Forget the Feckin' Wellies

by Genesis Bird

Jess O’Maly is stuck. Widowed and not even forty, she’s spent years afraid to live— her subscription to Cat Ladies Anonymous on auto renewal. That is, until two invitations to Ireland show up in her inbox. A sign? Could a return to the Irish coast be the ticket to re-claiming her fire? Wobbly but determined, she takes a bold step towards her future.

Across the ocean, Liam Walsh has been reclaiming, too. Despite his toxic family, he’s taken a chance on change. Messy divorce? Check. New job? Check. That family sitch? Whew. Express pass to therapy. In his small-talk-avoidance era, his high school reunion is the last place he wants to go. Yet, after a chance run-in with Jess, keeper of his teenage heart, he finds himself there anyway—delivering a two-decade-too-late apology.

A world apart, Jess and Liam have had heartache in common. With their lives already upended and only a few fecks left to give, they’re faced with a leap of faith. Could this be the second chance at life and love they both deserve?

Genres: Contemporary Romance

354 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 22, 2023

About the author

Gen Bird is a Canadian Indie author who loves maple syrup, puns, and the cathartic stab of needle felting. Her child is often heard saying, “Why are you like this?"

With a background in psychology and children's education, you'll often find her in the kid's section at the library, but she does in fact write spicy adult books that tackle big topics such as grief, identity, privilege, and mental health.

She is currently working on a three-part series, The Travel Diaries of Jess O'Maly, that takes readers on one woman's journey through three countries, three stages of life, and three great loves. It reflects the growth we experience through travel and unique relationships.

While writing holds a lot of heart-space for Gen, mostly her time is spent unschooling with her rad kid and enjoying the incredible connections that this writing journey has brought to her life.

Reviews

[MJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute debut from author Genesis Bird. A twenty year later second chance romance that crosses an ocean. Love seeing characters my age who have been through real life challenges finding their second chance at happily ever after.

[monika_is_booked · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two people who had to endure a lot to be where they are now. Two souls longing for each other, even after twenty years of being apart. Two broken hearts trying to heal together.

"He gripped her tighter, making sure she wouldn’t fall. 'Will ye ever forget the feckin’ wellies, Jess? Jaysus Christ!'". Liam. Feckin'. Walsh, lovely fellow readers. Making sure, the girl he had a crush on twenty years ago, who grew into a woman he can't stop thinking about, doesn't fall. I. Just. Love. Them. So many heartwarming moments about finding back to yourself after losing someone. So much relatable awkwardness while trying to figure out how to find happiness in the future while not forgetting about the past.
If you like second chance romances, travel adventures and relatable characters, then whatcha waiting for. Start reading!!

[c. rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet second chance romance that brings you in both Canada and Ireland wich is fun!
Both the MCs have rough history with love in their own ways and seeing them build something else, different from that together was nice.
Love both the MCs and their story, i enjoyed reading this book!

[Prerna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forget The Feckin’ Wellies second edition is an absolute gem. Reeling from unthinkable tragedy, Jess O’Maly finds a second chance at life and love on a visit to Ireland. Set against the dreamy backdrop of the emerald isle, we follow Jess on her journey to self-discovery, healing and making peace with the past as she reconnects with old friends and the strong, ambitious woman inside.

Liam Walsh is every woman’s fantasy - kind, empathetic, an unashamed history geek and a gentleman. He had me swooning the moment he entered page-left. With the encouragement of wise Tanner, formidable Grainne, and incorrigible Maeve, he finds the courage to break ties with his toxic family.

Both Jess and Liam are lovably awkward and healing together. Genesis has done a beautiful job bringing the reader into their feelings with her poetic turn of phrase, profound insights, and that authentic Irish philosophy. Jess and Liam’s story will make you laugh, cry and believe in love again.

