A charming and heartwarming tale that uplifts the spirits. Cordelia's story follows a photographer grappling with grief and sadness, who decides to escape New York for a summer to recharge. She sets off as far as her budget allows, eventually landing on one of Ireland's picturesque islands. There, she encounters locals as warm as they are exuberant, and a seemingly gruff man named Niall...

This book reads like a cozy Christmas movie, with a delightful writing style that is both simple and rich in detail, vividly painting characters and landscapes.

Thanks to NetGalley, Alcove Press, and Amy Ewing for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

A photographer dealing with grief, looks to find inspiration by renting a cottage in Ireland... only to encounter a recently jilted grumpy Irish chef and sparks fly. Cordelia James was a renowned street photographer with everything going for her: a large following, gallery showings in New York, and a book deal... but the sudden death of her father leaves her struggling to even leave her apartment. Cordelia has been grieving for two years and decides that she's going to get out of her apartment, she sees an ad for a summer job at a cozy cottage on Ireland's picturesque Inishmore island and instantly buys a ticket. The moment she steps off the boat she crashes (literally) into Niall O'Connor, a grumpy local who has returned from Dublin after finding his fiancee sleeping with his business partner in the restaurant he was planning on opening. Niall and Cordelia immediately get off on the wrong foot but can't avoid each other as it's a small island and everyone knows everyone. Yet as they spend more time together on the cozy island filled with sweet characters, they begin to heal and fall in love... but Cordelia is only meant to stay for three months... how will their relationship work after her time is up? This was such a sweet and fun read, it gave me Leap Year (movie) vibes and I adored it. The romance was really sweet and fun and I loved that both of these characters were healing and found comfort in each other. The island itself and the community was amazing and so sweet. This book was just a feel good book with a bit of spice *wink wink*. I would absolutely recommend it!

*Thanks Netgalley and Alcove Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you to NetGalley, Amy Ewing and Alcove Press for the opportunity to be an ARC reader of The Irish Goodbye for my honest review.
This book is about 2 lost souls you find each other. Cordelia is from New York and since losing her dad is struggling to to maintain her photography career and needs to a change of scenary to reset. Niall is an Irish chef who lost his dream girl, his dream restuarant and his best friend all in one swoop, so heads back home to find his feet.
This book starts out as an Enemies to Lovers read, and you cannot help but fall in love with each character you meet. Individually you hurt for each character and you are itching to see them happy again. You quickly see how these two souls were meant to be and it is a beautiful read.
I fell in love with Cordelia and Niall seperately, but struggling to connect them as a couple. I felt like we barely spent any time with them together before they are forced apart again. At the tail end of the book, it is like finding characters you recognise. The pain, fear and emptiness is back and because I connected with both characters seperately, you hurt right alongside them.
The ending was beautiful. It had my heart racing and I was itching to turn the page.
I do believe that if we had more time with them as a couple and their relationahip didnt feel rushed, this would easily be a 5 star read for me.
Thank you again for this opportunity.
#TheIrishGoodbye #NetGalley #AlcovePress

I started this book on the plane going to Ireland and finished it while back home in Philly. I read this in hopes that I would also find myself a nice Irish man 😂 So how dare Cordelia live out MY dream of finding an Irish man.

I thought the story was cute and the setting was perfect. I enjoyed Cordelia and Niall together, but I had to knock it down a star because I am a hardcore hater of quick love. I was not expecting the proposal and them saying “I love you” and I cringed hard at that. Also, the epilogue was most certainly not an epilogue. It literally was the day after the last chapter ended lol I needed a better epilogue than that!! Other than that, I enjoyed everything else. The writing was good and I loved the side characters.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for my eARC.

An enemies to lovers set in Ireland. Cordelia needed to get away from her life after her father’s passing. She decides to take a job in Ireland. When she meets Niall, who is nursing a broken heart, it isn’t love at first sight. More like dislike.

The backdrop of Ireland and the story of hearts healing themselves makes this story perfect for anyone looking to escape for awhile.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC.

I love a good romance book set in Ireland. As well as the trope that go long with it, American women's takes a long vacation in Ireland and the male mc usually either owns a pub or works at the pub.

