The Keeper of the Irish Secret (Magnolia Manor #1) by Susanne O’Leary #bookreview #contemporary #romance

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Title: The Keeper of the Irish Secret

Author:  Susanne O’Leary

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: January 25, 2024

Page Count:  260 

My rating: 3 stars

About the book:

A mysterious old house, an unforgettable romance and a lost granddaughter escaping to the stunning Irish coast…

Lily Fleury used to love visiting her eccentric grandmother Sylvia in Ireland, taking long sunset walks on the beach and exploring the nooks and crannies of the family’s old home Magnolia Manor. But when she arrives from Dublin broken-hearted, hoping to heal in Sylvia’s warm embrace, she finds the once ornate Georgian house in disrepair and the gardens wildly overgrown. Sylvia has always been fiercely independent, but Lily can’t believe she hasn’t told anyone she’s been struggling.

Lily knows she can’t leave until she gets Sylvia back on her feet. Although mysterious local builder Dominic agrees to help, from the moment Lily looks into his fierce green eyes they clash over how to fix the sprawling estate. It’s only when she hears the soft Irish lilt of his voice as he sings in the local pub that their arguments ignite a spark of passion neither can ignore…

But when Lily finds a trunk of tattered letters in the gatehouse, she discovers a devastating secret Sylvia has been hiding about Magnolia Manor. And she soon learns the real reason Dominic agreed to help out. Lily wanted to save her family home, and could see a life here with Dominic, but will the truth force her to leave the man who has captured her heart and never return?

Fans of Mary Alice Monroe, Sheila O’Flanagan and Debbie Macomber will fall head over heels for this gorgeous, feel-good new series set on the stunning windswept beaches of the west coast of Ireland.

The Keeper of the Irish Secret by Susanne O’Leary is the first book of the new contemporary romance Magnolia Manor series. As with a lot of romance series the Magnolia Manor series is one that changes the main characters in each new book of the series with the setting in this particular series tying them together so they all can be read as a standalone or even in any order if choosing to do so.

It’s been a few years since Lily Fleury made the from Dublin to visit her eccentric grandmother Sylvia at the family’s old home, Magnolia Manor. Nursing a broken heart Lily has had thoughts of returning home and living with Syliva for good but when she arrives Lily finds that Magnolia Manor is in quite a state of disrepair that she never expected and wonders why Sylvia didn’t reach out.

Lily wants nothing more than to dive right in and help her grandmother get the home fixed up so when she meets Dominic, a local builder, she is hopes for his help. Sylvia however hadn’t let Lily in on the secret she’s been holding onto and once Lily finds out she and her sister vow to help with Magnolia Manor anyway they can.

Susanne O’Leary is an author that has quite an extensive catalog of books and I’ve read quite a few of them over the years enjoying them all. One major appeal to this author is the beautiful remote seaside Irish settings in which her books are set and this new series had that same appeal. For I believe the first time reading one of her quick romantic reads however while I still enjoyed the setting in this one I wasn’t as excited over the characters or more specifically some of their actions were sort of driving me up a wall in here. Probably just me since I’ve always loved the rest I’ve read from this author but this one ended at the it was ok but not amazing level for me.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Find this book online:

Goodreads  /  Amazon

About the author:

Susanne O’Leary is the bestselling author of more than thirty novels, mainly in the romantic fiction genre. She now writes full-time from her home in Dublin and a little cottage in Kerry.

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