I love this author but this book was much too slow for me. I think she has a good helping of romance in most of her books and this one lacked the romance (despite the cover). I did enjoy the setting and the holiday!

Debbie Johnson's A Very Irish Christmas is a heartwarming holiday romance that transports readers to the enchanting English countryside. The story follows Cassie O'Hara, an American who, inspired by her late Nanna Nora's adventurous spirit, decides to spend the month leading up to Christmas in a quaint English village. Upon arrival, she encounters a charming yet dilapidated cottage, a stray dog, and two captivating men—Charles, a British aristocrat, and Ryan, a flirtatious Irish handyman—each potentially vying for her attention.

Johnson's vivid descriptions and engaging prose bring the picturesque village and its endearing inhabitants to life, immersing readers in a festive atmosphere brimming with Irish charm and wit. Cassie's journey of self-discovery, as she uncovers secrets about her grandmother's past and navigates a love triangle, is both relatable and uplifting.

While the love triangle adds an element of tension, some readers may find the resolution a bit predictable. However, the novel's strength lies in its delightful character interactions and the cosy, feel-good ambiance that makes it an ideal read for the holiday season.

After a terrible year that started with being left at the altar, Cassie O'Hara heads to a quaint English village for a Christmas getaway, using money left to her by her late Nanny Nora. Expecting charm and relaxation, Cassie instead finds a dilapidated cottage and two attractive men vying for her attention. As she helps aristocrat Charles with his family estate, she forms a deeper connection with Ryan, the mysterious Irish handyman, all while uncovering secrets about Nora's past. With her return ticket soon approaching, Cassie must decide whether to embrace the love and belonging she’s found in the village, or head back to America empty-handed.

In the vein of all good Hallmark Christmas movies, a conventionally attractive American leaves her sad life for Europe and is instantly embroiled in a love triangle involving an aristocrat and a working class man. The romance was fine, but I was much more intrigued by Nora’s history and how she came to live in America. Cassie was awfully naive for being a thirty-something New Yorker, and there were some things I found hard to believe, such as her not knowing what a Swiss Army knife was. I did appreciate the happy ending that came full circle with Cassie’s wedding, as it felt only right for her to have ended up with the Irish man, as a way of rediscovering her identity.

This story gave a bit of the Holiday and a Royal Christmas but with a twist! It was good clean, closed door romance with little spice. I adored it! Thank you to Storm Publishing...ONE OF MY FAVORITES!, NetGalley & Debbie for the eARC!

What to Expect:
⭐ Christmas charm/Holiday Love Story
⭐ Gilted at the alter, reinvention of oneself
⭐ Strangers to friends to Lovers
⭐ Holiday travel plans go awry
⭐ A story of loss of love and loss of a Nanna, grieving of both and the healing of it all
⭐ An overarching story of a woman finding out about her family history, traveling across the world at Christmas and finding herself along the way. Also finding LOVE!

My thoughts:
This was a very sweet and heartfelt story. Cassie losing her Nonna, feeling disconnected from her family after being left at the alter by her high school sweetheart and losing herself in the heartbreak. Was quite the journey to follow. Seeing her come back to life again in England was delightful! It was a story of growth and healing more than a story of love. I truly loved that there was more plot to the story. So many romance books can sometimes leave that out. A truly good one has a story that isn't solely centered on the love story but on the whole story!

There were moments I was laughing...Nonna sounded like a hoot and I really hope she is based off someone Debbie Johnson really knows because she would be a joy to know. I loved the sub characters as much as the main characters. The descriptions of the estate, the village & the landscape sounds dreamy and was easy to invision myself there! Something Debbie absolutely sells in this story. It makes me wish I could jump on a plane to the Cotswalds right now!

Synopsis:
One part American sugar, two parts Irish spice. Cassie O'Hara is about to discover the recipe for the sweetest Christmas…

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. With her return ticket looming and her heart pulling her in unexpected directions, can Cassie find the love and belonging Nana Nora always wanted for her?

