Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Dancing to an Irish Reel” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Read Book

Dancing to an Irish Reel

Claire Fullerton (Goodreads Author)

4.22 · Rating details · 64 ratings · 34 reviews

Twenty five year old Hailey Crossan takes a trip to Ireland during her sabbatical from the Los Angeles record business. While on the trip, she is unexpectedly offered a job in the Irish music business that is too good to turn down, so she decides to stay.
Although Hailey works in Galway City, she lives in the rural area of Connemara, an area steeped in history and famous f ...more

Get A Copy

Paperback, 222 pages

Published March 31st 2015 by Vinspire Publishing, LLC (first published March 4th 2015)

More Details... Edit Details

Win a Copy of This Book

Dancing to an Irish Reel

Claire Fullerton (Goodreads Author)

Release date: Mar 06, 2015

Enter for a chance to win 1 of 2, author signed copies of Dancing to an Irish Reel, set on the west coast of Ireland: Galway City and rural Connemara.

Enter Giveaway

Format: Print book

Giveaway ends in: a

Availability: 2 copies available, 702 people requesting

Giveaway dates: Mar 04 - Mar 20, 2021

Countries available: U.S.

read on goodreads

View details »

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Dancing to an Irish Reel, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Éire: Contemporary Romances Set in Ireland

77 books — 27 voters

Romance in Ireland (and/or) Irish Heroes and Heroines

444 books — 401 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 4.22 ·

Rating details

· 64 ratings · 34 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Dancing to an Irish Reel

Sep 16, 2015 Ronovan Hester rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Lovers of Ireland and Reality Romance

Recommended to Ronovan by: Claire Fullerton

Shelves: re-read-worthy, 5-star-reviews

I received a copy of the book for an honest review. Here it comes.
I loved how Claire Fullerton parallels the romance of Hailey, the L.A. music exec who has escaped to Ireland and Liam Hennessey, the young traditional Irish musician and Claire's romance with Ireland itself.
As she learns and grows to understand Ireland so does she begin to understand Liam.
The imagery of the setting in Ireland is perfect. The characters are real, and you can tell the author knows these people and how they really ar ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Mar 03, 2015 Ellen Comeskey rated it it was amazing

My favorite kind of book is one where I feel like the narrator is speaking only to me, and “Dancing to an Irish Reel” is just that! Reading this book had me feeling like I was sitting talking to a friend; its tone is so immediately intimate as the narrator, Hailey Crossan, tells her story that I didn’t feel the need to interrupt by asking questions about this American’s spell binding experience in rural Ireland!

A short, crisp prologue tells us with plausibility how the narrator came to leave Los My favorite kind of book is one where I feel like the narrator is speaking only to me, and “Dancing to an Irish Reel” is just that! Reading this book had me feeling like I was sitting talking to a friend; its tone is so immediately intimate as the narrator, Hailey Crossan, tells her story that I didn’t feel the need to interrupt by asking questions about this American’s spell binding experience in rural Ireland!

A short, crisp prologue tells us with plausibility how the narrator came to leave Los Angeles and make her home on Ireland’s west coast. From the first engaging chapter, we are given a vivid sense of place as we are introduced to both Galway City, where Hailey works at the Galway Music Center, and the countryside of Connemara, where she makes her home. Both settings are painted cleverly in a manner that “shows” and never “tells” because the book takes off with action!

Twenty five year old Hailey Crossan is a savvy, insightful, fish out of water who has the kind of self-confidence to move to a new country without knowing a soul. She quickly surrounds herself with a group of Irish friends who are instrumental to the building story, for when she meets an intriguing musician named Liam Hennessey, who is clearly interested in her but has a funny way of showing it, they are by her side with their running commentary, which is often times funny and always revealing of how the Irish conduct themselves in a nuanced culture that Hailey is trying to understand.

At the heart of “Dancing to an Irish Reel” is the potential for new love, and the reader is lured along its uncertain development by being privy to exactly what Hailey is thinking as Liam Hennessey sends out mixed signals in his awkward courtship. I found myself laughing out loud at the dynamic’s accuracy in this realistic portrayal of an attraction that keeps the narrator guessing and has no guarantee.

