Irish Getaway

Beyond the Red Carpet #1

by Carol Wyatt

When world-famous actress Evelyn Cole, 47, escapes the pressures of Hollywood for a secluded Irish estate, she expects to find solitude and a chance to rediscover herself.

What she doesn't expect is Claire Hurley, the captivating 29-year-old stable manager who stirs a passion in Evelyn she's never experienced before, tempting her to step out of the shadows and embrace her true self.

As Evelyn and Claire's relationship unfolds against the picturesque setting of the West of Ireland, they must navigate the complexities of their growing attraction while confronting the realities of their very different lives.

Evelyn, long closeted and grappling with her identity, begins to open her heart to Claire. But with Evelyn's Hollywood life calling her back and societal expectations weighing heavily, can she take a leap of faith to embrace her truth and fight for a chance at real love?

Steamy Age Gap Lesbian Romance

Genres: Contemporary, Lesbian, Romance, LGBT, Celebrity, Lesbian Romance, Adult

167 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 10, 2024

Reviews

[Kexx · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just too predicable and mundane. No real ‘fire’ for me, felt almost going through the motions.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable!

Even with an Oscar, forty-seven year old actress Evelyn is no longer able to land the leading roles. She decides she needs a huge break from the LA rat race and heads to Ireland where she has dual citizenship.

Claire is the stable manager at the beautiful manor Evelyn has rented for six months in western Ireland. During a rainstorm on her first day, Evelyn literally bumps into Claire at the stables where she asks Claire to not tell anyone she is there so they won't be bombarded with paparazzi! Neither of them expect the connection or passion that hit them head on.

The writing was excellent, the characters were compelling and the scenery made me think of my travels to Ireland. I enjoyed the story very much and will continue to read more from this author. I only wish it had been longer!

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute novella. idk why I read them when i prefer longer stories :/

[Sarah Tino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this love story!

I just read this in half of a day...could barely put it down! Just enough steaminess mixed with good emotions. Highly recommend!

[C C Garrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

One of the best books I have read in awhile. It is hot hot. Makes you smile and make you cry and not in that order

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good story and the characters are cute. Would have been a lot better if it was a bit longer, it felt to rushed and felt compacted almost. Especially with the instalove, which I didn't mind, but would've been nice to see the characters more fleshed out. Like Evelyn's coming out, you're just told about it, you don't get to experience from her pov, then its like a year later. Like I said, its a good story, I would have given more stars if it didn't feel so rushed.

[Jen Fernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good! I loved the setting and the story itself was wonderful! My only complaint is wanting a lot more of these two together!! A fun, spicy story just as I would expect from this author!

[Såo Jimenez · Rating 4 out of 5]

was so 🏳️‍🌈👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩☘️🍻🇮🇪🌈 like loved that

[Juniper L.H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this novel a lot. Its short and sweet, and the way its written (those tiny chapters!) makes it very fast and east to whip through very quickly. It was surprisingly low stakes/angst/worry/conflict/etc., yet it wasn’t boring or anything like that. I was definitely engaged. It read as unusually realistic (for a romance novel) in the most delightful ways. The characters communicated nicely and there were not any annoying tropes thrown in for added drama. This was simply a very straightforward and easy novel to read and enjoy.

This was a great novel that I would recommend to everyone, even though I didn’t give it 5-stars. The reasons why I gave this 4-stars instead of 5 are this;
-The ending. There were some choices that I just didn’t like at the end of this novel. The ending is still a perfectly fine ending, but it hit some of my pet peeves. Other readers may not have the same issue.
-Its just missing *something*. I am sure this is because the novel is so short, that it simply lacked the time to get a greater depth or tell a longer/deeper story. I would have reeeeeally loved to see more of these characters than we got in this novel. From what I have seen, if this was a longer novel then it would have overcome this nitpick for sure. “Not enough to it” isn’t much of a complaint, so please keep that in mind.

My Rating: “B+”
Converted Rating: 4-Stars

[Sammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a fan of this author (Waiting for Her was amazing!), but Irish Getaway didn’t quite hit the same mark for me. The premise had potential—Evelyn, the classically beautiful older woman, and Claire, the tough Irish cowgirl—had a lot of promise for an intriguing age-gap romance. But for some reason, the chemistry just didn’t spark.

While the story had some great moments and the characters were interesting, I just couldn’t fully connect with the romance. I did love how the book explored deeper themes, like coming out later in life and the pressures of dealing with the media. Those parts gave the story a nice layer of depth. But when it came to the love story, it just didn’t feel as emotionally intense as I was hoping.

