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Irish Country #11
An Irish Country Love Story
"Published in 2016 by arrangement with Tom Doherty Associates, LLC"--Title page verso.
682 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2016
334 people are currently reading
2490 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Taylor
87 books1,370 followersThere is more than one author with this name
Patrick Taylor, M.D., is the author of the Irish Country books, including An Irish Country Doctor, An Irish Country Village, An Irish Country Christmas, An Irish Country Girl, and An Irish Country Courtship. Taylor was born and raised in Bangor, County Down, in Northern Ireland. After qualifying as a specialist in 1969, he worked in Canada for thirty-one years. He now lives on Saltspring Island, British Columbia.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/patric...
Patrick Taylor, M.D., is the author of the Irish Country books, including An Irish Country Doctor, An Irish Country Village, An Irish Country Christmas, An Irish Country Girl, and An Irish Country Courtship. Taylor was born and raised in Bangor, County Down, in Northern Ireland. After qualifying as a specialist in 1969, he worked in Canada for thirty-one years. He now lives on Saltspring Island, British Columbia.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/patric...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 255 reviews
June 28, 2024
Lots of love to go around in the chilly 1967 winter weather of Ballybucklebo, Ireland
Fans of Patrick Taylor’s IRISH COUNTRY novels who have been reading the series in order will recall recently having their hearts both broken and warmed with the romantic and gut-wrenching tale of the death of the eponymous doctor’s wife in the war and, many years later, his subsequent courtship and marriage to his first love, Kitty O’Hallorhan. So I expect that those fans, myself included of course, might be forgiven for imagining that AN IRISH COUNTRY LOVE STORY will continue in that vein with the story of the heated romance between O’Reilly’s assistant, Barry Laverty, and his fiancée, Sue Nolan. And it certainly does … but it’s also much, much more.
Love in Ballybucklebo comes in many forms, in many places, and in many people.
There’s the continuing romantic love we would expect between O’Reilly and his newly re-discovered first love; between Laverty and the fiancée he misses so desperately as she continues her studies in France; between Kinky Kincaid and her new husband, Archie Auchinleck; and the most recent case of questionable, unrequited love between O’Reilly’s brother, Lars, (a commoner by any British or Irish standards), and a lady of distinctly upper class nobility, Myrna Ferguson, the marquis’s widowed sister.
But AN IRISH COUNTRY LOVE STORY is also a story of non-romantic love, affection, respect and compassion – animal owners and their pets; landowners and homeowners and their homes and their property; citizens of a town and their desire for tradition; the grief of a young woman over her father who suffers a heart attack; hard-working professional colleagues’ willingness to make difficult sacrifices for one another; and the willingness of an entire community to stand up for one of their own who is under threat.
Entertaining and heartwarming from first page to last, I’ll put my reading money on AN IRISH COUNTRY LOVE STORY as arguably being the finest in a series that is already top-flight. Patrick Taylor and the IRISH COUNTRY DOCTOR series are Canadian national literary treasures. I’ll caution potential readers once again that there is definitely a continuing story line in the series and AN IRISH COUNTRY LOVE STORY would be decidedly difficult to decipher without the knowledge of its characters’ back stories.
Paul Weiss
P.S. If you want an idea of the nature of the story-telling and the characters in this series, think of James Herriot's ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL. Northern Ireland, instead of Yorkshire, and human patients, instead of farm animals. But the flavour is very, very similar.
Fans of Patrick Taylor’s IRISH COUNTRY novels who have been reading the series in order will recall recently having their hearts both broken and warmed with the romantic and gut-wrenching tale of the death of the eponymous doctor’s wife in the war and, many years later, his subsequent courtship and marriage to his first love, Kitty O’Hallorhan. So I expect that those fans, myself included of course, might be forgiven for imagining that AN IRISH COUNTRY LOVE STORY will continue in that vein with the story of the heated romance between O’Reilly’s assistant, Barry Laverty, and his fiancée, Sue Nolan. And it certainly does … but it’s also much, much more.
