A Match Made in Ireland

Escape to Ireland #1

by Michele Brouder

Have you ever wanted to press the escape button on your life?

Ruth Davenport writes about romance and happily ever after. But not from experience. After a heartbreaking rejection, she decides a change of scenery is needed. On a whim, she thinks Ireland is the place to go to write her next book. But when she arrives, everything that can go wrong, does. In the middle of the night, she lands on the doorstep of an Irish pub in the middle of nowhere belonging to an enigmatic Irishman.

Sean Hughes needs a woman under his roof like he needs a hole in the head. His policy is to steer clear of all women in general. Besides, he’s too busy running a pub and getting his dream business up off the ground. He has no time to be helping pretty tourists. But he needs some quick cash and she needs accommodation and a driver.

A deal is struck that suits them both. As they spend more time together, they begin to see the other in a different light. Can they overcome their fears and take a chance on happiness?

Each book in the Escape to Ireland series is a standalone novel and can be read in any order.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Ireland, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Travel, Chick Lit

204 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 12, 2019

Reviews

[Kelsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wouldn't call this a romance. Maybe chick lit.

The MCs showed no attraction towards each other till 70% through. Then neither of them acted on it because of OW/don't want a relationship reasoning. It's not till the last 5% we get any sort of romance, which is not enough. The epilogue was cute but didn't make up for the lack of romance in the novel.

This is really a story about a woman writer who goes to Ireland for research and her experiences there.

[Veda]

I really need to be careful about what I pick up on Kindle unlimited, downloaded this because it had 'Ireland' as part of its title 😶
Skipping the rating on this one.

[Ashley Marie]

My grandma likes this series, so I may have to check it out

[Baca Buku · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise was different, but the setting and part of the set-up is reminiscent of the film Leap Year (American woman goes to Ireland for one purpose and ends up falling in love with the pub owner who gives her a place to stay). In fact, I even imagined Amy Adams and Matthew Goode as Ruth and Sean.

I felt for Ruth in the beginning, about how she felt losing out to her prettier sister, and the event that prompted her to go to Ireland. But as the story went on, she became unlikeable.

Events take place in the story, but they didn't help with its development. Nothing really happens until the very end.

[Kasandra Setrakova · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 🌟

היי חברים וחברות,
בסופ"ש הספקתי גם לקרוא את הנובלה הזו, היא מקסימה ממש וחינמית עכשיו באמזון, אז יאי.

הסיפור פה הוא על בחורה בעלת הערכה עצמית נמוכה, אשר עוסקת למחייתה בכתיבת ספרי רומן רומנטי.
היא מחליטה לכתוב על אירלנד, דבר שמצריך ביקור במדינה המדהימה הזו על מנת לדעת מה לכתוב.. וזה בא בקטע טוב, כי ליבה נשבר (סוג של..)
אז היא קונה כרטיס טיסה, שוכרת מלון וטסה לה מהמדינה בה שברו לה את הלב.. (שוב, סוג של.. זה לא באמת שברון לב, אבל לא נעים)
הכל מתוכנן הכל שולם... והינה לה מתחילה לה הרפתקה אשר תשכיח ממנה את מה שקרה בארץ...

ובאמת... מה שהיא חווה אכן משכיח את הדברים הרעים שקרו 🤣

באירלנד רות מוצאת לה את שון, הוא עוזר לה לשרוד 😜
סיפור מקסים וחמודי קליל ונעים, ככה שמי שרוצה סיפור מעבר בבקשה.


