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malin12ccf's review
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Nowhere Book Bingo: A book with a BIPOC author and main character
CBR16 Sweet Books: Cozy
In very short order, Antonia Harper has lost her job and discovered that her fiancée was cheating on her, very shortly before the wedding. The honeymoon was supposed to be in Ireland, and Antonia decides to travel there by herself. Her spiteful ex has cancelled their original reservations, but she rents a cottage to stay in instead. With nothing else to distract her, Antonia decides to make a stab at writing more of the romance novel she's been dreaming of completing (but never had time for, what with her busy job as an editor and trying to plan a wedding). She isn't exactly happy with men in general at present, but the handsome professor in the cottage next door is making her reconsider her wish to be alone.
Aidan Byrnes is a literature professor who is finding his job difficult at the moment. He's rented a cottage in the little town of Tully Cross to get some peace and quiet and to finally have the time and focus to complete an important academic paper. He first runs into Antonia in the tiny supermarket nearby and is both surprised and delighted to discover that she is staying in the cottage next to his. Still slightly weary of romantic entanglements after his girlfriend dumped him a year previous, Aiden nevertheless can't stop thinking about Antonia, who he discovers is not only gorgeous but clever, educated, and funny as well.
What starts out as a bit of a holiday fling begins to turn serious pretty quickly. Neither Antonia nor Aidan were expecting to meet anyone, let alone start falling for them in the sleepy village of Tully Cross. Yet Aiden has a job at an Irish university, and Antonia's life is back in America. Can their fledgling romance turn into something more permanent, with an entire ocean between them?
This is my first novel by Charish Reid and it was fun, but not exactly a perfect read. I really liked Antonia and Aiden as characters, both apart and together. Both are hard-working and devoted to their jobs (but obviously Antonia is unemployed for much of the book since she loses her job early on). Antonia is also very close to her family, especially her sister, which made it difficult when they clearly weren't enthusiastic about her upcoming wedding. I would love to read a sequel novel about her sister.
The majority of the book is set in Ireland, and while I'm sure Irish villages are very quaint and welcoming, it seems like a slightly exaggerated ideal of the place. No one is unpleasant, racist, or rude. I understand that those aren't exactly things that you would want in a fluffy escapist romance, but from my experience, not all small-town folk anywhere are open-minded and whole-heartedly welcoming to any strangers, certainly not those with darker skin colours.
This was a quick breezy read, and I liked it a lot. There were a few things that annoyed me a bit, but nothing serious enough for me not to want to read more of her books. Firstly, Antonia is obviously using her vacation in Ireland to work on her romance novel. At one point, Aiden uses her computer and can't help himself from reading what she's written. Considering how unsure she is of her writing and how personal a book manuscript can be, this felt like he was reading her journal. When she eventually discovers what he's done, she seems to forgive him very quickly. Antonia also seems able to relocate her entire life to Ireland on very little notice, to be with a guy whom she's known for less than two weeks. Good to know that it's that easy to make a major life change when you finally meet the hot guy you decide is Mr. Right.
Judging a book by its cover: I really like the visible joy on the faces of both of the cover models here. This is exactly the sort of novel that would have a jewel-toned cover with cute cartoony characters on it now, and I'm not sure that trend is as great as publishers think it is.
amlibera's review
3.0
Probably more like 3.5 stars -I really wanted to like this. "Escape from the city and a bad boyfriend, go to Ireland and write and find the perfect Irish man" is one of my favorite tropes. I enjoyed the characters and especially the specifics of Antonia's life in Chicago and the small-town life in Ireland.
But I kept putting it down and I can't quite say why exactly. The behavior at the end of the novel (from all of the characters) didn't ring quite true to me but I can't put my finger on what it was that didn't make it work for me. Still recommend, though.
But I kept putting it down and I can't quite say why exactly. The behavior at the end of the novel (from all of the characters) didn't ring quite true to me but I can't put my finger on what it was that didn't make it work for me. Still recommend, though.
judyapneeb's review against another edition
4.0
Cute story. The writing was engaging and the plot was fun. Was perfect to read on a busy weekend. I'm excited to see what the author does next.
cassandra67b07's review against another edition
4.0
Lovely romance and the Irish setting always gets me. Looking forward to more from this author. 4.5 stars!
arkwen452's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
The Wright Escape was an easy read for anyone who is interested in a romance book that centers on two unlikely people connecting with each other in a small town off the coast of Ireland.
Antonia is trying to recover from heartbreak and a breakdown after losing her job, and discovering her fiancé has been cheating on her. so in an effort to use the expected honeymoon destination, she travels to Ireland to focus on the novel. She's been trying to write for the past few years and then we have Aiden a near 10 year Irish literature professor who is still trying to find himself. Constantly consumed with , the loss of his last relationship and the disappearance of his father, Aiden, surprised to find new inspiration, hope and joy when he needs Antonia.
