Rating: 4 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
Kane Taylor has never fully come home from the military. He is scarred, both physically and emotionally, he watched the man he loved die, and the last four years have been incredibly difficult for him. Kane finally gets the courage to fly to Ireland to his partner’s hometown to put some things to rest, but it doesn’t seem like Kane himself will ever be able to fully rest.
Declan McCafferty loves everything about living in Ireland. He owns a successful pub that has been in his family for generations and he has plenty of hookups to choose from. After Declan had his heart broken years ago, he decided that love wasn’t for him and casual is all he’s interested in. That is until he sees a lonely and distraught man sitting in his pub staring into a Guinness. Kane isn’t sure he’s ready to move on and Declan isn’t sure how to have a relationship, but the attraction between them is intense and their connection runs deeper than either expected. Kane may have found everything he needs for his future as he tries to reconcile the past.
Irish Charm continues C.F. White’s Flying Into Love series about men flying to different locations to meet their forever love. The title here is appropriate as well, as the town Declan lives in does have its charm and so does Declan. This book ties in slightly to White’s London Lies series, as Fletcher from that series was Declan’s childhood best friend and first love and we get to catch up with him briefly years after the end of that series.
Kane is in a world of pain after events in the military. It has taken him years to come to Ireland to visit the grave of his partner and he has PTSD and blames himself for everything. He’s terrified to take these steps, but just getting himself to Ireland is difficult. Declan never intends to leave Ireland, as he has everything he needs there and he loves his home. The men are older,with Kane at 52 and Declan in his 40s, but their age isn’t really a factor in their story. The men first interact when Declan is in a volatile situation and there is forced proximity and hurt/comfort aspects to be found here as well.
The men have a connection that Kane is aware of, but he never expected to fall for Declan and Declan never expected to find anyone he wanted to share his life with. It’s a slow slide for these men to get together, but the tension and desire is there from the start. There are a few plotlines going on at once and the pace was a little too slow for me in some areas. Kane’s mission in the military is teased out for too long and then I felt I never had a clear picture of it and then I didn’t feel his PTSD was fully dealt with to minimize his trauma. Declan references trauma he experienced 20 years ago more than once, but that story is never fully developed and if it was a reference to the London Lies series, I don’t remember those details and this book shouldn’t have relied on that if that is in fact the case.
I liked the setting with the men both being in Ireland and the vibe of Declan’s family pub. This series does not need to be read in order and you can pick this one up to visit with Declan and Kane in Ireland as they find the love they never expected with each other.