[Leigh Carron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won’t soon forget the Wellies

Watching Liam and Jess find their way back to each other after twenty years felt deeply moving and nostalgic, a reminder of first love and how it can leave a permanent imprint on the heart.

I enjoyed the travel element, experiencing Ireland through Gen’s storytelling—being able to picture it and hear the accents, made it authentic. Jess navigating grief and rediscovering herself was well done. Her journey felt honest and relatable. I appreciated how the author allowed her (and Liam) space to start healing rather than rushing the romance.

This was the perfect book to sit with—quiet, emotional, and immersive—curled up in front of the fire over the holidays. It was truly a lovely read.

[sunkssedReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was recommended this book by a friend and let me tell you it did not disappoint!
Forget the feckin' wellies had be hooked! it had a MMC which was the sweetest most kind man who only had eyes for her! a FMC who is equal parts anxious and awkward! It has yearning! It has whitty bar tenders who turn out to be the best therapists! It has mental health representation! it has you on the end of the seat and had be auditable yelling and gasping!

I would highly recommend for anyone who is in their feels about lost love or enjoys a second chance romance based off of a forbidden kiss!

[Nikki Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can a shot at love the second time around repair the hearts of these two reunited loves?

20yrs has passed in the blink of an eye and Jess is returning to Ireland for a reunion and a work conference. Liam has always seen Jess as the one that got away. Newly divorced from his toxic ex and dodging his even more toxic family, he wants to dodge the school reunion but then finds out that Jess is coming. Does he go and attempt to right a wrong or hide away and continue licking his wounds?

This is a slow to start contemporary romance. The pacing does take a while to kick in but once it does you'll fly through it. There is yearning, there is emotional scenes, there is therapy rep! There are other big themes dealt with including miscarriage, grief and trauma and they are handled so well. The banter is really good and the description of the scenery made me feel like I was there.

The secondary characters, especially Tanner, are little bonuses. Tanner missed his vocation - he should have been a therapist or counsellor, not slinging hooch in the bar!

Jess and Liam both need to dig deep and be brave and take that leap of faith. Liam is a walking green flag of a man, he's the complete opposite of toxic masculinity. He's "Consent Man", lol.

[C. Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful slow-burn romance novel. Liam and Jess finding each other again after twenty years is inspiring. It reminds me of one's first love and how one might never feel the same about anybody else. Liam's hot Irish accent was fire. I loved the travel elements as Jess found her way after a deep loss. She is very relatable. A great read to sit in front of the fire with a cup of tea, as you are taken along for the journey.

[R. Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun and sweet read. Loved this second chance travel romance! So much fun humor throughout. So glad I got to read Liam and Jess’s story.

[Laura-Elise Bishop · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully emotional story and a stunning debut. It perfectly captures the journey, both physically and emotionally, that we go on after we lose someone that we love.

Jess has fond memories of her time in Ireland working in a college and when she's asked to go to Ireland to launch an app she's working on, she's excited but incredibly nervous.

When she arrives in Ireland she finds herself welcomed right back into the community she left all those years ago.

She reconnects with Liam, who is the sweetest, kindest human ever!

Their journey together starts a new chapter that requires both of them to be brave and fearless.

Reading this, you feel like you're in Ireland! The dialect, the banter- it's all here! If you like stunning scenery, perfectly written spice and hilarious banter this is it!

I can't wait to read the next installment in this series!

[Hannah Brixton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to be a beta reader for this book and loved it!

Set in Ireland and Canada, this travel romance tells the story of Jess and Liam, two millennials feeling stuck in life—Jess after her husband's sudden death, and Liam after the end of his loveless marriage. Twenty years ago, they'd shared a forbidden kiss, and now a school reunion brings them back together in Ireland for a second chance at romance that's so endearing and real. They both have their baggage, they're both sometimes awkward, and they are both so very wonderful, separately and together! ❤️️

Here's some bits I loved:
- sexy Irishman MMC
- relatable anxious & awkward FMC
- enthusiastic consent
- the yearning!
- sweet friendships
- there are literal SHEEP! 🐑
- Tanner, the sage pub owner/father figure for Liam
- all the healing of trauma and heartache between these two MCs ❤️‍🩹

It's funny, it's steamy, it's sweet, it's healing, it's relatable, and it's so much fun! You want to read this book. Do it.

