The Irish House by Ann O’Loughlin is a lovely, light tale set in the tiny village of Balgaddy in Wicklow. It’s March 2018 and Marianne has returned to the area following the death of her beloved grandmother Collie Keane. Marianne is full of regret and can’t forgive herself as she wasn’t able to be there when Collie passed away. She had desperately wanted to connect with her once last time and make peace. Kilteelagh House, where Collie had resided, has fallen into bad shape but it still holds many fond memories for Marianne having spent holidays there and in doing so formed a special bond with Collie. She plans to go to the reading of the will and then head back to New York where she is a fashion designer. But Collie has other plans in store for Marianne and the year that follows will prove an adventure and an experience that she will not forget in a hurry. It will alter her in ways she could never have imagined.

Marianne soon discovers that she has been left the house and has also been entrusted with the care of her two nieces, Rachel and Katie. The pair lived with Collie following the death of their mother. Marianne had never expected this and feels confused and adrift. Nor had her Aunt Katherine who presumed everything would be coming to her. Katherine is the typical family member when it comes to a will. The one who has done everything, all the caring of her mother, looking after the house etc and as she says herself what was it all for when all she is left is a field? I could understand Katherine’s bitterness but I thought she could have been much more welcoming and approachable and offer some advice to Marianne. Instead, for the majority of the book she remained hostile as did a lot of the villagers.

I admired Marianne right from the start, she was thrown in at the deep end and taken out of her comfort zone. She knew nothing about running a big house like Kilteelagh, the land around it or bringing up two girls who have already been through so much. Yet, she didn’t turn tail and run. She had to stay there for a year at least according to the will and then decide what she would do long term. Realistically, there is nothing left for her in New York as the company she worked for has gone bankrupt leaving everyone without a job. Challenges like this don’t often come our way and if Marianne didn’t try and make a go of it she would live to regret it. As she starts to settle in and navigate the new waters with Rachel and Katie, she receives letters every month prewritten by Collie. I thought this was a lovely touch and really helped the story as a whole. Collie knew that she was going to die and wanted to offer advice to Marianne and help her through the seasons at Kilteelagh House.

Even though Collie is gone she still came across as a very strong character through her words of wisdom in each letter. Bit by bit, she also slowly reveals her life story and hidden secrets. I could guess as to what her big secret was and it went a long way in explaining why she was so attached to the house. Why she couldn’t let it go even when it became a money pit? It also helped the reader to understand why Marianne had to stay there instead of just selling up and taking the girls somewhere else. It was really bittersweet but the letters and their content allowed Marianne to reconnect with her grandmother in a way she hadn’t been able to prior to her death.

I found the story moved along at what I would describe as a languid pace. I kept waiting for something that would really throw a spanner in the works or add some drama and tension to the story but it never really came. Yes, there was the revealing of Collie’s secret but it did seem very obvious when it came about as I could read between the lines as to what she was saying in her letters. Marianne is committed to the adjustments she has to make and yes there are a few incidents when things with Rachel are sent to try her but I just felt a little more depth was needed. It wasn’t all plain sailing for Marianne but still I wanted her to go through some more anguish and troubles just so she could really emerge stronger out the other side after her year at the house which would enable to know that she was making the correct decision no matter what it would be. The same could be said when it comes to her friendship with Jack, who is a mature student studying to be a lawyer but does work as a handyman. He is somewhat essential to Marianne as he does so much to improve the house but I just felt things were alluded to with the pair rather than we reading of Marianne’s perspective as to how she feels about him. Is he more than just a friend?

The strongest element of the book apart from Marianne herself, was the two supporting characters who become her bedrock. Dolores, who was a friend of Collie’s and Fiknete, a refugee who had been trained by Collie as a seamstress. Both of these women were incredible and I wanted to learn even more about them. They offered support and guidance and the hand of friendship when Marianne needed it the most. Dolores kept Marianne going when times got tough and in particular when she doubted her abilities as she worked on something very personal inspired by Kilteelagh House which really saw Marianne coming into her own and showcasing her talents. I just loved Dolores. She had an answer for everything and said the right words when needed and pushed Marianne forward when she doubted herself. Her organisational skills were second to none and she always seemed to anticipate every problem before it arose and provided a solution. She was the mother figure Marianne needed to sustain her through the many challenges she faced.