A charming read perfect for the cold dark winter nights … Cassie decides to use an inheritance from her late grandmother to travel to England and spend a month in a cottage in a quaint picturesque village. She is soon introduced to the locals who welcome her especially Charles who owns the local Manor House and Ryan the dashing local handyman . Charles and Ryan do not get on and local gossips explain why.
Cassie soon finds herself helping Charles to turn the Manor House into a profitable business and it’s soon clear that Charles would like to mix business with pleasure … Cassie however is intrigued by the dashing handyman Ryan and his mysterious past .
A pleasure of a read loved it

I loved this book. It was such a cozy read. The characters and plot line were well written and thought out. I can't wait for more from this author. I recommend this book to those romance lovers out there.

Thank you Net Galley ARC and Storm Publishing

A Very Irish Christmas is like a warm hug on a chilly day—comforting, warming, and it’s a fast read. Cassie's journey in a charming village, with a bit of romance and family secrets, feels like sipping a big mug of delicious hot chocolate. A delightful 4-star holiday escape!

My thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this eARC.

After her beloved Nana dies, Cassie O'Hara, who is dealing with a broken heart, decides to honor her life by using her inheritance to visit Ireland, her grandmother's birthplace. She books a month-long holiday in a picturesque cottage but when she arrives, she realizes that the cottage is inhabitable and while called little Ireland, is actually in England. But little Ireland begins to grow on Cassie and she finds herself falling for two men in the village.

I liked this sweet, warm Christmassy book. The book was funny and warm and a bit heartbreaking, which makes for a great read. I wasn't sure which of the two men Cassie would ultimately choose, until the very end. I appreciated the warm atmosphere author Debbie Johnson created. There's little to no spice involved, it's more of a cozy Hallmark type book. It was a fun read to get me ready for the Christmas season!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a huge Debbie Johnson fan, but this book was a bit boring. I wanted to love it so much!! There was a bit of a love triangle and just not enough of the love part… I think if you go in knowing it is women’s fiction and don’t expect romance, you might enjoy.

Cassie wants a different Christmas this year, she wants to be far away from the judgement of her family and since her beloved nana Nora is no longer with them there’s nothing keeping her in New York for Christmas. Cassie books a quaint village in the Cotswolds for a festive retreat. When she arrives, she discovers her cottage wasn’t quite as advertised but it’s not long until (quite literally) price charming swoops in. She is welcomed by a small Irish community in the village and finds herself in a love triangle, on an adventure to discover her ancestry and on a marketing mission to save Bancroft hall.

I loved this cosy festive read, sometimes books like this can be a bit slow but I was completely addicted to this and couldn’t put it down. It was so easy to read and was the perfect escapist story. There was more to the plot than just romance and lots of loveable characters.

I was sceptical why it took place in England and not Ireland at first but it made sense in the end and was a magical story of a new beginning and recovering from loss.

If you love The Holiday and a hallmark Christmas movie, this one will be for you.

Destination contemporary rom-com with a huge bit of found family and friends. It’s cute feel good closed door romance.

# A Very Irish Christmas
# 12/19/2024 ~ 12/20/2024
# 5.0 / 5.0

Debbie Johnson is the queen of rom-coms, engaging banter and book boyfriends that you would love to meet yourself!

A Very Irish Christmas is the story of a woman who is very understandably feeling cast off, rejected and depressed. She decides to have a major life change and in doing so, essentially 'fakes it til she makes it' and feels more herself than she has in a while. Cassie meets two very eligible bachelors and before you know it, her true self shines out and she has affected those that she meets with her bonnie self.

There isn't any quick fixes in the book, nor is there grand misunderstandings between lovers. No kitsch tropes, just good, honest communication and following your heart.

I really liked the characters in the book, especially those up at the manor. A butler who is part of the family, the family matriarch and the 'child' who looks messed up but is dealing with trauma. Eedjit is the star of the show for me and has my heart.

A perfect book for snuggling up with in a Christmas mood and devouring in one sitting! Thanks so much to Netgalley, Storm Publishing and Debbie Johnson herself for a lovely ARC. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this adorable and heartwarming Christmas read especially with the holidays right around the corner. I fell in love with the characters, the dog and the small town vibes. It was very bingeable read and I was sad when it ended! If you're a fan of Hallmark movies, this was like a Hallmark movie into a book! Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. I was fortunate to be able to read it over the Christmas holidays and it gave me all the festive feels. I was totally engrossed in all of the characters and loved the ending. It’s a lovely feel good book and one that I’d definitely recommend.

Favorite Quotes:

Suzie hasn’t eaten a carb since 2015, and what she’s lost in body fat she’s gained in meanness.

