Irish Meadows by Susan Anne Mason

I'll be completely honest: I wanted to read this book simply because of the cover and the title of this book. I know that's a completely lame reason when it comes to an avid reader choosing a book! But I can't help it. I'm drawn to books with "Ireland" or "Irish" in the title. Now that I've confessed, I'll also go ahead and state that I had never read any books by Susan Anne Mason. So I wasn't certain whether I'd like this book or not since I had a different set of criteria in choosing this book, apparently!

I really like the title of this new series: Courage to Dream. I think it lends itself to some very promising books in the future. In this particular book, though, the O'Leary clan are the ones who are having to dare to have courage. The sisters, Colleen and Brianna, must find the courage to go completely against what their father wishes for them. It's not necessarily out of spite.... it's just that they have a different idea of what they want. I liked these two spunky sisters, even when their sisterly rivalry was at it's peak. The character I didn't like quite as much was their father, simply because I wanted them to marry for love. I understand the historical times, but I still wanted love to be a factor in their marriages.

I really like historical fiction and am always amazed at the amount of information I learn in a well-written historical novel. I learned a lot in this book. However, there were times where I felt like the content was a little heavy on the history side. It was good, but it seemed to drag the story for just a little while before I got back into it again. With that said, though, I still found the story interesting and it did capture my attention.

I am looking forward to see what direction this series will go. It definitely has a lot of possibility.

Don't just take my word for this book, though. Find out what others thought by going to http://litfusegroup.com/author/smason.

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About the Book

                       Irish Meadows (Bethany House, July 2015)
Faced with an uncertain future, sometimes all you have left is the courage to dream.
Brianna and Colleen O’Leary know their Irish immigrant father expects them to marry well. Recently he’s put even more pressure on them, insinuating that the very future of their Long Island horse farm, Irish Meadows, rests in their ability to land prosperous husbands. Both girls, however, have different visions for their futures.
Brianna, a quiet girl with a quick mind, dreams of attending college. Vivacious Colleen, meanwhile, is happy to marry—as long as her father’s choice meets her exacting standards of the ideal groom. When former stable hand Gilbert Whelan returns from business school and distant relative Rylan Montgomery visits Long Island during his seminary training, the two men quickly complicate everyone’s plans.
As the farm slips ever closer to ruin, James O’Leary grows more desperate. It will take every ounce of courage for both sisters to avoid being pawns in their father’s machinations and instead follow their hearts. And even if they do, will they inevitably find their dreams too distant to reach?
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Susan Anne Mason

Susan Anne Mason's debut historical novel, "Irish Meadows," won the Fiction from the Heartland contest from the Mid-American Romance Authors Chapter of RWA. A member of ACFW, as well, she lives outside of Toronto, Ontario, with her husband and two children.
 

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I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.