Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and of course the author for gifting me this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

LOVED this book and loved the representation of chronic illnesses, as being a nurse, I feel this is so overlooked (although has been rep'd more in recent years). I love the main characters of Darby and Eyre and the chemistry between them, however equally loved the bonus characters of Sinead, Mak and the wonderful dog, Lucky. I really felt Brooke put so much effort into making this book flow so well and make the characters so loveable and I can't wait to read more books by her.

As the subtitle promises, The Irish Fall is a sweet romance.

Darby is a reluctant tour guide who spots Eyre standing really close to the edge of a cliff. He coaxes her away and thus starts a new relationship for them both. They travel the Irish countryside, growing closer together.

One unique aspect of the character of Eyre is that she suffers from multiple physical ailments that are not especially visible to others. As someone with multiple autoimmune disorders that do not 'show' on the outside, I found it to be refreshing to have a character share their struggles to do ordinary things.

With a slew of medical issues, dietary restrictions, and a future that isn't what she wanted, Eyre arrives in Ireland contemplating everything in her life. Darby is no stranger to tragedy and has walled himself off to others out of self-preservation. As Eyre explores Ireland, with Darby as tour guide, she learns more about herself and her growing relationship with Darby. A slow burn and clean romance, this heartfelt story has excellent secondary characters and the beauty and history of Ireland as a perfect backdrop.

I started reading this book while I was on a plane to England, and in all fairness it made me want to go to Ireland so so bad!! This novel by Brooke Gilbert is heartfelt and charming, it's a very realistic story, which only makes it all the more beautiful. Both main characters have gone through so much in their lives and to find the "missing piece" in each other was incredible to read.
As a romance reader, I loved the characters' names, Eyre and Darby, and all the old classic novels made my heart warm with emotion; and the subjects mentioned in this book were so important, especially now in 2023 and with what has been happening in the USA with women's rights about their own bodies, and the issue about men's mental health. Both issues are very important and should be discussed more often.
I highly recommend this book, because not only do you have a beautiful start to a love story, but you have one more love that started years ago and it never stopped existing.

Also it's official. Next trip I take will be Ireland!!

This was not the kind of book I was expecting. It was slower than I expected and a lot for involved.
It is a very serious book with romance at its heart, the author's note clearly talks about the content, and it is an honest book.
However, it was not one I was prepared for and was unable to finish it. I did give it a couple of attempts, but I think the style of narration was not my thing. I would recommend it to fans of the romance genre looking for characters with a little more depth, but since I did not finish the book, I cannot provide a more in-depth review.

Brooke Gilbert’s The Irish Fall not only captures a beautiful love story, but a journey of healing.

After undergoing a medical operation, Eyre learns some devastating news. Unsure how to move forward, she spontaneously finds herself on a plane to Ireland. While contemplating her future, Eyre encounters Darby, an equally damaged soul. Will this new pairing be the prescription they need to heal their deepest, darkest wounds? Or will it lead them to greater heartbreak?

Warning:
This book discusses some heavy topics. Mental/ emotional and physical illnesses are sprinkled throughout the entire book. However, Brooke does something I have never seen an author do before. In a personal letter to her readers, she provides a content warning and offers her assistance in accommodating/modifying the book.

Prominent features of the book:
-clean romance
-travel (Ireland)
-grumpy sunshine
-themes of forgiveness, acceptance, and bravery
-grappling with faith

I was shocked to learn this five star read almost didn’t happen. In her acknowledgment, Brooke shared she contemplated not publishing it, due to how deeply personal the story is. However, that would have been a disservice to so many. This is a book that provides representation for communities that are not only marginalized, but often outright omitted.

I highly recommend picking up a copy of this book. Brooke is coming into her own as an author. She found her voice in this book and I cannot wait to read more. I will be anxiously awaiting her novella, Dear Doris!!!

