Reviewed by Emma Crowley
Can she finally find the home she’s always wanted?
Emma Wilson is running from a broken marriage after her life has been torn apart, and she’s desperate to start over. Escaping to a small Irish village, Emma begins working for seventy-five-year-old fashion enthusiast Judith McCarthy in her beautiful manor house at the heart of the tight-knit community. The quirky locals give Emma a warm welcome and, inspired by Judith’s passion for life, Emma hopes she can rebuild her life in this village by the sea.
As Emma and Judith’s lives intertwine, Emma meets Judith’s brooding son Miles. At first, the two argue over everything, clashing over decisions about the estate and how to support Judith. But when Emma begins to see a different side to Miles – a hardworking man who will do anything for his family – she can’t deny the attraction between them. But can she open her heart and love again?
Soon Emma realises that Judith’s bold spirit is hiding deeper troubles. The village that means so much to them both is in danger of being destroyed, and protecting their home will be the biggest challenge of Judith’s life. It seems the two women have been thrown together when they need each other most…
Can Emma and Judith save the village? And will Emma build a future with Miles? Or will she lose the only place that has ever felt like home…?
Many thanks to Bookouture via NetGalley for my copy of Escape to the Irish Village to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
Escape to the Irish Village is the new book from Ann O’Loughlin set in the fictional village of Killcawley and specifically the Killcawley Estate where one of the main characters Judith lives. This is a very easy and quick read. Enjoyable but perhaps not my favourite story by this author. Emma is fleeing to Ireland from England in the hopes that no one will find her. The reasons for her fear and decision to leave are evident although she does her best to cover up her scars. The physical signs may heal over time but the emotional torment and hurt that she has endured will take some time. She is hoping that Killcawley will offer the refuge she needs and the space and distance to come to terms with her trauma. She arrives in the village lonely and full of fear, anguish and desperation. Responding to an ad in the village post office placed there by Judith looking for an assistant of sorts. She is soon interviewed up at the big house and is offered the job and live in accommodation. Will this new opportunity be the saving of Emma and also in some small way Judith who herself is battling her own demons?
For the first few chapters, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I might have read this book before so I double checked and it is a new story. Elements of past books from this author are present and a lot felt very familiar but once I put this feeling to the back of my mind I began to settle into the story and establish what was going on with the characters and I hoped to discover why? Judith is exuberant and over the top and obsessed with social media and dressing up. Daily Tik Toks uploaded by Emma become de rigour and will be a strong force in fighting against the proposed motorway which would run right through the estate. Miles, Judith’s son, who lives in America is pressuring her to sell the estate as he feels she is not able to manage it anymore following the recent death of his father. But now that Emma is there and a group of solid and strong friends support Judith surely she shouldn’t be pushed from a place that has meant so much to her and still does. Judith’s vibrancy, energy and quirkiness were a ray of light throughout the book in contrast to Emma who at times let the gloom, frustration and sadness threaten to overwhelm her. I could see why she was like this as she slowly lets her guard down and reveals what she has been through.
Judith, Hetty, Marsha and Jack all form a lively and entertaining group who surround and embrace Emma at a time when she is very vulnerable but over time she starts to relax and becomes more comfortable in her own skin. I did think at times she was very judgemental of Judith and her unusual ways and I felt she should have been more accepting of her. After all Judith was the one who had provided her with a job and a safe space in which to recover but she soon to got to know Judith much better. Judith had many layers to her and in a way was buffeted by her supper club gang of Hetty, Marsha and Jack who were there for her no matter what.
Soon secrets start to be revealed and Emma gets beyond that external facade portrayed by Judith and in some ways she can identify with her. The development of their friendship felt natural and all consuming and when twists and turns began to emerge it was lovely to see the pair be there for each other and how the others rallied together with them too in times of stress and worry. Miles was a very divisive character who blew so hot and cold that I couldn’t keep up with him. He loved Judith fiercely and wanted to protect her but I think a lot of the time he read the situation and people’s intentions wrong. They say a leopard can’t change their spots but maybe that might have been different for Miles?
I did find that the book was slow to get going and to be honest for the first half it was a bit all over the place as not much happened and I felt there was too much repetition about Judith’s outfits which I understand showed her flamboyancy but there was too much of it for me. Descriptions of Emma going to the garden and describing the trees and flowers were very welcome in the first few chapters and the author did a very good job of painting a beautiful picture of the estate. She showed how calm, serene and healing it could be and if it was lost due to the threatened motorway it would be a tragedy for all. But I felt there were too many times where I read of Emma escaping to the garden.
The story as a whole took it’s time to settle down and find its rhythm which it did in the later half although there was still that element of rushing through major plot points. There were several subplots, some better than others but I found one was explored and dealt with and then before I knew the next chapter introduced something else and off we went at a hurried pace. The reader needed time to absorb each theme/topic as several of them were very serious and I felt I wasn’t allowed as much as I would have liked. Some of the topics needed more depth and exploration whereas others went on for too long. The ending was quite abrupt even though the last few chapters were wonderfully written, true and heartfelt. I was left with a burning question I would have loved to have had an answer to. Maybe I missed something or else it was left to the readers imagination but still I was prepared for a chapter or two more. All in all Escape to the Irish House was a heartwarming family story filled with secrets which hit the mark in a lot of parts for me but in some others fell short. Yet, that won’t stop me reading more from Ann O’Loughlin in the future.
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