A NIGHT OWL REVIEWS BOOK REVIEW | Reviewed by: Terri
Erin O’Brien is well liked by everyone in her small Irish town of Ballycraig. She’s known as a hard worker and cheerful. Up until two years ago she worked at a jewelry store and planned to marry the only man she’d ever dated, Rory Brady. Rory fell in love with Erin as a teen and never wanted anyone else. At 15, his family moved to the US. There, Rory decided to become the first Irish born player in the NHL and he did. For years, Rory came back to Ballycraig for the summer and then suddenly he stopped. Then, he made the biggest mistake of his life. He broke up with Erin and dropped his best mate, Jake. Now, two years later, Rory has returned. He wants Erin back and he’s sure that he can prove he deserves another chance. What he doesn’t expect is how the entire town has gone from thinking he is their golden boy to hating what he’s done to Erin. Can he convince her to give him another chance? Jake is sure that if Erin tries hard enough that she’ll fall in love with him. Erin’s good friend, Sandra needs Erin’s help as she deals with a scumbag of a husband and four children. Erin’s mother is working her like a slave in her B&B. Erin wants her to find someone else to work there. It seems everyone wants Erin but no one has asked Erin what she wants. She has her own secrets and plans, if anyone would take the time to listen! This contemporary mainstream romance is absolutely perfect. The characters are real. From Rory’s cocky attitude to Erin’s determination to Sandra’s desires to Jake’s determination, each comes across as genuine and as if you could run across them if you visited Ballycraig. That’s not to say that the characters were always upbeat or things always went well for them because they weren’t and they didn’t. Sandra’s husband is abusive yet she has children to support and no job or skills. Erin loves her family but she wants more than her mother wants for her. Rory may have the arrogance of a professional athlete but he’s got a lot to learn when it comes to his childhood friends. The setting is done so well that you feel as if you could maneuver around Ballycraig. The streets are described as is the surrounding countryside. Even the local church becomes real with images of stain glass windows and sun shining through them. The weather even becomes a major topic with cool temperatures and wet weather turning everything either green or muddy. With the brogue coming across so clear that you’d think you were in Ireland, the dialogs only add to what is already an interesting story. The local slang and curses let you know that you aren’t anywhere except rural Ireland. This book was simply perfection. It kept my interest from start to finish. I hated the mere thought of putting it down which had me reading until I was almost falling asleep in the book. I laughed and cringed and had a full range of emotions as I followed Erin and Rory’s lives. There wasn’t anything bland with this story. I don’t think I can rate this book high enough. I do know though that I’ll be looking for Ms Martin’s previous books and look forward to her new ones.
Jan 24, 2012 | 9780425243688
5 - Rare Top Pick | 4.5 - Top Pick | 4 - I Liked It | 3.5 - Enjoyable | 3 - OK | 2.5 - It just didn't click
Book Blurb for Breakaway
Rory Brady was Ballycraig's golden boy, the local lad who moved to America and became a professional hockey player. But he broke his promise to Erin O'Brien-and never went back for her. Now Erin has moved on, and Rory must race the clock to prove to her that the man she fell in love with is still there. But can happy-go-lucky Erin risk it all and give another chance to the man who broke her heart?
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