured out. More ends tied up and wounds healed.
Instead it ended rather suddenly, just as most of the action happened. Is the story well planned? Detailed? Well written? Theologically sound? Yes to all. Is it suspenseful? Could I easily put the book down? Yes and no - I couldn't wait to find out what happened - until I did.
The premise is actually quite fascinating. I enjoyed the parallels and the ideas behind the characters - but they weren't fleshed out enough for me to feel as if they were real, and while I felt quite a part of their stories, it needed more. More detail. More interaction. A different pace to the interpersonal resolutions.
I think it really boiled down to Anna's reaction to her time in the camps. Because her reactions to that part of her story didn't make sense to me, I had trouble relating to the rest. Maybe you'll have a different perspective.
I received a free copy of A Little Irish Love Story in exchange for an honest review.
What do you get when you mix a couple craving love, Nazi concentration camps, rich Irish landowners, and crazy chemists? You get a book called A Little Irish Love Story, but it's a most unusual story.
The scene opens with Anna, camp survivor, following her mother-in-law Sarah to her Irish hometown Adare. At this point I figured it was going to be a historical-fiction version of the Ruth and Naomi story and settled in to watch out for Boaz - but while the wealthy relative soon came on the scene, he was no confident kinsman-redeemer.
Henry is rich and lonely. His shyness appears to be his biggest issue, but you soon find out that there's more.
As Anna and Henry start to dance around each other, interested but unsure of how to proceed, unreality reared its ugly head - at least for me. After all that Anna had survived, she was so quick to move on? After decades of being afraid of approaching a woman, Henry was jumped at the chance to date Anna? Then, as their situation changes, they seem to run hot and cold alternately. This certainly adds to the drama of the story, but when the crazy chemist pops up, the storyline got plain creepy.
At this point I wanted to put the book down. It felt almost as if I were reading a fantasy book at that point, and one that was rather unbelievable, as well. If not for having promised this review, I might have put the book down, when suddenly things started looking up. Still strange, but much more interesting and possible, and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.
By the end of the story I felt as if those strange parts were worth it. The author was surely going to make an amazing point about real, true, Biblical love after all, right?
Well, she did - but not with whom I expected. The final resolution of the love angle fell rather flat with me, between all of the hots and colds and running away and letting go. I wanted the ending that happened - but I wanted it built up more. More resolved. More details figured out. More ends tied up and wounds healed.
Instead it ended rather suddenly, just as most of the action happened. Is the story well planned? Detailed? Well written? Theologically sound? Yes to all. Is it suspenseful? Could I easily put the book down? Yes and no - I couldn't wait to find out what happened - until I did.
The premise is actually quite fascinating. I enjoyed the parallels and the ideas behind the characters - but they weren't fleshed out enough for me to feel as if they were real, and while I felt quite a part of their stories, it needed more. More detail. More interaction. A different pace to the interpersonal resolutions.
I think it really boiled down to Anna's reaction to her time in the camps. Because her reactions to that part of her story didn't make sense to me, I had trouble relating to the rest. Maybe you'll have a different perspective.
I received a free copy of A Little Irish Love Story in exchange for an honest review.
March 4, 2014
This story started out as a somewhat typical romance. Anna lost her husband in World War II after being married only a short time, but even though she lost her husband, she gained a family in her mother-in-law Sarah. In a modern twist on the Biblical story of Ruth, Sarah moves back to Ireland and Anna goes with her.
They are in financial need and so Anna gets a job with Sarah's distant relative, Henry. Cleaning house is not beneath her, and she's perhaps a modern-day Cinderella, not depending on her beauty, or perhaps not even aware, but valuing hard work. Henry notices this about her, as well as her beauty, and they have a fun flirtatious relationship.
But then just 1/4 way into the book, the tone of the novel changes. Anna finds herself stranded on an island, not remembering anything. She is rescued by a man who claims they were husband and wife. I don't want to give away any more of the plot, but it was fun watching it unravel and learning more about Anna's character under pressure.
The Christian faith of the characters is an important element, and this is a clean read. Those who loved REDEEMING LOVE will likely enjoy this novel as well.
**I was sent an electronic copy of this novel for review purposes.**
They are in financial need and so Anna gets a job with Sarah's distant relative, Henry. Cleaning house is not beneath her, and she's perhaps a modern-day Cinderella, not depending on her beauty, or perhaps not even aware, but valuing hard work. Henry notices this about her, as well as her beauty, and they have a fun flirtatious relationship.
But then just 1/4 way into the book, the tone of the novel changes. Anna finds herself stranded on an island, not remembering anything. She is rescued by a man who claims they were husband and wife. I don't want to give away any more of the plot, but it was fun watching it unravel and learning more about Anna's character under pressure.
The Christian faith of the characters is an important element, and this is a clean read. Those who loved REDEEMING LOVE will likely enjoy this novel as well.
**I was sent an electronic copy of this novel for review purposes.**
January 26, 2014
This book was not what I expected. It started out feeling like a revised version of the Biblical story of Ruth (which the synopsis had hinted at). But the story quickly took a big surprising turn that really caught me off guard. I didn't like that at first, but I did enjoy trying to unravel the mystery with the pieces the author provided. I enjoyed the story line and the characters, though a couple of the events seemed a little dramatic or far-fetched in a way that kept me from identifying with them. However, I did enjoy the story line and the little surprises along the way and the comfortable way the characters interacted with one another.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews