Review: A Woman’s Heart by JoAnn Ross

Posted January 25, 2011 by Holly in Reviews | 0 Comments

Holly‘s review of A Woman’s Heart (Castlelough Trilogy, Book 1) by JoAnn Ross.

Jaded and bitter, scriptwriter Quinn Gallagher isn’t happy about being marooned on location in a sleepy Irish town–or renting a room from young widow Nora Fitzgerald. He doesn’t know that the only way she can keep her home is to offer him one–or that the happy endings he writes about so cynically can actually happen offscreen, as well.

I picked this out of my TBR pile on a whim. I was in the mood for a contemporary romance and the idea of one set in Ireland appealed to me. I absolutely adored it.

Quinn is a bestselling mystery author who has agreed to write the screenplay for his latest novel. As a result, he’s stuck in a small town in Ireland, staying with the Fitzgerald family. Quinn had a hard childhood and no longer believes in home and family, but if anyone can convince him that’s what he needs the most, it’s the widow Nora Fitzgerald and the rest of her clan.

Nora was ready to enter the convent when her mother passed away and she chose instead to come home to help take care of her younger sisters and brothers. Then she fell in love with the older brother of her best friend, got married and had a son. Though her marriage wasn’t exactly what she’d dreamed it would be, she was still devastated when her husband was killed in a riding accident. Though she’s wildly attracted to Quinn, she isn’t looking for love – especially not with a brooding American who won’t be staying long in Ireland.

Both characters had a lot of depth. Quinn’s past really shaped who he was, turning him into a jaded, cynical loner. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe in family, he just didn’t believe in it for himself. He was afraid to open himself up to love, either in the giving or the receiving. I liked that he didn’t push Nora’s family away. Though he avoided her in the beginning because he didn’t trust his attraction to her, he still formed a bond with her son, father and siblings.

Nora’s past shaped her as well. She was a strong woman, who had no trouble standing up and doing what needed to be done. But she held part of herself back – afraid to fully live after so much pain and heartbreak. It was obvious she needed someone to lean on, and I liked that she allowed herself to lean on Quinn.

Though she and Quinn tried to avoid their attraction, it wasn’t long before they were fully intertwined with each other. Their journey into love was emotionally compelling and hard to put down – I loved every minute of it.

4.25 out of 5

The series:
A Woman's HeartFair HavenLegends Lake

This book is available from Pocket. You can buy it here or here in e-format.


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