But “Dancing to an Irish Reel” is also a lyrically written story. Its language is fluid and beautifully descriptive with laser sharp intelligence and pacing without any gaps. It reads like a celebration of hope, youth, friendship, and discovery as the narrator confidentially shares her longing to connect and her awestruck appreciation for all that is Irish. From the portrayal of the landscape to the character of Ireland's people, it is an outsider’s travelogue experienced through the heart and a rollicking good time all at once!
...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Mar 23, 2015 Kathleen Kelly rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: the romantic!

Love and Ireland! Ah Ireland! Just thinking of Ireland makes me wistful. Dancing to an Irish Reel by Claire Fullerton is a story of a young woman, Hailey, who takes a trip to Ireland and ends up staying, albiet illegally as her visa expired, and working in an Irish music business helping to bring exposure to local talents. While there she meets a young talented traditional musician, Liam. Liam is a very quiet, reserved and broody young man and Hailey develops an attraction to him.

The author we ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Mar 26, 2018 Amy Reade rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Beautiful

This book has been on my TBR for a long time and I was happy to finally be able to read it. And all I can say is that I wish I had read it sooner. The book is almost lyrical in its language as the author discusses everything from fate to music to travel in Ireland. All of this is wrapped in a tentative romance between an American woman and an Irish man, and I don't know when I last read a book that so perfectly captures the uncertainty of new romance. I highly recommend the book. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Mar 02, 2016 Cathy Ryan rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, romance

4.5*
The story revolves around Hailey, an American with celtic roots, and is told from her perspective. She came to Ireland on holiday and stayed on, working as part of a team of four, for the Galway Music Centre, looking for, and helping, aspiring musicians. Hailey has settled into the community and is getting used to the laid back approach, differences in lifestyle and the small town feel where everyone knows everyone else’s business. She’s made good friends, most notably Shannon who also works 4.5*
The story revolves around Hailey, an American with celtic roots, and is told from her perspective. She came to Ireland on holiday and stayed on, working as part of a team of four, for the Galway Music Centre, looking for, and helping, aspiring musicians. Hailey has settled into the community and is getting used to the laid back approach, differences in lifestyle and the small town feel where everyone knows everyone else’s business. She’s made good friends, most notably Shannon who also works at the music centre, and Mick and Gabrielle, her neighbours who ‘lived deep in the bog’ behind her cottage.

When Hailey meets the darkly handsome Liam Hennessy, the contrast is even more apparent. Liam is a musician, not one for straight talking or letting his feelings be known when it comes to love or commitment. Hailey is self-confident and natural in her relationships and comfortable with herself. They are complete opposites and Hailey’s frustration with Liam’s awkward internal conflict and the misunderstandings it causes, is delivered extremely well. Liam is unable to take the relationship further or completely withdraw from it. Hailey is very attracted to him but struggles to interpret or understand Liam’s behaviour.

Written from Hailey’s point of view, the narrative makes following her life in Ireland intimate and interesting. I like the fact the romance is convoluted, it kept me guessing, and it’s Hailey who has the strength of character against Liam’s capriciousness and confusion. Each of the very well defined and unique characters have a distinct and individual voice and personality, they are very realistic. I love the mysticism and folklore threaded throughout and the way music is so necessary and important in Irish culture.

The story is well crafted, beautifully phrased and woven together with rich descriptions of the Irish landscape, particularly Connemara and Galway City, which invoke strong images and atmosphere of the country and it’s people. Claire Fullerton’s authentic observations and detailing give a real sense of this beautiful place and make the book a delight to read. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 13, 2015 Grace Jolliffe rated it really liked it

Dancing To An Irish Reel is narrated by the main character, Hailey, who as an American in Ireland quickly finds herself a little niche in the music world where she struggles to help organize the somewhat chaotic organization she works for.

The struggle she finds at work is mirrored in her private life when she meets Liam. Liam is the type of man who could be described as unattainable and he appears to make himself deliberately so.

Their relationship can be described as one that never quite takes ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Feb 02, 2016 Michelle rated it it was amazing

Dancing to an Irish Reel is written in the first person of Hailey Crossan, the main character. Hailey arrives in Connemara, Ireland on vacation, but when offered the job of a lifetime at a music company, she extends her vacation. Through Hailey, we learn about the people of Connemara, their language, their country, and their music.