I have listened to the narrator of this audiobook on several different occasions, and they were OK for those other books, but for this book, I did not enjoy their attempts at an Irish accent.
I just did not feel it was the right fit for the audiobook and that made it less enjoyable for me. Likewise, I found it annoying that Aiden and Antonia found so many agreeable things to talk about in terms of literature, and historical or cultural connections he was just too , much of a guy from page one, and while I understand the physical attraction between the two for them to be together about a week and fall madly in love each other in this little Irish village bubble, that they were in it, pulled me out of the story.
If their relationship had developed and they agreed to do Long-distance dating for moving in with each other like they did the end I would've enjoyed this book more. More over, while Antonia gained confidence in herself as a writer, and Aiden was able to accept himself for who he was, and gain confidence in his own way for standing up and being there for Antonia being the man that she deserved, I still felt like Antonia was giving up herself , or putting all of who she was in this new relationship with Aiden. Because she immediately dropped her life in Chicago and moved her stuff to his place to live with him while they were still newly dating.
Yes, she did not want to go back to the publishing Position she had in Chicago but it seemed like she was leaving more behind just to be with Aiden, like her family, and the potential to seek other opportunities, while in the states and work on her book.
Antonia is trying to recover from heartbreak and a breakdown after losing her job, and discovering her fiancé has been cheating on her. so in an effort to use the expected honeymoon destination, she travels to Ireland to focus on the novel. She's been trying to write for the past few years and then we have Aiden a near 10 year Irish literature professor who is still trying to find himself. Constantly consumed with , the loss of his last relationship and the disappearance of his father, Aiden, surprised to find new inspiration, hope and joy when he needs Antonia.
I have listened to the narrator of this audiobook on several different occasions, and they were OK for those other books, but for this book, I did not enjoy their attempts at an Irish accent.
I just did not feel it was the right fit for the audiobook and that made it less enjoyable for me. Likewise, I found it annoying that Aiden and Antonia found so many agreeable things to talk about in terms of literature, and historical or cultural connections he was just too , much of a guy from page one, and while I understand the physical attraction between the two for them to be together about a week and fall madly in love each other in this little Irish village bubble, that they were in it, pulled me out of the story.
If their relationship had developed and they agreed to do Long-distance dating for moving in with each other like they did the end I would've enjoyed this book more. More over, while Antonia gained confidence in herself as a writer, and Aiden was able to accept himself for who he was, and gain confidence in his own way for standing up and being there for Antonia being the man that she deserved, I still felt like Antonia was giving up herself , or putting all of who she was in this new relationship with Aiden. Because she immediately dropped her life in Chicago and moved her stuff to his place to live with him while they were still newly dating.
Yes, she did not want to go back to the publishing Position she had in Chicago but it seemed like she was leaving more behind just to be with Aiden, like her family, and the potential to seek other opportunities, while in the states and work on her book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Body shaming and Toxic relationship
deegee123's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
zlibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
Antonia flees betrayal & the abrupt loss of the job where she was neither appreciated nor given full credit for her work by taking her previously planned honeymoon trip to Ireland alone. She is shaken up but not broken, and open to change and new love. Aiden, the author’s delectable hero, is a gift to readers: a lanky, endearingly earnest university professor with a wry sense of humor, a few rough edges, and an egalitarian kindness. He’s just as passionate about having a life of the mind as he is about smart women, as the lucky heroine discovers after they realize they have booked adjoining cottages. Family conflict and personal growth for both characters make this novel well-rounded and satisfying. The relationship between Antonia, her ex-fiance, and her mother-in-law effectively depicts class struggle and snobbery through behavior and dialogue with realistic subtlety. There’s humor, quiet non-sexual companionship between people who respect each other, an appealing depiction of small town Irish life, and an intelligent heroine who is allowed, realistically, to be vulnerable. Reid describes the simmering attraction between Antonia and Aiden well. Yes, there are love scenes! The heat level is moderate, but the characters’ previous honesty and gentleness with each other gives the love scenes power. If I owned a print edition of this book, I’d happily describe it as a ‘keeper’; it’s fun to spend time with these characters in their well-paced story. Charish Reid is a talented author, definitely one to watch.
agrandromance's review against another edition
5.0
Swoon-worthy romance set in Ireland
I absolutely loved this sweet and spicy romance. Antonia goes on her honeymoon alone after breaking up with her fiance. She finds companionship in Irish literature professor Aiden. But should she stay or return to Chicago? I only wish I had read this sooner. So good!
I absolutely loved this sweet and spicy romance. Antonia goes on her honeymoon alone after breaking up with her fiance. She finds companionship in Irish literature professor Aiden. But should she stay or return to Chicago? I only wish I had read this sooner. So good!