Cordelia James is struggling. After the sudden death of her beloved father, the renowned street photographer has lost her edge, her spark, her drive, and pretty much everything else. She's floundering and isn't quite sure how to pull herself up out of the quagmire of grief. When she sees an ad for a summer gig on an island off the coast of Ireland - she thinks this may be exactly what she needs to get herself out of her funk and living again.



As someone who lost their dad very suddenly, I struggle with "dead dad" books. This was no different. However, I did find the grief aspect of Cordelia's struggles very relatable. It's a total shock to your system. Nothing is right side up anymore and you're not entirely sure how to keep going and the floundering makes you positive you're going to drown. While Cordelia latching onto her camera could seem strange to some who haven't been there or dealt with their grief in a different way, it made sense to me. I did struggle with the romance a little, though. It felt like it sprung up very, very quickly. They hate each other and then Niall falls out of a boat and they're in love? It was odd. Overall, a sweet, quick little read.

I loved this! I gobbled it up in one setting! The banter was perfect, the steam was on point. And I could do connect with characters. I absolutely loved t he it'll Irish town and all the different quirky neighbors. The was a great read and I will be buying a physical copy to keep!! I loved it. 5 star read!

While I overall enjoyed this book and thought it was generally cute, I do have some hold-ups about it that knocked it down to a 3-star rating.
Cordelia came across a little emotionally immature at times, especially being so overly connected to photography/her camera because of her father. I get that everyone deals with loss differently, but it was just an odd and superficial feeling connection with Cordelia since her photography was also tied so closely to her social media posts and getting likes and followers.
I also felt like the romance came out of nowhere, Again, it seemed like Ewing pretty heavily established both characters' traumas and how they were still dealing with them. But then Niall falls out of a boat one time and then they like each other? While they were cute together, it did feel super fast and, again, emotionally immature of both of them. The ending was a little surprising (and maybe a little cringe?) and I didn't feel like there was true closure. I also did NOT like Roisin character and was annoyed any time she was in a scene.
Overall, cute concept but lacking in development and believability. The Irish setting helps save some of the story but it relies too heavily on it.

This was a fun read. I enjoyed the characters. The setting was absolutely perfect! I love books set in Ireland. The instalove was a bit too much for me. I was not expecting that and seemed a little unrealistic. Overall, it was a good read.

4.5 stars

“𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘰𝘰.”

ugh, what a sweet little irish romance! and what better way to showcase it than a picture from my own trip to ireland 💚

ireland is a place that i absolutely LOVE so i always end up picking out books set there and this one didn’t disappoint! Niall and Cordelia were so cute and it was so cute to see them come together in the end.

outside of this open-door romcom, some of the highlights of this book are actually the side characters! roisin and collin made me laugh out loud so many times. collin is niall’s bff whose actually so sweet and kind. roisin is a cantankerous, calls it like it is Irish woman (granny) and she’s the best part of the book. she loves so fiercely and i choked up at how she cares for cord and niall (and the rest of the small village) 🥹

i would definitely recommend this one if you’re looking for a laugh and a warm hug!

The Irish Goodbye review

If you’re in the mood for moody scenery with a romance plot, this is the book for you! The Irish Goodbye is set on the tiny island of Inishmore, Ireland where the grump meets sunshine plot takes place.

Our main character is Cordelia, a photographer grieving the loss of her father and trying to connect with his memory through their shared love of photography. A chance encounter at the dock introduces us to Niall, who’s recovering from a jilted engagement back home at the family pub. Their first meeting is simply awful and sets up their mutual dislike of one another.

I just adored the side characters in this novel! Roisin is the grandmother Cordelia is expected to keep a watchful eye on but their relationship blossoms into so much more than that. I enjoyed seeing their connection grow, laughing at Roisin’s quips and devil may care attitude at speaking her mind. Some of my favorite scenes were at dinner, the pub, or at the race because the banter between the whole lot of characters was great.

