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Lucky Irish #1
Duncan
"One Kiss. I need to know if you feel this too."
Kayla Walsh ran thousands of miles to start her life over in Austin, Texas. Kayla isn't ready for the sexy former MMA fighter Duncan Mills who instantly set his sights on her. Duncan makes her feel alive again and isn't giving up without a fight. Duncan is all in for the first time in his life, but will Kayla let him close enough to win over her heart?
Fall in love with the Lucky Irish big family romance families and see why thousands of readers have started binge reading the sassily strong and witty alpha characters in the Lucky Irish series. All Lucky Irish books can be enjoyed as stand-alone novels or as part of the larger series.
Duncan is a laugh out loud sexy and heartfelt big family romance that will have you swoon while reading Kayla and Duncan’s happily ever after. Filled with hilarious family banter between brothers and sisters this romance series will make you feel part of their families.
In the Lucky Irish series you'll find MMA fighters, bartenders, private investigators, police officers, a hot single dad, bad boy alphas, second chances, surprise babies, friends-to-lovers, enemies-to-lovers, love at work, slowburn and steamy instalove.
Book 1 - Duncan
Book 2 - Donovan
Book 3 - Brennan
Book 4 - Declan
Book 5 - Keenan
Book 6 - Ronan
236 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 13, 2019
719 people are currently reading
1013 people want to read
About the author
Anna Castor
28 books182 followersHi there! Click the FOLLOW button if you'd like to be in the loop about Anna's new releases!
Author of the Iron Vikings MC series, Moore Family series, Blazing Islands series, Lucky Irish series and the Winter Peaks series. Anna loves to write strong heroines and dominant alpha males 🥵 in heartfelt and steamy romance series. She has a soft spot for motorcycle romance series and big family romance series.
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Author of the Iron Vikings MC series, Moore Family series, Blazing Islands series, Lucky Irish series and the Winter Peaks series. Anna loves to write strong heroines and dominant alpha males 🥵 in heartfelt and steamy romance series. She has a soft spot for motorcycle romance series and big family romance series.
Sign up for Anna's newsletter at www.annacastor.com/subscribe-2
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
May 12, 2020
I love the characters and Pops seems like a hoot & a half. I love the storyline formula. You definitely can’t go wrong with Good Girl meets Bad Boy + instant attraction + hilarious/crazy family & friends + fall in love = good times. For this authors first work I think she did an outstanding job.
The only thing I would say about this book is that parts felt rushed a little. Sometimes it was a little difficult to differentiate between character thoughts and time changes. I would also have liked a little more background on the different characters mentioned. Other than that I enjoyed the story and can’t wait for Donovan’s story to come out.
The only thing I would say about this book is that parts felt rushed a little. Sometimes it was a little difficult to differentiate between character thoughts and time changes. I would also have liked a little more background on the different characters mentioned. Other than that I enjoyed the story and can’t wait for Donovan’s story to come out.
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December 12, 2025🎁 FREE on Amazon today (12/14/2020)! 🎁
September 12, 2019
Thank you to Anna Castor and Goodreads.com I won this book in a Giveaway.
Sweet, sexy and oh so much fun ! Can't wait to see what's in store for the other Mills boyos ! :-) There are quite a lot of characters and most have the same sounding names but it was a great quick fun book to read.
Sweet, sexy and oh so much fun ! Can't wait to see what's in store for the other Mills boyos ! :-) There are quite a lot of characters and most have the same sounding names but it was a great quick fun book to read.
April 20, 2021
Cute start to series
This is the first book in the Lucky Irish series and tells the story of Duncan Mills and Kayla Walsh. Duncan is a Texas native and Kayla is a new transplant from New Jersey. They meet at Duncan’s brother’s office when Kayla has a job interview. She has moved to Austin after being attacked outside her apartment in Jersey. The attraction is instant, but she makes him chase her for a while. Both characters come from the stereotypical big Irish family. Duncan is the third of five brothers and Kayla is the fourth child with three older brothers and two younger sisters. By the end of the story the two families have all met each other and there is foreshadowing of who will hook up with whom.