Things I loved
Dual Pov
MC Cordelia and Niall separately
Side Characters, especially Roisin
The banter between the two mc at the beginning of the book

What I didn't love
Book started out slow and then felt rush to at the end
The sex scenes honestly did nothing for the book and honestly is what made me rate it less.
And the epilogue, wasn't needed since it was from the morning after.

2.75 stars.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

As someone who will Irish Goodbye from any social situation when possible, I knew I wanted to read this book.

I enjoyed it, it was sooo cozy. There was so much healing that both MCs went through. Watching them learn to be happy again made me smile. It's also dual POV, which is one of my fav tropes.

Ahhh! This was such a cozy, romantic read set in a small island town in Ireland. We have Cordelia navigating life after the loss of her father and Niall navigating life after heartbreak. Things start off a little rocky between the two - hello enemies to lovers, nice to read you again - but morphs in a beautiful, healing romance. My only complaint is that I want more. I need more of Coredlia and Niall. Pronto.

Thank you @netgalley and @alcovepress for an ARC copy!

3.5 stars

The Irish Goodbye was a lovely, heartfelt read. I’m always here for books set in Ireland, and I loved the setting and the eclectic cast of characters. I appreciated the themes of grief, healing, found family, rediscovering your passions, and more. Cordelia and Niall both did a lot of healing on Inishmore, making their relationship feel like a true journey - one that went from animosity to tentative friendship to love.

What stopped me from loving this book was the conflict. *Spoilers ahead.* I always dread the third-act breakup; sometimes it’s not so bad and you can understand why it happens, but in this case, I was hoping things would go in a different direction and maybe the characters could have a mature conversation instead of things ending in heartache. I just couldn’t get past the fact that Cordelia loved Niall enough to accept his very unexpected, spontaneous proposal…AND she was fine with the thought of him completely uprooting his entire life and leaving his family to move to NYC with her…but she wouldn’t even consider for one second going to London with him. It was a hard no. Even if she didn’t want to go with him, they could have, at the very least, stayed in touch, and there was no real reason for them not to attempt a long distance relationship. It was just nope, nice knowing you, bye. I was also disappointed that neither of them even considered staying or returning to Inishmore. Not only was it the main setting of the book, but both characters loved the island, the people, Niall’s family’s pub, and that’s where they met, fell in love, healed, and rekindled their individual passions. Niall even said how much he missed his family’s pub and the familiarity of it when he was in London. But again, it wasn’t even a consideration for either of them. I could have accepted all of this since they both did grow and learn during their time apart, but then ending felt rushed. The epilogue would have been better as a final chapter since it immediately followed what had happened previously and epilogues usually serve to give us a glimpse into the couple’s future and what they’re up to. I would have loved to see them six months or a year down the line to see them happy and thriving or maybe even returning to Inishmore, even for a visit.

Despite those issues keeping me from truly loving this book, I did enjoy it and would recommend it to romance lovers, especially those who like to armchair travel to beautiful settings.

To start I love Irish themed books, (as a girlie with grandparents from Ireland). I have not read anything from Amy Ewing, but I will be reading more of her books and buying this book when it comes out!

4/5 Stars! It was a good book, I really really liked it but didn't love the ending. That's why it got 4 stars from me.

"The Irish Goodbye" follows Cordelia James, street photographer dealing with the grief of losing her father, trying to navigate the loss, she ends up in Inishmore Island, where we meet the MMC, Niall O'Connor. Both carrying heavy baggage with them.

The author did an amazing job describing the Irish coast and allowing readers to really grasp where this book takes place. Which is personally my favorite, I love when readers can create the world in their mind!

I applaud Amy for embracing the harshness of life, as a girl who loves a fluffy romance, I do also enjoy one that touches base on the reality of things, whether its grieving a parent or handling a broken heart. I quite enjoyed the realism of this book!

In life I feel like we all get a summer, a summer to do whatever we want, to heal and find ourselves, which was what happened for our two main characters, with some great side characters sprinkled in! Great job Amy, this was a good one!

Book releases on June 4, 2024! Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC!

