This is book 2 in the series of Dr. Laverty, a physician in a quaint, charming Irish village. After being threatened with a reputation-damaging lawsuit, the main character is forced to apprentice under a senior doctor.

I really enjoy this series and the inhabitants of the village. Looking forward to reading more!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forge Books for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review. The Irish Country series is one of my absolute favorites and I always look forward to every year when one is released. I an part Irish and obsessed with anything Irish. Patrick Taylor is an amazing storyteller and I honestly feel like I know all the characters in these books. I highly suggest checking this series out if you haven't.

Liked the description of this one, and decided to give it a try. First attempt by this author. And although not a bad book by any means I did find myself having to reread sections to keep track of who was who and felt a bit overwhelmed at times. Might just be me. Not a bad book and would recommend if you know and like this author.

I wasn’t able to read this one as I have not been able to download a copy. As I was bot able to read the book, I will still give it a five star review because it was not the author’s fault.

This is the first book in the long running series I have read and I was sadly disappointed. There was much gloom and the presence of the Troubles was a disconcerting surprise. I felt a bit lost with the many characters and think I would have been better served starting at the beginning of the series. I've been assured both by the author's forward piece and a friend that this book is atypical of the series and that I'll find the peaceful, bucolic story I was expecting in earlier volumes. I plan to give the author another try, this time starting with the first one.

My thanks to NetGallery, the publisher and the author for this copy to read and review.

The latest in the author’s delightful Irish Country series sings gloriously to this reader who is proudly one-quarter Celtic! The trials and tribulations in this quaint village of Ballybucklebo in 1967 capture the heart and provide happy hours away from one’s own challenges. 5/5 stars

Pub Date 16 Oct 2018   

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

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I so enjoyed this book. I loved the village and the people who live there. The storyline held my interest. I appreciated the historical background about the conflicts in 1967 and felt like the author’s perspective was handled well. This was the first book I’ve read in this series, but I’ll be keeping up with it from now on, and will be going back to read books I missed in the series.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

The year is coming to an end and the characters in this Irish village are facing tumult on several sides.

A fire in a cottage has put a family out of their home and the inhabitants of this village from the manor to the humble thatcher come forward to give their support in getting the family on its feet.

Then we have the strong division between the Protestant and Catholic faith. Not just division, but feelings of no common ground, very much understood by me as we face these divisions on a daily basis here.

Intermingled with the stories of just everyday life of doctors in a rural practice are the above underlying tensions. Add to this the subject of infertility, discussed in depth here and how it eats into a couple's otherwise blissful life and how it can erode a relationship so badly that only strength of will and character are enough to face this heart breaking issue head on.

So many subjects were discussed in such great detail, especially the religious divide and the brutality and viciousness of its hatred in Ireland that it was an eye opener for me in any case. On top of that the fertility issue, coupled with great discussions on the forbidden subject of contraception in a Catholic region for me was the best part of the book, over riding the actual story that was the book.

Beautifully written, very simplistic in its style, very evocative this was a great read.

I requested this because I thought that it would be like "Ballykissangel". It probably is, but the story about one couple wanting children and the other couple having too many just didn't interest me.



I will try the others in the series.



I received this free ebook from Net Galley in return for an honest review

This is a continuation of the Irish Country series by Patrick Taylor. As in the previous books, Taylor provides his readers with the feel of living in Ireland. Each of the characters are well developed as well as the setting. The movement of the plot is smooth and easy process of reading. Having read all the previous books in this series, I anticipate the release of the next one.

Title: An Irish Country Cottage
Author: Patrick Taylor
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5

Ballybucklebo is an Irish village in the countryside. Christmas is barely over when a fire destroys the cottage of Donal Donnally, but the family escapes unharmed. Now the village will have to rally around the family if they are to get back up on their feet. But at least the family—including the three young daughters and the dog—have each other.

Family is everywhere in Ballybucklebo.