Special thanks to Netgalley, Brooke Gilbert, and Babbling Brooke Books for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

On paper, this book 100% seemed up my alley... a romance set in Ireland with mental health and chronic illness representation? Yes, please! I had really high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, I found I wasn't able to get into the story as I'd hoped I would. I couldn't really say why--- it was well written and engaging right from the start... but I just found myself unable to connect. Sometimes that has very little to do with the book itself, and everything to do with my mindset while reading, and I do imagine that to be the case with this one. Still, if you're looking for a sweet love story with chronic illness and mental health reps, I'd certainly suggest giving this one a read for yourself.

**I received a complimentary copy for consideration. All opinions are my own.

Darby meets Eyre when he is working as a tour guide and cuts the tour short because there is something about her that he can't get out of his head. When Eyre is not able to explain why she is there he takes matters into his own hands and takes her on a spontaneous trip.

Love the richness of the sensory detail and how Ireland and the village become a character. Very sweet selfless romance between Darby and Eyre. Darby does make an annoying comment about a short drive damaging the environment. There are also several characters with green eyes and reddish hair. This is an Irish stereotype that's actually not accurate. Statistically, there are more light brown hair and blue eyes. There is also a reference to a diaper, which, if I'm not mistaken, they actually call "nappies" for some reason

Not what I was expecting but a good read that will touch your heart. Everyone can relate to this unique romance with wonderfully ordinary characters.

cute but it was very irish if that makes sense, i read it in my head in an accent, and it honestly got a little tiring, would recommend to cute romance readers but probably wouldn't read again. very very cute though.

The Irish Fall

I have finished this book several weeks ago and I still couldn't find the words to put about this book because it's definitely beyond just another the travel in foreign country for escapism/summer break read. The story has a lot of deeper meaning and it's wonderful!

This book has a lot to offer, from the two wounded souls try to help each other while enjoying their -might be short- companion in Irish Village, to discovers your true self and the pain in the past that has caused it all. And most importantly, it's not only focused on the two young main characters' love story, but there's also a cute story of long lost love that its spark and flame never dies from the elderly couple. Two different generations love stories set in gorgeous Ireland that is so wholesome to follow.

After reading the story I guessed this is what happened when two wounded souls that meant to be meet each other to help heal each other's wound and starting over together. It's not an easy journey of course, I admire how the bond between the characters are growing gradually over time. It's a reminder that it takes a courage and faith to open up, be vulnerable, and honest to each other, that healing took time and open heart to receive any helps from our beloved one. Personally, I love these quotes a lot:

<i><b>I suggest we rely on each other for strength and see if we can find the courage to believe again. Because I prayed last night, for the first time in a very long time, and today so many prayers were finally answered.</i></b>

<i><b>I don't know how everywhere we go seems to get even better than the last with you. Guess that's just the beauty of being with you.</i></b>

<i><b>Love asks big things. And I think you're going to find that the answer is yes, and not out of obligation or pressure, but out of a true want and desire.</i></b>

<i>I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher and author through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

This one wasn’t for me but I appreciate the copy and won’t be reviewing anywhere. I just couldn’t get into it.

Ireland is one of my favorite places and I’ve luckily had the chance to visit some of the places mentioned in the story so it made it even more sweet.

There are hard topics woven in which is how you end up following the FMC on her journey battling all of the conditions she’s juggling. It was balance with some humorous moments but overall, it’s a book with hard issues and the emotional toll that having several physical issues can have on someone. And that includes loving and finding someone who accepts you as you are.

3,5 / 5

Foi com surpresa e até emoção que me candidatei à essa leitura, logo ao descobrir que além de ser um romance clean, ainda tinha abordagem de Doença de Crohn e por alguém com a doença mesmo! Por conviver com o tal diagnóstico já há uns anos, fiquei de cara apegada à personagem, ainda que o caso dela tenha mais particularidades, assim como em geral o Crohn age de forma diferente em certas pessoas mesmo, mas, num geral, no que diz respeito às crises, mudanças na alimentação e dilemas é interrupções de trabalho/estudo por conta disso seguem presentes na trama e foi bom ver um pouco dessa informação passada pela obra, ao mesmo tempo em que, antes de tudo, o foco é o romance a ser vivido pelos personagens.

