| Author: | Susan Colleen Browne | ISBN: | 9780981607795 |
| Publisher: | Whitethorn Press | Publication: | May 15, 2015 |
| Imprint: | Language: | English |
| Author: | Susan Colleen Browne |
| ISBN: | 9780981607795 |
| Publisher: | Whitethorn Press |
| Publication: | May 15, 2015 |
| Imprint: | |
| Language: | English |
“The Hopeful Romantic was a pleasure to read for its engaging characters, its authenticity, and its unforgettable moments. It is a poignant and, sometimes humorous, old-fashioned romantic story…” —Chanticleer Book Reviews
In this tender novel of family, healing, and second chances, Kerry McCormack, an Irish thirtysomething wife and mother, dreams of trading her office job for a simpler life. After years of a passionate marriage, she’s grown apart from her husband Stephen, who hides his longing for a close family. Unresolved grief over a recent miscarriage haunts their relationship, and at the same time, their teenage son's curiosity about his parenthood presents a troubling new challenge...Then a dilemma from Kerry’s past suddenly comes to light.
When country-loving Kerry accepts an unexpected invitation from an old friend of Stephen’s—a friend she once fancied— for a weekend in the little village of Ballydara, she’s anticipating an idyllic family get-together with free-spirited Will and his family. Yet the grief shadowing her makes her a little too susceptible to Will’s charm. He’s the catalyst that exposes long-buried secrets between Kerry and Stephen, and the regrets that haunt them both.
As Kerry’s hopes for love and her family’s future seem out of reach, will she and Stephen regain the passion they once shared before it's too late?
The Galway Girls, Book 4 of the series and the sequel to The Hopeful Romantic, is another warmhearted novel of love, friendship and family...and the first book of the Ballydara series, It Only Takes Once, is now free!
About the author:
Susan Colleen Browne is the creator of the Village of Ballydara series, Irish romantic women's fiction, and the Morgan Carey adventure series for tweens. She's also the author of an award-winning, country-set memoir, Little Farm in the Foothills: A Boomer Couple's Search for the Slow Life, and the sequel, Little Farm Homegrown. Susan is a community college instructor and lives with her husband in the foothills of the Pacific Northwest, USA.
When she's not in the garden, Susan is working on a new Village of Ballydara book!
Here's the full review from Chanticleer Book Reviews:
"The Hopeful Romantic, Book 3 of The Village of Ballydara series, will transport you to the quaint farmlands of Ireland and to the city life of Dublin. The descriptions of the picturesque countryside of Ireland truly leave the reader wanting to hop a plane and visit the beautiful land. However, even more compelling than the scenery depicted, is the story of a couple who after many years of marriage has begun to feel that their relationship is predictable and “comfortable” allowing for the wrong sort of habits to seep in--the habits that can cause discord and heartache.
How far can two people let things go before it is too late to save a relationship? The Hopeful Romantic is a story of what happens when a couple assumes that no effort is needed to maintain their relationship and then inevitably realize that their marriage is at risk.
Kerry, the novel’s protagonist, after struggling to get back on track after her mother’s cancer scare and a personal loss that Kerry can’t come to grips with, begins to ask the question, “what if?” What if she had married Will, her husband’s witty and charming best friend, instead of her steady, boring, and reliable husband Stephen? Would she be happier in her life? Would she feel more passion? Now that the rift between her and Stephen seems to be growing, it also appears that each of them is keeping secrets from the other, along with not being completely honest in their communications. Is their marriage beyond saving?
The pages of this engaging story explores many facets about marriage, relationships, and family life, as well as the consequences of romanticizing the past, which may leave only an empty heart unable to find happiness. Most importantly, the story reinforces the need of communication and honesty to heal the many challenges that happen along the way in relationships. The author, Susan Colleen Browne, writes with clarity and bluntness about how much effort and honest communication goes into keeping a marriage alive and its partners happy.
The Hopeful Romantic was a pleasure to read for its engaging characters, its authenticity, and its unforgettable moments. It is a poignant and, sometimes humorous, old-fashioned romantic story that rings true in its lesson: It has been said that for a marriage to work, that the partners must fall in love over and over with each other. Kudos to Browne for capturing this important life lesson about re-discovering true love in such an entertaining manner. We certainly do hope that the author will continue to transport us to the Emerald Isle in her next novel in the Village of Ballydara series."