There were a couple of issues with the story that bothered me. Perhaps most annoying was the fake Irish accents and lingo. Duncan’s grandfather was born in Texas but speaks with an Irish accent. He calls his grandsons “boyo” and they all say “arse” instead of “ass”. The grandsons are third generation American but use Irish slang and the occasional Irish accent. I’m second generation American-Irish and only put on the accent when joking around with people. I grew up around a lot of Irish immigrants and first or second generation Americans and never heard them say boyo or arse. The characters speaking that way just seemed fake and awkward.
That being said, I’m writing this at almost 2:00 in the morning because I stayed up to finish the story. I’m also debating whether or not to start Donovan’s story now or go to sleep. In the front of the book are family trees for the families included in the series. I am hoping for more series focusing on the other families after the Mills brothers are done.
Edit: There were excerpts from Donovan and Brennan at the end of this book. So I stayed up another hour or so to read them. 😴
This is the first book in the Lucky Irish series and tells the story of Duncan Mills and Kayla Walsh. Duncan is a Texas native and Kayla is a new transplant from New Jersey. They meet at Duncan’s brother’s office when Kayla has a job interview. She has moved to Austin after being attacked outside her apartment in Jersey. The attraction is instant, but she makes him chase her for a while. Both characters come from the stereotypical big Irish family. Duncan is the third of five brothers and Kayla is the fourth child with three older brothers and two younger sisters. By the end of the story the two families have all met each other and there is foreshadowing of who will hook up with whom.
There were a couple of issues with the story that bothered me. Perhaps most annoying was the fake Irish accents and lingo. Duncan’s grandfather was born in Texas but speaks with an Irish accent. He calls his grandsons “boyo” and they all say “arse” instead of “ass”. The grandsons are third generation American but use Irish slang and the occasional Irish accent. I’m second generation American-Irish and only put on the accent when joking around with people. I grew up around a lot of Irish immigrants and first or second generation Americans and never heard them say boyo or arse. The characters speaking that way just seemed fake and awkward.
That being said, I’m writing this at almost 2:00 in the morning because I stayed up to finish the story. I’m also debating whether or not to start Donovan’s story now or go to sleep. In the front of the book are family trees for the families included in the series. I am hoping for more series focusing on the other families after the Mills brothers are done.
Edit: There were excerpts from Donovan and Brennan at the end of this book. So I stayed up another hour or so to read them. 😴
September 19, 2021
Irish, alpha, family, heat
Four words that popped in my head when describing this book are Irish, alpha, family and heat! I adore each and every character this author created in this book. Duncan aka Dunc and his brothers strong , big Irish men and Kayla aka wildflower and her large Irish American family make this an amazing read!
This could have easily been a 4 star read however the format of this book is hard to follow, it all runs together with little punctuation or breaks in paragraphs. This caused me to re-read sentences to figure out what was going on. The second negative was the wording. Words would be out of order like she corrected the rough draft but her re-write kept the old wording as well. Frustrating! I almost stopped reading early in bc it was that bad. Thank goodness the Characters and storyline had already captivated me enough to keep reading.
So be aware of this going in, but also be aware this is a great storyline, great characters that deliver drama, love, heat, family, friends and excitement all in this book! Free with K.U.
Four words that popped in my head when describing this book are Irish, alpha, family and heat! I adore each and every character this author created in this book. Duncan aka Dunc and his brothers strong , big Irish men and Kayla aka wildflower and her large Irish American family make this an amazing read!
This could have easily been a 4 star read however the format of this book is hard to follow, it all runs together with little punctuation or breaks in paragraphs. This caused me to re-read sentences to figure out what was going on. The second negative was the wording. Words would be out of order like she corrected the rough draft but her re-write kept the old wording as well. Frustrating! I almost stopped reading early in bc it was that bad. Thank goodness the Characters and storyline had already captivated me enough to keep reading.
So be aware of this going in, but also be aware this is a great storyline, great characters that deliver drama, love, heat, family, friends and excitement all in this book! Free with K.U.