Só que foi bem aí que infelizmente o livro não me agradou tanto. Se na abordagem do Crohn teve seu mérito, bem como da endometriose e infertilidade também tratados pela autora de uma forma bem bacana, o romance já soou um pouco distante para mim. A impressão foi que ele se deu muito rápido, tipo "instalove", de forma que me surpreendi real em reparar menções ao sentimento já após os primeiros capítulos, e isso somado à forma como os protagonistas se conheceram de fato, numa situação tanto delicada quanto inusitada, por assim dizer, me deixou bem distante ainda de me apegar ao casal.

Ressalto casal porque, individualmente falando, os personagens tiveram uma boa execução. Foi palpável, algumas vezes angustiante e até confortante acompanhar os dilemas pessoais de Eyre e Darby quanto a seus respectivos passados e batalhas, seja com doenças físicas ou mentais, e gostei de como, ao abordar isso, a autora não transformou num grande "palco de superação", mas ainda foi sensível e animadora nas circunstâncias deles. Ao juntá-los como casal, porém, isso não se aprofundou como eu esperava, no que diz respeito a me cativar e mesmo convencer. Darby e Eyre são fofos juntos, e tem uma dinâmica antes de tudo de amigos que é muito divertida, mas sinto que o romance se interpôs muito rapido entre eles, de forma até a fazer a leitura ficar um pouco cansativa em meio, então, às dúvidas e formas de encarar o amor deles que se dá a partir de certo ponto.

Então, por mais que o tema do crohn tenha sido interessante para a trama, o foco ainda era o romance, mas este não me convenceu de fato. Por vezes até se desenvolveu melhor entre dois secundários em certo ponto ali do enredo, do que entre os protagonistas, para mim, e isso mesmo a Eyre e o Darby me agradando individualmente no livro, só não como casal. Não senti de fato a grande combinação que eles eram juntos, o que não me impediu de achar fofo uma cena ou outra deles, mas eu esperava ser mais envolvida e isso não aconteceu. Ainda assim, dependendo de como você gostar que o romance se desenvolva ou não, pode funcionar super para você, e o fato de ser clean também é positivo. Há algumas menções à fé cristã também, mas não a ponto de eu considerá-lo como ficção cristã. É isso.

Let me start of with, in general, I really don't like the instant love trope. And it wasnt my fav here either. (Not because of the writing, the writing was great.) But eventhough they instantly fell for each other, there was plenty of time for those feelings to develop further. So it felt a little less instant and at some points I even forgot they had an insta-love meeting!!

But that aspect of the story didn't keep me from giving this book a high rating. Because overall I really really loved the story. The Irish words made me chuckle, the emotional vulnerability made me tear up and the chronic illness representation made me want to scream because it was SO GOOD.

Brooke Gilbert really gets it, what it's like to live with chronic pain and these other conditions. Own-voices stories are so imporant and I highly recommend you read this one. Because it gives the reader such insight on the life & obstacles of a chronically ill person without feeling patronizing.

And although I dislike the instant love part of their relationship, I really was rooting for Darby & Eyre. They made such a sweet couple and were really good for each other!

As somebody who has endometriosis, I really wanted to love this book. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. It was the first book of the year that I decided not to finish. The Irish setting and endo plot is something that would have been right up my alley, but the cheesy characters and unrealistic character development killed it for me. I’m grateful that the author is shining light on subjects like endo, but this book wasn’t for me.

Screaming, crying, throwing pillows, clenching my chest EMOTIONS ARE OVER FLOWING!!

I JUST LOVED ALL THE CHARACTERS, THE STORY, THE WAY THIS STORY DEVELOPED, THE WAY THE EMOTIONS WERE EXPRESSED. IT WAS ALL SO BEAUTIFUL!!! 😭😭😭😭🥹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

Just one thing which I felt was a drawback was excessive use of analogy. When the reader (like me) haven’t watch or know the movies or characters and the author keeps using those to compare the situations/feelings of the characters, it felt kinda annoying because I couldn’t relate to those things.
4.75🌟

I enjoyed how the story and how cute it was! The characters are relatable and the plot kept me interested! Would be a great book club book!

Such a good surprise! This romance is really real and cute and a great reading! The pace is not too slow and the character building is just good! I'd read this again

With thanks to NetGalley for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.