Young Doctor Laverty and his wife, Sue, would love to start their own family, but haven’t been so blessed yet, so they turn to modern medicine in their search for a solution. Doctor O’Reilly must be very careful as he advises a married patient on how to avoid another dangerous pregnancy—the church frowns on such things.

This is the second book in this series I’ve read, and, granted, I love to read anything (well, within reason) set in Ireland, but this series is so peaceful. Set in the mid-1900s, it’s a genuinely different world—and one that seems so much better than our world now. An engrossing, quiet novel, full of vivid characters in a setting I’d love to visit.

Patrick Taylor was born in Northern Ireland and now lives in British Columbia. An Irish Country Cottage is his newest novel.

(Galley provided by Macmillan-Tor/Forge in exchange for an honest review.)

In the newest in Taylor's delightful series in this novel the charm of Ballybucklebo is laced with the events of the world around them as well as concerns closer to home. The old year ends with a cottage going up in flames, leaving the family homeless & with nothing but their nightclothes. Of course the community pitches in to help.

But the new year also marks the beginning of sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland, conflict that raises questions in the minds of many in the village because there, as in so many other places in the country Catholics and Protestants work & live together happily.

Because it's the late 1960's other issues impact the lives of the women in the town.

What I've about Taylor's books is that he captures the atmosphere of Ballybucklebo and its inhabitants so well. But here he does something more, he treats difficult subjects with warmth and understanding. It promises much for future novels in the series.

It's been a while since I visited the little village of Ballybucklebo in the North of Ireland and I very much enjoyed catching up again with it's Doctors and villagers. Even though I've only read the first few books in this series it was like meeting up with old much loved friends.

It's now 1969 and life is getting difficult for the residents with sectarian violence starting to rear it's ugly head again. The villagers don't understand why everyone can't just get along and when fire destroys the cottage of Donal Donnelly the village shows it's true community spirit with everyone, Catholic and Protestant, pitching in to help the family with temporary housing and rebuilding.

Life also goes on as usual for the resident doctors, Fingal O'Reilly, his young partner Barry Laverty and their first female trainee doctor Emer McCarthy. They deal with some difficult cases and struggle with helping their patients avoid dangerous or unwanted pregnancies as the contraceptive pill becomes more available but not accepted by the Catholic Church. Dr Laverty is struggling with his own fertility issues as he and his wife Sue seek help with their failure to become parents. It's always interesting to read medical stories from 50 years ago to appreciate how much medicine has advanced in that time, as well as how much is still not known. Patrick Taylor (himself a former Irish country doctor) has a talent for telling warm-hearted stories filled with wonderful characters and infused with humanity.

Doctor Barry Laverty and his wife Sue were driving home after an evening out when he had to pull over to allow the emergency services vehicles to pass. Dreading they’d find their own home engulfed, they were shocked to see good friends Donal Donnelly’s small, thatched cottage a raging inferno. The immediate worry was the safely of Donal, his wife Julie and their three children. Their dog had warned them, and although singed, they were all safe and well, including the dog.

As the community of Ballybucklebo rallied to help the Donnelly’s, Doctor O’Reilly, Barry’s boss and mentor, as well as Barry, found their waiting rooms busy. The various illnesses in the depths of winter were the usual – but there were other, more concerning problems which both doctors had to find answers for. Adding to that was the unrest in Ulster, some of which Sue, Barry’s beloved wife, was connected to. His concern was valid – as were her feelings and passion for the cause.

With the new decade approaching, lives moved forward, answers were sought, found and discarded – but would the relative peace of Ballybucklebo remain? And would Doctors O’Reilly and Laverty continue to have the good regard of the townsfolk?

