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Lissamore #2
The O'Hara Affair
If only real life was like the movies! Fleur O'Farrell seems to have the perfect life. Living in the idyllic village of Lissamore on Ireland's West Coast, she has her own vintage clothes business as well as her very own Mr. Big. But when she starts to proffer anonymous advice via the internet to a young girl with a tangled love-life, Fleur's big heart leads to big trouble, as this act of kindness uncovers a darker side to her charmed life! Similarly, newly-wed Dervla Vaughn appears to be living the dream. However, with husband Christian working away more often than he's at home, there's trouble in paradise. Left alone to care for her demanding mother-in-law, Dervla wonders how her once-enviable life changed beyond all recognition! Surely married life should be blissful, not stressful? Meanwhile, the once-sleepy Lissamore is now a whirlwind of activity as the The O'Hara Affair is filmed in its picturesque surroundings. And with many locals being seduced by the glamour of the movies, who knows what could happen! Take a trip to heavenly Lissamore in this warm, witty read that will pull at the heartstrings.
467 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
18 people are currently reading
86 people want to read
About the author
Kate Thompson
16 books28 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Kate Thompson (born 1959) is an Northern Irish actress and romantic novelist who also writes as Pixie Pirelli (the writer heroine of Sex, Lies and Fairytales). She was born in Belfast and studied English and French at Trinity College, Dublin. She spent many years as an actress in theatre and television, most notably in the Irish drama serial Glenroe. She married the actor Malcolm Douglas in 1985 and has a daughter Clara (born 1987). In 1989 she won the Best Actress Award in the Dublin Theatre Festival. Her first novel, It Means Mischief, published in 1999, became a bestseller. The Blue Hour was shortlisted for the Parker Romantic Novel of the Year.
Love Lies Bleeding is remarkable in that the first 25 chapters are available free by e-mail and the final part of the book, The Clandestine Chapters, can be purchased bound with silk and printed on home-made paper.
Kate Thompson (born 1959) is an Northern Irish actress and romantic novelist who also writes as Pixie Pirelli (the writer heroine of Sex, Lies and Fairytales). She was born in Belfast and studied English and French at Trinity College, Dublin. She spent many years as an actress in theatre and television, most notably in the Irish drama serial Glenroe. She married the actor Malcolm Douglas in 1985 and has a daughter Clara (born 1987). In 1989 she won the Best Actress Award in the Dublin Theatre Festival. Her first novel, It Means Mischief, published in 1999, became a bestseller. The Blue Hour was shortlisted for the Parker Romantic Novel of the Year.
Love Lies Bleeding is remarkable in that the first 25 chapters are available free by e-mail and the final part of the book, The Clandestine Chapters, can be purchased bound with silk and printed on home-made paper.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 23, 2021
The O'Hara affair is about Fleur O'Farrell from The Kinsella Sisters (she was a minor character). This also features Rio and Dervla, two main characters from The Kinsella Sisters.
Dervla is now married but her married life isn't exactly how she pictured it. I enjoyed reading about her. Rio barely makes an appearance. The story mainly focuses on the village and the movie being shot there. I couldn't seem to enjoy this book as much as I had wanted to, mainly because I didn't really care for the main character Fleur.
It was moderately paced and the writing was good but this just wasn't for me.
2 stars
Dervla is now married but her married life isn't exactly how she pictured it. I enjoyed reading about her. Rio barely makes an appearance. The story mainly focuses on the village and the movie being shot there. I couldn't seem to enjoy this book as much as I had wanted to, mainly because I didn't really care for the main character Fleur.
It was moderately paced and the writing was good but this just wasn't for me.
2 stars
August 10, 2010
I stumbled across this quite randomly in Kmart one day, which pleased me. Kate Thompson is an Irish author who has written quite a few ‘chick lit’ books, a lot of which involve primarily, and then secondarily, one of my favourite couples, Deidre O’Dare and Rory McDonagh. Starting with It Means Mischief and kind of concluding with Love Lies Bleeding, Deirdre and Rory have been tortured enough I suppose, as they haven’t appeared in her last 2 books, which have contained new-and-connected characters: The Kinsella Sisters and now The O’Hara Affair.
The O’Hara Affair takes us back to the village of Lissamore from The Kinsella Sisters where a Hollywood movie about Scarlett O’Hara’s father Gerald is being filmed. A lot of the village is involved, be they cast as extras, catering to the massive movie set, involved in production, set design, etc. It’s a big boost to the village in a time of global financial crisis. The crisis is a recurring theme throughout the novel, as everyone is feeling the pinch.