January 14, 2021
I loved the idea of an Irish romance and decided to pick this up on a whim even though I hadn’t heard anything about this series and I actually really enjoyed it. I can’t say I loved it but I did get invested with the characters as I related to Kayla and loved her character from the first chapter. Duncan was a likeable character but I had to fully get into the storyline before I actually warmed to his character. I did find the story quite predictable but some parts really shocked me and made me want to carry on with the story. I loved the ending and will definitely carry on with the series!
March 22, 2021
“Duncan” (Lucky Irish series book 1) by Anna Castor is a first read for this author.
I really enjoyed the story line, romance, knowing we’d have the continuing of family characters. And of course the surprise towards end of book that amps up the storyline dynamics.
Bought the next stories in series and prepaid books 5 & 6.
I really enjoyed the story line, romance, knowing we’d have the continuing of family characters. And of course the surprise towards end of book that amps up the storyline dynamics.
Bought the next stories in series and prepaid books 5 & 6.
January 25, 2021
Loved it
Never read any books by this author before but on a recommendation I downloaded it and I can’t wait to read the rest, I love the characters and the storyline, highly recommend anyone to give this author a try
Never read any books by this author before but on a recommendation I downloaded it and I can’t wait to read the rest, I love the characters and the storyline, highly recommend anyone to give this author a try
November 9, 2020
Yes! Yes! Yes! Loved it. I’ve been trying to find a book for ages that I can stick with. I devoured it practically in one day. I’m keen to keep reading the series!
May 22, 2021
This was my first Anna Castor book. Already starting the second book in the series, Donovan. Loved the characters and the 2 Irish families. 5 stars for sure
October 26, 2021
Duncan wasn’t what I thought it would be- it was better!
I absolutely loved this story. It was well written and was a great flow. Loved the strong characters with tender hearts. Can’t wait to read the next book, Donovan.
I absolutely loved this story. It was well written and was a great flow. Loved the strong characters with tender hearts. Can’t wait to read the next book, Donovan.
May 25, 2021
Fun book
Love the inter action that this family has with each other and the love and protective side. Every one should have a family like this
Love the inter action that this family has with each other and the love and protective side. Every one should have a family like this
October 4, 2020
I loved the premise of this book and all those Irish siblings...cute! Duncan is a charming alpha male and sweet Kay-Kay is perfect for him. I look forward to more stories in this series.
March 8, 2021
Great story loved it I wanted it to go on an on
March 18, 2020
Kayla left everything in New Jersey to starting over in new city, a new state in Austin, Texas. She meets very sexy Duncan and he is following her to her job interview.. She never thought her boss and Duncan are brothers.
Duncan set his eyes on Kayla and he is determined to win her. But he will first convince her to go out with him. She is not easily persuaded and he really wants to get to know her.
Kayla is not ready to jump into a relationship with Duncan, since he is her brother's boss but he is really warming up to her. Kayla has great neighbors and they look out for each other. While they were celebrating her neighbors birthday, they ended up going to Duncan's Irish Pub and she meets all of Duncan clan. Big family family loves to meddle with Duncan and Kayla.
Is Kayla ready to settle down in Austin? But when her brother shows up, things change and her past is catching up quickly. Duncan will do everything keep her safe and make sure she is by his side.
It was fun read. I really loved Duncan's family especially his 'pop' and Kayla's neighbor. His family was great and can't wait to read about his brothers.
Thanks to Goodreads sweepstakes for my ARC.
Duncan set his eyes on Kayla and he is determined to win her. But he will first convince her to go out with him. She is not easily persuaded and he really wants to get to know her.
Kayla is not ready to jump into a relationship with Duncan, since he is her brother's boss but he is really warming up to her. Kayla has great neighbors and they look out for each other. While they were celebrating her neighbors birthday, they ended up going to Duncan's Irish Pub and she meets all of Duncan clan. Big family family loves to meddle with Duncan and Kayla.
Is Kayla ready to settle down in Austin? But when her brother shows up, things change and her past is catching up quickly. Duncan will do everything keep her safe and make sure she is by his side.
It was fun read. I really loved Duncan's family especially his 'pop' and Kayla's neighbor. His family was great and can't wait to read about his brothers.
Thanks to Goodreads sweepstakes for my ARC.