Hailey is a strong person who tends to tell it as she sees it. She is not afraid to explore on her own, or travel by herself. When she meets Liam Hennesey, an accordi ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Mar 03, 2015 Alison Henderson rated it it was amazing

This delightful novel reads more like a memoir than a work of fiction. In truth, it is a love song to the landscape, people, culture, and language of western Ireland. The author has perfectly captured the complex, and sometimes confusing, subtlety of the Irish people in the cadences and patterns of their language.

The characters are well-drawn, quirky, and unique. The story follows Hailey, a young American, as she navigates a maybe on/maybe off relationship with an Irish musician who struggles wi ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jul 31, 2015 Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, received-to-review, romance, 2015

Dancing to An Irish Reel is a book about discovery. Hailey visits Ireland and stays. She immerses herself into the country and the people. She falls in love with the culture and the music of Ireland. She also falls for a local musician, Liam.

Their relationship is complicated. Liam fully immerses himself in his music. The music lives through him. He is more of a loner. He doesn't give of himself and his emotions to others. Hailey is a puzzle to him to figure out. He doesn't know how to handle t ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Aug 31, 2016 Colm Herron rated it it was amazing

Better than Colm Tóibín

Claire Fullerton has Ireland in her heart and on her mind and in her bones. And Dancing to an Irish Reel, her heartcatching novel about that country, captures so much about the many-spendoured and mystical land that it is. I've lived in Ireland for most of my life and in the three days I took to read this book I absorbed things about my country that left me in awe of Fullerton. On one level this is a gripping and unpredictable love story but on several other levels it reac ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

May 07, 2015 Judith Ingram rated it it was amazing

Charming and wise...

What drew me into Claire Fullerton’s book was the fresh and reflective narrative sung to us by her protagonist, Hailey, an American young woman quite suddenly immersed in an Irish culture so rich in rural tradition and language nuance that it almost seems as if she has been dropped into a previous century. Her love interest with the beautiful but conflicted Irish musician Liam seems but a subplot to the deeper story of Hailey’s budding romance with the Irish people, culture,

...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Apr 30, 2015 Liza rated it really liked it

Dancing to an Irish Reel I love the Irish, and I also love Maeve Binchy, who until now was the only author that really expressed the beauty of Ireland. That has changed and Claire is now my favourite! Ireland is so well described I felt I was actually there.
Dancing to an Irish Reel is written in the first person, and the writing is so intimate you can imagine yourself actually chatting to Hailey. Hailey being the main character. I loved how I was able to connect with Hailey and her feelings beca ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Mar 23, 2016 Maureen rated it really liked it

Shelves: frustrating, na, ireland, travel

This book was pretty hard for me to rate. I chose this based on the fact that it was a new adult book (traveling, starting out in new country) set in Ireland. When I first started reading, I was a little bored on the lead up into the story. The author did a great job setting the scene and allowing you to travel to Ireland without actually going, but I did want more romance - that's just my personal preference. I prefer a love story in my books. Liam seemed strange and like I wouldn't want to be ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jan 08, 2016 P.R. rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2016-on-goodreads

This is a love story set in Ireland. From the start I was captivated by the beautiful narrative and poetic descriptive powers of this author. Her deep love of Ireland and familiarity with its people and places filled me with a longing to return there. What struck me about the theme was her ability to convey thoughts and feelings which elevated this story from being a mere tale of attraction to a more thought-provoking book. Four and a half stars from me, and I would certainly read this again.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jul 06, 2018 Sue rated it really liked it

I just finished DANCING TO AN IRISH REEL and feel like I've been on a mini-vacation to Ireland. The descriptions of Galway and surrounding area are fantastic and the location is a major part of the plot. I've spent time in this area of Ireland and the author's descriptions of the land (and the people) is spot-on.