It’s still a solid read, but it didn’t have the same magic as Waiting for Her.

[Suzi Vilkman (Hautaniemi) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dreamy goodness

Carol Wyatt certainly knows how to write dreamy, age-gappy love stories.

Rich and famous meets young and humble, and the results are always impressive. Perfectly hot to read on hot summer days.

[Mayra Luria · Rating 5 out of 5]

great story

A well written story of coming out later in life with engaging characters, humor, and warm romance. With a HEA.

[Mrs. Jillian Tibble · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful bit of escapism!

This was a lovely read in so, many ways, I am not going to give anything away!
Just going to say you won't be disappointed.

[Kimberlee J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

good storyline

You can feel the romance building between them. Good story. Enjoyed the book very much. First time reading a Wyatt book. I liked

[Robin Clairvaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

A warm and inviting romance

World famous actress Evelyn Coleman escapes to the Irish countryside to avoid her dwindling career. Claire works on the estate that her biggest celebrity crush has just rented for the summer. Their friendship blossoms into more, but are their lives too different for their romance to last?

Irish Getaway is an engaging romance with believable characters and an immersive setting. Charming descriptions of nature transport the reader to the Irish countryside, which serves as the perfect backdrop for the tender yet passionate romance between Evelyn and Claire. Evelyn’s journey of self-discovery unfolds in parallel to the romance and is portrayed with grace and authenticity.

Overall, Irish Getaway is a perfect romance to escape into on a lazy summer afternoon.

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. Closeted actress! One of my favorite tropes. I can’t get enough of it. Evelyn is world famous and is deeply in the closet. She goes to Ireland to take a break and meets Claire. The two hit it off immediately and I loved their connection and the chemistry between them. Evelyn has anxiety about being recognized and swarmed by paparazzi so I especially loved the scene where Claire takes Evelyn to a pub and before Evelyn comes in Claire has the owner let everyone know to let Evelyn be and not to bother her. I thought that was so sweet. This was a lovely romance between two incredibly likable women. I thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end.

[Monna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Satisfying Happy Ending

I loved this book! The premise was familiar but then added complexity and texture. The Irish location is beautiful and entrancing. The characters: Famous actress meets Irish stable master. Friendship and attraction ensue. Of course angst and separation pop up, but that fuels a wonderful happy ending. Carol Wyatt always delivers and this is a very special delivery.

[Stacy Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

This is a good read, I loved the main characters but near the end I just felt pissed at one of them 2 years seriously no contact 😡 I understand finding your way, but to completely shut someone out having no regard to the other person pain that you helped cause and then poof show up 2 years later. Yeah made me very upset and I lost some respect that I couldn’t find again. But it was still a good story

[April Newman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing felt tighter or more confident on the page with the start of the story. Thinking conflict and character development, Claire was sort of flat for me, especially in the last 1/3 of the book where she is essentially a love-struck doormat who waits around for things. But the book had its merits.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this very quickly because I couldn’t put it down, I wish it was a little longer and a little less predictable but in saying that enjoyed it very much.
Age gap between Evelyn and Claire and completely circumstance meeting, the book is light and fluffy. It has romance and sex but just a sprinkle.

[AL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romantic story

Beautiful romantic story with plenty of feelings and emotions. Nice and easy to read plus a happy ending. Love, and more love and beautiful characters and scenery. Fully enjoyed it

[Devoncatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely love story

A cinema star coming out and fallin love with another woman is a great fantasy, its a shame reality would be very different with homophobia. This a great novel, viction but it'd be nice if tnis was true!

[Margaritas Cherena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evelyn and Clair went for a horseback ride

I liked the story of how helpful Clair was with Evelyn and how understanding she is. Highly recommended. On the other hand it had a few editing errors.

[Tawanna L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was beautifully written and very interesting. I couldn't stop reading this book until I was finished. I really enjoyed all the characters in this author books.

[Jessica Hudzik · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute quick toaster oven romance. I had hoped for more different settings in Ireland, but mostly the book takes place in one location. There are a handful of spicy scenes w each being relatively short, but sweet.

[Renate · Rating 5 out of 5]

A romantic very lovely story..happening in Ireland.
I thoroughly enjoyed it..read it in one go.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

sweet

Another great story from Wyatt. The only thing I have against it was that it wasn’t long enough. But I guess I say that about most of the books I’ve read.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was perfection. *chefs kiss*

[Rebecca MacAlister · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice

It was a nice story. Wonderfully written. The only issue I had was it seemed like it ended to abruptly.

[Rebecca Gaddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

entertainment

This story is good but left me wanting to know more about each of the characters. The ending seemed limited.