The book primarily concentrates on 3 main female characters: Fleur O’Farrell, who we heard of briefly in The Kinsella Sisters, a French ex-pat who followed her ex-husband to Ireland and stayed. She runs a boutique in Lissamore, stocking beautiful, fashionable, expensive clothing and accessories. She’s also conducting an affair with a (quoting the book) Mr-Big type: rich, dynamic, sexually charged businessman who has sunk mega bucks into the movie.
Second is Dervla Vaughn, nee Kinsella who was a major part of The Kinsella Sisters, being one of the titular characters. She’s now married to wine expert Christian and they’ve bought their dream house which they are quickly running out of money to renovate. No one is buying expensive wine (global financial crisis and all) and Dervla is trying to finish a book she’s been commissioned to write on selling your house. Adding to their problems is Christian’s mother – 85 and in the grips of dementia, she requires constant care. When her carer has two weeks holiday, Christian and Dervla cannot afford to put her into a nursing home, nor does Christian want to, even for the two weeks so Dervla agrees to do the job herself. And boy does she not know what she’s gotten herelf in for.
Thirdly is Bethany O’Brien. Eighteen, shy, lacking in self-confidence but dreaming of being an actress. Used to being ridiculed, particularly for her dreams, Bethany is too timid to do anything about them. She needs a gentle push in the right direction – luckily for her, there’s a fairy godmother about to come into her life.
This book makes use of the world of social networking in a way I haven’t seen outside of a gaggle of teenage girls. Everyone is on facebook and everyone is talking about being on facebook constantly. Bethany joins SecondLife where she gains more confidence, meeting the wonderful avatar Hero. But is Hero really what he seems? It’s hard to tell in a virtual world. Everyone is fiddling on their blackberries, texting on their latest Nokia’s, snapping pictures with their iPhones. Facebook is used as a tool to gather information on people when Fleur agrees to tell people’s fortunes at the annual Lissamore Village Festival which allows her to “accurately” state things about them.
I take my hat off to Dervla. Although she at first decides to care for her mother-in-law because she thinks it’ll be simple, and allow her to get some work done while Christian is in France and the normal carer is on holidays, she soon finds out that she’s very, very wrong. Daphne, her mother in law, requires constant care with everything. Dervla grits her teeth and gets through it, even though she feels like she’s slowly going insane. It would be an extremely hard job and when she goes to look at prices for care, she’s gobsmacked. 5000 euros a month, which is a lot in anyone’s language. She’s even more depressed by what she sees in the nursing homes – all the residents look as though they’ve one foot in the grave already. Even though Daphne suffers from dementia, she still enjoys life. Dervla is determined that there is a better way. She just has to think about what it is and how to go about it.
This book had really likable parts. The main characters were warm and interesting although I think more time could’ve been spent in Bethany’s voice as most of the time when we were with her, she was hanging around SecondLife waiting for Hero. I would’ve liked a bit more time spent fleshing out her Real Life persona, especially as she gained work on the set of The O’Hara Affair as an extra. Fleur was funny and sensual, although I found it hard to believe that after 20 years in Ireland, she didn’t know what several English phrases are, including ‘a penny for your thoughts’. She must’ve heard that one many many times over the past 20 years, as it’s a very common phrase. That’s a mistake that’s sometimes made with foreign characters, where they either fumble for the correct word in English and use their native one instead (usually with a ‘how do you say?’ thrown in there) or they don’t understand little phrases like that one. That one is really quite self-explanatory. If the author wanted to have her be confused, she could’ve picked a more obscure one. Dervla was admirable in the way she dealt with a situation she knew nothing about going into, and the patience she acquired in doing it. She may’ve slowly been going insane but the way she was with her mother in law was wonderful. I’m not sure I could’ve showed that in her position. I know several people that worked in aged care and their stories both horrify and sadden me. I freely admit it’s not something I could ever do as a career choice.
Unfortunately there was one event in this book that I really didn’t agree with, personally. And it left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth as I regarded it as a betrayal of several characters. It’s a personal moral issue with me, and I felt that my respect for that character diminished after that event. It did detract from my overall liking of the book, but just a little. I thought that it could’ve been better handled, or occurred in a different part of the book and it would’ve been more acceptable.