Hailey worked in the music business in LA and when she wasn't sure what she wanted to do with her life, she took a vacation in Ireland. She ended up being offered a job at the Galway Mus ...more

flag Like · see review

Nov 09, 2015 Michael Aronovitz rated it it was amazing

Of the many issues to discuss in reference to Claire Fullerton’s Dancing to an Irish Reel, it is most appropriate to begin with voice. Fullerton provides an incredible atmosphere of tradition and beauty by taking us on a journey to Connemara Ireland as seen through the eyes of American music executive Hailey Crossan, who helps set up and maintain a cultural music facility in the center of town. When Hailey takes midnight walks to the cemetery or the bog, we are woven into a time and place that p Of the many issues to discuss in reference to Claire Fullerton’s Dancing to an Irish Reel, it is most appropriate to begin with voice. Fullerton provides an incredible atmosphere of tradition and beauty by taking us on a journey to Connemara Ireland as seen through the eyes of American music executive Hailey Crossan, who helps set up and maintain a cultural music facility in the center of town. When Hailey takes midnight walks to the cemetery or the bog, we are woven into a time and place that plays ironically to the part of us yearning timelessness and disassociation, the portion of our youthful imaginations still fascinated with the velvet fog and the fairytale swell of the rugged, mystical landscape. While the plot divides airtime between Hailey’s efforts to keep the center afloat financially and at the same time interpret the feints and passes of love interest, accordion player Liam Hennessy, the most important aspect of this piece remains its deep sense of mood, its rich colors and flavors that could only be delivered by a wordsmith that has not only “been there,” but become an integral part of Ireland’s prolific history.
Since a novel cannot survive solely on its setting descriptions however, one must look not necessarily “deeper” into the storyline (the center becomes a rehearsal space and Liam is afraid of commitment), but more what Fullerton says about psychological interplay, using the music center and the relationship as emblematic launching points for a more comprehensive statement about people and language. It seems clear that the “dance” is what we do to avoid pain, and in doing so rob ourselves of beauty around us, right there in the mist Fullerton lets us taste and breathe. Still, one cannot hold mist in her hand or capture it in a box. Culture (that which is fluid no matter how seated in posterity) is impossible to encapsulate in one building (that which remains static) and love by design defies verbal definition and any sort of schematic consistency. Hailey is not our typical romantic protagonist. She doesn’t have “cheekbones an actress would kill for,” nor does she follow the more Victorian/Agonist paradigm so many romance novelists still employ through which a young girl out on her own seeks someone “older” and “father-like” (or rich and ultimately successful) to give her just enough freedom to discover she needs a man to best navigate the world.
On the contrary, Hailey Crossan is the strong figure here, unable to dissect and interpret her love interest - Liam’s hesitancy, so acute and debilitating he winds up sitting on her kitchen floor, looking at his hands, shaking his head in absolute helplessness. Considering this, one must conclude that there is something being said overall that transcends the relationship, for we are never actually given one. We are afforded glimpses of affection, a drink here, a visit there, a walk along a shadowed street now and then, all illustrating more silence and frustration than connection and closure.
The key is that Dancing to an Irish Reel does not achieve its agenda by unveiling a plot. The locus of Fullerton’s statement is in the theme she creates, or the power of the unsaid versus the futility (and paradox) of verbal interplay. Hailey is a symbol of America: blunt, courageous, and expressive, yet she meets her antithesis in Liam, who is subtle, meek, and conflicted. When either actually says something it is often misinterpreted or used as fuel to spark doubt. This is a relationship built on invented scenario as opposed to tangible romance, so most of the novel is stylistically delivered as introspection. This creates a wonderful dichotomy in that our narrator is much “closer” to her author than she is to her love interest, while “she” (both author and narrator in this case) is supposed to be the expressive one. The only conclusion we can draw from the idea that the evocative voice here is made to retreat to more subjective territory, is that Hailey or America or the culturally diversified have a world view that expresses itself like prose, while Liam, the traditionalist who is culturally rich and internally ornate in his own depreciating self-contradiction adopts a model for living more resembling poetry. Therefore, the tension of this piece builds from grounds both psychological and semiotic, making the reading itself a multi-textured pleasure.
The beauty of this text is not in the tragedy of its uncertain ending (which doesn’t read like tragedy at all actually), but rather in its delivery, that which is textured like fine embroidery suggesting the unsaid will always be more powerful than that which we try to define. Finally it is the art of interpretation that Fullerton lets us enjoy, through a lens that takes its example from the structure of the piece itself. I have read that there are many who call Dancing to an Irish Reel a literary piece, and whether or not this adds to its intrigue or appeal, or labels it as something cerebral and “heady” remains irrelevant. In terms of a genre piece, it reads like smart fiction, a romance that reveals the psychological mechanics of a budding relationship in a manner that both engages and touches the reader’s emotions. From a literary standpoint, Fullerton succeeds in utilizing a writing structure that acts as a thematic foundation of her module for the psychology of love, and that is a commendable endeavor. It is also one that is ultimately successful.
...more