For this to be a grumpy sunshine romance, the grumpiness went away quickly which is where I docked it in my rating. Due to Cordelia’s visit to Inishmore and Niall’s hometown having an expiration date, I understand the author needed them to connect quickly. I would’ve preferred a few more pages or scenes of them arguing or berating one another before warming up! Once they started to warm towards one another, I found myself rooting for them to find joy and love again after their losses.

The romance really sparks between them and becomes open door for the reader. Their love becomes sweet and believable if a bit rushed.

I know Cordelia is a photographer but she talked about it so much it makes you wonder what else is there. That point becomes less talked about as the book continued thankfully.

I enjoyed the book overall and the setting is vivid, really evoking a feeling of being in Ireland. You could almost smell the salt air and fresh fish n chips! Great vacation romance with memorable side characters and a sweet romance with a touch of grumpy sunshine.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC.

The Irish Goodbye is a cute novel! Cordelia and Niall are a cute "enemies" to lovers tale that tried to shove too many pieces of the trope in too fast. I was a little frustrated with the situation near the ending and felt like it was unnecessary given how much conflict these two had already had. However, it's a cute read.

Their hate-at-first-sight rom-com is filled with a cast of quirky characters, strong willed MCs, and beautiful Irish scenery. While the romance feels somewhat predictable and has a few cringe worthy scenes, I appreciated the more serious topic of grief.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Books for an advanced ready copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this. (I also love Irish Goodbyes so, A++ for the title!)

I liked that Niall had a reason for being a grump and wasn't just an ass, and Cordelia's journey had me fully invested.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I truly enjoyed this charming romcom set in Ireland! I’ve never read a book set in Ireland and I loved the quirky, sassy characters. As I was reading, I could hear the Irish accents and was laughing along with their sharp, witty sense of humor. There was also depth to this story and I loved Cordelia’s introspection and growth in dealing with grief and pushing herself out of her comfort zone. Niall, dealing with failure and heartbreak, found new inspiration and happiness through Cordelia. The tension and chemistry between them was perfection. I highly recommend this feel-good story that provokes serious wanderlust!

They were so cute! I'm obsessed with their first kiss, it was right out of a movie. They were simply made for each other and I love it. The break up was heartbreaking but it made complete sense. My only thing is that I want a real epilogue with maybe a real proposal or a wedding.

I received an arc through netgalley.

The Irish Goodbye is all about grief in it's different forms and the steps taken to healing and love. I love how Cordelia didn't automatically fit in when she got there, that she was able to acknowledge her grief and work her way through her artist block. Naill is grieving the loss of his life's dream and who he believed was the love of his life. He's a grump of all grumps, and rightfully so. He hasn't had the easiest time, being a bit of a black sheep from his family, loosing his restaurant, his fiance, and his savings. Coming home wasn't exactly what he wanted to do. They don't have the cutest meet cute, it's rough, and they don't get off to an easy start. The slow burn is amazing. I found myself melting into the story, wishing I could be there watching their love bloom. It was such a treat. Definitely a favorite of the year.

This boom was provided to me by NetGalley, but all opinions and reviews are my own.

This was a feel good cozy and entertaining quick read in a stunning setting.
I did however prefer the secondary characters to main characters Cordelia & Niall who I struggled to warm to & felt the relationship between the two was a bit too rushed, it could have been built up to a bit more.

I loved this so much! Cornelia and Niall were so cute. I loved how obsessed they are with each other.

Their relationship was so beautiful and I loved getting to see them grow together.

Niall's grandmother also cracked me up. There was so much humor in this book and it made the story all the more charming.

4.5/5

I was so excited about this book and its premise. I was so disappointed to find the main characters very annoying. I also had whiplash with the instant hate and instant love. It just lost me. I will not be reviewing this book on my social media accounts.

Dear Amy Ewing,

Cordelia’s beloved father died suddenly two years earlier. Since then, she has been stuck, grieving and unable to move on. Her career as a street photographer stalled and she lost a lot of followers and income as a result. She’s been unable to post anything on Instagram since her father’s death and she needs to kickstart her life. So when the opportunity for a summer in Inishmore, Ireland comes up, she takes it.