עכשיו סקירה עם מלא ציטוטים *-*

הספר מתחיל מרות, היא נפגשה עם בחור שהיא מאוד מחבבת

🫖“How’ve you been?” he asked. She nodded quickly. “Good? How’s work?” she asked. He was a physical therapist, and he loved his job. And she loved hearing about it. See? she thought. They were a perfect match.🫖

אבל הפגישה לא הולכת לפי התוכנית... וזה מעציב אותה

🫖The irony of her situation was not lost on her. Here she was, a romance writer of all things, and she couldn’t even manage to land a date, much less a man.🫖

והדיכאון חוגג

🫖How on earth was she supposed to write about romance when she had none of her own? It made her feel like a fraud.🫖

אבל היא בחורה אופטימית

🫖The night hadn’t been a total loss. She’d just found an idea for her next book.🫖

לאחר מכן, הספר עובר לצד של שון

🫖This was a regular conversation between them: his octogenarian uncle trying to encourage him to get a girlfriend, or worse, get married. Been there, done that, Sean thought.🫖

ואחרי שאנחנו לומדים להכיר את שניהם, הם נפגשים

🫖“Are you sure you don’t have anywhere I could stay, just for tonight? I’d be more than willing to pay you a fair price,” she said. “I’d even pay double the fair price.” Her pretty green eyes were pleading. “Nah, look, I’ll ring you a cab and they can take you over to the nearest B & B,” he offered. She hung her head and her wet red hair covered her face like a curtain. Soon she was hiccoughing as great big sobs wracked her body. Sean became alarmed. “Oh, for the love of all that is holy, don’t start crying!” Panic filled him.🫖

שון לא ממש התלהב מעבודה של רות...

🫖He shook his head. The thought of making a living giving people false hope, now that was something. Fair play to her, he thought.🫖

אבל הוא מציעה לה עסקה שהיא פשוט לא יכולה לסרב לה

🫖“Well, you’re looking for a driver to get you around the country to do your research, and I could use a bit of extra cash,” he said bluntly. “Here’s my proposal: I’ll drive you around the country and provide you with accommodation and all your meals in return for a flat fee. Fifty percent down and fifty percent when you leave. I’ll also supply the petrol.”🫖

היה פה קטע מאוד משעשע עם הבדלי דיבור בין ארה"ב לאירלנד 😜

🫖Sean leaned over the bar and whispered, “You might want to tell people that I’m giving you a lift instead.”
Lowering his voice, he said, “Here, if a man fancies a woman, he might want to ride her.”🫖


על מנת לכתוב את הסיפור אהבה שהיה בראש של רות, היא קבעה מספר דייטים דרך מתווכת... הם לא עוברים בצורה מקסימה כ"כ

🫖He lowered his voice. “Maybe we could write our own love story. Romeo and Juliet. Bonnie and Clyde.” Ruth chose not to mention that those couples had not lived happily ever after.🫖

ומהצד של שון הוא התחיל לפתח רגשות..

🫖He sighed into the darkness, wide awake and restless. He clasped his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling, unable to get the American girl out of his head.🫖

סיפור מקסים שלמרות שהוא קצר הוא הצליח להכניס לתוכו הרבה מידע 😜

[Bella Holland]

I love books set in Ireland and was not disappointed with this one. Ruth is an author of Romance Novels but is not having any luck in finding romance for herself, or any ideas for her next book. She ends up in Ireland for research for said book when she meets Sean, an Irish pub owner who sort of rescues her, in a way.

The only thing I didn't realize off the bat with this book is that Ruth doesn't live in Ireland. She lives in the US, most likely in New York City (still not 100% sure about that, although there seems to be hints of it). I was surprised when she decided to take a trip to Ireland (What? She's not Irish? - That's what I asked myself and was confused at the beginning). Other than that, the story flows nicely and character development is interesting.

This is a clean romance.

[Jane]

Ruth Davenport writes about romance and happily ever after. Despite this, she can’t land a date much less a man, the irony of her situation not lost on her.

After a heartbreak rejection, she decides to get a change of scenery after reading an ad on *falling in love the old fashioned way* in an Irish newspaper for US ex-pats. After finding an idea for her next romance book, Ruth goes to Ireland on a whim.

When she arrives things go awry and soon after she finds herself on the doorstep of an Irish pub in the middle of nowhere. The doorstep belongs to a man named Sean Hughes

Between running his pub called Off the Beaten Track—which he inherited from his father and getting his dream business off the ground, Sean barely has time for women not especially some pretty tourist. But he needs the money and she needs a place to stay

So they both strike a deal that suits them both. As they spend more time together they begin to realize they might like each other than they’d care to admit.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a good sweet romance read. The story has a good story line. The characters are good, and they have good chemistry. The story is an enjoyable romance read.

