Judith’s review of Friday I’m in Love (Wild Irish, Book 5) by Mari Carr.
Friday’s child is loving and giving . . .
Ewan Collins has had the hots for Natalie for years but she continually rebuffs him, supposedly because of their age difference. When Natalie comes to stay with the Collins family for a week, Ewan decides it is time to make his move in a serious way.
Natalie has been in a funk since celebrating another birthday alone. When Ewan proposes to help her “get a life”–seven lessons in seven days–she figures she has nothing to lose. Ewan’s plans include tequila shots, fishing, karaoke, and other, more erotic and hands-on demonstrations.
But Natalie’s loneliness isn’t Ewan’s only obstacle. Tragedy in her past continually takes Natalie to a dark place her mind can’t easily overcome. With support, tenderness and love, Ewan plans to win over Natalie one lesson at a time . . . staring with lessons of the heart.
Several months ago I was asked to read and review Book 4 in this series entitled Sweet Thursday, and I fell in love with the Collins family. I was delighted to be able to read another of this series for review.
This fun, loving Irish family who runs a pub and restaurant in Boston are the stuff of which America is made. They have their sibling rivalries and their problems, but they come together regularly to interact, to share their lives and their loves, and to gather in mutual support whenever needed. Ewan Collins is in charge of the restaurant and takes that responsibility seriously. He has been focused on Natalie Miller for three years. Good friend of his older sister, she is a professional photographer whose studio and home is in Palm Springs, CA and who has now come to Boston to compile a photo-history of the upcoming wedding of Ewan’s sister Teagan. She lives on the depressed side of life and is indeed caught in the dark side of that existence when she arrives in Boston. Ewan is tired of waiting; he is tired of being shoved aside because he is younger than Natalie; he is tired of his love and desire being belittled in lots of snide responses by this fascinating woman who could slice and dice just about anyone with her words. But Ewan is the one person who seems to let it just roll off him and move forward. In a moment of what Natalie would call weakness, she agrees to allow Ewan to give her seven days of life lessons, assuring him that no matter what, she will not opt out of the deal.
Ewan is one of those wonderful guys that anyone would love to count as their friend. He is generous and caring, accepting of people, yet willing to look behind the obvious as a way of knowing and forgiving the worst in people. This is one of the reasons that his restaurant clientele continue to eat there. He is patient and witty, meeting Natalie’s repartee with barbs of his own, with eyes that dance, full of loving amusement all through their encounters. He is a man on a mission–one week to reel this lady in. Ewan understands life and living and what would seem to be the simple tasks of his life are used to expose Natalie to her finer self.
Mari Carr has written a number of stories featuring the older woman/younger man configuration and she is very good at it. I find that she has a sensitivity to this kind of relationship and seems to be able to express the inner thoughts of the characters with an economy of words, not allowing the introspection to overwhelm the rest of the story. I am struck with the “normal” in this family and in the characters in these stories, and as a person who really appreciates the satirical, even the sarcastic, I was drawn to Natalie especially.
Perhaps the best part of this book for me was the probing of Natalie’s angst, the secret that seemed to short-circuit her whenever she began to get closer to someone. She covered it with her sharp-tongued responses, but she ran out of ways to protect her emotions from Ewan. Her only way was to run. I know that I am getting into a story when I begin to experience my own emotional drain as I read. I so wanted these two to get together. I so wanted Natalie to have the good sense to recognize her need of someone like Ewan in her life. So I know that the story was very well written and the characters were coming alive for me. Carr has continued to exhibit such inventive ways so the characters literally “jump” off the page, and her creativity in developing the plot and story line are obvious. This is truly, truly a love story. Surrounded by the boistrous living of a wonderful family, this romance tale is entertaining and engaging, and can’t help but grab the reader from page one. It is sweet, gentle, erotic, and clever. I think you will really like the ending.
Romance fans would do well to read this series of which this book is a part. I, for one, intend to get all the stories of the extended Collins family, and I recommend this book as a fine investment of time and effort. I give this novel a rating of 4.75 out of 5.
This book is available from Ellora’s Cave. You can buy it here in e-format.
You can read more from Judith at Dr. J’s Book Place.
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