Love in Ballybucklebo comes in many forms, in many places, and in many people.
There’s the continuing romantic love we would expect between O’Reilly and his newly re-discovered first love; between Laverty and the fiancée he misses so desperately as she continues her studies in France; between Kinky Kincaid and her new husband, Archie Auchinleck; and the most recent case of questionable, unrequited love between O’Reilly’s brother, Lars, (a commoner by any British or Irish standards), and a lady of distinctly upper class nobility, Myrna Ferguson, the marquis’s widowed sister.
But AN IRISH COUNTRY LOVE STORY is also a story of non-romantic love, affection, respect and compassion – animal owners and their pets; landowners and homeowners and their homes and their property; citizens of a town and their desire for tradition; the grief of a young woman over her father who suffers a heart attack; hard-working professional colleagues’ willingness to make difficult sacrifices for one another; and the willingness of an entire community to stand up for one of their own who is under threat.
Entertaining and heartwarming from first page to last, I’ll put my reading money on AN IRISH COUNTRY LOVE STORY as arguably being the finest in a series that is already top-flight. Patrick Taylor and the IRISH COUNTRY DOCTOR series are Canadian national literary treasures. I’ll caution potential readers once again that there is definitely a continuing story line in the series and AN IRISH COUNTRY LOVE STORY would be decidedly difficult to decipher without the knowledge of its characters’ back stories.
Paul Weiss
P.S. If you want an idea of the nature of the story-telling and the characters in this series, think of James Herriot's ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL. Northern Ireland, instead of Yorkshire, and human patients, instead of farm animals. But the flavour is very, very similar.
August 18, 2020
I changed my rating on this one because it was much better than the last book in the series which was painful the first and second time though. The flow wasn't great in this one, but after the last book I just hard shrugged about it. The book reads a bit like filler when you get to the ending I thought.
Previous review.
Well I liked this one more than the last two books which unfortunately were just back and forths between Fingal O"Reilly and when he met his first wife and lost her during the war. I think that Taylor should have just had one book looking book at his time and not having it go back and forth between present day and past. "An Irish Country Love Story" is the 11th book in this series, and it showcases the different stages of love that Taylor wishes to show in the villagers of Ballybucklebo, between O"Reilly and his wife Kitty, between Barry and Sue Nolan, and even a dangerous sort of love (flirtation) between Barry and the new doctor that has been brought into the practice, Nonie. We even have a new love starting between O'Reilly's brother Lars and the Marquiis's sister Myrna.
The book goes back to the setup of the earlier ones in the series with some focus being on O'Reilly and Barry. We get both of their third person POV's in this book.
O'Reilly is a content married man now, but I am leery about O'Reilly thinking more about how to get Kitty to retire to work with him at a futuristic practice that would include many doctors and specialists. This book takes place in the winter of 1967 so I don't even know if that would be something that would even be thought of in Ireland at the time.
The big plot point with O'Reilly in this book is the fact he may lose Number 1 (his home) after a lorry runs into his dining room. It seems that if the village allows the house to stay, they will rack up taxes if they build another road that will take the lorries and other heavier vehicles away from the village center. O'Reilly has another nemesis we have not heard about until this point, who is on the village council who wants to do whatever he can to make sure O'Reilly loses his home. Not going to lie, this whole thing was boring, and O'Reilly was being high handed with the Marquis and others. Eventually things are resolved, but it didn't make much sense to me so there you go.
Barry is dealing with his fiancee Sue off doing a course in France for a couple of weeks. Barry being Barry at this point frets about things, but goes forward with trying to find a home for the two of them. A setback in Sue's family pushes the wedding date out, and I think Taylor was trying to make a conflict between Sue and Barry. All of a sudden Barry is concerned about having children and doesn't know if he wants them. How do you not have this conversation prior to marrying? Also it just reads as a roadblock that Taylor throws up to have some conflict in the book because the series is a bit samey at this point.
