Review + Giveaway: "Once Upon an Irish Summer" by Lisa T. Bergren

When I was first getting into adult Christian fiction (as opposed to series like Grandma's Attic and the Mandie books), Lisa T. Bergren was one of the first authors I discovered. Her books in the Palisades line (anyone remember those?) were some of my favorites. Over the years, I've picked up her books here and there, but it's been a very long time since I've read one of her novels. So when the opportunity to read and review Once Upon An Irish Summer came along, I couldn't resist!

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You Can’t Embrace Your Future Until You Deal With Your Past…

Fiona Burke has long been obsessed with Ireland’s famed, sixteenth-century pirate queen, Grace O’Malley. Now that she’s on the final stretch of earning her PhD in history, all she needs to do is finish her dissertation—with Grace O’Malley as her subject—then return home to Boston to defend it. Once that’s done she can compete for a highly coveted history professor position.

Fiona arrives in western Ireland aiming to interview the locals and find additional folklore to flesh out her work. But when she encounters Grace’s distant relative—the handsome, commanding Rory O’Malley—she gets seriously distracted. Rory shares her passion for history and Ireland, and cares for his grandfather and great-uncle in a winsome way. Unfortunately he also carries wounds beyond his injured leg…wounds that threaten to dismantle every little bit of a relationship that he and Fiona begin to build.

As a famed TV host becomes intrigued with Fiona—as well as convinced she should do guest appearances on his show—Rory starts to figure out that he might be as interested in his own personal romantic future as he is in Ireland’s epic past. But can he take the steps toward the healing he needs before it’s too late? It all remains to be seen…Once Upon an Irish Summer.

Title: Once Upon an Irish Summer 
Once Upon a Summer Collection (standalone titles)
Author: Lisa T. Bergren
Tour Dates: June 15 – July 10, 2020
Genre: Inspirational Contemporary Romance
Publisher: BCG Press (eBook – July 1, 2020, Print – July 21)

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Full of adventure, danger, and romance, Once Upon an Irish Summer is a great summertime (or any time) read!

When I first sat down with the book, I must admit that I struggled a bit with the Irish brogue, and the pacing felt a little slow. But as I kept reading, I found myself totally immersed in the story!

Fiona and Rory are both incredibly likable—yet imperfect—characters, and I loved watching them find their way to each other. I also really enjoyed both Rory's grandpa and great-uncle, and I thought Uncle George's Alzheimer's was handled well. I lost my grandfather to dementia, so Alzheimer's subplots can be very difficult for me, but this particular plot line was handled seriously without becoming maudlin.

Perhaps my favorite aspect of the story was Fiona's search for Grace O'Malley's emblem that may have marked the path to her treasure. Bergren did a great job of building the tension and sense of foreboding as Fiona became more entangled with TV host (and treasure hunter) Kiernan. I certainly wanted to shake some sense into Fiona at times, as practically everyone warned her about Kiernan, but I also could understand her motivation in taking a chance with him.

Overall, this is such a fun read, and it made me want to pick up the other books in Bergren's "Once Upon a Summer" collection! 4 stars.

Giveaway

Speaking of picking up the other books in the collection, Bergren is giving away a signed print copy of one of those books to one of my readers! Enter through the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Also, be sure to follow the blog tour, as each host is running a giveaway!

June 15 All of a Kind Mom
June 17 Relz Reviewz
June 19 Among the Reads
June 22 Fiction Aficionado
June 24 Woven by Words
June 26 The Green Mockingbird
June 29 Books, Life, and Christ
July 1 Hallie Reads
July 3 Christian Chick’s Thoughts
July 6 Bringing Up Books
July 8 Christian Bookshelf Reviews
July 10 The Writer’s Soul

Buy the book: AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | CHRISTIANBOOK | INDIEBOUND

RSVP for the Facebook live, which will feature prizes!

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Lisa T. Bergren is the best-selling, award-winning author of over 60 books in a variety of genres, that have sold over three million copies combined. She lives in Colorado Springs, CO with her husband and three big kids. You can find out more about her at LisaTawnBergren.com. 

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Disclosure of material connection: I received this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review, and the opinions expressed are my own.