The Pub Owner’s Proposal

Love in Dooncarra #1

by Maeve McBride

One fake engagement. Two stubborn hearts. And a village that won’t mind its own business!Niamh Kelly is in trouble. Her beloved gift shop, the heart of her dreams, needs a miracle to stay afloat. When the village’s grumpiest and most handsome pub owner, Darragh O’Sullivan, approaches her with a wild proposition, she’s desperate enough to listen.

Darragh has a problem of his he needs to convince the bank he’s a settled, responsible businessman to save his family’s historic pub. His solution? A fake engagement to the town’s sweetheart. It’s supposed to be a simple business he gets the loan, she gets the publicity, and everyone wins.

But they forgot one the Dooncarra gossip mill.

Before they can say "it’s just for show," the town’s biggest busybodies have taken the reins. Now, Niamh and Darragh are trapped in a whirlwind of cake tastings, awkward dance lessons, and a wedding committee that won't take no for an answer.

As the lines between pretend and reality begin to blur, Niamh and Darragh realize that the hardest part isn't the lie. It's the very real spark flying between them. In a town where everyone knows your name, can they keep their secrets safe, or will they discover that sometimes the best things in life are the ones we never planned?

Why you’ll love The Pub Owner’s Proposal:

Laugh-Out-Laughter A charming look at small-town life and the nosy neighbors we can’t help but love.Fake Engagement The classic "pretend relationship" trope handled with heart and humor.Uplifting and A clean, "feel-good" romance that’s like a warm hug in book form.Return to Revisit the cozy Irish village and the characters that make it feel like home.The Pub Owner’s Proposal is a heartwarming, funny tale of second chances and unexpected love. Perfect for fans of clean, small-town romance and Irish charm.

Click "Buy Now" to join the wedding of the season (even if the bride and groom didn't mean it!)

Genres: Romance, Contemporary

271 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 31, 2025

About the author

Maeve McBride writes heartfelt, clean small-town romances set against the lush landscapes of Ireland. Her stories weave together the warmth of close-knit communities, the charm of cobblestone streets and cozy pubs, and the tender journeys of love and self-discovery.

Download your FREE eBook at: www.MaeveMcBrideAuthor.com

Reviews

[Monica Scott]

This story sounded cute, anything in Ireland always does to me. This was very hard book to finish, if I read one more time about the soft glow of lanterns or the cobblestone streets I was going to just stop reading. The author constantly called the characters by their full names, first and last, like we didn’t know who they were.
Every chapter started the same with fall leaves and soft sunshine. Sorry can’t read the 2nd one.

[Elizabeth]

was this written by AI?

I was so excited to find this book because a clean no/low spice romance book is getting harder and harder to find. But this? This was something I had to force myself to finish. The same descriptive phrases are used over and over again. I found myself a couple of times checking to make sure I hadn’t accidentally flipped back a few chapters. That’s how repetitive it was.

The plot made no sense and it never felt like it was moving forward. Why would the couple need to get together to help him get a loan? And how did it “save the town?”

I tried looking up the author and there is NOTHING out there about her except for the webpage and all it has is the same vague blurb about her that is at the end of the book. Speaking of the books, there are 6 in this series and they were all published in 2025?

All of this makes me wonder if a real person actually wrote this book or if they just depended on AI. Either way, it left me feeling frustrated and disappointed.

[Mrs R]

This is a clean, fake relationship romance.

Niamh wants to save her shop, and Darragh needs a loan to update his family pub, so he randomly proposes a fake relationship to help each other out.

The fake relationship did confuse me as I still don't know how it helped Niamh. She had ideas of funding available for the town, but it was never mentioned again in the book, so I'm confused. There is a festival, but nothing is mentioned about it until it actually happens.

These two barely spent any quality time together, and there were hardly any meaningful conversations, so I really didn't feel like they even knew each other well, never mind managed to fall in love.

The writing is descriptive in style, and I have to admit that I did not enjoy the repeatition of how the current light affected the current scene. Every scene also seemed to have a smell associated with it.

The overall story was sweet, mixing the couple and their love of the town together as they tried to save their businesses.

[Mc Chanster]

2.5 stars rounded up to 3

Shop owner Niamh Kelly needs customers, and pub owner Darragh O'Sullivan needs a loan to help his late father's pub continue to run. The solution to both their issues is a fake engagement. In a town that thrives on gossip and stories, this was the perfect way to help them both out. When fake feelings start to become real, both of them must look past their fears if they want something more.

This was overall, a sweet read. For me, it was fairly predictable and while I liked the two main characters, I didn't completely believe their connection. They seem to truly hate each other and after agreeing to the fake engagement, it only took a handful of encounters before they realized it was all real and falling in love. There was also a jealous ex (I think?), gossipy townspeople and a couple meddling friends.

It seems that Pub Owner's Proposal had all the right elements, but the execution lacked. There were some beautiful descriptions of the town and "seeing with the senses", but it felt like the author focused more on this rather development of the characters. Personally, I also wasn't a fan that there was a "Maeve" character - I just found it odd that in all the names that could have been chosen, the author chose her own? Regardless, this was a quick read (I finished in a couple afternoons), but I'm not sold on reaching for the next one.

Thank you Voracious Readers and Maeve McBride for my copy. I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All above thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Michelle]

I saw another reviewer ask if this is ai, based on the writing it has me questioning that as well. Then I went to the author page. No author photo and all of the books have been published this year. Hhhmmmm. To be fair, maybe they had these books forever and just finally decided to publish them and maybe they are afraid to go public. I don’t know, but there was just something off about the writing. As another reviewer pointed out, there was no interaction between the two main characters even after getting engaged. They behaved more like acquaintances than people who were supposed to be engaged. The book followed a clear line, but it lacked substance. There were little offshoots of character interactions but in the end they all fell flat. There was no real emotion felt anywhere in the book.