July 28, 2021
Wow
Great read. Loved every minute. Happy that they found one another. Now onto Kate and Don. Can not wait. As always keep writing and I will keep reading. Thank you.
Great read. Loved every minute. Happy that they found one another. Now onto Kate and Don. Can not wait. As always keep writing and I will keep reading. Thank you.
January 10, 2022
cute short read.
March 30, 2021
A good read
Was a good read. I think the story line about tom could of been stretched out a bit more. And as an Irish person it was wierd to see the odd Irish world and American words mixed. But it worked really well and I'm glad I read it.
Was a good read. I think the story line about tom could of been stretched out a bit more. And as an Irish person it was wierd to see the odd Irish world and American words mixed. But it worked really well and I'm glad I read it.
February 18, 2020
Such a fun and hilarious read! I love the characters and the storyline is fun. I did feel it was rushed at times but I enjoyed Kayla and Duncan. I look forward to reading the rest in the series and seeing familiar faces.
Review by Raychel
Review by Raychel
April 2, 2020
I feel bad saying it, but I didn't really like this book. I feel bad about it because I won it in a giveaway, and because there were parts to it that I did enjoy, and I didn't actively dislike the book. But most of my notes on my kindle consisted of "Ugggh" or the vomit emoji.
What I did like was the overall relationships of the families, and the loving support evident in the family dynamics. That may be the key part that helped me to not DNF this book.
Part of what didn't work for me was the male characterizations where everyone is a mushy-hearted alpha; H (Duncan) is once minute objectifying the h, then the next waxing poetic in internal monologue. I have not read and have no interest in ever reading 50 Shades of Grey, but it's impossible to escape the obsession with "alpha" characters in contemporary romance. It's not my favorite trope, so I may have very high standards for its use as primary characterization for romantic male leads. It just didn't work for me here. I think I would like this character, book, and series better if the men were written with the quiet confidence of the "alpha" or "macho" nature, without all the extraneous *telling* that they are alpha, macho, etc.
This leads to the other main point of what didn't work for me, which was the writing. For me, this book was way too much "telling" with very uninspired prose and cringe-worthy dialogue. At one point, I thought to myself that all of the scene descriptors, all of the retellings of past events, felt like a transcription of notes the author had taken straight from an outline, without being put in a character's voice, or told from the character's perspective. I just kept thinking, "This wouldn't be as bad if it was just tweaked a bit." It's really frustrating to see glimpses of something you'd like, but not having it be quite delivered.
All that is to say that when I rate this with 2 stars, it is really to rate it as "It was ok." This isn't something I'll reread. It won't leave a lasting impression in a good way for me. But I didn't DNF it, and I didn't walk away hating it. Probably because there were things about it that make me want to (cautiously) continue reading the series; glimpses of characters and stories I'd like to revisit, with the hope that the writing will only get better.
As the rating shows, many readers aren't as bothered by any of the things that didn't work for me, so take my review with a grain of salt. If the current trend of contemporary romance is all you're looking for, your needs will be met with this book.
Thank you to the author for providing this book in a giveaway in exchange for an honest opinion.
What I did like was the overall relationships of the families, and the loving support evident in the family dynamics. That may be the key part that helped me to not DNF this book.
Part of what didn't work for me was the male characterizations where everyone is a mushy-hearted alpha; H (Duncan) is once minute objectifying the h, then the next waxing poetic in internal monologue. I have not read and have no interest in ever reading 50 Shades of Grey, but it's impossible to escape the obsession with "alpha" characters in contemporary romance. It's not my favorite trope, so I may have very high standards for its use as primary characterization for romantic male leads. It just didn't work for me here. I think I would like this character, book, and series better if the men were written with the quiet confidence of the "alpha" or "macho" nature, without all the extraneous *telling* that they are alpha, macho, etc.
This leads to the other main point of what didn't work for me, which was the writing. For me, this book was way too much "telling" with very uninspired prose and cringe-worthy dialogue. At one point, I thought to myself that all of the scene descriptors, all of the retellings of past events, felt like a transcription of notes the author had taken straight from an outline, without being put in a character's voice, or told from the character's perspective. I just kept thinking, "This wouldn't be as bad if it was just tweaked a bit." It's really frustrating to see glimpses of something you'd like, but not having it be quite delivered.
