Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I enjoyed reading this book. Jess, a journalist, now lives in Dublin, she moved from New Zealand and is happy with her life, doing her job as well as spending time with friends.

She loves shopping for old items and what she loves doing the most is to collect children’s books from years gone by. Jess has collected one full set and she does some research about the person who first had the books, after finding something written inside one book. She then decides to write about them.

Amy is the person who owned the books, and Owen is her brother. Jess contacts him and he tells her about Amy and what happened with her. This makes Jess more committed to writing about her. But, she can’t forget about Owen, and this starts her romance story.

It was lovely to see help and support that was present between Jess and her friends.

I recommend this book.

Jess is a journalist who writes a weekly column for a newspaper in Dublin. As a hobby she collects second-hand children's fairy tale books, in her latest she finds a dedication to a child called Amy. Intrigued she decides to look into the background of Amy and to follow up with where she is now. She manages to contact Amy's brother, Owen, only to find a tragic end to her story.
This was a bit of a slow burner for me, I struggled to get into it but then did start becoming involved in it. Amy has some great friends, a meddling mother living on the far side of the world and a poor taste in boyfriends. There is mention of The Troubles on Northern Ireland and how it affected those living there at the time. Countering the sadder parts of the book are some humorous moments to lighten the mood and some spicy moments to raise the heat level slightly. A book that I am glad that I persevered with and did enjoy.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

Jess Baré, a Dublin journalist, moves from New Zealand to escape her mother’s matchmaking. She enjoys writing, spending time with friends, and collecting vintage children's books. After discovering an inscription in one book, Jess investigates its original owner, leading her to Owen Aherne and the tragic story of his sister, Amy. Despite Owen’s moodiness, a romance develops between them. The novel also highlights Jess's strong friendships and her evolving relationship with her mother. While the romance could have been more developed, the story balances humor with emotional depth, making it a touching small-town romance.

The Little Irish Farm by Michelle Vernal

*spoiler free arc review*

Thank you so much to Michelle Vernal and Bookouture for providing me with my first arc to review through NetGalley!

This was just the kind of wholesome romance I needed. I originally applied for this as I grew up in Ireland and have an Irish stepdad so was hoping it would give me all the nostalgia. Much to my surprise the FMC is a kiwi (like me) who moved to Ireland (like me once upon a time) and a lot of the story takes place in towns I regularly visited so nostalgia was easily checked in the first two chapters.

The friend group reminded me of my late Mum and her girlfriends when they would spend days or nights together and I would get to tag along and watch a movie with the other kids or happily eat what they were having and listen in on all their adult conversations.

Michelle brought me back to a home I yearn for most days but instead of me being an 8 year old girl I felt like present day me living my life through Jess’ eyes.

If you're after a feel good romance that's addictive to the end, don't hesitate to pick this one up.

4 ⭐️

A very sweet story which drew me in and I was sorry to finish it. I loved the little farm and could picture it. The characters were lovely too. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I loved The O’Maras Guesthouse on the Green and the Little Irish Village series so I was excited to read this stand alone. Although I found it a little slow starting I couldn’t wait to find out how it ended. Three friends who have known each other a long time support each other through their various relationships. Jess has lived in Dublin several years but her parents still live in New Zealand. She has a very domineering Mother who telephones regularly for updates about her relationships. How will Jess feel when her Mother reveals that she is coming to stay for two weeks? Read it, I’m sure you will enjoy finding out.

I love Jane's story, her love for old books and more so about the stories behind kids who've read them. Her journey to the Irish countryside, finding her lost reader and love for herself; I loved it all.

3.5/5

The Little Irish Farm by Michelle Vernal is a sweet rom com with interesting characters with a visual beauty of Ireland.

So the good parts... Even though it took me quite time to adjust with the slang/language of the book, once I did I really started to enjoy the book. There are colourful, lively characters, who never let us get bored along the story. Jess was lovely. The best friends, Brianna and Nora, Jess's mom Marian, and especially her dad! He is someone who can read his daughter like book, and is as supportive and encouraging as he can be! Amy's story was told very well. It did give a nice touch to the story. And Oh my god, Wilbur... He is definitely a cutie...

Now for the not so good parts... As I said it did take me quite a while to enjoy the story. And I felt like the author might have taken too much time to pave down the story foundation. And this by default makes the first few chapters lag the entire story. There are too long sentences, quite a lot, which eventually make the reader wander off sometimes. And it might be my total imagination, but I felt at first, Jess and Nick had far more chemistry than her with Owen... That the author is trying too hard to connect Jess and Owen... Though later that thought was quickly swiped away.

3.5/5 stars for me since I ended up enjoying the story more than I expected.

And if these tropes excite you,
🐷 Irish Romance
🐷 Small Town
🐷 Childhood Fairytales
🐷 Farmer × Writer
🐷 Unexpected Love Interest
🐷 Tragic Backstory
🐷 Power Trio
Might well try this one.

Thank you Author Michelle Vernal, NetGalley, and Bookouture for sending me this ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Little Irish Farm is a lovely contemporary romance by Michelle Vernal with a small town feel even though most of the story took place in Dublin.

Jess Baré is a journalist living in Dublin, having moved there from New Zealand to get away from her mother and her overbearing, matchmaking ways. Jess is relatively content with her life, writing and spending time with her close friends and indulging in her passion of thrift shopping for vintage goods. Her greatest passion is collecting old children's books, and when she completes the set of one of her favourite series', she is inspired to look up, and write about the original owner of the book, after finding an inscription and the child's name inside.

Owen Aherne is the brother of Amy, the books original owner, and when Jess reaches out to him and finds out about Amy's tragic story, she is even more determined to write about her. After meeting the moody Owen, she has a hard time getting him out of her mind, and from there we watch a sweet romance unfold.

One of my favourite things about this book was the support and friendship between Jess and her two best friends, Nora and Brianne. They were so supportive of each other, even when they were being snarky and sarcastic with each other, it was refreshing to see such a great relationship between a group of women.

I found Jess's mother both funny and frustrating. I could understand why Jess was so annoyed by her mother at times, as she seemed to have a one track mind about how her daughter should live her life. It was nice to see them work out their differences by the end of the book.

If there was one problem I had with the book it's that I would have liked to see more of Jess and Owen together. I did enjoy their few interactions, but would have liked to see them together more.

Although this is on the funnier side, do have a box of tissues handy, because Amy's story was moving and had me in tears. I recommend this as a light, slightly emotional read for anyone who loves a good small town romance.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

"The Little Irish Farm" evokes comforting sensation of a warm embrace on a chilly day. The narrative brims with wit, warmth, and love, pulling me deeply into Jess's pursuit of her aspirations amidst the lush Irish landscape. I enjoyed the heart warming story, and the characters are portrayed with a depth and relatability that truly resonate. For anyone in search of an inspiring, heartwarming story that instills a sense of hope and joy, this book is an outstanding pick. I wholeheartedly endorse it!
Overall rating 4.5 stars.
My thanks to Netgalley for providing me an advance copy of the book for my unbiased review.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for my review copy.

This was a wonderful women's fiction with a great plot and memorable characters. A very enjoyable read.

Witty dialogue. Interesting characters. Great friendships. Focus on what's important - family, friends.

I would have rated this a five-star except it had some open-door scenes which I would have preferred as closed-door.

Releases Aug. 28th. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

Jess who is a newspaper journalist has moved to Ireland from the other side of the world. She's an avid collector of childrens books. She discovers a inscription in her latest find and it seems such a sad one that she decides to try and find the little girl and it takes her on an unusual journey

This was a cute story, albeit a little slow at times. I had some trouble getting into it at first because of the slowness. But by about midway, I was invested. All-in-all an endearing story with an interesting premise.

This was a lovely premise of a story, tracing the owner of a child’s book that was given as gift many years before. As the story unfolded it ended up a little predictable but still very enjoyable. A lovely romantic story with the unusual back drop of a pig farm. A gentle, easy read.

The little Irish Farm was a lovely read with characters I felt attached to. The story of the little girl who owned the book tugged on the heart strings somewhat and brought home a little of what people experienced.
My only issue was I had no idea why Owen had such an effect when the only initial interactions with him were brusque and grumpy; I struggled to see the attraction.

a journalist moves to Ireland, she searches for the original owner of a fairytale book. loved the setting and the characters.

This heartwarming story moves quickly with realistic characters. This talented author has written a cozy tale that is intriguing. Love and romance. Family and friends. Secrets. Recipe for an afternoon of reading enjoyment. Curl up in a comfy chair and be whisked to Ireland. Thanks Netgalley.

2/5
I really wanted to love this book, but it was such a struggle to read. I premise of the book was really interesting, but the execution just didn't follow through.

A light-hearted, witty romance that follows Jess Báre (pronouced beret), a self-declared Kiwi girl taking on life in Ireland's capital. Deciding to undergo some investigative journalism, by way of a children's book, her research leads her to a picturesque Irish farm in County Down and an Aran-wearing-farmer called Owen.

I'm always apprehensive of fictional romances based in Ireland and while The Little Irish Farm was cheesy and a little cliché, it was an easy-going read with likeable characters. It did feel a slightly repetitive at times, especially for a short read but if cute, light romances with little at stake are your thing? You'll enjoy it.