Boston is home to twenty-something Chelsea Gold and it’s telling that she lives just a fifteen-minute walk from her family. O’Shea’s Bed and Breakfast has been her comfort zone, both work and accommodation. Change is here, and AN IRISH SUMMER beckons.
With the imminent closure of the B&B, Chelsea gets a reference to a hostel in Galway, Ireland, run by the same family. The Wanderer is smaller and cosier, but job openings are few. Nervous, as she hasn’t been outside Boston, Chelsea takes some persuading but eventually decides to give the summer job a try. Better than a blank on her CV.
I am not at all sure this could happen, as Americans need a special work permit for Ireland, and the employer needs to prove they can’t fill the position locally. They could probably find a receptionist. Still, let’s play along. From day one, the hostel tour guide and entertainer Collin Finegan monopolises her company and makes suggestive and flirty remarks. This is less likely to happen than you might suppose, given the Irish laws against sexual harassment or discrimination at work. Even though everyone assures Chelsea that Collin is harmless, I find his decision that the pair should spend every day off together, quite creepy and controlling. He starts out by driving her right across the country, to a place without train service, like she would know where she was or could make her own way back if she felt nervous. Top tip; don’t do this.
The New Adult feel to the tale by Alexandra Paige comes with moving away from home to shared accommodation, being far from family who are, at the same time, just a phone call away. I did think Chelsea’s Jewish background should have been mentioned more, someone could have offered to show her a venue in case she wanted to attend, and while she doesn’t seem a strict observer, she would likely face some dietary issues in Galway. There could have been a nice culture blend in the telling, but we are just constantly assured that anyone with red hair looks Irish.
Young Irish people of course travel abroad for work during college breaks, so a role reversal is interesting. Chelsea has it easy in that everyone speaks English, but there’s a difference in currency, as Ireland uses the Euro. The scenery is also lovely. Chelsea is determined that she is going to get a better job in Boston, any day now. You’ll have to keep reading to find how AN IRISH SUMMER of contemporary romance concludes.
A new romantic comedy in which a young woman embarks on a summer adventure—and summer fling—in Ireland, perfect for fans of Sophie Cousens and Beth O’Leary.
Boston has everything Chelsea needs: her best friend, her family, a great job. She’s worked and lived at the same bed and breakfast since graduating college, and she relishes the sense of stability. That is, until she’s informed that O’Shea’s Bed and Breakfast is being sold and she has less than a month to find a new job and apartment. Desperate, she takes a summer gig at the B&B’s sister hostel in Galway, Ireland. It’ll be an adventure, she convinces herself, and it’ll give her some time to plan her Next Act.
As it turns out, Galway has everything Chelsea hates: nonstop rain, no iced coffee, shared bathrooms. Working at The Wanderer might grant her time and a few extra lines on her resume, but Chelsea can’t help but feel like she left her life back in Massachusetts. Her new coworkers, however, are determined to change her mind, especially the handsome and charming tour guide Collin.
Collin and Chelsea strike up a deal: he’ll show Chelsea everything Ireland has to offer, and only then can she pass judgement. Sure enough, Chelsea finds herself warming up to the hostel and Irish lifestyle… and falling for her charismatic new friend. But as the summer comes to an end, she finds herself torn between the familiarity of home and the tantalizing adventure of life abroad.
An Irish Summer is a heartfelt, transporting story perfect for readers looking for the thrill of moving away from home and the unique magic of summer love.
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