All that is to say that when I rate this with 2 stars, it is really to rate it as "It was ok." This isn't something I'll reread. It won't leave a lasting impression in a good way for me. But I didn't DNF it, and I didn't walk away hating it. Probably because there were things about it that make me want to (cautiously) continue reading the series; glimpses of characters and stories I'd like to revisit, with the hope that the writing will only get better.
As the rating shows, many readers aren't as bothered by any of the things that didn't work for me, so take my review with a grain of salt. If the current trend of contemporary romance is all you're looking for, your needs will be met with this book.
Thank you to the author for providing this book in a giveaway in exchange for an honest opinion.
February 13, 2020
Duncan the Lucky Irishman
I did enjoy this book. Its part mystery, thriller, family saga, and romance. I like the main characters Duncan and Kayla. But to me the climax seemed to drag along a bit. Id have liked to see more intense action. Check it out for a good read.
I did enjoy this book. Its part mystery, thriller, family saga, and romance. I like the main characters Duncan and Kayla. But to me the climax seemed to drag along a bit. Id have liked to see more intense action. Check it out for a good read.
February 23, 2022
4 stars
This was a quick read for me. It was sweet with a little mystery and a lot of introduction to the family who, I assume, will be featured in the rest of the series. I thought Duncan was sweet and funny. His lighthearted nature was definitely what Kayla needed. Kayla was sweet with a little spunk and a little baggage.
Although the story was sweet, it seemed like it was a little rushed, but I’m looking forward to the rest of the series!
This was a quick read for me. It was sweet with a little mystery and a lot of introduction to the family who, I assume, will be featured in the rest of the series. I thought Duncan was sweet and funny. His lighthearted nature was definitely what Kayla needed. Kayla was sweet with a little spunk and a little baggage.
Although the story was sweet, it seemed like it was a little rushed, but I’m looking forward to the rest of the series!
February 12, 2020
Mmmmmmmm yummy!!
Duncan and Kayla was such a great read I highly enjoyed their chemistry and loved their story!! I can’t wait to read more in the upcoming books!!
Duncan and Kayla was such a great read I highly enjoyed their chemistry and loved their story!! I can’t wait to read more in the upcoming books!!
September 13, 2019
Duncan is the start of The Lucky Irish Series, and seriously, who doesn't love the Irish?! Oh, I so love me some Irish Luck, and this story is about 3 Irish families & their love lives! Okay, let me get on with it. This is the story of the good girl, Kayla, who shocks the hell out of her family when she packs up everything, and leaves her family, home, and work after a horrible night that wrecks her. So Kayla ends up in Austin, Texas, working for Duncan's older brother, and even though she's seriously attracted to the former MMA fighter, she's not going there. However, she didn't count on Duncan pursuing her, as they had some serious chemistry, but still, she's not going to get distracted by his super sexy self. Now, you already know that there's going to be push & pull at this, because for the first time, Duncan wants to pursue something permanent with a girl, but he's also having to go at it hard since Kayla is super gun shy. I wanted them together badly, but after knowing what Kayla went through, if it was too easy, it wouldn't have any realistic feel to it at all, and even so, I still felt like some things kind of got rushed at times. There's a great cast of secondaries who kept me entertained quite a bit as they brought the humor that was needed to give break from the heavier times. I'm very impressed with Anna Castor's debut, and frankly, I cannot wait to see what the next sexy Irishman, Donovan's story has in store, so I HIGHLY RECOMMEND TO ALL!
September 28, 2019
Rating: 4.5*
This series has started with a bang and I loved it. I felt so at home with all the characters as though I had known them a long time. The characters are each unique and bring their own brand of quirkiness and fun to the book. I am going to enjoy returning to these families time and time again.
Kayla is a fighter. She has survived a brutal attack, given up her job and moved far away from her family to protect them. Her determination in getting a job and the confidence she exuded, along with her take no nonsense approach to her new boss made me what me want to cheer for her! She has some guts and wins the respect of Donovan, her new boss. If only she can forget the sexy guy from the elevator who also received her own brand of sassy. Unfortunately, or fortunately, she can't as Duncan is her new boss' brother.