Does this book have potential? Yes, but work needs to be done to clean it up and to give us characters that we feel emotion towards.

Parting thoughts:
1. I’m glad this was free.
2. It wasn’t terrible (I did finish it), but it wasn’t really good either.

[Bookish Mom]

The Pub Owner’s Proposal is a delightful clean romance set in a charming small-town pub, where the warm atmosphere and picturesque setting make for a perfect backdrop to a heartfelt love story. The chemistry between the main couple is undeniable—sweet, slow-burning, and filled with meaningful moments that keep you rooting for them. Maeve McBride crafts a tender and engaging romance with just the right amount of tension and charm. While I would have loved a bit more depth in some character backstories, this is still a wonderfully cozy and enjoyable read! I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.

[Edie]

Proposal, ummm, what took so long?

Sorry I must agree with several other reviews of this book, way too much repetitive phrases! How many times must we be reminded that Carragh likes to put his hands in his pockets? Bells chime whenever a door opens? Niamh wraps her arms around herself! Really?
This could have been a much better book, in my humble opinion, IF it were better edited. Made myself finish, but still disappointed with it.

[C]

A fake-engagement clean romance set in Ireland. There wasn't much to differentiate this from other books in the genre. I was a bit repetitive on descriptions, and it seemed like the author couldn't decide how to end the book, so threw in all the possibilities, so it made the characters seem to remain indecisive even though they were ready to seize the moment. Just read weird, and made me not want to root for the characters anymore.

[Jeanie Womack]

Finding faith out of near failure

When a man and woman from the same small Irish village are brought together by similar personal crises, neither expects it will be more that a business arrangement. Fate and a village seem to work to cheer one day while tripping up their plans the next!
A tender story that warmed my heart. I highly recommend all the books in this series.
My congratulations to Maeve McBride for writing such calm and loving stories.

[Susan]

great book

I really enjoyed this book and liked how the author told this story. The characters in this story were all solid and supportive community. The main characters were low key, but very relatable with their emotions, insecurities, honesty and the courage to reveal their love for each other no matter the what the consequence.

I am excited to read more of this authors creations.

[Julie Juhl]

The Pub Owner's Proposal by Maeve McBride was a fun quick read. Niamh and Darragh both need money to save her shop and his pub and decide to create a fake relationship. I enjoyed the book and thought the author created a unique storyline. I look forward to reading book 2 in the series.
I received a free copy of this book via Hidden Gems Books and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[KGillespie]

Overall it was great but it was hard to believe that the couple were engaged because I felt like they rarely interact. Then I felt like out of the blue both were madly in love when they barely hung out. It was good but I think it lacked some depth. I might give this author another chance.

I received a copy of this book via Voracious Readers Only.

[Monica]

Liked

I liked the story and the characters. The main characters were slow on acknowledging what they wanted for their businesses and themselves in order to stay in Dooncara. It was a little slow after the middle of the book. I finished it because I wanted to know what happened with their lives.

[Johanna]

'A clean, small-town romance featuring small-town Irish charm, and clean big-hearted romance.'

The characters were very appealing and likeable. Plot was pretty straightforward. World building was solidly drawn. Recommend.

Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Pat Weingartner]

Great Read!

I really enjoyed book 1 in this series watching Darragh and Niamh travel their very winding road trying to save their town and finally finding their HEA. I'm looking forward to reading book 2 in this series to see what the next stumbling block is for this town. I will definitely recommend this book to everyone.

[Kelley D]

What a lovely read. I thoroughly enjoyed the attention to detail with regard to the love past, present and future. This story not only brought the past lost loves to light, but also brought the community together while bringing to light the present tug and pull of love. Nicely done!

[The Book Ssirren]

I really wanted to live this book, but it just didn’t work out for me. The use of first and last names constantly was too much. There was a lot of repetition, and it seemed like this was written more around the town than the couple. It just didn’t hold my interest at all.

[Regency_Fan_ Michelle RegencyFanMichelleAndMore]

delightful

I loved the Ireland setting. I enjoyed being immersed in the village life. I loved this couple. 💜 a HEA

[Amy Donaldson]

This book was a quick read. No super huge twists and turns just a simple read.

[Miss_curly_tots]

2nd chance small town romance
was a easy book to get into, great set of characters who all played there own part

[Jessica Fox]

Very repetitive. Felt like the author was trying to hit a word count.

[Daphne Baum]

slow read

The story repeats the same scenes and comment over and over making this a slow and somewhat boring read. There’s not a lot of page turning content.

[Barbara Watson]

Fairly good story but this book needed editing.

[JeffMat]

Very nice read

Loved reading this book. Characters were great and the imagery made you feel like you were there.

Great relaxing read.

[susan]

This was very hard to finish it did not keep your attention at all it drag on and on. Taking place in Ireland gets me every time but it was so disappointing.

[Carol]

The Pub Owner's Proposal

An,interesting read from Ireland of a town coming together for the good of the whole.
The repeated descriptions detracted from the story somewhat.

[Barbara]

Rogues and Roses book club selection - May 2026 - Over 21.

Read if you like small towns in Ireland
Clean romance
Fake engagement trope

[Crystal Siembida Boggs]

Not a big fan of the book. I wanted more Ireland. Read this book to satisfy a reading challenge.