The Irish House was a bit of a mixed bag for me. At times I did find it slow and felt it needed a push forward but at other points it did feel magical and like I was being whisked away to Kilteelagh and that it was going to reveal all its secrets and I grew to are for the characters. The landscape, the lake and the horticulture etc were used very well to convey part of Collie’s story and I did enjoy reading how Marianne used the time at Kilteelagh to find out what she wanted from life.Overall, it is a charming, relaxing read full of heartbreak, grief but also a story of coming back to life. If you like books where the main character takes on a challenge and goes on a journey than this is the book for you.

Oh my heart! I went through so many emotions while reading this book by a new to me author.
Fashion designer, Marianne from New York arrives in Balgaddy, Dublin Ireland after being summoned there for the reading of her grandmother Collie's will. She feels so guilty as work had kept her busy the past several years while her grandmother's health deteriorated, and she was unable to travel to Ireland while her grandmother was still alive.
She inherits Kilteelagh House, her grandmother's pride and joy, her house which means everything to her. The conditions are she must be the guardian to her two young nieces, one 6 the other 15 and she is to live at Kilteelagh House for a year while doing so.
Unsure of herself and her parenting skills at first she gains confidence the longer she is there.
As she falls in love with the house as much as her grandmother has she also falls in love with a local man. Discovering all the house has to offer, like sitting and enjoying all the flowers as the seasons pass. The descriptions are so beautiful I can vividly imagine the house as the author paints such a vivid picture of it, breathtaking. The letters are what got to me. Each month Marianne is given a letter her grandmother has written to her before her death. These letters boost her confidence 10-fold and give her practical advice and also talk about her grandmother's life all the while offering up secrets, she has never shared with anyone else. She is now the keeper of secrets and it's a huge responsibility to hold all the while it explains the current family dynamics. The book is heartbreaking but warm and relatable. I completely loved it and must read more by this author.

Pub Date 14 Apr 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Marianne left the bustle of New York City for what she thought was a brief visit to Ireland. She went there after her grandmother's death and being summoned by her estate attorney. She didn't know what to expect but she never anticipated her aunt's hostility at her presence and she certainly never saw herself inheriting her grandmother's estate. But that's not all. Her grandmother had taken in her daughter's girls after the death of their mother. As part of the condition for inheriting, Marianne needs to take them on. She feels hardly equipped to so and with her aunt contesting the will, it would just be easier if Marianne turned around and headed back to the States. Only thing niggling at her conscience though is what her grandmother had wanted for her.

When, shortly after, her life in the city completely falls apart, Marianne figures she might as well give Ireland a real go. The conditions of the will also allow Marianne an out after a year.

What follows once Marianne decides to give it a go is a heartwarming journey of discovery and re-discovery. Though it isn't without its rocky patches. That miserable aunt is determined to make Marianne's life hell for choosing to stay. She starts to feel like a broken record given how many times she tells Marianne to go back to New York City. But will it always be that way? You'll need to read the book.

I greatly enjoyed reading the letters from her grandmother that she wrote when she was sick. All of these were addressed to Marianne, and it's like she reaching out from beyond the grave. It was nice to see Marianne adjust to her new role as an aunt turned mother. It was also touching to see her take control of her life.

The ending is magical and serendipitous. I recommend this read if you just want to get swept away for awhile.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy.

I loved this book! It is a great summer read or anytime. I cannot give this book enough stars.
Marianne moves from New York City to a small village in Ireland. Her grandmother has left her with a house and 2 children to raise if she will take on challenge.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and to the publisher Bookouture.

An old house, secrets and a series of letters everything I love to read about.
Set in 2018. Marianne returns home to Kilteelah House near a small town of Balgaddy in Ireland. As a child Marianne spent most of her holidays at Kilteelah House with her grandmother Collie Keane. When Collie dies Marianne inherited the old family home with a condition that she lives in the house and becomes the guardian of her two young cousins who had been living with Collie at Kilteelah House for two years.
Marianne struggles to do what is best for her cousins and to follow her grandmothers wishes, while her Aunt Katherine causes trouble.
I loved the interactions between the family members as Marianne comes to terms with her new responsibilities and her former career in Fashion design in New York.
To help Marianne with her decision to take up new responsibilities Collie arranges for a series of letters to be delivered to Marianne regularly through the first year.
This was about family relationships, fashion design and secrets. I loved it.