Cordelia never goes anywhere without her camera; apart from it being essential to her in terms of who she is and her art, it was a gift from her father. She has his thumbprint laminated and stuck on the “click” button and it reminds her of him every time she uses it. So, when she arrives in Inishmore and is bumped by a guy also getting off the ferry and her camera falls to the ground smashing the lens, she is devastated and angry. This is Cordelia’s “meet-not-cute” with Niall. Needless to say, the couple do not get off to a good start.

Cordelia has a significant and deep connection to that camera and she is considerably upset over the damage to it, but once she assures herself it can be repaired back in New York and she gets a new camera sent over from Dublin, the old one barely rates a mention. As it happens, there appears to have been something about the old camera holding her back because she finds herself able to enjoy her art again with the new camera and while she’s in Ireland she starts posting again on Instagram, with impressive response from her growing audience.

Inishmore is a very small place and the community is close-knit. The older woman Cordelia is nominally there to keep an eye on barely needs assistance at all. Roisin is a cantankerous and meddling old woman who speaks her mind no matter who she is addressing. I enjoyed her very much in the book but I think in real life I’d be intimidated and wary of crossing her!

The pub owned by Niall’s family is the best place to eat on the island and as Cordelia doesn’t cook, she bumps into Niall over and over again.

When Niall first arrived back on Inishmore, he was not exactly happy to be there. He has a fraught relationship with his dad. His father is overly critical and is disappointed Niall did not wish to stay on the island and take over the family pub (eventually). He was resistive to Niall’s ideas for menu changes before Niall left and Niall doesn’t hold out much hope anything has changed since. Niall left the island to try his luck on the mainland, working his way up in the kitchen until he finally had the chance to open his own place, serving his own food. And then he walked in on his his fiancee and business partner having sex on the floor of their soon-to-be-opened restaurant and everything turned to crap. He lost his business, his fiancee and his home (he and Shannon lived together) in one fell swoop. He’s devastated and has come home to lick his wounds. Given his relationship with his dad, he is waiting for an “I told you so” type moment which will just add insult to injury.

Considering how broken Niall is when he first arrives back in Inishmore (almost the first thing he does when he gets home is to put his head in his hands and cry), it was a surprise how quickly he was ready to move on once he met Cordelia (well, once she and he started to forge a friendship at least – which was not very long after they both got to the island). All of a sudden, he’s feeling free and lighter than ever. He’s no longer pining over Shannon and he’s all in for Cordelia. It was a little too quick for me. He does still mourn the loss of his business. In the end I decided Niall mustn’t have loved Shannon all that much.

Niall and Cordelia were good together. I liked how Cordelia stuck up for Niall with his father one night at a shared dinner. Niall’s dad was a bit taken aback by this but it did lead to him rethinking his behaviour and, with additional encouragement from Niall’s mother and from Roisin, he takes steps to repair his relationship with his son.

Once Cordelia and Niall admit their attraction, they enjoy an idyllic few weeks – he begins to teach her to cook, they explore more of the island together, she takes loads of photographs – many of him – and #Irishhottie trends in her Insta feed.

Her heart was racing, unable to believe this was really happening, unable to compute that he was telling her he felt the same way she did. “But I’m only here until the end of August,” she said. “What then?”

“I don’t think we need to go worrying about that just yet,” Niall said. “You might not like me anymore in a couple of months.”

“I already didn’t like you,” she pointed out. “And look where that got us.”

After that initial discussion, they don’t talk about it again until Cordelia’s return to New York is imminent. The conflict here was not unexpected but both of them made some odd decisions which felt like they were needed for plot reasons rather than anything else and, in the case of the oddest one, from Niall, it was just a bit over the top and too spontaneous for my taste. I didn’t quite get the “all or nothing” of it. There are times when a couple not having a discussion makes sense in a story but I didn’t feel the setup here explained why they chose not to talk to one another about some things and in other cases, I felt Niall gave in too easily when the answer was staring him in the face.