The O’Hara Affair takes us back to the village of Lissamore from The Kinsella Sisters where a Hollywood movie about Scarlett O’Hara’s father Gerald is being filmed. A lot of the village is involved, be they cast as extras, catering to the massive movie set, involved in production, set design, etc. It’s a big boost to the village in a time of global financial crisis. The crisis is a recurring theme throughout the novel, as everyone is feeling the pinch.
The book primarily concentrates on 3 main female characters: Fleur O’Farrell, who we heard of briefly in The Kinsella Sisters, a French ex-pat who followed her ex-husband to Ireland and stayed. She runs a boutique in Lissamore, stocking beautiful, fashionable, expensive clothing and accessories. She’s also conducting an affair with a (quoting the book) Mr-Big type: rich, dynamic, sexually charged businessman who has sunk mega bucks into the movie.
Second is Dervla Vaughn, nee Kinsella who was a major part of The Kinsella Sisters, being one of the titular characters. She’s now married to wine expert Christian and they’ve bought their dream house which they are quickly running out of money to renovate. No one is buying expensive wine (global financial crisis and all) and Dervla is trying to finish a book she’s been commissioned to write on selling your house. Adding to their problems is Christian’s mother – 85 and in the grips of dementia, she requires constant care. When her carer has two weeks holiday, Christian and Dervla cannot afford to put her into a nursing home, nor does Christian want to, even for the two weeks so Dervla agrees to do the job herself. And boy does she not know what she’s gotten herelf in for.
Thirdly is Bethany O’Brien. Eighteen, shy, lacking in self-confidence but dreaming of being an actress. Used to being ridiculed, particularly for her dreams, Bethany is too timid to do anything about them. She needs a gentle push in the right direction – luckily for her, there’s a fairy godmother about to come into her life.
This book makes use of the world of social networking in a way I haven’t seen outside of a gaggle of teenage girls. Everyone is on facebook and everyone is talking about being on facebook constantly. Bethany joins SecondLife where she gains more confidence, meeting the wonderful avatar Hero. But is Hero really what he seems? It’s hard to tell in a virtual world. Everyone is fiddling on their blackberries, texting on their latest Nokia’s, snapping pictures with their iPhones. Facebook is used as a tool to gather information on people when Fleur agrees to tell people’s fortunes at the annual Lissamore Village Festival which allows her to “accurately” state things about them.
I take my hat off to Dervla. Although she at first decides to care for her mother-in-law because she thinks it’ll be simple, and allow her to get some work done while Christian is in France and the normal carer is on holidays, she soon finds out that she’s very, very wrong. Daphne, her mother in law, requires constant care with everything. Dervla grits her teeth and gets through it, even though she feels like she’s slowly going insane. It would be an extremely hard job and when she goes to look at prices for care, she’s gobsmacked. 5000 euros a month, which is a lot in anyone’s language. She’s even more depressed by what she sees in the nursing homes – all the residents look as though they’ve one foot in the grave already. Even though Daphne suffers from dementia, she still enjoys life. Dervla is determined that there is a better way. She just has to think about what it is and how to go about it.
This book had really likable parts. The main characters were warm and interesting although I think more time could’ve been spent in Bethany’s voice as most of the time when we were with her, she was hanging around SecondLife waiting for Hero. I would’ve liked a bit more time spent fleshing out her Real Life persona, especially as she gained work on the set of The O’Hara Affair as an extra. Fleur was funny and sensual, although I found it hard to believe that after 20 years in Ireland, she didn’t know what several English phrases are, including ‘a penny for your thoughts’. She must’ve heard that one many many times over the past 20 years, as it’s a very common phrase. That’s a mistake that’s sometimes made with foreign characters, where they either fumble for the correct word in English and use their native one instead (usually with a ‘how do you say?’ thrown in there) or they don’t understand little phrases like that one. That one is really quite self-explanatory. If the author wanted to have her be confused, she could’ve picked a more obscure one. Dervla was admirable in the way she dealt with a situation she knew nothing about going into, and the patience she acquired in doing it. She may’ve slowly been going insane but the way she was with her mother in law was wonderful. I’m not sure I could’ve showed that in her position. I know several people that worked in aged care and their stories both horrify and sadden me. I freely admit it’s not something I could ever do as a career choice.
Unfortunately there was one event in this book that I really didn’t agree with, personally. And it left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth as I regarded it as a betrayal of several characters. It’s a personal moral issue with me, and I felt that my respect for that character diminished after that event. It did detract from my overall liking of the book, but just a little. I thought that it could’ve been better handled, or occurred in a different part of the book and it would’ve been more acceptable.