[Spicy_bookcorner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! It was just so wholesome yet saucy 😂
Liam and Jess are just super cute but don’t let that stop you from reading; Liam is this super hot, swearing Irishman and I couldn’t get enough.
Jess is a widower, and I cried a few times from her emotions (I cannot fathom loosing my Mr Husband) but I just adored their journey.
The side characters are equally well-written.

[Jenna Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

📕 Forget the Feckin’ Wellies
✍️ @writergenesisbird

★★★★☆ Solid debut that’s like vicariously getting lucky in Ireland. 🍀🇮🇪

Tropes:

👩‍❤️‍👨 Reunion romance

The MCs:

♀️ Jess O’Maly. 38. Canadian computer scientist. Long-grieving widow.
♂️ Liam Walsh. 38. Irish history professor. Recent divorcé.

Setting:

📍Ireland 🇮🇪 & Vancouver, BC 🇨🇦
⏰ Present

Yay!

❤️ Elder millenials
❤️ Endearing MC w/intriguing accent & no toxic masculinity
❤️ Mutually loving, respectful, & SEXY 🌶️ scenes
❤️ Healthy relationship dynamics between MCs
❤️ Fun look @ another country, culture, & variety of English
❤️ Once it finally 🪝’d me, I could not put it down! I became so invested, my emotions soared & plummeted w/the MCs’. I promise, you will NOT be sorry if you stick w/it! 😍

Hmm…

🤔 For the first ⅓, I was close to DNF’ing ✨BUT✨ if I had, it would have been a tragic loss! True, the pacing of the first ⅓ may have benefited from more dialog or external action interspersed among all the exposition & brooding. But once I got past the first ⅓, I couldn’t put it down!
🤔 I honestly don’t know how all the pronunciation & interpretation footnotes will play out w/ readers. But for me, it’s worth it to experience this story set in Cork.

Spice:

🌶️🌶️🌶️ /5: No more than 4 open door sex scenes. Sex acts & body parts are described relatively explicitly &/or using swear words. Bodily fluids & movement are referenced, but relatively less explicitly.

Pairs w/:

📕 Roomies, by Christina Lauren. For the Irish cinnamon roll. 🍀 🇮🇪
🍷 Cinsault by @prestonfarmandwinery. Relatively-unknown, sippable red; beautiful & unpretentious setting.

Content advisories:

⚠️ Traumatic death/grief/spousal loss
⚠️ Divorce/toxic former marriage
⚠️ Toxic dynamics w/in MMC’s family

🙏 THANK YOU, Genesis Bird, for my copy in exchange for my honest review! ❤️

[Prerna · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first page I was captivated by the real raw characters that Gen created - it was so refreshing to read a contemporary romance with characters in their thirties who had experienced divorce, loss, heartbreak, and all the shite life throws at us but still carry that hope of a second chance at love and life.

The way the main characters’ stories played out with such heartfelt emotion held my attention from start to end. I loved that Gen used authentic Irish language and idiolects that brought the dialogue to life (I could not get every Irish actor I know out of my head every time someone spoke!) and transported me to Cork.

The vivid descriptions and beautiful introspections made each character so unique and relatable. The diverse cast were depicted so cleverly and their histories and relationships with each other made clear with the familiar banter and interactions. I also thought the way the issues that BIPOC, women, individuals with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ2SIA+ community face were written about in a very sensitive manner. The characters who identified as being from one of those minorities were represented without being contrived and they all played a part in the main characters’ journeys.

She really captured that Irish spirit and essence of storytelling, injecting humour, irony and a healthy dose of romance - this book will stay with me for a very long time, or at least until her next book comes out!

