Hi y’all!

We are officially in summer mode over here! School is out and vacations are around the corner. The timing is perfect to share a review of a fun novel set in beautiful Ireland — Love & Luck by Jenna Evans Welch.

I enjoyed this story’s setting much like I enjoyed the setting in her first novel in this series, Love & Gelato. A fun road trip through Ireland with siblings as they tackle some big decisions and conversations.

Book Summary: “Addie is visiting Ireland for her aunt’s over-the-top destination wedding and hoping she can stop thinking about the one horrible thing that left her miserable and heartbroken—and threatens her future. But her brother, Ian, isn’t about to let her forget, and his constant needling leads to arguments and even a fistfight between the two once-inseparable siblings.

But when Addie discovers an unusual guidebook, Ireland for the Heartbroken, hidden in the dusty shelves of the hotel library, she’s finally able to escape her anxious mind—and Ian’s criticism.

And then their travel plans change. Suddenly Addie finds herself on a whirlwind tour of the Emerald Isle, trapped in the world’s smallest vehicle with Ian and his admittedly cute Irish-accented friend Rowan. As the trio journeys over breathtaking green hills, past countless castles, and through a number of fairy-tale forests, Addie hopes her guidebook will heal not only her broken heart, but also her shattered relationship with her brother.

That is, if they don’t get completely lost along the way.”

My favorite element in this story is the Irish setting. I loved the Ireland landscape and experiencing so many neat sites. It made me so excited to one day go to Ireland and experience some of this incredible landscape for myself. Plus, the fun guidebook with different excerpts from the book was a clever and unique way to introduce different sites. It was clever to travel through Ireland with the heartbroken. The different tasks to do to heal and find hope and love again. There were great sites and fun adventures in different places — the Cliffs of Moher, Blarney Castle, Cobh and the sea. I loved exploring Ireland with Addie, Ian and Rowan.

The relationships in this novel are well developed and capture the complexities of siblings’ relationships and families. The characters in this story are relatable and easy to cheer for especially Addie, Ian and Rowan. I wanted them to rebuild relationships and find new hope and potential in their lives. The story captures the ups and downs of being siblings. It feels so realistic as they argue and connect and discover more about each other. They navigate relatable high school problems and fears. I felt so sad and also proud of/for Ian and Addie as they navigate some big problems. This is definitely a book for high school students and older. There are some tough issues tackled (unhealthy high school relationships, pornography, bullying) that I would want to discuss with my kids if they read this in future.

There are a lot of fun details that create such a cozy adventure. I loved the musical connections and the writing and journalism. The road trip was really clever and fun to see different stops that meant something to Ian and others. I loved Lena’s appearance with her cute boyfriend from the first book. And loved how everyone rallies around Addie at the musical festival. Also, the ending was really nice. Addie and Ian make some tough decisions and have some difficult conversations but then they are able to move forward and have more love and support from their family. Everything wasn’t perfect but they felt hope for the future. I really appreciated that.

This is a fun Irish adventure that showcases the importance of family and good friends. I loved the Irish landscape and the building up of Addie and Ian’s relationship. A fun and serious story for Ireland lovers!

Have you read many books set in Ireland? Which are your favorites?
What is your favorite setting for novels?