‘How did he look?’ ‘Fat, really fat. Bright red zit on the end of his nose. Losing his hair. Revolting. I almost threw up in my purse.’

But your mom, and your sister? When they’re on a roll, they make Cruella de Vil look like a pushover. They’d give Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones a self-worth problem. They’d eat Regina George whole, and have room left over for Nurse Ratched.

I scoot onto some rental sites, looking for somewhere cosy and pretty and safe. Somewhere I can be me, but a better version of me. Somewhere I can recreate myself, and not play the role of the girl-who-was-dumped. I desperately need to not be her anymore, or I’m going to end up alone and surrounded by cats, watching my damn wedding video through my cataracts when I’m ninety.

He looks a little misty-eyed as we walk, and says: ‘The pubs. The pubs were great. And the cursing– they curse at everything!’ Mom makes him put dollars in a swear jar at home, which is a shame, because he loves a good swear– it’s one of his greatest pleasures in life. Sometimes you overhear him in his den, cursing away just for the fun of it.

Georgina is my daughter– although I sometimes wonder about that. I think it’s entirely possible my ex-wife had some kind of liaison with Satan. You’ll meet her in due course. I suggest adopting the brace position at all times.

‘Is that woman a professional bitch,’ I ask, ‘or just a talented amateur?’


My Review:

My infatuation with Debbie Johnson has only deepened with this cleverly amusing tale. I adore and covet her brilliant word skills and wily humor. My cheeks are a tad sore from the constant smirking I seemed to be doing during my delighted perusal. Her characters are authentic, quirky, and unfailingly endearingly. I will have to go through the couch cushions and crush my piggy bank for the coin to amass as many of her books as can be squeezed out of Amazon.

A Very Irish Christmas is a delightful holiday romance that perfectly captures the warmth, charm. and magic of Christmas in Ireland. The st9ry itself is fairly predictable, but it is also incredibly comforting. The pacing is good with moments of lighthearted humor balanced with more emotional scenes.

After being jilted at the alter, and not being able to get over it, Cassie uses some of the money that she inherited from her grandmother, to take a month long Christmas getaway to stay at Whimsy cottage in an Irish influenced town in the Cotswolds. It is on this break that she re-discovers happiness, romance and lost family, and meets Charles, lord of the manor, and Ryan, the Irish handyman.

I loved this book, with it's Christmas festivities, Irish humour, and a touch of romance. It's a cozy, charming easy read that I found myself getting lost in.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for letting me read a copy of this book in return for my honest review

When I started reading this book I thought we would be based in Ireland, but no, we start off in New York, then a hop skip and a jump we are in the Cotswolds! The Irish feel is here in the people and the hospitality and welcome that Cassie receives when she rents her cottage for Christmas.
This is a story of finding your feet and feeling needed in many ways and using your job to help others achieve their dreams, after having a few miserable years, and finding your place in life, physically and emotionally
We do have at taste of Ireland as Cassie traces Nanna Nora's history in Ireland and how she emigrated to America.

I love the way that Debbie Johnson writes, it makes for a joyous book and makes you smile as you read, but she also puts into her story strong storylines.

Fab book

A cute little book, I really enjoyed the journey of the main character from overcoming her trauma and discovering life anew. The romance didn't feel like the main focus of the book - more so self-discovery, so maybe bear that in mind if you're looking for a romance. But it did deliver vibes, coziness and a general Christmas-spirit. I'd recommend if you want something cute or are feeling a bit lost and want to read about someone else finding happiness.

Thanks Netgalley for an ARC, all thoughts are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the free ARC of A Very Irish Christmas in exchange for my honest review. This one was fun!

A heartbroken Cassie decides to treat herself to a trip across the pond for Christmas. She needs a change of scenery, pace, and people. There she meets a charming English aristocrat, a handsome Irish handyman, a friendly pup named Eejit, and a village that shows her warmth and kindness.

This rom-com was very cute and a bit Hallmark-y without being overly sweet. I quite enjoyed all of the characters and the atmospheric Christmas setting. It was really a perfect, comforting read for the holiday season.

My only (very small) gripe is that the setting was mostly in England (yes, England...not Ireland). However, it did mention The Butter Museum in Cork which is on my list of places to visit one day.

3.75⭐️