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janbooks's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fun read. Though it was a typical summer beach book, I thought it had more plot line than a lot of others, and found myself liking the characters. Will read more in this series.
fieldsnack's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I'm a sucker for the Woman Starting Over trope, so this was a naturally delightful read for me. I loved the small town Irish setting, and the pacing kept the story moving along steadily. It served as a great escape and had a little bit of everything - some WWII history, family drama, and romance.
My main issue was that this book has much less conflict than I typically like to read. Everything seemed to work out swimmingly for our main character. Her teenaged daughter is totally fine with uprooting their lives and moving across the country. Her husband dies, and she happens to have a secret house in her name. Her new neighbor just so happens to be handsome. People offer her jobs without any hesitation. We are constantly reminded of the main character's extravagant past life, but she shows very little resistance to a new life. It felt very much like a fantastical, low stakes story, and it felt less satisfying to witness this journey since any struggles along the way were quickly resolved.
I listened to the audiobook and overall liked it, although the love interest has a Boston accent and that was rough. Hearing the narrator do that accent really took me out of the story.
For me, the standout was the setting. I loved getting to be in Ireland for this story and the imagery was excellent. While I didn't love this book, I did like it and would pick up other works from the author!
My main issue was that this book has much less conflict than I typically like to read. Everything seemed to work out swimmingly for our main character. Her teenaged daughter is totally fine with uprooting their lives and moving across the country. Her husband dies, and she happens to have a secret house in her name. Her new neighbor just so happens to be handsome. People offer her jobs without any hesitation. We are constantly reminded of the main character's extravagant past life, but she shows very little resistance to a new life. It felt very much like a fantastical, low stakes story, and it felt less satisfying to witness this journey since any struggles along the way were quickly resolved.
I listened to the audiobook and overall liked it, although the love interest has a Boston accent and that was rough. Hearing the narrator do that accent really took me out of the story.
For me, the standout was the setting. I loved getting to be in Ireland for this story and the imagery was excellent. While I didn't love this book, I did like it and would pick up other works from the author!
ruble62's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
chillsdon's review
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
luanne64's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
jaelh's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
The theory here is good. The execution is flat. The main character showed so little emotion. I felt no chemistry between her and Jason. Her affect was flat with regards to the major life upheavals she has just gone through. The plot sounds good on paper, but the story wasn’t really fleshed out well.
spugh's review
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
jessiebwriting's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fun, relaxing read. I find that I'm enjoying reading books that focus on parent-child relationships more often lately as well as romances that involve older couples. I also love reading books set in Ireland and learning about places I'd love to see. This story was heartwarming and definitely a page-turner. A great story for relaxing around the house on the weekend, drinking a nice cup of tea.