Another point of conflict is the new doctor who apparently is all for having some "fun" with Barry. It was weird and vaguely upsetting since she didn't seem to care about Barry's fiancee Sue, who she had to have met at this point. I didn't like the new doctor and then Taylor manufactures a crisis with her. I hope she goes by the next book.
The villagers are the villagers. Nothing much there at all to see.
The writing is okay, but Taylor now just spits out medical facts as a patient is being treated. And the doctors continue to over explain things and it makes my eyes glaze. The flow was okay, I just have to say like many readers, this may have been a solid read, but ultimately boring.
The setting of Ballybucklebo remains a favorite to me at least. I still re-read "An Irish Country Girl" and "An Irish Country Christmas" every year to get me in the holiday mood during Halloween and Christmas.
The ending was okay. I do think that maybe Taylor should consider ending this series and skipping forward with Barry and Sue married with kids and O'Reilly looking to fully retire or something.
Previous review.
Well I liked this one more than the last two books which unfortunately were just back and forths between Fingal O"Reilly and when he met his first wife and lost her during the war. I think that Taylor should have just had one book looking book at his time and not having it go back and forth between present day and past. "An Irish Country Love Story" is the 11th book in this series, and it showcases the different stages of love that Taylor wishes to show in the villagers of Ballybucklebo, between O"Reilly and his wife Kitty, between Barry and Sue Nolan, and even a dangerous sort of love (flirtation) between Barry and the new doctor that has been brought into the practice, Nonie. We even have a new love starting between O'Reilly's brother Lars and the Marquiis's sister Myrna.
The book goes back to the setup of the earlier ones in the series with some focus being on O'Reilly and Barry. We get both of their third person POV's in this book.
O'Reilly is a content married man now, but I am leery about O'Reilly thinking more about how to get Kitty to retire to work with him at a futuristic practice that would include many doctors and specialists. This book takes place in the winter of 1967 so I don't even know if that would be something that would even be thought of in Ireland at the time.
The big plot point with O'Reilly in this book is the fact he may lose Number 1 (his home) after a lorry runs into his dining room. It seems that if the village allows the house to stay, they will rack up taxes if they build another road that will take the lorries and other heavier vehicles away from the village center. O'Reilly has another nemesis we have not heard about until this point, who is on the village council who wants to do whatever he can to make sure O'Reilly loses his home. Not going to lie, this whole thing was boring, and O'Reilly was being high handed with the Marquis and others. Eventually things are resolved, but it didn't make much sense to me so there you go.
Barry is dealing with his fiancee Sue off doing a course in France for a couple of weeks. Barry being Barry at this point frets about things, but goes forward with trying to find a home for the two of them. A setback in Sue's family pushes the wedding date out, and I think Taylor was trying to make a conflict between Sue and Barry. All of a sudden Barry is concerned about having children and doesn't know if he wants them. How do you not have this conversation prior to marrying? Also it just reads as a roadblock that Taylor throws up to have some conflict in the book because the series is a bit samey at this point.
Another point of conflict is the new doctor who apparently is all for having some "fun" with Barry. It was weird and vaguely upsetting since she didn't seem to care about Barry's fiancee Sue, who she had to have met at this point. I didn't like the new doctor and then Taylor manufactures a crisis with her. I hope she goes by the next book.
The villagers are the villagers. Nothing much there at all to see.
The writing is okay, but Taylor now just spits out medical facts as a patient is being treated. And the doctors continue to over explain things and it makes my eyes glaze. The flow was okay, I just have to say like many readers, this may have been a solid read, but ultimately boring.
The setting of Ballybucklebo remains a favorite to me at least. I still re-read "An Irish Country Girl" and "An Irish Country Christmas" every year to get me in the holiday mood during Halloween and Christmas.
The ending was okay. I do think that maybe Taylor should consider ending this series and skipping forward with Barry and Sue married with kids and O'Reilly looking to fully retire or something.