I enjoyed Cordelia’s photography and Niall’s cooking – both were very skilled and deserving of success in their respective fields. I also liked Pocket – the border collie who played her own part in Cordelia and Niall’s romance. Pocket was a very good dog. I liked both Niall’s and Cordelia’s parental problems were resolved in the story in ways that made sense. While I understood Cordelia feeling resentful to her mother’s boyfriend, it had been two years since Cordelia’s dad had died and it felt unreasonable of Cordelia to give her mum such a hard time about it. On the other hand, her mother’s constant harping about Cordelia finding love herself was definitely obnoxious.

The broader cast in Inishmore were also enjoyable to read about. Colin in particular was a charmer. I also enjoyed Cordelia’s best friend back home in New York, Liz.

The Irish Goodbye had three very distinct acts; unfortunately each one didn’t – quite – smoothly flow into the other and the book felt a little disjointed and forced in places. There were things to like but it didn’t wow me either. Funnily enough, I think this book would work better as a Netflix movie. The things that were thin in the book would be expected on film and with a little adaptation (I’m looking at you Niall) I’d happily watch it.

Grade: C

Regards,
Kaetrin

This was a delightful and heartwarming read!
I loved all the characters so very much in this book!
I read this in one night, and merely took the morning off to sleep in - It was worth it.
Added to my favorites - feel good read.

This is a delightful rom/com that takes readers through the journey of dealing with grief and loss to self discovery which includes learning to love. Cordelia has lost her adored father and her professional life is declining. She takes an assignment in Ireland I. Hopes to gain re-focus and rediscover the joy of her work. Her first encounter is with Niall, who has a definite chip on his shoulder due to the loss of his big dream and the betrayal of who he that was the love of his life. Cordelia and Niall collided causing instantaneous dislike. However as they grow to understand themselves, they learn about each other through the distinct and well-developed townspeople in the story. Soon their encounters turn to understanding, respect, friendship and eventually love. The Irish setting and townspeople added warmth to a fun read..

Still reeling from her father’s death, Cordelia James is still just a shell of her old self. As a renowned street photograper in NYC, Cordelia now doesn’t even want to pick up her camera or leave her apartment. That is until she sees an add for a 3-month gig on Inishmore Island to look after a small cottage and it’s elderly owner. Without giving it a second thought, Cordelia takes to the air and heads to Ireland. Things get off to a bumpy start when she steps onto the island and literally right into Niall O’Connor and drops her beloved camera. Niall finds himself back on the island after his ex-fiancee destroys his life and business ventures. He is looking for solitude, not annoying American tourists. Inishmore is small and it’s only a matter of time before they cross paths again and again. Slowly, both Cordelia and Niall drop their tough exterior and things between them begin to heat up. Perhaps they actually have more in common than they think and in the span of one summer they could help heal each other.

This was one of those books that made me want to go purchase an airline ticket and head to Ireland immediately. Perhaps I can meet my own Niall while I’m at it. While Cordelia and Niall were great, I think Roison stole the show. That woman had spunk and was absolutely amazing. This one had a lot of Irish language thrown in which made it more fun and authentic. T

My first read from Amy Ewing and it was, dare I say, possibly TOO good?? Considering my bags are now packed for Inishmore (not actually, but a girl can dream 😅).

This book is perfect for lovers of: forced proximity, small *Irish* town charm and grumpy x sunshine tropes! A little note: I really loved the side characters in this book and thought they brought a lot of vibrancy to the main story. A lot of humor and even more heart were woven into this book.

I thought the love story between Niall & Cordelia felt so natural. They just slowly wormed their way into each other's lives so seamlessly until they realized that the other person wasn't just a friend, but their "person."

Also, there was a pup named Pocket. How stinkin’ cute is that??

I've seen it said before – If you liked the movie Leap Year, this is 1000% the summer read for you! Just trust me, you're going to be obsessed with this one.