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

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (3/18/2020)! 🎁

[Leya]

ну, могло бути і гірше

[Laurie Quenneville · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowza

[Di OBRIEN · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars for this very sweet story about very nice people

Yes, it's predictable, but a very sweet story about very nice people... especially Sean and Ruth, who are both long deserving of HEA. Having visited Ireland three times myself and loving it more each time, I love reading stories that take place there. Ms. Brouder did a wonderful job giving this reader a sense of being there again with her descriptions of the beautiful countryside and the friendly, hospitable people.

"She had fallen in love with Ireland. It had been hard not to: lush, green, hilly pastures hedged by ancient stone walls. The friendly people and the small local parish where everyone was welcome. And the laid-back rural lifestyle. "

A lot like a Hallmark movie, albeit a good one. 💘💘💘+

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruth and Sean falling in love

I enjoyed the book but the ending wasn’t long enough. The book was just about them finding each other and sorting thru their feelings. Parts of it reminded me that movie Leap Year, I love that movie, like Sean’s sense of humor, the circumstances in which they find themselves together, and his profession. But I would have liked to actually have more time to see them as a couple.

SEMI-SPOILER

Instead we see so much of their uncertainty and not knowing if they should try to get together and then two pages left in the book and they get together and it ends. There is a short two page epilogue.

Rating PG, clean romance

[Coral · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly just watch Leap Year instead.

[Texas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Brouder is one of my few authors of choice for sweet romances. I love the fact that she tells an interesting story without the Stupidity Formula that so many romance authors use in their ridiculous books. The characters are good people who act like grown ups instead of idiots who cannot communicate and are always negative in their thoughts. See each book for my complete review.

Escape to Ireland Series:
A Match Made in Ireland, #1 - This must be my favorite story so far but I have enjoyed all that I have read by this author. Of course, I enjoy the Irish setting, the good dialog and the sweet romance. 5*

Her Fake, Irish Husband #2 – It’s OK, not my typical reading material but it is set in Ireland, enuff said. This is my first read by this author and I enjoyed the book. The storylines are well written and interesting. The characters are likeable and realistic, and their dialogues believable. Humor dances throughout the pages. The descriptions of the manor, the village and Ireland are so clear; it is like being there in person. This is a feel good read and I hope to read the rest of the series. I did have a problem with the over use of the earl, which should have been the Earl; it felt like name-dropping. 4*

Her Irish Inheritance, #3 - Maeve knew what she was doing when she left her home to her nurse. A sweet, well written romance with loveable characters, interesting story lines and set in Ireland. Caroline knew she was starting a new life after her divorce and discovering a new life she did. 5*

A Match for the Matchmaker, #4 - It happened. The first time a character by this author was stupid. Sadly, she is joined by him in that department making a pair of eejits. But the rest of the story is funny, entertaining and full of interesting events and characters. 4*

Home, Sweet Irish Home, #5 - A wonderfully sweet, happy story with loveable characters and good story lines. The Yank is too good to be true but he is at that. A good range of emotions, especially when a terrible event happens. Love is everywhere. 5*

An Irish Christmas, #6 - I saved this book for Christmas day. It was a lovely addition to a lovely day. The 84-yo grannies were the perfect partners in crime setting up their grandchildren. They claimed they were not matchmaking. Yeah, right. Full of fun and love, even with the anger. 5*

Her Great Irish Escape - A fun, sweet story that is hard to put down, luckily it was easy to read with bits of Ireland's local life mixed with the tour bits. 5*
Escape to Ireland Series end.

A Whyte Christmas - A funny, sweet way to spend the night, a written Hallmark. 5*

Escape to Hideaway Bay - Another interesting and fun filled second chance in the making story. 4*

Snowed in at Christmas - An enjoyable, sweet start of a romance between two people with a bit of luggage each. 5*

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruth Davenport writes romance for a living but her own life is lacking in that department she's slightly shy because of a leg injury when she was in a car accident. And just when she works up the courage to talk to her crush Steve he tells her he likes her younger sister Nicole. But she dose the write thing and tells her sister even though she's hurt about it. After that disaster she goes to a coffee shop to be alone there she reads and add for the Clonmel Marriage Bureau out of County Tipperary, Ireland its the perfect story line for a new romance book. And her life is about to change even if she dosen't know it yet. When she arrives in Ireland she has one mishap after another lost lugage, her B and B is booked up she told them the wrong date of arrival and then she gets lost and ends up in a ditch with her rental car a mess now her carry on lugage wheel is broke but she manages to end up in a village with a B and B in side a Pub ironical called of the Beaton Track.

Sean Hughes has lived his hole life in Ireland he runs the local pub and looks after his windowed uncle. He cant wait till he can get out of the pub business and start his orchard business. Sean dosen't need any distractions especially the female kind he was dumped by his fiance Brid who decided Dublin was more to her liking but one night after closing Ruth ends up on his doorstep sopping wet, muddy and bedraggled Sean cant help but laugh. From that moment on they share one humorous moment after another and true feelings develope between them if only they could tell each other before Sean's past and Ruth sister show up.

I loved the discription of the scenery the local people and all the little details like the love letter. This was a really enjoyable read and i cant wait to read the next one.

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

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is funny, dramatic, sweet and romantic. Ruth is a romance writer who needs a new idea for her next book. One day she happens to see an ad for Irish brides from America to go to Ireland and marry Irishmen. Intrigued, she writes to the company, then some clients and she decides to go to Ireland for research. Things start off bad the minute she gets off the plane, and get worse as the day goes. Eventually she ends up at the front door of a B&B in the middle of the night soaking wet. Sean owns the pub and former B&B, and he lives above the pub. He's a charming, funny and cheeky guy he had his heart broken 3 years previously. When he opens the door and sees Ruth, he has no sympathy for her, he tells her that he'll call a cab, because his place is not available. He finally does let her in and shows her to a room. After she showers he feeds her soup, then a sweet and tea. When she asks about hiring a driver to use, he volunteers himself. The more time they spend together, the more they each fall in love, unfortunately other people, and life, come between them. It does have a happy ending, after Sean pulls an unthinking man move.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. This is my honest and voluntary opinion of it.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book at first. I was afraid of getting some cheesy love story with Irish castles in the background. Thankfully my fears were unwarranted.

Michele Brouder wrote a romance that was as much about Ireland and it was Ruth and Sean. She sprinkled the irish into every fold, like she was making a decadent dessert. I felt like I was in Ireland watching this unfold.

And it did unfold . Both Sean and Ruth had some hiccups that made them run from love Ruth, with her messed up legs and her sister that every guy wants; Sean with his ex fiance.

Unlike the reviews I read, I saw they were atracted to each other from the start. Not everyone wants a casual fling so, even without their hangups the romance seemed doomed.

But it refused to be doomed. Things keep btinging them together, winding them around each other's hearts. I loved them running the pub together, and I wanted so much for them to hold wach other during the funeral.

I have to say when Ruth's sister, and the guy who wanted to write a novel and Sean's fiance all came at once, I kept closing the book. Too much awkward drama.

I know it had to play out that way for Sean to write the letter. Aahh! My HEA heart was full to over flowing!

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! Having realized our dream of visiting Ireland last year, my husband and I spent a wonderful two weeks touring the country. This book brought back so many incredible memories.

Ruth Davenport has lived her life in the shadow of her beautiful younger sister for years, especially since a car accident in her teens left her with a pronounced limp. As a romance author it doesn't seem fitting that she can't find her own HEA much less deal with her current writer's block. When a newspaper article results in a possible answer to all her woes she finds herself arriving in Ireland, only one mishap after another has her questioning her choices.