July 31, 2017
This is the latest edition in the Irish Country Doctor Series. The story is historical fiction, but Patrick Taylor based the story on his own life as a physician in Northern Ireland from the 1930s through the 1960s. The fictional town of Ballybucklebo and its physicians, Fingal O’Reilly and his new partner Barry Laverty, are the two key characters. The story is filled with fascinating characters that make up the town and countryside. This story takes place in January of 1967 and opens with Sue Nolan saving the life of a sailor that has capsized his boat into the fridge bay water. Sue jumps into a nearby kayak and paddles out to save the man. Sue and Barry’s marriage also takes place in this story. One of my favorite characters is Kinky with her Cork accent. Kinky is the cook and housekeeper for O’Reilly. Kinky also provides the reader with an education on Irish food.
The book is well written and is a delight to read. This is a feel-good book that leaves you with a smile. I started reading this series reading large print hardback books but switched to audiobooks. This series is definitely better read as an audiobook to obtain full enjoyment of the various Irish accents and the correct pronunciation of the Gaelic words.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is fourteen hours long. John Keating does an excellent job narrating the story. Keating is an Irish actor and award-winning audiobook narrator.
The book is well written and is a delight to read. This is a feel-good book that leaves you with a smile. I started reading this series reading large print hardback books but switched to audiobooks. This series is definitely better read as an audiobook to obtain full enjoyment of the various Irish accents and the correct pronunciation of the Gaelic words.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is fourteen hours long. John Keating does an excellent job narrating the story. Keating is an Irish actor and award-winning audiobook narrator.
April 12, 2019
This is the kind of Irish Country book I really like!! Some of the ones immediately preceding this were told with flashbacks back to Dr O’Reilly’s time in WWII, and while they were still interesting, I am really more interested in Ballybucklebo, and particularly Dr Barry Laverty’s storyline. And that is what this one was - more of Barry and Sue’s story, as well as some of Dr O’Reilly’s, and with the old favourites of Kinky, Donal, as well as new favourites who have turned over new leaves in the last several books such as Bertie Bishop and Dr Fitzpatrick.
I’m now looking forward to An Irish Country Practice!
I’m now looking forward to An Irish Country Practice!
August 7, 2018
I was so thrilled to get to this book in the series, we were finally finished with the flashbacks to Doctor O'Reilly's time in His Majesty's Navy during World War II. I understand trying to give us the background of the doctor and show how the character became the curmudgeon that fans of the series have grown to love but it's much nicer to be back to the current time, late 1960's, and see what the other characters are doing with their lives. In this one the practice is growing, Doctor Laverty is a partner and looking to marry the local school teacher. They now have trainees in the practice and are working with other doctors in the area to help with being on call overnight. I love going back to Ballybucklebo and looking in on this interesting town.
April 20, 2020
These are always a sweet read, and I enjoy them. Though in this one, I kind of felt that every once in awhile, there'd be a bit of an information dump about medicine and how patients present.
December 21, 2020
It has been a while since I last visited the quaint 1960's village of Ballybucklebo in Northern Ireland, and I'm so glad I returned for another installment. This delightful series about a couple of country doctors in a small village and the the wonderfully eccentric villagers they serve is like comfort food for me. This installment looks at many forms of love...love between a man and a woman, love between people and their pets, love for one's home and community, old and new love, and the list goes on. One could say that not much happens in these books, but the events are of great importance to the people who live them, and that's how real life is. Perhaps that's what makes them so comfortable. As always, there is a gentle history lesson in this book. We learn about the inheritance taxes imposed on the wealthy in the UK, and how they led to the breaking up of the large estates. As well, the sectarian strife that has always plagued Northern Ireland is simmering in the background, although the good people of Balybucklebo itself always seems to be immune to these particular issues. In order to get these lessons in, however, this book tends to become a bit expository at times, as it's a bit awkward to just drop this information into casual conversation. I am still glad that this information is included, as this history nerd appreciates some substance in what is basically a fluffy comfort read.
January 17, 2020
I didn't realize until now that I read this so far out of order. I think I am on book 4 in the series. It didn't matter much though as I was familiar with the town and folk already. It felt good to get back into this little world for a bit.