September 4, 2019
So good to revisit these characters.
I love their stories and learning more about them.
A great chick lit read with some super characters.
I love their stories and learning more about them.
A great chick lit read with some super characters.
January 19, 2020
Hmmm, pleasant but a little bleugh. Whilst it touches on a few good agendas, they were a bit transparent and rushed throughout.
July 3, 2020
Love Kate Thompson's books! However, i struggled to engage with book and didnt feel the characters enough to invest time in reading the whole book - very rare for me.
March 28, 2010
Fleur O’Farrell thinks that she has a pretty great life. She’s got a little boutique in the sleepy Irish town of Lissamore that does very well, a wealthy boyfriend Corban who seems to dote on here, and wonderful friends in the Kinsella sisters Rio and Dervla. Dervla’s just enjoying her new marriage when suddenly her mother-in-law who suffers with dementia has to move in with them, and Dervla finds herself having to be her carer. She’s horrified at the things she has to do for the elderly lady, but gets on with it to please husband Christian.
Around them, the town of Lissamore has been transformed with the arrival of a movie set called The O’Hara Affair. Fleur’s boyfriend Corban has ploughed a lot of money into the project, and she’s happy because a lot of her friends have got jobs through it. But as the film progresses, dark secrets are revealed, and a young member of the cast finds herself in a situation she doesn’t know how to get out of. With everyone being taken in by the glitz and glamour of the film, have they lost sight of their own problems?
I came across Kate Thompson last year when I read her novel The Kinsella Sisters, and I adored it. I loved the writing style and how quickly I got into the characters, so when I heard Kate was writing a follow up to that book I was quite excited. The O’Hara Affair isn’t a sequel like you would usually expect – the main character focus has shifted on to a minor character from The Kinsella Sisters, and Rio, one of the major characters from the first book, hardly pops up at all in this book. Still, I was curious to read it and find out how good it would be so when I received a copy a few weeks ago, I started it straight away.
Luckily for me, I did end up enjoying this just as much as the first. The main 2 characters of this book are Dervla, who was one of the Kinsella sisters, but is now married to Christian and unsure what she is doing with her life. I really liked the honest storyline around Dervla and I feel that Kate has done such a good job with what is quite a delicate storyline. Dervla ends up as the carer for her mother in law when circumstances change, and a lot of the book is spent watching Dervla take on a new role for her. Kate Thompson doesn’t hold back with the things that Dervla experiences, from personal hygiene to toilet accidents so at times its a bit surprising to read but it made it all feel very realistic. Dervla’s character was perfect too, caring and kind but showed her weariness at the task too.
The other main character was Fleur, who again did pop up in the previous book but only as a very minor character. She’s a French woman who has her own boutique, and I love the shop she works in, it really came alive in my mind and sounded perfect, especially set in a small Irish town as it was. Thompson clearly her research on vintage clothes and this really shows in these chapters. I felt Fleur went on a huge journey in the book, and it was very enjoyable going on that journey with her. There are so many ups and downs for the characters, and it kept it so interesting for the reader.
I really did enjoy this book, not just because the characters were very familiar to me from having read the previous book, but just because it is a very well told story that I could lose myself in for a few hours. Kate Thompson has a real skill for making her characters seem very believable and likeable as people. They have realistic feelings and the things that happen to them could just as easily happen to you and me. I also enjoyed catching up with some of the other characters from The Kinsella Sisters, even if it was only briefly to update us! The town of Lissamore was perfectly written, the perfect image of a sleepy Irish coastal town.
If you have enjoyed some of Kate Thompson’s previous works, then you will definitely enjoy reading The O’Hara Affair. The idea of a book on a movie set was one I was interested in, and the author has done it justice and beyond. You can tell she has researched every part of this very thoroughly as this comes across very much when you read it, and I felt that when it ended, I’d been on a real journey with the characters. Luckily for me, there is a third book coming out to be called That Gallagher Girl, a mysterious new character introduced at the very end of this book. Very enjoyable and recommended from me!
Around them, the town of Lissamore has been transformed with the arrival of a movie set called The O’Hara Affair. Fleur’s boyfriend Corban has ploughed a lot of money into the project, and she’s happy because a lot of her friends have got jobs through it. But as the film progresses, dark secrets are revealed, and a young member of the cast finds herself in a situation she doesn’t know how to get out of. With everyone being taken in by the glitz and glamour of the film, have they lost sight of their own problems?