Sean Hughes can believe the site that has arrived at his door. It's quickly obvious he can't turn the woman away. Forced to put the stranger up for the night he soon finds his cold heart beginning to thaw. It's been three long years since the woman he believed he would marry left him. But when his past returns wanting a second chance what will Sean do?   

I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more by this author.

[Laura Levada · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ruth Davenport, escritora de romances, sem grande experiência no assunto, e com uma  baixa autoestima, resolve que precisa de uma mudança na vida e viaja para a Irlanda. Tudo a princípio dá errado e ela acaba na porta de um pub no meio da madrugada.
Sean Hughes, o dono do pub acredita que está feliz com a vida que tem, ele não quer nada com amor romance, ele é um "gato escaldado" no assunto, mas quando ele encontra aquela americana, estranha e linda a sua porta sua vida começa a mudar e ele só vai perceber quando já for tarde demais, ou será que não.

Para começo de conversa achei que a sinopse do livro é um tanto exagerada no que diz respeito a "rejeição dolorosa", que  a protagonista sofre no começo do livro. O cara nem sabia que estava a rejeitando, e achei que a dor dela tinha mais haver com o fato de que ela tinha uma baixa estima, devido a sua claudicação e o interessante é que acho que a própria autora nem percebeu isso (risos!)
No mais é uma história fofinha, com todos os clichês necessários a um bom romance, acrescido com as descrições da bela Irlanda e um final feliz, que teria feito essa leitora ainda mais feliz e ganho mais uma estrela se fosse um pouquinho maior.

[Georgene Bramlage · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A Match Made in Ireland" is the perfect antidote for a dreary winter day. Sean, an Irish pub owner who dreams of owning a productive apple and pear orchard, and Ruth, an established American Romance writer who needs inspiration for her next novel, are believable and exciting protagonists.
They are supported by a cast of nearly stereotypical minor characters who move the plot. This is a read in which most Romance readers become quickly snared. Love, affection, and caring show between Sean and Ruth and between in-laws, neighbors, and townspeople. The conclusion is a HEA (Happily Ever After), which is given from the book's beginning. The setting is the Irish countryside in which Sean gives Ruth transport looking for atmosphere, and they begin to know each other. The tourist spots and surrounding areas are enticingly described. Brouder's book immediately jumps into the plot and doesn't hesitate or stop until the conclusion. "A Match Made in Ireland" is a short, entertaining, but thoughtful novel.

[Monae Doyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really sweet love story that takes place in Ireland.

This story is about a woman named Ruth Davenport. She is a writer of romance novels. She doesn’t have experience with the romances that she writes about. She decides that a change of scenery is needed in her life. On a whim she decides to go to Ireland to do some research. When she arrives everything that can go wrong….does go wrong. The airport loses her luggage. In the middle of the night she lands on the doorstep of an Irish pub ☘️. The man that owns the Irish pub is named Sean Hughes. Sean feels that a woman under his roof is the last thing he wants or needs. He is too busy running his Irish pub. He has no time to help a pretty tourist like her. Ruth starts to interview men and women in Ireland about love and romance in research for her next book. Sean starts to fall for Ruth as she helps with the pub. Ruth also starts falling for Sean. When she decides to leave she receives a letter from Sean that completely changes her mind. This book wasn’t spicy 🌶️ but it was really sweet and I loved reading this book.

[Barbara D. Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful read!
But it got off to a shaky start (in my opinion) because it was so similar to the movie, "Leap Year" (starring Amy Adams and Matthew Goode). A pretty female, travelling alone arrives at an out of the way pub soaking wet and in need of lodging. A single publican who finds her peculiar, but interesting, offers her a room and eventually they strike a deal for him to be her driver, in return for a sum of money that will go towards building repairs. Very similar to the movie where the pub owner gives her a ride to Dublin (or some major city) for money to go towards the pub. The similarities go on but eventually I had to let them go and just focus on this story, which started to stand on it's own.
I would have enjoyed it more if the characters would have been honest and said what they were thinking. Sometimes I feel authors have to build in angst in order to make the story interesting. If I'm reading for pleasure and sheer enjoyment, I want it to be a smooth ride. Nonetheless, I did enjoy this!

