A lass finds her way in a small Irish town... Heart of the Glen by Jennifer Deibel (Review) @ThisGalsJourney @RevellBooks @Austenprose #heartoftheglen #jenniferdeibel #historicalromance #historicalfiction #inspirationalfiction #newbooks #austenprosepr


Welcome! I enjoyed visiting historical Ireland in this story. Read my review below...

Heart of the Glen
By Jennifer Deibel
Christian Historical Romance
Audiobook, Hardcover, Paperback & eBook, 352 Pages
January 21, 2025 by Revell 

Summary

Can the lonely thread of her life be woven into a new and finer pattern?

When Saoirse Fagan arrives to start her new job as housemaid at Drumboe Castle, she is dismayed to learn that the lord of the house passed away a week prior. Already running away from the tragedy that claimed the lives of her family members, Saoirse wanders the road with nowhere to go until Aileen McCready offers her a lift and possibly a place to stay for the night.

Sheep farmer and weaver Owen McCready is known for his intricate and impeccably woven tweed. But when he's injured in an attack by bandits, his entire livelihood is endangered. A new—and distracting—mouth to feed adds fuel to the fire, and Owen struggles to keep his family afloat. Though Saoirse is eager to help, even offering to learn the weaving craft, Owen is hesitant to accept aid from this strange young woman, no matter how inexplicably magnetic he finds her.

But Saoirse is not one to give up easily. It may take extra effort on her part, but she's determined to convince the McCreadys that they need her--perhaps as much as she needs them.

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My Review

HEART OF THE GLEN is about a woman who feels she carries bad luck with her and is a danger to others as she finds her way amongst a brother and sister and a small Irish town. The story has spots of danger and hardship as well as moments of faith, friendship, family and romance. The small-town setting and a small farm nestled in the hills of Ireland adds a warmth and quaintness to the story. Definitely recommended to Christian historical romance readers!

This was such a lovely story. I immediately felt immersed in the Irish countryside and getting to know Aileen and Owen as Saoirse gets to know them. These were great characters! They had such big hearts, worked hard, and made a life for themselves as best they could. Saoirse and Owen both had some things to work through, especially Saoirse. I loved how their friendship developed and then how it slowly turned into something more if they could just work things out. I found it interesting learning about weaving as well. The faith element is pretty strong in a few places and over a couple of chapters. The romance was sweet and I liked that it took time to develop.

My only complaint was the extreme reaction Saoirse has and how radical her thinking about her bad luck. There's some drama about this towards the end that was too much for me, but then the author let things calm down and her characters figure things out.

In the end, was it what I wished for? This was a delightful story of resilience, friendship, faith and love set in Ireland with likable characters. Definitely one to grab for fans of the genre!

Content: Clean
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Austenprose PR, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.

About the Author

Jennifer Deibel is the author of A Dance in Donegal (winner of the Kipp Award for Historical Romance), The Lady of Galway Manor, The Maid of Ballymacool, and The Irish Matchmaker. With firsthand immersive experience abroad, Jennifer writes stories that help redefine home through the lens of culture, history, and family. After nearly a decade of living in Ireland and Austria, she now lives in Arizona with her husband and their three children. You can find her online at JenniferDeibel.com.


Have you read any other books by this author or set in historical Ireland? Have you every been to Ireland?

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