October 14, 2021
Five things about An Irish Country Love Story by Patrick Taylor 5/5⭐️s
1. Just
2. Another
3. Irish Country book
4. That I
5. Loved.
1. Just
2. Another
3. Irish Country book
4. That I
5. Loved.
February 24, 2017
I think it is time Patrick Taylor gave up on this series. It was like he was just putting words on paper without following the original story. Boring. He spent several chapters on the search for a lost dog.Boy was that ever exciting. I could hardly put the book down.
Sorry Patrick. Guess I am done with this series.
Sorry Patrick. Guess I am done with this series.
October 14, 2017
Nothing happens in this book!!…I never would have finished it If I hadn't been trapped on a plane from Dublin to Toronto..Just plain BORING…
October 9, 2025
Abandoned. Just too dated and corny.
February 10, 2024
Very cozy book. I had a hard time getting into it since apparently it’s a series. I didn’t realize until like 150 pages in that each chapter they switched the narrator between barry and fingal. The last 150 pages of the book were excellent though. Definitely lived up to its name and had lots of love.
Read
November 5, 2017I'm sure this is a fine little series, but I am going to abandon the book as it is not for me. I guess it is fair to call it heavy on old-fashioned sentiment.
December 16, 2016
Another in the long series about a country GP in a tiny Irish town. This one updates Barry and his girlfriend Sue Nolan until just before their marriage. More yummy sounding recipies from Kinky Auchenleck, and further adventures with Dr. O"Reilly keeping his adopted town running smoothly. Lovely quiet, low key reading.
October 21, 2016
I love Patrick Taylor and I love this particular series of books. The stories have a wonderful, small Irish village feel to them, and it makes the reader feel like they are part of the village life too.
July 1, 2016
Another in a series of delightful feel-good stories of a small town in Ireland.
Pub date 10/04/16
I read this EARC courtesy of Edelweiss and the publisher
Pub date 10/04/16
I read this EARC courtesy of Edelweiss and the publisher
February 22, 2017
This was the least interesting in the series for me. It feels like he is (understandably) getting tired of his characters.
February 5, 2022
The wonderful continuing story of Dr. O'Reilly. Dr. Barry and the people of Ballybucklebo. Dr. O'Reilly and his wife Kitty are concerned over the possibility of having to move from their beloved home/medical clinic after a truck goes through their living room. Dr Barry and Sue become engaged but Sue is away for a few months of a course and Barry misses her. The new doctor seems to be having some problems adjusting to her job. Lars, Barry's brother, is falling in love.
The townspeople continue to seek medical and personal help as well as friendship from the doctors. Kinky the housekeeper and her husband Archie continue to care for the doctors at Number One Main Street.
This is such an enjoyable series of books to read. You feel like part of the village of Ballybucklebo.as you meet all the people who come to the office to get help or just to have a tea and a visit. Can't wait to read the next book!
The townspeople continue to seek medical and personal help as well as friendship from the doctors. Kinky the housekeeper and her husband Archie continue to care for the doctors at Number One Main Street.
This is such an enjoyable series of books to read. You feel like part of the village of Ballybucklebo.as you meet all the people who come to the office to get help or just to have a tea and a visit. Can't wait to read the next book!
March 23, 2017
This latest in the Irish Doctor series is a warm welcome back to Ballybucklebo, the little village with a big cast of quirky characters in Ulster County, in 1967. The last two books went back and forth from the 60's to when Dr. Fingal O'Reilly served as a naval surgeon in the Second World War. I was happy to be able to stay in one time frame and to read more about Fingal's coworker in his practice, Barry Laverty, and his fiancée, Sue Nolan. Thanks to my friend, Sandy, for directing me to this quaint, charming village, several years ago.
April 30, 2018
A sweet feel-good story set in a small village in Ireland - this is number 12 in the series.
May 14, 2020
Another enjoyable, sweet story from Ballybucklebo!
May 30, 2020
Sweet, heartfelt and genuinely touching stories. A wonderful addition to the series.
March 26, 2021
A love story, or two, and a story of community: "Love thy neighbor."
