By Sarah M. Eden
As an impoverished widow, Maura O'Connor has done her best to care for her son Aidan, working and living in the slums of New York City. Realizing that Aidan is miserable and that she has the dreaded "brown lung" from working in a factory, Maura decides to join her deceased husband's family out west in Hope Springs. Maura has been estranged from the O'Connors for years, but she hopes that the family will welcome them at least a little and that they'll be a family to Aidan when she dies. Arriving in Hope Springs, Maura is amazed and delighted that the O'Connors give her a home to stay in.
Ryan Callaghan has been working Granny Claire's land for years, planning that soon he'll be able to buy it outright and move his mother from the cramped home they share with his brother's family. Before he has the chance, though, Maura O'Connor arrives and is given use of the home, thoroughly upsetting the plans. Ryan needs the home for himself and his mother, but he also can't be the one to put out a widow and her son, especially as he comes to know them better.
Do you ever read a book and then because it was so good, you just want to bask in it rather than moving onto one of the many other books on your to-read list? This is one of those books. I finished it in the morning and had a lot of time during the day when I could have picked up another book, but I just couldn't do it because I had to hold onto this one. I love, love, love it. It's fantastic.
What makes it so great? Well, for starters, the O'Connor family. I think if I could pick a book family to be mine, I would pick the O'Connors. I just love them. Next, Sarah Eden is the BEST at character development. Her characters are so terrific--she really knows them and their personalities and quirks and stuff and that comes through to the reader. I love that, because the characters are consistent, which in turn makes them extra-lovable. (Drives me nuts when I read a book and the characters are all over the place and I can't really get a feel for who they are.) I loved Maura and Ryan from the get-go--both strong, good people that you can't help but root for. (And with the addition of some new characters, I'm excited for the possibility of books about them in the future!) The plot was fresh and interesting, and the setting is terrific--you feel like you're right in Hope Springs, wrapped up in the Irish culture there.
So, I have to say, I was a little afraid I wouldn't love this book--because I loved the third book in the series so much. Tavish, the main character in that one, is my favorite and I was worried the series would peak with his story. However, I'm happy to report that this book is just as awesome. I loved everything about. This is one of my picks for the best books of 2018! Emphatic 5 stars.
I read a copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
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