It is instant attraction for Duncan and he wants Kayla - she is it for him. The former MMA fighter doesn't have give up in his vocabulary and shows just what an amazing guy he is with his charm, protective nature, the confidence he gives her and the way he cherishes her. *Sigh*
This was certainly lots of fun but with a serious element to it which was dealt with in a sensitive way. I fell in love with these characters instantly as they have a charm about them as well as a strength. Looking forward to Donovan's story already!
***Reviewed for LBM Book Blog***
This series has started with a bang and I loved it. I felt so at home with all the characters as though I had known them a long time. The characters are each unique and bring their own brand of quirkiness and fun to the book. I am going to enjoy returning to these families time and time again.
Kayla is a fighter. She has survived a brutal attack, given up her job and moved far away from her family to protect them. Her determination in getting a job and the confidence she exuded, along with her take no nonsense approach to her new boss made me what me want to cheer for her! She has some guts and wins the respect of Donovan, her new boss. If only she can forget the sexy guy from the elevator who also received her own brand of sassy. Unfortunately, or fortunately, she can't as Duncan is her new boss' brother.
It is instant attraction for Duncan and he wants Kayla - she is it for him. The former MMA fighter doesn't have give up in his vocabulary and shows just what an amazing guy he is with his charm, protective nature, the confidence he gives her and the way he cherishes her. *Sigh*
This was certainly lots of fun but with a serious element to it which was dealt with in a sensitive way. I fell in love with these characters instantly as they have a charm about them as well as a strength. Looking forward to Donovan's story already!
***Reviewed for LBM Book Blog***
July 5, 2022
Loved this book. A great big Irish family, lots of love, sibling fighting. Duncan falls at first glance for Kayla. He is an ex MMA fighter with a heart of gold, she is sassy and afraid while be on the run. Book moves quickly and is part ofa series but can be read as a standalone.
January 9, 2020
3.0 Stars! I rec'd a digital Kindle copy through a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review. Not a whole lot of complaints about this one, but also not a whole lot to brag about, it was just predictable. I do however think this story needed to slow it's roll a bit. Everything just happened way too fast and since it was only 176 pages there was definite room for lengthening and more story developing. Duncan and Kayla were a hot insta-love couple which is quite common in these reads, but there was a paragraph that said Duncan was coming by the office every day to see his "brother" (I mean see Kayla), and then they were in love the next chapter. Why not write a little about the courtship there, it would of made there relationship more believable. The story itself was okay just underdeveloped compared to other Romances I have enjoyed. Easy and quick read though, left very open to a multitude of books featuring and abundance of brothers and sisters between the couple.
October 30, 2019
This was a quick, enjoyable read, very light (although there's some definite heavy stuff that happens). I'm giving it 3 stars: not fabulous, not bad. Based on what happens in this book, I can predict the pairings-off of other characters in further books in this series, and it seems just too neat. I doubt I'll pick up the rest of the series because of this.
I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway and I'm giving my honest opinion in return.
I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway and I'm giving my honest opinion in return.
December 28, 2019
This is a new author to me
I won a copy of this book from Goodreads giveaways and was required to give a favorable review. This story touches on a few things that I thought were well written about. Kayla fled from her hometown and very protective Iris family and ended up in Austin working for a PI. Duncan is Kayla's board brother and an ex MMS fighter. But she still has a stalker out there.
I won a copy of this book from Goodreads giveaways and was required to give a favorable review. This story touches on a few things that I thought were well written about. Kayla fled from her hometown and very protective Iris family and ended up in Austin working for a PI. Duncan is Kayla's board brother and an ex MMS fighter. But she still has a stalker out there.
September 12, 2019
Not bad
Not a bad read, 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. It was entertaining and the romance was hot, though not entirely believable. The characters maybe could've used a little more detail/depth to them. Still, I generally enjoyed this one.
I won this book in a giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
Not a bad read, 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. It was entertaining and the romance was hot, though not entirely believable. The characters maybe could've used a little more detail/depth to them. Still, I generally enjoyed this one.
I won this book in a giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews