The Way She Reads

I’m not entirely sure what to say about this book. It was a fast and easy to read story in which so much happened that it was at times hard to keep up. Ronan and Felix were easy to like characters even if they did seem to be their own worst enemies most of the time, and Felix’s occasional thoughtlessness irritated the bejaysus out of me once or twice.

Overall, it felt a bit as if this story couldn’t make up its mind as to exactly what it wanted to be. For me there was too much going on in this book. There is the clash of two cultures when Felix and Ronan meet. There’s the push and pull between Felix and Ronan as they both do what they can to deny the attraction between them. There’s the threat to Ronan grandfather’s farm and the associated suspense. And while all of these storylines develop we are also treated to detailed descriptions of farm life and (rather glorious) descriptions of what is a most gorgeous part of Ireland. All of this put together was a wee bit too chaotic for me, but I’m more than willing to concede that that is probably a personal issue rather than a statement about the story.

I also felt the romance got lost in everything else that was going on which meant that by the time the two men at last admit to their feelings it almost came as a huge surprise instead of something with had been building for a long time.

I hope the above doesn’t make it sound as if I didn’t enjoy the book. When Irish Eyes are Smiling was a fun and easy read. The story frequently made me smile and even caused me to laugh out loud once or twice. I liked both Ronan and Felix and developed a huge soft spot for Lorcan, Ronan’s granddad. While the telling of this story was a bit too hectic for me at times, I can’t deny this book is perfect for those occasions when you want to read something that will totally distract you from the real world for a few hours.