[Marie Bourgery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruth went to Ireland to do research for her latest romance novel and maybe find a man to date away from her beautiful sister Nicole’s shadow. Her trip to Ireland was not off to a good start with the airline losing her luggage, her B&B reservation set up for the week after her arrival, and crashing her rental car. Sean’s pub acts as a light in the darkness after she turns up bleeding and muddy from her accident. He distrusts romance after his fiance left him. But Ruth with her flowery dresses, enthusiasm for exploring Ireland, and giving heart may make him change his mind. This was a funny and sweet vacation romance. I loved that Sean didn’t care about her limp and wanted to protect her from his unscrupulous countrymen who would take advantage of her. I enjoyed reading about all the places to visit in Ireland. It made me want to plan a trip there.

[Pamela Devereux · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so much fun to read. Just when Ruth thought things had hit rock bottom, an article in a newspaper changes the path of her life. She is a romance writer who has no clue on how to gain a love life. This international matchmaker is just the jolt she needs to get her book on the right path. She is off to Ireland to interview people for her book. Murphy's Law entered her life, anything that can go wrong, does. In the end, it brings her to pub in which Sean Hughes is the owner. There is an instant spark on Sean's part. You will love the people that come into his Pub. You will enjoy sight seeing with Sean as your tour guide. Ruth is falling in love with Ireland and with a certain Pub owner. Into each life a little rain must fall. As the old is washed away, it clears the way for something new. Love the ending.

[Jeanna Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Irish country side, check. Heroine in a little distress while still being real and sassy, check. Handsome pub owner and bartender, check and check. All things I loved about this book. Because really is this not a fantasy? I doubt it's just mine. Who doesn't dream of going off to a different country and finding love. I know I do. And Ireland is right at the top of my list to do it in.

This is a slow burn kind of romance. But honestly, it doesn't have much burn. It does however feel a little more real. Niether of Sean or Ruth even give in to each other to let the other know how they are feeling. There are a couple almosts that come to nothing. For me the book was a little too tame. I would have liked a little more steam.

That being said I still loved the story. It was sweat, light and easy to get caught up in.

[The GrieivingReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Firstly, these characters were not unique or memorable. I only remember Ruth's name because it was said quite often. I think overall the story was quite cute. However, there were so many ideas brought up that were never fully discovered. I couldn't tell if we were supposed to love or hate Nicole... I was not fond of her because it seemed like she knew her sister well but, she never realized the guys she dated, Ruth sometimes was interested in first. For how 'close' they were made to seem it felt wrong that she would not notice. Also, why did she go to Ireland? Ruth never mentioned her in Ireland yet, they were so close? Why do we never learn about the status of her book? Or about the book from the author she mentored? Did she move to Ireland? So many unknowns, but all completed plotlines were good.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have decided that what makes a great story for me in this genre is when I “fall in love” with both of the main characters. Such was the case here—both of them drew me in from the first and I cared about what happened with them. Next, there has to be the writing ability—both the ability to craft a story and the use of the English language. This story had both elements.

I enjoyed the setting in Ireland. It made me want to visit the Emerald Isle.

I haven’t read anything by this author before now and I hope this story wasn’t just a flash in the pan. ;). On to another of the author’s books that is set in Ireland 🇮🇪. P.S. I think this is actually book one in a series set in Ireland. Darn the self-publishers for not knowing how to enter a series on Goodreads correctly.

[PAMpublish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this sweet and clean Irish contemporary romance with a lovely cover, especially the true terminology of the culture. Just the right length for a one-sitting bedtime read about a writer who escapes to Ireland amidst a plethora of mishaps and lands at the doorstep of Sean who takes her into his opened pub, but closed B&B due to her desperation. Both down on romance, they find first commonality and then ultimately love despite many interfering forces. The only thing that I felt could have improved with the book was a different name for the main character to a more modern-day, perhaps Irish sounding name - an old-Biblical name used with grandparents seemed so out-of-place to this particular time and setting.