A Very Irish Christmas: The Cozy Holiday Escape You Didn’t Know You Needed

Debbie Johnson’s *A Very Irish Christmas* is the perfect holiday read to whisk you away to the cozy English countryside. The story follows Cassie O’Hara, a New Yorker nursing a broken heart and grieving the loss of her beloved Irish grandmother, Nana Nora. With her inheritance in hand, Cassie decides to take a much-needed break and heads to a charming little English village for a month-long getaway right before Christmas.

What does she find when she gets there? A charmingly rundown cottage, a scruffy stray dog with tons of personality, and two very interesting men—Charles, the swoon-worthy English aristocrat, and Ryan, the mysterious but oh-so-handsome handyman. Soon, Cassie’s event-planning skills come in handy as she helps Charles breathe new life into his struggling manor, all while juggling her feelings for these two very different men.

The story has this warm, cozy feel that makes it perfect for the holidays—think *The Holiday* with all the snowy English charm and two irresistible love interests. The characters are sweet and relatable, and the setting is so vivid, you can almost feel the crisp winter air and hear the crackling fires. It’s the kind of book that pulls you in and makes you want to curl up with it, especially by the Christmas tree.

At its heart, *A Very Irish Christmas* is about love, personal growth, and finding out where you truly belong, making it a wonderfully heartwarming read for the holiday season.

This is such a sweet holiday romance. Cassie lives in NYC and her fiancé called off their romantic winter wedding at the alter.
She's trying to move on with her life but is struggling - especially after her Nana passed away. Fast forward to her needing a change...she travels to England and then Ireland. She meets distance relatives, stays in a small village and is welcomed by the locals. Enter the two potential love interests. I was very happy with the ending (no spoilers!) but it did feel a little rushed. This is a cute read for the holiday season.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

A very cute cozy holiday read.

Although it was said to be a romance i did not really connect with the romance. However, the setting, characters, and side storyline of saving the house was way more interesting to me and I enjoyed it all. I did like the ending though and glad that Cassie was able to move on.

Cassie is not having a good year, but who is at this point. This book spoke to my Irish heritage and want to travel to Ireland at some point, and my love of Christmas Rom com's.

We watch Cassie rediscover happiness, and while I am not always a fan of the two men fighting over one woman trope, this was a well written book. This book leans very heavily in some directions that make it somewhat predictable but it is a good lighthearted read.

Thanks to NetGalley, Debbie Johnson and Storm Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

my rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Callie is a little lost in life after a broken engagement and the loss of her beloved grandmother. She decides she needs a change and takes some of her inheritance and goes over seas for the holidays. She then finds a welcoming village full of character, an estate that needs restoring, and two amazing men.

There was a sprinkle of romance and a ton of charming side characters! The male love interests were both nice, but I think my favorite part were the quirky Irish traditions and phrases mentioned. The one she ended up with, I could’ve predicted but it seemed a bit rushed for the “I love you” in my opinion. If you’re looking for a cute, quick, holiday read—add this to your list!

I received a complimentary copy of this book—opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Netgalley!

A Very Irish Christmas is a romantic Christmas comedy.

Cassie receives some money from her Irish Nana that she uses to visit Ireland for a month. After being left at the altar she is in need of something to heal her mind.

It turns out she is asked to help a local aristocrat, Charles, plan an event to help save his home. She also meets a local handy man, Ryan. Both men pull at her heart strings and Cassie has to choose.

I enjoyed the cozy Irish theme and the cottage that Cassie goes to. The descriptions of Ireland are delightful, as are the characters.

A light, fun romance with humor in it will hit the spot this Christmas season.

I really enjoyed this story, a beautiful tale of friendship, community and love. When Cassie arrived in 'Little Ireland' in the Cotswolds from America looking for her roots she finds a lot more. A heartwarming, Christmas story that has all the feels

Warm, fuzzy, heartwarming all the feels.

