Irish Meadows

GIVEAWAY

MASON, SUSAN ANNE
IRISH MEADOWS

Irish immigrant James O’Leary has spent his life building Irish Meadows into a thriving horse farm and is not about to let hard economic times threaten its success. He intends for his daughters to marry prosperous men–ones who will secure the family’s rightful place in society, and at the same time, guarantee the future of Irish Meadows. Both girls, however, have different visions for their futures.

Brianna and Colleen O’Leary know their father expects them to marry well. Yet despite his wishes, Brianna, the quieter sister, dreams of attending college. Vivacious Colleen, meanwhile, is happy to marry–as long as her father’s choice meets her exacting standards. When stable hand Gilbert Whelan returns from college and distant family member Rylan Montgomery stops in on his way to the seminary in Boston, the two men quickly complicate everyone’s plans. It will take every ounce of courage for both sisters to follow their hearts. And even if they do, will they inevitably find their dreams too distant to reach?  

My Review:

Double the romance doubles the reading pleasure.

Brianna and Colleen are as different as night and day and I will readily admit to bonding with Brianna way before Colleen started to chip away at my reserve. Colleen is...challenging...at the beginning of the this story...and quite awhile thereafter. In short, she made my blood boil. But Mason weaves her magic and Colleen's storyline becomes a beautiful testimony of the power of redemption.

And the heroes? Be still my heart. In a word: swoonworthy. But both have to battle internal demons before they can come to grips with their pasts. Gilbert is near perfection -- noble, trustworthy, a man of integrity...except when he isn't. LOL Mason has created a flawed hero who struggles with misplaced loyalty. And Rylan is a delightful surprise. I adored his wit and ability to find joy in everyday things. And his first meet with prickly ol' Colleen is sweet perfection. There's plenty of scope for the imagination when it comes to these captivating heroes.

As we all know, the course of true love never runs straight and in the case of the O'Leary sisters it's a big old curvy, tangled mess. Which makes for a blissfully emotional read. I'm still feeling kind of gutted now that it's over. The kind of read you want to gallop through because it's that good, but you also don't want to reach the end because...well...it's that good.

Fans of Julie Lessman will find a lot to love about Susan Anne Mason's first book in the Courage to Dream series. Highly recommended.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Irish Meadows please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday July 12 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!