Heart of the Sea by Nora Roberts

Heart of the Sea by Nora Roberts

Darcy Gallagher, with her beautiful face and stunning voice, wants nothing more than to live lavishly--and find a man who will give her just that. A man with money and time to sweep her off her feet into a life of glamour. 

Trevor Magee, whose family has roots in Ireland, plans to use his wealth and business acumen for a theater attached to the Gallagher family's pub. His family rarely speaks of their past, and Trevor means to use his time in Ardmore to uncover those hidden secrets. Who better to help him than the tempting Darcy Gallagher?

369 pages. Book #3 in the Gallaghers of Ardmore trilogy.

Tears of the Moon by Nora Roberts

Tears of the Moon by Nora Roberts

Shawn Gallagher is content with his life in Ardmore, helping his siblings run the family pub and writing music in his spare time. The village gossips about why he doesn't put his talents to good use and make a profit. Brenna O'Toole, an independent tomboy and long-time family friend of the Gallaghers, has been especially vocal ... but she hasn't been so vocal about the love she's harbored for Shawn for years. Shawn hasn't so much as looked twice at her, but perhaps it was time Brenna take drastic action to get his attention.

346 pages. Book #2 in the Gallaghers of Ardmore trilogy.

Jewels of the Sun by Nora Roberts

Jewels of the Sun by Nora Roberts

Jude Murray's life isn't panning out the way she had hoped, so she decides to take refuge at Faerie Hill Cottage to study Irish folklore. 

Aidan Gallagher is back home after years of traveling, settling down to run the family pub. He has a deep understanding of Irish lore and myths, making him an essential resource for Jude. As he shares the legends that run deep within the country's roots, Aidan and Jude begin to build a history of their own. 

347 pages. Book #1 in the Gallaghers of Ardmore trilogy. 

The Titled Americans by Elisabeth Kehoe

The Titled Americans by Elisabeth Kehoe

The Titled Americans offers a glimpse into the lives of three privileged and glamorous sisters who married into the British aristocracy. When Leonard Jerome arrived in New York in 1850, he would go on to become a successful Wall Street speculator, whose fortunes rose and fell throughout his life. When his wife, Clarissa, took their three daughters, Jennie, Clara, and Leonie, to Europe in the 1860s, the girls would make quite a splash within the British upper class. Jennie married Lord Randolph Churchill, becoming the mother of Winston and the most famous of the three Jerome daughters. Jennie's marriage would launch her sisters into the highest circles of society, resulting in marriages for both. Titles do not guarantee happiness, however, but deep affection united the Jerome sisters so that they could weather life's sorrows and joys, in a bond only broken in death.

452 pages. 

The Likeness by Tana French

Detective Cassie Maddox goes undercover to investigate the murder of her doppelgänger, a woman who has been living under one of Cassie's previous aliases. The Likeness is unique because it is both very plot driven and beautifully written.

466 pages

Saint Bridgid's Bones, a Celtic Adventure by Philip Freeman

This historical fiction with a mild mystery is set during the time of transition just after St. Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland, when Christian and pagan ways were very much side by side and lords and kings tried to gain favor with both sides.  The story follows Sister Dierdre, a young nun of Saint Brigid's monastery, who is tasked with finding who has stolen the relics of their patron, Saint Bridged.  The relics are needed to draw pilgrims to the monastery with their donations, or the monastery will not survive.  Freeman populates his story with several colorful characters; who are not shy about discussing their sexual urges.  Sister Dierdre is no recluse, and is not shy about using subterfuge in her mission to find the relics.  Excellent feel for this period in Ireland.  224 pages.  

"From Missouri to the Isle of Mull: Impressions of a Little Journey by Three Missourians" by Ethelbert F. Allen, Campbell Wells, and Walter Williams

Written and privately printed in 1909, this little tome chronicles a five week trip from Montreal to the Isle of Mull and back.  Wells and Williams helped found the MU School of Journalism in 1908 and traveled with Allen, a bigwig in the Kansas City Masonic community, by boat and train.  Along with descriptions of fellow passengers, the book recounts Dublin, London (which was the most populous city at the time), rural England, Paris, Plymouth (where they attended the Institute of Journalists' annual conference), Edinburgh, the Isle of Mull, and their inhabitants.  It was interesting to read the impressions that these cities and people made on the three men over 100 years ago.  There are also some amusing observations, such as "Is living cheaper in England?  That depends on the living and the liver."  "Ireland is the saddest country. ... The land and inhabitants alike appear in tears."  And this gem:  "The Frenchman like the Englishman runs his business to get money enough to maintain himself and family in comfort at home.  The American man runs his home as a boarding house where he sleeps and eats to get strength to run his business."  77 pages; published in 1909.