This had quite a decent premise, but unfortunately, it wasn’t for me. I found the conversations stilted, hinged on turns of phrase that were rather unnatural. Considering that conversation occupied a huge chunk of the book, this became a deal-breaker for me. That aside, the third act of the story was a bit of a letdown, seeming to be an attempt at the classic romcom grand gesture, but it ended up falling way short of it, becoming rather rushed and slightly unbelievable. I did find the story concept quite cute, though; anyone who wants a quick Christmas read could try this out.

I do not believe I have ever read a Debbie Johnson novel before, but after reading A Very Irish Christmas, I plan to search out her entire canon. This was such a warm-hearted and feel good read.

New Yorker Cassie was jilted at the altar by her long term boyfriend/fiancé three years before our story begins, and she has recently lost her grandmother who was her champion and foil to her perfectionist mother and sister. She has lost her confidence and joy and is just drifting through life when her best friend encourages her to use her inheritance to recharge her life. Although this intro to her booking a month long vacation in an English town (with many, many Irish expats) sounds sad, the humor is prevalent and we immediately root for Cassie.

What follows is a charming story of Cassie finding herself again in a village with wonderful characters and two hunky men. There is a trip to Ireland and some answers to her beloved Irish grandmother’s past, but the story is just so much fun to read as we learn the backstories of the villagers and see how they cope with challenges with humor and grace.

This book kept pushing onwards with humour and surprises. There are knowing looks and glances that Cassie can’t decifer, the big old house with the memories and whimsy cottage that needs refurbishing. This is a fun read with lots of real characters and an every so often a little taking of the mickey of the English with the constant tea drinking, talking of the weather and swearing! There are two sexy men vying for Cassie’s attention and heart as well as a fabulous stray dog. Cassie is scared and hurt from the past though and might just not open her arms in time

Love Debbie Johnson books. Cassie decides to use the money her Irish nana Nora leaves her to go to Ireland to seek out where her nana came from only to discover she's in England in a place called Little Ireland. She gets wrapped up in the local life there and loves it

I loved this cosy festive novel, it's the perfect book to curl up with over the festive season. It was easy to follow, had a good cast of characters and the pacing was just right. Overall a good read that I would recommend to other people.

Whenever I see Debbie Johnson I come running. I have never seen such a beautiful author whose words and passages stay with you forever. One of her books is literally one of my favorite books of all time. What a treat to be able to read in advance this Irish tale and fall in love with a whole new cast of characters;

A Very Irish Christmas by D. Johnson, published by Storm Publishing, is a witty and fun read. Like coming home after a long day at work and snuggling on the couch with a blanket and a mug of cocoa.
Blurb: When New York-born Cassie O'Hara decides to use the money her sassy Irish nana Nora left in her will to book a month-long stay in a quaint country village, she's expecting a cozy cottage, steak-and-ale pie and plenty of Christmas cheer. Instead, she gets a draughty disaster covered in dust, a temperamental stray dog and two devastatingly handsome men vying for her attention…
There's Charles, the dashing English aristocrat with an enormous manor house and a heart of gold. And Ryan, a curly-haired Irish handyman with a past he won't talk about and an accent that makes her weak at the knees.
When Charles enlists Cassie's event-planning expertise to save his family estate, she finds herself working shoulder to shoulder with Ryan, breathing new life into Bancroft Manor. As village life weaves its spell, Cassie uncovers some intriguing secrets about Nana Nora's past.