REVIEW
Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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I really wanted to love this book, but one of the characters committed a sin I hate the most. I don't want to talk about it because I don't want give spoilers. The author romanticized the bad act and the person didn't even feel remorse for the wrongs she did and that's just not fair.
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And Kitleelagh House is just that, a house. The kind of house that will keep swallowing your money every time, I don't understand how someone can be so vested in a money pit. The deal about the house was over done and I didn't like it, it was just too much!
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Apart from the house, the person who committed the sin that shall not be named, I think the book was okay and Marianne was an okay character and I liked her. But, it's not enough for me to like this book.
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The author even omitted some parts of the book I wanted to read, whenever Marianne travels out of Bagdaddy, I only see the before and after and I really wanted to read about when she was in New York.
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I also wanted more Romance, I know it's Women's Fiction, but still...

I have to say I totally enjoyed reading The Irish House by Ann O’Loughlin.
The setting is at a house in the countryside of Ireland.
The story is about a young woman, Marianne, who is living in New York City working as a fashion designer. She really isn’t happy in her job. Her grandmother in Ireland passes away and leaves her a house. The only condition is she has to live in the house for one year as well as take over custody of her young nieces.
The grandmother has left letters to be delivered to Marianne periodically. The letters explain why the one year stipulation was made. As Marianne learns more about her grandmother through the letters, she learns more about herself too.
I do have to say several times I wanted to shake Marianne into being just a bit more assertive in some situations. But, I came to love her personality in the end.
There is friendships and romance along the way in The Irish House.
Writer Ann O’Loughlin’s writing flows beautifully and kept me engaged throughout the book.
All in all, a heartwarming and delightful story.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I'd never read anything by this author before and I loved this gentle, sweet story that was sent in Ireland. It reminded me a lot of my favorite Irish writer, Maeve Binchy. It got me hooked from the beginning and all the way until the end.

Marianne arrives in Ireland from Manhattan for the reading of her grandma's will. Much to her surprise, her grandma has left her Irish home to her, along with her cousins who had been living with their grandma after their mom had passed away. This upset her aunt, who didn't want Marianne there and wanted to keep the house to herself. After losing her job in NYC, Marianne decides to settle down in Ireland, live in her grandma's house, and take care of her cousins. As she settles into the house and Ireland, her grandma sends her monthly letters with information about the girls, her grandma, and the house. During this time Marianne gradually re-invents herself and gets to know the others in the town, including a handsome handyman, who she gradually gets closer to. It makes me want to move to Ireland and stay there. Definitely recommend this great story!

The Irish House belonged to Collie. Upon her death she left the house to her granddaughter Marianne. It is set in the lovely countryside of a beautifully described Ireland.
The catch is that to keep the house Marianne has to come to Ireland, care for her orphaned nieces, and live in the home for one year. Collie's daughter had nursed her in her final days and is quite upset that she didn't get the home.

Marianne learns many lessons and in the process falls in love.

A lovely, light tale

After her grandma died, Marianne come to Ireland and inheriten Kilteelagh House also must take care of her younger cousins. She think incapable of taking care one teenager and one kid but what she can do? She have no reason to back in State after sudenlly lose her job. Finaĺly she want to try live in Ireland for one year and she what going on next. Balancing her new live with drama around kids, career and her stuborn aunt, Marianne feel overwelm. She has support from friends also new love from Jack. I enjoy reading this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for provide this book, it is pleasure to review this book.

#TheIrishHouse #AnnOLoughlin #Bookouture #NetGalley #ARC

It's only through the letters from her grandmother Collie that Marianne understands why Collie left her her house-and the case of Katie and Rachel, the two young nieces she was raising, Katherine, Mariane's cousin, who had helped to care for Collie before she died is furious and doesn't understand but Delores, Collie's great friend does. This is about family- not just blood but the family we make-and friendship as well as old secrets. Of course there's a romantic interest but it doesn't dominate. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Family loyalties are tested and stretched when out of the blue Marianne inherits her Grandmother’s house and the care of her two nieces in Ireland. At a crossroads in her life in New York she comes home for the reading of the will expecting a trinket or keepsake, not a house and a huge amount of responsibility, but as the time passes while learning about her Grandmother’s past she leans more about herself.
A grand delightful gentle read, perfect to curl up with on a rainy day.

