I love all things Ireland, mysteries, and multi generational women's stories, so this had my name written all over it. It pains me to say it, but I was disappointed. I wasn't invested in the characters. It was too predictable, and the whole story could have been written in 4 chapters. The narrator did not shine in this audio book either.

The Keeper of the Irish Secret
Susanne O’Leary
This is the tale of Lily Fleury. Lily loved visiting her grandmother Sylvia at Magnolia Manor in Ireland. She loved spending time with her grandmother, she also loved walking along the beach as the sunset. It had been a few years since she had visited her grandmother but when her heart was broken, she ran home to her grandmother’s arms. She was shocked to see the condition of the estate. Eighty-two-year-old, Sylvia is an independent woman, but she could have contacted her granddaughters or friends for assistance. Lily applied for a position at a local law office and was hired on the spot. Lily and her sisters have a plan but doubt their grandmother will go along with it. Their desire is to turn the estate into a beautiful thriving place. Dominic is the local handyman/contractor/builder; he agrees to assist Lily in any way he can. He is also a talented singer. Lily finds herself drawn to the attractive man. However, she isn’t ready for a new relationship; her heart was broken by her ex-husband. A trunk of old letters reveals a secret that could devastate Sylvia and the estate.
Author Susanne O’Leary offers readers a beautiful story filled with love, challenges, and family. I love the setting; Ireland is a beautiful place. This is a beautiful read. This is the first book in a new series. I eagerly await the second book in this series. While Lily the oldest granddaughter was featured in this installment, Rose the middle granddaughter will be featured in book 2.
Thank you NetGalley for the review copy of this book.

Thank you to Susanne O'Leary, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Shrug. This was okay. Not bad but not memorable either. Same for the main character, Lily--not bad but not memorable. To me the grandmother came off like an asshole, avoiding her granddaughters and withholding important information from them, for the sake of the plot, of course. Dominic wasn't anything special as the love interest. Overall a romance that checks the boxes but isn't remarkable.

Nothing wrong with the narrator, though! Aoife McMahon is great.

Book Title: The Keeper of Irish Secret
Series: Magnolia Manor
Author: Susanne O’Leary
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Aolfe McMahon
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Genre: Family Drama, Women’s Fiction
Audiobook Pub Date: May 21, 2024
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
Pages: 260

There is no doubt that I was drawn to this cover; although Ireland and not England, Magnolia Manor reminded me of Downton Abby.
Lily Fleury her sisters Rose and Violet always love visiting their grandmother at Magnolia Manor near Dublin - walks on the beach, as well as exploring the Manor created many great memories.
Lily is healing from a divorce and is looking forward to a job interview as well as seeing her eighty-two –year-old grandmother Sylvia. However, when she arrives at Magnolia Manor, she is surprised at its dilapidated condition.
Lily has some great ideas regarding renovation of the Manor. It is so large it can easily be turned into a B&B, the garden would be perfect for wedding, She even contacts Dominic who has does other repairs etc for Grandmother.
In the meantime, Lily is staying in the Gatehouse – which is charming but like the rest of the property needs repairs. When she is settling in she finds a trunk with old letters. Her curiously gets the best of her and she starts reading what looks like a journal – it appears Grandmother is hiding a family secret.

I have a suspicious nature so I thought one of the clues was easy to figure out. In fact, I found myself shouting look behind the . . . . . .

This was a nice enjoyable read. I love the ending as well as the characters and the descriptions of the Ireland made me want to go!

Want to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media/Bookouture for this audiobook.
Audiobook Publishing Release Date scheduled for May 21, 2024.

Thank you to NetGalley, Susanne O'Leary, and Dreamscape Media for this ARC/ARL!

"The Keeper of the Irish Secret" was an absolute delight to listen to. It's a tale brimming with wholesomeness and love, and I found myself utterly captivated by the interplay between the characters and, of course, by Magnolia Manor.

A special mention must go to the narrator, Aoife McMahon, whose talent truly brought the story to life. McMahon's narration was nothing short of amazing, and her ability to infuse each character with depth and emotion added an extra layer of magic to the listening experience.

Having savoured "The Keeper of the Irish Secret," I eagerly await more books in the Magnolia Manor series.

Both the story and the narration were enchanting. I am looking forward to the second installment of the series. Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy of the audio recording.

🎧3.5⭐️

I had the audiobook read by Aoife McMahon. The narrator was the main reason for me choosing this title. I really like her accent, and performance. She does a good male voice, but not sure about her French accent.

Lily broken hearted goes to visit her eccentric grandmother Sylvia in her Manor House on the West coast of Ireland only to find it in a dilapidated state of repair. Lily is determined to try and rectify the situation. Then it appears that the ownership of the house is under threat. Sisters Lily and her sisters join forces in the fight to save their inheritance.

This is a light easy going slow build feel good gentle romance. True to form things don’t run smoothly. I felt that some of the red herrings were weak. A disclaimer from me, a romantic feel good isn’t my usual genre, I got swept up by the Irish setting and narrator. I think I’m a bit too hard boiled for the genre.

I didn’t fall for the characters or their relationships. The girls seemed more concerned about their inheritance than their grandmothers predicament. The romances are sudden, no smut, but seem too convenient rather than passion filled.

It’s a shame that the house itself wasn’t included with its interior descriptions etc to give ambiance, and make it more of a ‘character’ as it’s central to the story.

It would seem to be the first in a series, I found it an ok easy listen, not at all taxing, one that you can happily multi task while listening to.