flag Like · see review

Jan 20, 2018 SamuraiKitty rated it liked it

After reading a couple of heavy duty books in a row, I really wanted a light romance novel where their would be a "happy ever after". This was not it. It's a book about missed opportunities, non communication, and the differences between cultures even when both parties presumably speak the same language. It's not a bad book, I liked it, and I might read it again at a later date, because I did enjoy the look at rural Ireland and it's people, and culture very much.
...more

flag Like · see review

Apr 28, 2020 Jeanie Nance rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I felt like I knew the characters. The author described Ireland so well. So far, I have loved everything she has written.

flag Like · see review

Feb 27, 2020 Heidi Daniele rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ireland

Claire Fullerton does a splendid job of transporting the reader to Ireland. She weaves the terrain, the culture, and the ways of the Irish into a beautiful story about self discovery and love. Dancing to an Irish Reel is lovely novel that leaves you wanting to know more about what Hailey and Liam have in store for themselves and possibly each other in the future.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Feb 29, 2016 Alison DeLuca rated it really liked it

Dancing to an Irish Reel is a lovely novel by Claire Fullerton. It’s set near Galway in Inverin, a small village inside the Gaeltacht (the area of Ireland when Irish is spoken exclusively.) Fullerton’s heroine, Hailey, has moved there to work in The Galway Music Centre for traditional music. This leads to her meeting Liam, a good-looking musician who is dedicated to his craft and afraid of love.

The title refers not only to traditional music but also to the dance Claire and Liam go through in the ...more

flag Like · see review

Apr 05, 2015 C.J. Anaya rated it it was amazing

The first impression I received as I eagerly delved into this book is Claire Fullerton has the heart of a poet. Her prose flowed so sweetly and succinctly that I was never once thrown out of the beautiful narrative which slowly unfolded. She has this innate ability to broach a subject in a way that is truly original in nature.

For example, the main character, Hailey, is wondering about her chance encounter with Liam Hennesey and instead of simply saying, "Hey, must have been fate, dontcha know." The first impression I received as I eagerly delved into this book is Claire Fullerton has the heart of a poet. Her prose flowed so sweetly and succinctly that I was never once thrown out of the beautiful narrative which slowly unfolded. She has this innate ability to broach a subject in a way that is truly original in nature.

For example, the main character, Hailey, is wondering about her chance encounter with Liam Hennesey and instead of simply saying, "Hey, must have been fate, dontcha know." She puts it this way.

"I found it interesting that fate had provided the chance encounter. It seemed to me that if we, in our human frailty, didn't have the courage to take care of business, then the powers that be intervened seemingly by chance."

Or this beautiful piece describing musicians.

"There is a secret language musicians speak that does away with the need for articulation because it is intuitive and telepathic at its core...I felt as if I were in an insular bubble, privy to the secret internal mechanisms of a musician's rarified gift..."

As a musician it was interesting to see the perspective of a nonmusician, and to realize that she had hit the nail on the head. There are certain ways I associate, relate, and converse with people who understand music the way I do and who are as enthusiastic about the process as I am. This story touched my heart in a way that no other story has in a very long time.

I felt an added investment in the book due to my Irish ancestry and my total lack of knowledge on the subject. The idiosyncrasies of rural Ireland's culture was something I found fascinating, and how Hailey navigated that as an American was a journey I enjoyed taking. I learned just as much about myself in relation to Ireland as she did. A journey of discovery, really, and I couldn't be happier to have been a part of it.

The dynamics between Liam and Hailey were both exhilarating and frustrating simply because it was obvious he loved her, but he was woefully incapable of letting Hailey see it. I felt just as exasperated with him as she did, but it moved the story forward and added to that element of self-discovery that I felt so drawn toward. I'm not a fan of how it ended, though it couldn't have possibly ended any other way. I am all about closure, and this left so many questions unanswered, but I sincerely hope that means there will be more for Liam and Hailey in the future because I would dive into that story too.

We are gifted with a beautiful piece of poetry at the end that left me feeling a bit choked up. Bad timing for me, considering I had to go pick up my kids from school and transition myself from moved-and-inspired-by-poetry to crazed-mommy-the-cheauffer.