An Irish Country Cottage is the 13th in the Irish Country series by Patrick Taylor (of which I’ve only read #1) and I loved it! Laugh out loud funny in places, with the somber side of life, the hardship of the poor, the love and devotion of the married couples and the hard work of one and all – all blend to form a beautifully written and charming rendition of life in Ireland in the late 1960s. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

This was the first book I read in this series and it was wonderful.
I loved everything: from the style of writing to the way it talks about social and historical issues.
It was like living in a wonderful settings, with a great cast of characters.
Even if this is a series I'd no problems in understanding the characters and their relationships.
It was a sad moment when the book ended and I look forward to reading the next instalment.
I will surely read the previous books as I found this one fantastic.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Macmillan-Tor and Netgalley for this ARC

1969 is off to a rough start in the Small Irish village of Ballbucklebo. A fire has destroyed the house and belongings of Donal Donnally and his family. Doctor Fingal O'Reilly and Dr. Barry Laverty and the rest of the people in the village do whatever it takes to help the family, but the doctors are dealing with other issues as well. Dr. O'Reilly has a patient who needs sound advice on contraception and Barry and his wife are seeking advice from a fertility expert. However, it's the growing violence of civil rights protesters that have Barry and the rest of the village worried for the future.

I have read several, but not all of the books in this series. Although some storylines regarding the personal lives of the doctors continue from book to book, I have read several books out of order and think the book can be enjoyed to readers new to the series. The best part of this book and the entire series is the portrayal of life in a small village in Northern Ireland. Things aren't perfect and people face serious problems, but everyone in the village helps each other out in times of need.

I also enjoy the great example Dr. O'Reilly sets for his onetime assistant, now partner, Barry. Barry has grown a lot from the first book and my favorite parts of this book and each of the books I've read in this series are those with the doctors with their patients. These doctors really care about their patients and it's touching to see the lengths they go to give them the best possible care they can.

All of the books include a bit of Irish history, but his installment was heavy on the civil rights issues, reproductive issues, and the Catholic church's stance on birth control. I learned a lot that wasn't covered in any history class I took, but it was sometimes hard to figure out what the main plot of the book was supposed to be. I enjoyed the forward by the author to set the story up and always enjoy the glossary of Northern Irish words included in the back. This series is charming and will appeal to fans of Maeve Binchy, Hazel Holt, or Alexander McCall Smith. There ending is a bit abrupt and leaves questions about Barry and Sue's personal life unresolved. Some of the charm of the prior books is lacking in this one and I can only rate it 3.5 stars. However, I'm still glad I read it and will probably check out the next one to find out what is in store for Barry and Sue.

I received this book from NetGalley, through the courtesy of Forge Books. The book was provide to me in exchange for an honest review.

I give An Irish Country Cottage by Patrick Taylor 4 stars. When I requested this book, I admit, I didn’t realize it was part of a series, but I feel like the author did a good job at introducing the characters, and describing the setting. I really enjoyed this book, from the cover, to the characters, and the Irish charm. I may even go through the series at some point. I also enjoyed the Irish history, the medical portions and thought that the conflict described from that time period is important to read about in current times. As a fair warning, there is some medical discussion of infertility and things that pertain to that, but I found it was tastefully handled for the most part.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In many ways, I can't write a fair review of this book. When I requested the book, I was not aware that it was part of a series. Reading the book was like walking into the middle of a movie. Much of the time I was trying to figure out what happened before I started the book.

The doctors in the book are old fashioned small-town family physicians. Here in Boston I am lucky if I can see my doctors for ten minutes. They are concerned with my biochemistry/microorganisms not my living situation. The doctors in the book reminded me a little of the show Marcus Welby, MD where the physician will solve all problems.

The strength of the book are the descriptions of the problems in Ulster. The book also presents some of the practical reasons (i.e. availability of birth control) of why the Northern Protestants don't want to be part of a very Catholic country (Southern Ireland).

The weakness of the book is that it lacks a plot. The novel is more of a series of episodes. Also, especially since the book goes into the divides between the Protestants and the Catholics, the book needed a villain/bigot. The book needed some Protestants and Catholics who did not get along. The book needed a source of drama and friction.

Patrick Taylor never fails to deliver a fantastic book and this one is another great one. Any time you can journey to Ballybucklebo, with your favorite characters from the series, you are in for treat. Highly recommend for all that love the series and for anyone wanting to experience this great series for the first time. 5 stars all the way on this one.