November 3, 2022
This was great! I enjoyed seeing how much the practice had grown, with Barry and Fingal adding a new doctor.
Love this series a lot and excited to read book 12!
Love this series a lot and excited to read book 12!
April 30, 2021
There's so much to love about this series, but the more books Patrick Taylor writes, the more trivia he keeps on inserting, and it has simply become too much! I mean, he must feel encouraged by the reviewers who like that kind of stuff, no doubt Irish people. I love Ireland and these cozy stories, but I don't give a damn about the brand of biscuits or candy people ate, and that's just the tip of the minutia mountain! Yes, this is a rant, because I realized I'm going to have to say goodbye to this beloved series. All these details distract from the stories to such a degree, I can't take it anymore.
For instance, Barry goes to visit his fiancée, Sue, in France. They go on a boat ride, and we get a boring history lesson. Or there's the scene where Dr. O'Reilly and Kitty host people for tea, and Taylor actually names 3 different kinds of store-bought cookies to choose from. Who cares?!
As for the story itself, this one in particular feels disjointed. A few events happened (spoiler alert!!): someone drove into O'Reilly's house (shocking, but all it does is lead to a boring document search and meetings to save Number One Main), Helen's finals are up, Sue's father has a heart attack, and on and on it goes. Sigh. I wanna love it more, like I did the first book, but I can't.
For instance, Barry goes to visit his fiancée, Sue, in France. They go on a boat ride, and we get a boring history lesson. Or there's the scene where Dr. O'Reilly and Kitty host people for tea, and Taylor actually names 3 different kinds of store-bought cookies to choose from. Who cares?!
As for the story itself, this one in particular feels disjointed. A few events happened (spoiler alert!!): someone drove into O'Reilly's house (shocking, but all it does is lead to a boring document search and meetings to save Number One Main), Helen's finals are up, Sue's father has a heart attack, and on and on it goes. Sigh. I wanna love it more, like I did the first book, but I can't.
February 1, 2017
The 12th and latest addition to the Irish country Doctor series is indeed a love story, or any number of them as Dr. Barry Laverty and Sue Nolan plan their wedding, Fingal's lawyer brother Lars has been helping Sir John and Lady Myrna try to save part of the Ballybucklebo estate by signing much of it over to the National Trust, Barry's medical classmate Jack Mills is mooning over Fingal's protege, Helen Hewitt, who is finishing her medical school classes and sitting her exams, old Sonny Houston is seriously ill and worrying his wife Maggie. On top of it all, a lorrie driver going too fast crashes through the dining room of Number One Main Street, and the town council is considering widening the street and taking the good Doctor's house and surgery to do so.
Well done. A very happy ending.
Well done. A very happy ending.
October 31, 2016
Once again, Patrick has come up with another interesting look in the goings on of Dr's Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly and Barry Laverty in the village of Ballybucklebo.
As the series started out "years" ago - it started with Barry Laverty's introduction to the village, the series has switched over to Fingal O'Reilly's story, which I have found much more interesting, with many historical highlights - so during this book, there was a great deal about Barry and his fiancé Sue, which I found rather uninteresting.
Fingal and Kitty have a major crisis when a lorry crashes through Number one, will this be the end of their life at Number One or will the council approve the needed repairs??????
As the series started out "years" ago - it started with Barry Laverty's introduction to the village, the series has switched over to Fingal O'Reilly's story, which I have found much more interesting, with many historical highlights - so during this book, there was a great deal about Barry and his fiancé Sue, which I found rather uninteresting.
Fingal and Kitty have a major crisis when a lorry crashes through Number one, will this be the end of their life at Number One or will the council approve the needed repairs??????
September 4, 2017
I really enjoy all of Patrick Taylor's Irish Doctor series.
February 18, 2017
It's always nice to re visit Balleybucklebo and see what everyone is up to :) I love the continuing story, the generations, the descriptions of the country, and the relationships. This series, these characters, remind me of Jan Karon's Mitford series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 255 reviews