[Saz Vora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jess O’Maly is recovering from grief and surviving, not thriving. Then an invitation to a tech conference and a class reunion coincides. A reunion she’s been avoiding because of a forbidden kiss with Liam Walsh, the hunky Irishman she still thinks about.
Liam Walsh has moved on, new home, new job and a crazy ex that won’t let go. Surrounded by people who love and care for him, but he feels so alone.
Jess isn’t sure she should go to the reunion until destiny makes it impossible for her to refuse. She meets an old student from the college she taught on the plane to Ireland and then, as she's in two minds about going to the conference, she hears a familiar voice and ends up in a plant pot. And this is how Jess's trip to her past and Ireland begins.
As the date of the reunion looms, Liam’s thoughts go back to the time Jess had broken his heart. Ireland seems to have reignited Jess’s feeling for Liam and, as she imagines the kiss and how it made her feel. When they meet again after another plant related incident, she’s drawn to the Irishman's charm, and they begin a tentative friendship. Maybe this time, the kiss will lead to more. A wonderfully written book about second chances, letting go of endings and exploring new beginnings. Plenty of steamy kisses and a hot Irishman to fall slowly in love with.
It's worth dedicating a couple of hours to immerse yourself in a book that transports you to the captivating characters and scenery of the Emerald Isles.

[Sunstarandsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a quaint and familiar second chance romance. I loved the setting in Ireland and the immersion into the Irish brogue. It gave the story a really solid foundation and made it really interesting.

But really - Jess and Liam are just so endearing, as individuals and a couple. They are real in their grief/trauma, evidenced by their inner monologues. Liam is a consent king and he is so incredibly caring and thoughtful. The banter is cute. There's a little bit of drama here and there, to just cause your heart rate to skip, but all quickly & peacefully resolved.

It's adorable, you should read it.

[K.T. Anglehart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book in, oh, I dunno...3 days? It was SUCH a lovely escape. The writing is wonderful, making it so easy to empathize with and root for the characters. While it’s definitely spicy (which was a lot of fun!), it’s also deeply emotional, thoughtful, and cheeky. I especially appreciated the progressive messaging woven throughout. I'm all for it.

Honestly, this is a win and I’d recommend it in a heartbeat. In my opinion, it's top-tier for the genre, and the author is a talented Canadian indie gem to keep on your radar!

[Christine Callahan-Oke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forget the Feckin’ Wellies is such a fun ride! It has depth and heart, and is steamy in all the right places. I was drawn into Jess’s world from the start. I was there with her in her uncertainty at home and then in her courage in Ireland, where she experiences a crazy rollercoaster of situations and emotions (including lust, because, um… LIAM). Oh, Liam (sigh)… drool-worthy. Read this book! I caution you, though - you won’t want it to end.

[Mrs Thatcher Alexander Pierson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very cute second chance romance, the FMC a widow and the MMC exiting an arranged marriage. Both having met as teens, and having fumbled their first chance we are brought along on their reunion twenty years later, having lived a lifetime in between. An endearing read, the story is told as dual POV, there is a lot (& I mean a tonne) of inner dialogue as Liam and Jesse

[Isabelle Sumner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome irish romance with lots of romance and banger between the two.

[Kelsey Painter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cute story! I loved Jess’s healing journey and Liam’s growth dealing with his abusive family. They really sort of brought each other back to life, and it was so freaking sweet 🥰

[Albany Archer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this 20-years-later second-chance romance. It explores love after loss and love after the turmoil of a bad relationship. She was lovely and strange and he felt at home with her. One of my favorite lines. Liam can carve my potato anytime!

[Cherry Keeley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A second-chance slow-burn romance that beautifully transports you to Ireland. I loved being thrust into another country- I can hear Liam’s sexy accent whispering in my ear now *goosebumps*.

Steamy and sweet you won’t be disappointed.