Bookish Thoughts: The Irish Matchmaker

 

Isn't this cover gorgeous?  My 2 year-old saw it and in her little toddler voice said "mommy, it's soooo pretty!"

Description:

As daughter of a well-known matchmaker, Catríona Daly is no stranger to the business of love--and sees it as her ticket away from the sleepy village that only comes alive during the annual matchmaking festival. Enter Lord Osborne's son, Andrew, who has returned to the festival after being disappointed by a rival matchmaker's failed setup. Catríona seizes the opportunity to make a better match for the handsome man--and for herself!

Cattle farmer Donal Bunratty is in desperate need of a wife after loss left him to handle the farm and raise his daughter on his own. Shy and lacking the finer social graces, he agrees to attend the matchmaking festival to appease his daughter. But when he arrives, it's not any of the other merrymakers that catch his eye but rather his matchmaker--who clearly has eyes for someone else.

Catríona will have to put all her expertise to work to make a match that could change her life forever. Will her plan succeed? Or will love have its own way?

About the Author:

Jennifer Deibel is the author of A Dance in Donegal (winner of the Kipp Award for Historical Romance), The Lady of Galway Manor, and The Maid of Ballymacool. Her work has appeared on (in)courage, on The Better Mom, in Missions Mosaic magazine, and in other publications. With firsthand immersive experience abroad, Jennifer writes stories that help redefine home through the lens of culture, history, and family. After nearly a decade of living in Ireland and Austria, she now lives in Arizona with her husband and their three children. You can find her online at www.JenniferDeibel.com

My Thoughts:

I’ve been trying to think of what I would say about this book, if I was sitting down for tea/coffee with a friend and telling them about my most recent read.  I so enjoyed my visit to Ireland with Catriona, Donal, and Sara!  Ms. Deibel does such a stellar job of bringing this beautiful country to life, with vibrant descriptions, authentic (if not “proper”) language, and engaging characters.  

I got excited when I opened the book and before the first chapter was a “glossary of terms” (yes, I’m one of those people), with pronunciations and definitions of many words that were foreign to my American eyes. This novel is the third of Ms. Deibel’s that I’ve had the pleasure of reading, and one of my very favorite things about her books is how she writes the descriptions and dialogue.  I can almost hear the brogue!  It’s delightful! I was also quite intrigued by the idea of a matchmaking festival.  It just sounds both fun and a little crazy.  I think Donal would probably agree with at least the second part of my observation. 

I have to confess, I didn’t like Catriona very much, in the beginning.  But as the story progressed, I began to like her better and better. There was one part where I really wanted her friend, Maeve, to give her a good shake.  But then I wanted to cheer when she finally made the better choice.

My only mildly negative comment is that I would have enjoyed it if there had been more page time dedicated to Catriona’s change of heart, though I did appreciate seeing how Donal’s character changed and grew throughout the book.  And the ending was just right.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would happily recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction!

*My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book!  I was not required to write a positive review and have not been compensated for it in any way.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Welcome back to the blog, my friends! First post of 2024! And . . . yeah, I know it's March. I was planning to post the usual "favorite books of the year" and "most anticipated books" lists. I even had the lists all made in the notes app on my phone . . . obviously, that didn't happen. I had a 5 week-old baby at the time and decided I had enough to keep up with, managing the holidays with 2 toddlers and a new baby. But I'm excited to be back! I have some thoughts for some different posts and one of my very favorite authors (Roseanna M White!) has a new book releasing in a week or so, which means there will definitely be a post about that. Until then, purchase links are below and I bid you a cheery "have a ducky day!"

Amazon

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Goodreads