“The Hopeful Romantic was a pleasure to read for its engaging characters, its authenticity, and its unforgettable moments. It is a poignant and, sometimes humorous, old-fashioned romantic story…” —Chanticleer Book Reviews
In this tender novel of family, healing, and second chances, Kerry McCormack, an Irish thirtysomething wife and mother, dreams of trading her office job for a simpler life. After years of a passionate marriage, she’s grown apart from her husband Stephen, who hides his longing for a close family. Unresolved grief over a recent miscarriage haunts their relationship, and at the same time, their teenage son's curiosity about his parenthood presents a troubling new challenge...Then a dilemma from Kerry’s past suddenly comes to light.
When country-loving Kerry accepts an unexpected invitation from an old friend of Stephen’s—a friend she once fancied— for a weekend in the little village of Ballydara, she’s anticipating an idyllic family get-together with free-spirited Will and his family. Yet the grief shadowing her makes her a little too susceptible to Will’s charm. He’s the catalyst that exposes long-buried secrets between Kerry and Stephen, and the regrets that haunt them both.
As Kerry’s hopes for love and her family’s future seem out of reach, will she and Stephen regain the passion they once shared before it's too late?
The Galway Girls, Book 4 of the series and the sequel to The Hopeful Romantic, is another warmhearted novel of love, friendship and family...and the first book of the Ballydara series, It Only Takes Once, is now free!
About the author:
Susan Colleen Browne is the creator of the Village of Ballydara series, Irish romantic women's fiction, and the Morgan Carey adventure series for tweens. She's also the author of an award-winning, country-set memoir, Little Farm in the Foothills: A Boomer Couple's Search for the Slow Life, and the sequel, Little Farm Homegrown. Susan is a community college instructor and lives with her husband in the foothills of the Pacific Northwest, USA.
When she's not in the garden, Susan is working on a new Village of Ballydara book!
Here's the full review from Chanticleer Book Reviews:
"The Hopeful Romantic, Book 3 of The Village of Ballydara series, will transport you to the quaint farmlands of Ireland and to the city life of Dublin. The descriptions of the picturesque countryside of Ireland truly leave the reader wanting to hop a plane and visit the beautiful land. However, even more compelling than the scenery depicted, is the story of a couple who after many years of marriage has begun to feel that their relationship is predictable and “comfortable” allowing for the wrong sort of habits to seep in--the habits that can cause discord and heartache.
How far can two people let things go before it is too late to save a relationship? The Hopeful Romantic is a story of what happens when a couple assumes that no effort is needed to maintain their relationship and then inevitably realize that their marriage is at risk.
Kerry, the novel’s protagonist, after struggling to get back on track after her mother’s cancer scare and a personal loss that Kerry can’t come to grips with, begins to ask the question, “what if?” What if she had married Will, her husband’s witty and charming best friend, instead of her steady, boring, and reliable husband Stephen? Would she be happier in her life? Would she feel more passion? Now that the rift between her and Stephen seems to be growing, it also appears that each of them is keeping secrets from the other, along with not being completely honest in their communications. Is their marriage beyond saving?
The pages of this engaging story explores many facets about marriage, relationships, and family life, as well as the consequences of romanticizing the past, which may leave only an empty heart unable to find happiness. Most importantly, the story reinforces the need of communication and honesty to heal the many challenges that happen along the way in relationships. The author, Susan Colleen Browne, writes with clarity and bluntness about how much effort and honest communication goes into keeping a marriage alive and its partners happy.
The Hopeful Romantic was a pleasure to read for its engaging characters, its authenticity, and its unforgettable moments. It is a poignant and, sometimes humorous, old-fashioned romantic story that rings true in its lesson: It has been said that for a marriage to work, that the partners must fall in love over and over with each other. Kudos to Browne for capturing this important life lesson about re-discovering true love in such an entertaining manner. We certainly do hope that the author will continue to transport us to the Emerald Isle in her next novel in the Village of Ballydara series."