I was very excited to read this story because I love Ireland and I think it beautifully showed the feeling of a small Irish town and the close community of people. The story had great potential but it was a bit of a let down.

The writing felt very juvenile, bits that were overwritten and then missing bits I would’ve liked to see. (We do not need to know she puts her hair in a “messy/loose bun” four times) I don’t generally mind a quick romance where the characters fall fast but this was to the extreeemmmeee. They went from 0 to 1000 in literally a couple hours, and then to 2000 after a couple weeks.

I did enjoy the cast of characters, even her mom did eventually redeem herself but it was tricky to want to appreciate that. I think Roisin was the saving grace of this whole novel, she was hilarious and I want her to be my Irish grandma. I think the plot had great potential in her dealing with her grief, but that wasn’t explored much.

I will definitely be interested in seeing more from this author, I think all the elements are there; interesting plot, endearing characters with long term goals, and outside forces/drama. I look forward to future books and new adventures! Maybe another Inishmore romance with Collin??

"The Irish Goodbye" serves as a compelling escapist novel, ideal for leisurely moments on a plane or by the beach. Although it leans on genre conventions, its unique setting and characters offer a fresh perspective. However, the heavy-handed Irish dialogue occasionally disrupts immersion in the story. Overall, while enjoyable, "The Irish Goodbye" falls short of being truly exceptional.

The plot of this book was absolutely adorable and I found myself genuinely understanding Cordelia’s grief. The descriptions of the places around Inishmore were stunning. Here’s where my problem lies.. for 2 characters that hated each other so much in the beginning, they got over it insanely quickly. There was no slow burn, just immediately into a relationship and immediately “in love” and that just doesn’t feel real to me. It was hard for me to connect after that. Even if I really did love the 2 characters separately. I did still enjoy the plot and the story but it just felt so rushed the last 1/4 of the book.

Cordelia, a New York street photographer who is working through the grief of losing her father, takes an opportunity to live in a small cottage on an Irish island over the summer looking after one of the resident’s grandmothers. Niall, a local born and raised, is returning home to Inishmore for the summer to work at his family’s pub after a broken engagement and losing his beloved pub in Dublin. Can these two help each other overcome their hurt and find themselves again on Inishmore?

If I could spend my summer on a small Irish island with the best, funniest, most friendly people.. Consider me gone!

This was a quick, fun read that entertained me from start to finish. I was really invested in Cordelia and Niall’s self discovery, him healing a broken heart and loving his hometown (or island, I guess!) and her finding her inspiration in Inishmore and loving photography again. Cordelia finding her passions when she was learning to live with her grief was a major plot point of the story I thought was done really well.

Roisin and all of the locals in Inishmore were wonderfully written. I want to have Sunday dinner or share a pint with all of them. I love a secondary cast that brings out the best in the lead characters and they sure did. Roisin was so funny and wonderful!!

I’ll say I didn’t love the last little bit of the book, only because I feel like the epilogue should’ve been a few months later, not the next day. It just seemed a little odd and rushed…. I wanted to see where they ended up living and how they managed a compromise, considering that was the main conflict at the end. It just didn’t end the story well for me.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and it’s a great summer read! Thank you NetGalley, Alcove Press, and Amy Ewing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Read if you love..
Grumpy Irishmen and sunshiny Americans
Finding yourself while living with grief
Found families
Stories set in far away, beautiful places
Doggos named Pocket that herd folks to her house for dinner
Sassy, eclectic Irish grandmas

(review will be posted to socials closer to pub date)

This was a really fun, dual POV, enemies to lovers, small Irish island vacation romance between a New York City photographer still grieving her dead father and needing some inspiration and a chef recently cheated on and kicked out of his Dublin restaurant before it could even open.

Together with a cast of great secondary characters, Cordelia and Niall form a reluctant friendship that leads to a hot summer affair neither wants to see end. I enjoyed this one sooo much and highly recommend it for fans of books like Off the map, Last call at the local or the movie Leap year!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy of this latest from a new to me author. I'm excited to read more by Amy Ewing and as someone with Irish heritage, reading this book made me want to go back to Ireland as soon as possible!

Steam level: open door, some spicy scenes!