This is a very atmospheric Christmas books filled with long descriptions of wintery scenes, beautiful cottages and historic manor houses.

I enjoyed how the MC Cassie goes on a (literal) journey for find herself bringing her big heart to what the locals refer to as ‘little Ireland’. The start is a bit slower but as the book progresses and Cassie starts to find herself I love how we see more of her personality and experience shine through and she becomes a fuller more interesting character.

Being a love-triangle-lite story I did find the time she spent with each of the male leads a bit unbalanced so didn’t find there was as much spark with the final love interest but all in all a lovely Christmas story.

Very cute and heartwarming story for the holiday season!

After being jilted at the alter, Cassie O'Hara, along with encouragement from her best friend, decides to take a vacation with the sum her beloved Irish grandmother Nora bequeathed her. So off to the UK she goes! Upon arriving at the air b-n-b, it's hardly fit for habitation - musty, cold, drafty, and all of the furniture covered. She heads on to the local pub, encountering a wild looking stray dog, and a wild (but in a much more handsome way) local called Ryan. At the pub, she puts her foot in her mouth about the poor condition of the rental to the owner - Charles, and before she knows it, she's staying at Charles' mansion, Bancroft Manor.

She can't but help when she learns that the whole town stands to suffer if Charles can't get some funding to keep things going. As a professional event planner, she jumps in and gets the entire town involved. And before you know it, she's totally immersed in town life. Along the way, she uncovers a distant relative and learns some secrets of her family's past.

Thanks to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Debbie Johnson for the eARC.

Well this just hit the spot for a good Christmas mood book. I highly recommend it. It has everything you'll need in a holiday book. I think the whole premise of the book was great. The main character uses money that her grandmother gave her to get out of her element and books a trip afar. And of course, mayhem ensues along with some romance all within the holiday season. What more could you want?

This was such a sweet story. The book follows Cassie O’Hara who is very down the closer it gets to Christmas. After being stood up at the alter and the sad tradition of watching that wedding video over and over every Christmas Cassie decides to do something spontaneous. She decides to take the money her Irish Nana left her and book a month long stay in a cottage. She is expecting the image she saw online of a cozy cottage, good food and Christmas decorations. But when she gets there she finds the cottage under construction. Quickly she meets the charming Ryan and the dashing Charles at the pub. Charles owns the cottage and apologizes profusely for the error in booking and offers to let her stay in his manor home while Ryan finishes the renovations on the cottage. With both men trying to get her attention who will Cassie choose?

A delightful British closed door romance. Cassie organises to stay over Christmas in the charmingly named Whimsy Cottage to investigate her Irish nonna's background. Trouble is, the cottage is nowhere near Ireland, and it's certainly not ready for her to rent. She meets locals Charles and Ryan and a cast of village characters. It's a low key love triangle with Charles a member of the minor aristocracy, and Ryan the gorgeous - if closed off - local handyman. They all have secrets and messy pasts which Cassie needs to navigate, not least of all her own insecurities. Ryan is a player, or not, and Charles is overwhelmed by his complicated family.

No spoilers, this is charming and messy and light as a feather - such good value Christmas reading 🎄 There's so much to enjoy - a cosy setting, friendly and nosy locals, kids and dogs, and best of all, festivities that are meaningful for everyone.

This has a little bit of everything and it was lovely to see Cassie grow into herself and regain some of her lost confidence. And she gets the guy!

Thank you Debbie Johnson, Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are all my own.

This was the first book from Debbie Johnson that I read.
To be honest I did not really cared about Charles' story. I wanted to know more about Ryan.
The pace was too slow and I got bored easily...

The ending was nice and what I was waiting for! Loved the epilogue.
It was a cute cosy Christmas romance but the pacing was too slow for me and the book was too long to my taste.

This was a great read. I loved following Cassie's story on her journey to the UK using the money her beloved Nana left her. It was a lovely, heartwarming and eventful. It certainly brought a smile to my face.