Claire Fullerton wrote a beautiful piece that will pique the interest of anyone fond of Irish history, romance and the intricacies of human relationships.
...more

flag Like · see review

Jun 22, 2015 books are love rated it really liked it

This is a beautiful prose of a tale. The ending didn’t blow me away though it just left it at that. As if you can see what will become based on earlier situations. This is but isn’t romance. It’s romance in the sense that two people fall in love and struggle with falling for one another. Their struggle isn’t external but internal particularly for Liam who is scared witless by this.

Liam is a great guy but lives in the past and doesn’t always stay in the moment. He continuously examines the past t This is a beautiful prose of a tale. The ending didn’t blow me away though it just left it at that. As if you can see what will become based on earlier situations. This is but isn’t romance. It’s romance in the sense that two people fall in love and struggle with falling for one another. Their struggle isn’t external but internal particularly for Liam who is scared witless by this.

Liam is a great guy but lives in the past and doesn’t always stay in the moment. He continuously examines the past to see how it relates to the here and now and how it can help change what is being done today. Until Hailey this worked. Than Hailey came and his world changed. And his world confused him. Love was something he never felt for a woman before and he was lost as to what to do. Miscommunication on both parties left both of them reeling and Liam more than Hailey. Hailey had her friends to go to whereas Liam had no one he felt could help him with his internal struggle. So he waffled in and out of Hailey’s life. In the end he does talk to her but that is where we are left just wondering. It just ends. Leaving you to have your mind figure out where they went from there that and the psychic words that Hailey saw.

The story really is about Hailey’s journey into self discovery and figuring out the Irish culture. It is poetic in how it’s written and does capture you with the prose and how things are done. Hailey comes to Ireland on sabbatical and just doesn’t go home. She begins to love the area and gets a job. A job that has a boss Declan who needs to do his own self discovery. A flighty man that is. Also selfish for he opens a music center and when it isn’t all about him anymore he becomes disinterested.

Each character is well defined and enhances to the story and helps add perspective to Hailey’s journey and her time in Ireland. This is what the story is about a poetic prose of Hailey’s time in Ireland and her journey to self discovery and a little romance. It’s well written, informative and inquisitive for the mind as well. The characters are well developed and keep you in the story. Her and to an extent Liam’s journey is interesting and one’s you want to see to the end. It really is a beautifully written story that shouldn’t be missed. ...more

flag Like · see review

May 29, 2015 Barb Taub rated it really liked it

It's very hard to write a review of this beautiful little book without spoilers. So please bear with me if I start with my own story, because in many ways I felt like Claire Fullerton was writing about me.

It was many years ago that I landed in Ireland and stuck out my thumb looking for rides. I’d just graduated with a shiny new diploma in Anglo Irish Lit, and it was time to see what I’d spent all those years studying. My advisor claimed that the best way to see Ireland was to hitchhike. And he w ...more

flag Like · see review

Jan 19, 2016 Carla rated it really liked it

Reviewed by Carla Trueheart for Readers' Favorite

Dancing to an Irish Reel by Claire Fullerton tells the story of Hailey, an American who lands a job at a music centre in Ireland. Hailey helps local musicians organize their careers at the music centre, but she also has friends at the centre as well. Throughout the story Hailey helps her friends, she thrives in the culture and landscape of Ireland, and she relays the beautiful land and the residents of Ireland through introspection, providing ins ...more

flag Like · see review

May 10, 2015 Karen Voitik rated it really liked it

>Book Review – Dancing to an Irish Reel –

>I received this novel from the author and from Paranormal Romance and Authors that Rock. I am an independent reviewer. This is a standalone novel.

>Hailey is from Los Angeles, but is now living and working in Ireland. This story starts out like a creamy cup of hot chocolate. Small sips to get the reader involved in the story, lead to relaxing warmth as the cocoa is being savored. The descriptions of Ireland and their customs were so interesting to read ...more

flag Like · see review

May 12, 2015 Deborah Swift rated it liked it

It has taken me a long time to read this novel. That is not to say that there isn't a lot to enjoy, it just reads much more like a memoir than a novel, and there was very little story to keep me nailed to the pages, more a series of recorded real-life conversations and observations. I dipped in and out of it over a couple of months.

