Rating: 3.5 stars
Buy Links: Amazon | All Romance
Length: Novella
When Quinn Donovan arrives in Ireland he has three goals – look into some new horses for his father, tour and discover the land of his ancestors, and forget about his closeted ex-boyfriend. The first two are easier than the last. Meeting Cian O’Reilly was not on Quinn’s to do list, especially after Cian accused Quinn of being homophobic, but there is something about Cian that Quinn wants more of.
Horse breeder Cian made a mistake the first time he saw Quinn Donovan. This time he’s determined to start over. When Quinn mentions that he is travelling to another farm to check out some more horses, Cian’s grandfather offers to send Cian as Quinn’s tour guide.
Traversing the beautiful countryside is amazing in itself, but to have the man of his dreams beside him is even better. The more time Quinn spends with Cian, the stronger his attraction grows. Cian wants nothing more than to heal the hurts of Quinn’s past, but he also knows that Quinn will be leaving eventually and Cian doesn’t do one-night stands. When Cian enters a relationship, he puts his whole heart into it.
Regardless of their hesitation, the relationship between Quinn and Cian grows exponentially in a matter of days. Cian helps Quinn heal and grow in ways he never knew possible. Quinn makes Cian want and dream for things he knows are not possible. But no matter what, the end of their brief love affair looms over them as they prepare themselves for the hurt of goodbye, possibly forever.
First, I have to say that I have an obsession with all things Ireland – the country, the food, the pubs, the ale, and the sexy accent (yum!) So when this book was presented to me it was kind of a given that I wanted to read it. Now, looking first at this book in a purely geographical, historical, touristy stand point, it did not disappoint. I could hear the accent spoken by the many Irish characters as I was reading. I could picture the beautiful countryside, the quaint historical towns, and the exciting musical festivals. I could hear the Gaelic music; almost smell the food at the pub. The physical description was, in a word, beautiful.
Okay that said, this story is more than the country Ireland, but that’s where my disappointment starts. The two main characters, Quinn and Cian, are so very one dimensional. They have so much in common. Take away Quinn’s insecurity and they’d almost be the same person. I would have liked more variety in their backgrounds. I also would have liked a little conflict. Quinn and Cian’s story was too easy. They meet. They fall in love. They are forced to go their separate ways. The mention of Quinn’s ex-boyfriend made me hope for some sort of conflict in the story, but sadly there was not. Unfortunately, it made for a pretty bland, almost boring, but very predictable story. I say almost boring because there were a couple parts that were rather good, but there weren’t enough of those parts.
Another problem I had was with the quick POV changes. At first the separation of the character’s POVs was clear, but as the story progressed the POVs randomly changed back and forth without any physical separation in the writing. It was a confusing and frustrating distraction.
What saved the story, besides the beautiful setting descriptions, was the epilogue. After the predictable final chapter, a glimpse into the future helped this story end on a high note. It was a wonderfully believable ever after.
So, in the end, Luck of the Irish was simply okay. The characters could have been better. The story could have been better. The editing could have been better. On the upside, it made me want to visit Ireland again, and the epilogue left me smiling. I had higher hopes for this one, and like I said it was okay, but it won’t be one that I plan on reading again.
Cover: What first attracted me to this book was the wonderful cover by Brian R. Williams that focuses on the Irish countryside and the ancient castle. Yes, the models are gorgeous, as they should be, but the setting captured my attention first and foremost drawing me to this book. Well done.