Loved it!!! I want someone to leave me Kilteelagh House. The house and garden sounded beautiful. Collie loved her house and definitely left it to the right person. Marianne loved the house just as much as her grandmother. If Katherine would have gotten the house, the land would have been sold by the time they walked out of the lawyer's office. Katherine was so hateful toward Marianne. She thought she deserved everything because she helped take care of Collie. Marianne just lost her parents and was still grieving. The house was full of secrets and kept them well. I was surprised at what Collie reveals to Marianne in her letters. The last letter wasn't much of a shock, with Collie's revelation about Chloe. If Katherine ever knew the truth about her mother, she would probably burn the house down and the painting. Rachel, Katie and Kilteelagh House were the best things for Marianne. Dolores and Fiknete prove that best friends come in all ages. Loved the interactions between Marianne, Dolores and Fiknete.

Definitely recommend the book. It was a quick and fun read. Loved the characters, writing style and story. This was the first book I read by the author and look forward to reading more. Loved the cover.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Marianne had arrived from Manhattan to the Irish town of Balgaddy for the reading of her grandmother, Collie's will. Her shock when Kilteelagh, the home Collie had loved, and Marianne had also loved, was left to her left her gobsmacked. Marianne had to live there for a year, caring for her two nieces, Katie and Rachel, who had been orphaned and living with their grandmother, and later their Aunt Katherine. But Katherine was furious. Her anger at Marianne being the recipient of Kilteelagh and not her, was fierce. But Marianne had to make a decision, and as she had just lost her job in New York, it wasn't as hard as she thought.

As the year moved forward, Marianne received a letter from Collie occasionally. All kept by the solicitor who'd been a friend of Collie's and his distribution of them was as Collie had asked. The helpful words always soothed Marianne, as she came to love her two nieces with the love of a mother. Marianne also met Dolores, Collie's good friend, and together they worked their way through the muddle of what was happening. But when Marianne decided to do some clothing designs - her career after all, and what Collie had taught her - her future began to change. What would be the likely outcome to this emotional and grief ridden year of Marianne's life?

The Irish House is my first by Ann O'Loughlin and it was wonderful! Powerful, poignant and emotional, the characters were special and Kilteelagh was definitely a character of its own. A very heartwarming contemporary novel, The Irish House is one I recommend highly.

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

I adored this trip to Ireland, especially reading it so close to St Patrick’s day! This is a different kind of love story as Marianne learns to love herself, the home she inherited, her cousins who she is given custody of and ultimately, learning to love the unexpected life she has been giving!

I received an advance reader's copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and it couldn't have come at a better time. This sweet story was lovely to curl up with during this week of snowy weather. Set in a picturesque house in a small town in Ireland, this is a story of how one young woman overcame some of life's worst tragedies and found a new way to define what it means to have a home and a family. With wonderful friendships and sweet romantic storylines woven into the plot, this was a delightful book to read.

Would you give up your New York life to take over a rundown family home in Ireland as well as looking after your two nieces.
This question is one Marianne faces in this book.

Marianne have always loved trips to stay with her grandmother in kiteetagh but living there permanently and being a like I’m mother, to a young girl and teenager is a completely different prospect.

Throw in resentful relatives and meddling neighbours and Marianne has a difficult task ahead.

Mariannes grandmothers love sustains her and with the arrival of unexpectedly letters from her,, Marianne finds out secrets which have been hidden whilst reaffirming her grandmothers love for Kiteetagh and her it resolves her determination to bring the old house back to life ,

At times, I felt this book was a little slow and repetitive but that only added to the charm and it was indeed a book. anyone could read as it’s content was wholesome and gentle.

The setting of this book was magical I was whisked away to rural Ireland and the beautiful Kiteetagh house.

I don’t often use the term “heart-warming” but this book definitely earns it. The Irish House is seamlessly structured, neatly plotted through multiple significant character developments, and filled with authentic emotion.

Some basic story descriptions could sound trite – the pain and comfort of returning “home”; family stresses; a small Irish town. But with the good writing in this book, all of it is genuine. The various threads of plot, family relationships, forming new friendships and building a new life are (excuse the pun) seamlessly interwoven and progress naturally. I was emotionally caught up in the story, and very much enjoyed it. Definitely recommend.

Set in the beautiful countryside of Ireland, a fashion designer is left her grandmother's home with the stipulation that she stays in the house and raises her two nieces for one year. If after that year, she can sell the house and return to her life in NYC. Through a series of letters that her grandmother has left he, our main character will discover past secrets and what family and friends mean. A wonderful feel good story that I highly recommend.

Firstly thank you Netgalley for this Arc

Love this authors books
What a lovely book from Ireland to the Big Apple family connections so emotional