What I enjoyed - Fullerton's lovely clean prose. She brings out the mystical, lyrical side to Ireland from a stranger's point of view, and the communicative powers of ...more

flag Like · see review

Mar 02, 2016 Sherry Smith rated it it was amazing

While reading Dancing to an Irish Reel, I felt as if I had joined a dance myself, part of a song beyond the ordinary world I’d left behind. The setting, Connemara on the West Coast of Ireland, lives on every page—the coastal pathways, a midnight pier, a hillside graveyard.

Along with Hailey, the American protagonist, readers meet Liam, the other main character, early on, and like her, we keep wondering when we’ll see him again. The gradual way their relationship develops adds suspense to the boo ...more

flag Like · see review

Jul 07, 2016 Holly's Little Book Reviews rated it liked it

This was a wonderful read to kick off fall. The parallels between the main character, Hailey's, love affair with Ireland and with Liam were well crafted and the descriptions of music and poetry were beautiful.
"I think music is an intuitive language. People either speak it, or they don't. What I like best about music is for people who understand the language, very little else matters to the same degree." This quote from the beginning portion of Dancing to an Irish Reel puts into words the theme ...more

flag Like · see review

May 06, 2015 Sydney rated it really liked it

At first I wasn’t sure what to expect from this novel. The title and the storyline didn’t seem to mesh, but as I read the story, I discovered that the title tied in poetically to the storyline. This dreamy Irish story has a theme discussing friendship and romance and discovering how to acknowledge and define the relationship so that both parties understand one another. It also discusses the idea of self-discovery as one figures out what to do in life. Readers will pause and reflect on their own ...more

flag Like · see review

Jan 23, 2016 Sophie Quist rated it it was amazing

This is a lovely book, written in beautifully-crafted prose wrought with imagery and emotion. I haven't been lucky enough to travel to Ireland yet, but I hope it's the way Fullerton describes it here. The details she offers through the eyes of Hailey paint a charming picture of a delightful place inhabited by authentic characters. Hailey herself was a believable and sympathetic narrator; I found myself relating to her struggles and frustrations many times through the course of the story. Fullert ...more

flag Like · see review

« previous 1 2 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Book Haven: Giveaway	1	5	Mar 16, 2015 11:51AM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Cultural > Ireland

8 users

Romance

5 users

Romance > Contemporary Romance

3 users

Travel

2 users

Music

2 users

European Literature > Irish Literature

2 users

See top shelves…

About Claire Fullerton

Claire Fullerton

345 followers

Claire Fullerton is the author of Little Tea, the 2nd Place winner for Book of the Year in the Independent Authors Network competition, and the winner of Outstanding Novel, 1st Place in the literary/general fiction category. Little Tea is the 2020 Readers' Favorite Gold Medal winner in Southern Fiction, a Chanticleer Review Somerset Awards 1st Place winner in literary fiction, a Faulkner Society c ...more

Books by Claire Fullerton

A Southern Season: Stories from a Front Porch Swing

More…

Meet These Highly Anticipated March Romances

Some people love books. Some people fall in love. And some people fall in love with books about falling in love. Every month our team...

Trivia About Dancing to an Iri...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from Dancing to an Iri...

“Irish men are afraid of being in love because they lose control. The women in this country trap them with babies at an early age, and then it is all over for them. They think it is better not to love. They think there is no risk if they push the love away.” — 1 likes

“There’s an energy that hangs between strangers even in a crowd.” — 1 likes

More quotes…

See a Problem?

Preview — Dancing to an Irish Reel by Claire Fullerton

Dancing to an Irish Reel

Get A Copy

Win a Copy of This Book

Friend Reviews

Reader Q&A

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

Readers also enjoyed

Genres

About Claire Fullerton

Books by Claire Fullerton

Related Articles

Trivia About Dancing to an Iri...

Quotes from Dancing to an Iri...

See a Problem?

Preview — Dancing to an Irish Reel by Claire Fullerton

Dancing to an Irish Reel

Get A Copy

Win a Copy of This Book

Friend Reviews

Reader Q&A

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

Readers also enjoyed

Genres

About Claire Fullerton

Books by Claire Fullerton

Related Articles

Trivia About Dancing to an Iri...

Quotes from Dancing to an Iri...

new topic
Discuss This Book