A Debbie Johnson Christmas story? Sign me up! I am quickly making my way through all of Ms Johnson’s books and I am super excited to be granted this review copy by Netgalley and the publisher.

Thirty-something New Yorker Cassie was jilted at the altar a couple of years ago and is still feeling heartbroken when she decides to travel to England. Her Nanna passed away and had left her some money and she decides to book a holiday cottage in a small English village for a month.
In true Debbie Johnson style, this village turns out to be a place everyone would like to visit with cute cottages and tearooms, a wonderful pub, lovely people, a stray dog to love and even a manorhouse.
In England, Cassie finds out more about herself and her Irish Nanna Nora’s past.

This was a wonderful book. Again. Unputdownable. Debbie Johnson is up there with my favourite authors. This book is great for curling up near the Christmas tree with a cup of tea and a blanket!

Well, this was very cute! It's a warm, inviting, fluffy, feel-good story. Whether you're dreaming of a manor house or a cozy cottage this Christmas, this book delivers both charming settings!

After being jilted at the altar, Cassie has been feeling down. Using some of her inherited money, she decides to book a month-long stay at Whimsy Cottage, nestled in a quaint, Irish-influenced town. Soon, two men enter her life—Ryan, the handsome Irish handyman, and Charles, the charming viscount from Bancroft Manor.

I liked seeing Cassie rediscover happiness through her event-planning skills and helping those around her, but the romance itself felt a bit lacking for me. Without giving away any spoilers, the story seemed to lean heavily toward one man, even though it was clear she'd end up with the other. Both men were great— that certainly wasn't the issue here—I just didn’t feel an overwhelming spark between Cassie and either of them.

Cassie O’Hara, a New York events planner, is going through a rough patch. After being left at the altar, losing her beloved Nana Nora, and coping with the fallout of COVID, she’s demoted to organizing children’s parties and is dreading the Christmas season, especially since her wedding was supposed to happen on Christmas Eve. To avoid her critical family, her best friend June suggests she escape to Ireland, Nana’s homeland.

Instead, Cassie ends up in the Cotswolds just weeks before Christmas. Her rented cottage is in poor shape, but at a local pub, she meets a charming Irishman named Ryan, a kind elderly woman named Eileen, and unexpectedly, her landlord, Charles, Lord Bancroft. Charles, apologizing for the cottage’s condition, offers her a stay at his manor, which is in financial distress.

Throughout the story, Cassie bonds with both Charles and Ryan, using her event-planning skills to help Charles revive the manor while finding healing from her heartbreak. Though her journey is full of challenges, Cassie blossoms into the person she was always meant to be.

This heartwarming Christmas story is about self-discovery and finding where you truly belong. With plenty of humor and touching moments, it’s a book you’ll want to revisit time and again.

A Very Irish Christmas
Debbie Johnson
Publication date: October 30,2024 (kindle unlimited)
5/5 stars

I LOVED this book!! This was my first book by Debbie Johnson, and I’m already planning my next one. Cassie feels lost after a break up and decides to use the money her Irish Nana Nora left her to take a trip. This book reminded me of The Holiday, but with two Jude Laws. It was funny, cozy and a feel good story. I highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley, Debbie Johnson and Storm Publishing for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

It's been a really long time since I read a swoon-worthy happily-ever-after romance written with just a few simple, sweet characters. The backdrop of England (Ireland), the characters, the town were all so beautifully portrayed that it feels as if we're also traveling with them. The way Charles, Ryan, and Cassie's characters were written in an intertwined way was really very sweet. I really enjoyed it and so I'm giving it a 4-star.

A Very Irish Christmas by Debbie Johnson is a heartwarming tale that beautifully captures the magic of the holiday season in an enchanting Irish setting. Johnson’s charming writing and delightful characters make the story feel like a cozy embrace, perfect for anyone seeking a festive escape. This book is a wonderful blend of love, laughter, and the spirit of Christmas, sure to leave readers with a warm glow.