Thank you to NetGalley, Amy Ewing, and Alcove Press for providing me with an ARC of The Irish Goodbye in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, I was not expecting to like The Irish Goodbye as much as I did. I was expecting it to be a fairly basic romance novel, and while it wasn't anything outlandish, it still felt different from a lot of others that I have read and I think it will stick in my mind. I also read Ewing's The Lone City series, which I had mixed feelings about, so I have to say I did enter into this with some preconceived notions.

The Irish Goodbye follows a grieving, American photographer, Cordelia, as she books a summer-long trip to the Irish island of Inishmore. She literally bumps into a recently heartbroken Niall, who is returning home from Dublin to help at his family's pub. Suffice to say, their relationship starts off on the wrong foot. I think the animosity between the two of them felt genuine and realistic, as did the way their relationship developed over time. I will say that the time frame of three months that was given did mean that their relationship felt very rushed - however, this was acknowledged by Cordelia and Niall, at least.

I do feel that the story did suffer in the last part of the book, the conflict was introduced way too late for my liking, so the ensuing rectification of that relied on time gaps and a quick resolution in order to keep the novel a good length. We also, sadly, did not get to see much of the happy ending that the entire novel had been building towards, it was very much over once the conflict was resolved. Personally, I like to enjoy a bit of the payoff.

I was apprehensive about the Irish setting, as I believe Ewing is from The United States, but thankfully nothing seemed out of place (as far as I can tell being from the United Kingdom) and it appears as though Ewing did a lot of extensive research achieve realism in her chosen setting.

Overall, I would definitely recommend The Irish Goodbye if you are usually a fan of small-town romances, but perhaps want something that is a little different from your typical American-centric ones.

I really liked this book, it made me want to visit Ireland and I really REALLY loved Roisin. The only thing I actually didn't like it was the proposal thing! I was, just like some character said, the only option? I don't think it was a way to make the climax. And the end was kinda rushed, but I liked the last chapter.

I would like to read more about their future. Niall opened another pub? They stood still at NYC? The book was a success? What about the island? Cord instagram and book helped with tourism? So many questions...

I really wish the epilogue answered any of these questions.

I wanted to love this book so much but it was just bleh 😕 There’s nothing I love more than a good romance that takes place in Ireland so I had such high hopes.

Main character, Cordelia was traveling to Ireland for the summer. She needed a break and to focus on her photography so what better place to do that than picturesque Inishmore. She found a place to stay through a fellow townswoman, Allison — the only catch was that she needed to keep an eye on her Gran.

Fast forward a bit and I felt like Cordelia and Niall met, it was awkward and then they fell in love so quickly. Niall accidentally broke Cordelia’s beloved camera from her late father and she was rightfully pissed. Niall didn’t handle it well and put his own feelings before hers and passed her off like breaking her camera was nothing.

They both were going through very different albeit traumatic situations. They helped each other out of those moments and had a love unlike any other but they never once addressed what would happen come the end of the summer. Would the fling end, would they continue their relationship long term, Niall move to New York or Cordie stay??

I think their relationship was rushed and we got no details — the timeline passed quickly and the next thing we knew Cordelia had to leave and go back to New York. Niall was offered the job of a lifetime as a head-chef in London so they both had a lot to think about and a surprise proposal was something Cordie didn’t think she’d be contemplating.

This book had major potential but it just ended up falling short in my opinion. Setting was great but there was too much emphasis on family which might be right up your alley and if it is, you will love this!

A fun and funny story about a whirlwind romance between a photographer and restauranteur in Ireland. The dual plot lines and fully fleshed out secondary characters make this so fun to read. I want to visit Inishmore asap.

I have to say that I am biased when it comes to Ireland, and especially Inishmore. The country will always have a special place in my heart and that island in particular even more so. Naturally when I saw the setting it was a no brainer for me and I had to request early access to it!

Let me tell you this did not disappoint. I could feel myself landing in Kilronan with Cordelia and falling in love with the island all over again. The story was very cute and well executed. The characters were excellent and very well developed. Rosin totally stole the show from me and I want a whole story about her and her folklore. Highly recommend to any romance reader!