I came across Kate Thompson last year when I read her novel The Kinsella Sisters, and I adored it. I loved the writing style and how quickly I got into the characters, so when I heard Kate was writing a follow up to that book I was quite excited. The O’Hara Affair isn’t a sequel like you would usually expect – the main character focus has shifted on to a minor character from The Kinsella Sisters, and Rio, one of the major characters from the first book, hardly pops up at all in this book. Still, I was curious to read it and find out how good it would be so when I received a copy a few weeks ago, I started it straight away.
Luckily for me, I did end up enjoying this just as much as the first. The main 2 characters of this book are Dervla, who was one of the Kinsella sisters, but is now married to Christian and unsure what she is doing with her life. I really liked the honest storyline around Dervla and I feel that Kate has done such a good job with what is quite a delicate storyline. Dervla ends up as the carer for her mother in law when circumstances change, and a lot of the book is spent watching Dervla take on a new role for her. Kate Thompson doesn’t hold back with the things that Dervla experiences, from personal hygiene to toilet accidents so at times its a bit surprising to read but it made it all feel very realistic. Dervla’s character was perfect too, caring and kind but showed her weariness at the task too.
The other main character was Fleur, who again did pop up in the previous book but only as a very minor character. She’s a French woman who has her own boutique, and I love the shop she works in, it really came alive in my mind and sounded perfect, especially set in a small Irish town as it was. Thompson clearly her research on vintage clothes and this really shows in these chapters. I felt Fleur went on a huge journey in the book, and it was very enjoyable going on that journey with her. There are so many ups and downs for the characters, and it kept it so interesting for the reader.
I really did enjoy this book, not just because the characters were very familiar to me from having read the previous book, but just because it is a very well told story that I could lose myself in for a few hours. Kate Thompson has a real skill for making her characters seem very believable and likeable as people. They have realistic feelings and the things that happen to them could just as easily happen to you and me. I also enjoyed catching up with some of the other characters from The Kinsella Sisters, even if it was only briefly to update us! The town of Lissamore was perfectly written, the perfect image of a sleepy Irish coastal town.
If you have enjoyed some of Kate Thompson’s previous works, then you will definitely enjoy reading The O’Hara Affair. The idea of a book on a movie set was one I was interested in, and the author has done it justice and beyond. You can tell she has researched every part of this very thoroughly as this comes across very much when you read it, and I felt that when it ended, I’d been on a real journey with the characters. Luckily for me, there is a third book coming out to be called That Gallagher Girl, a mysterious new character introduced at the very end of this book. Very enjoyable and recommended from me!
May 8, 2016
I loved this book, not thinking l was going to enjoy it as much as l thought. Started the first two chapters, thinking this book was going to be awlful, but it did not take long until l started to get into it.
Bought this book in a second hand store, it's been in my bookshelf for so long, finally decided it's time to read it, and so glad l did.
The characters honestly have to have a mention, they were all so interesting and intriging could not get enough of them.
Fleur O' Farrell was the most beautiful heartwarming, sexy French woman you will love as a friend she wears her heart on her sleeve, gives the world to the people she loves, but hurt her she will charge like a bull.
Then there is Dervla, the ex real Estate autioneer, who had to leave her career due to the economy downfall in her homeland of Ireland, she is also a newlywed, has her dream home, but with her and her husband with both careers in a slump they can't afford to furnish, and with her mother and law Daphane who is 85 years old with serious memory lost is needing 24 hour care, life changes.
Actually Daphane was an ex model in her early days, and had her string of men, she tells an interesting story.
Enjoyed this book very much it is a page turner !
Bought this book in a second hand store, it's been in my bookshelf for so long, finally decided it's time to read it, and so glad l did.
The characters honestly have to have a mention, they were all so interesting and intriging could not get enough of them.
Fleur O' Farrell was the most beautiful heartwarming, sexy French woman you will love as a friend she wears her heart on her sleeve, gives the world to the people she loves, but hurt her she will charge like a bull.
Then there is Dervla, the ex real Estate autioneer, who had to leave her career due to the economy downfall in her homeland of Ireland, she is also a newlywed, has her dream home, but with her and her husband with both careers in a slump they can't afford to furnish, and with her mother and law Daphane who is 85 years old with serious memory lost is needing 24 hour care, life changes.
Actually Daphane was an ex model in her early days, and had her string of men, she tells an interesting story.
Enjoyed this book very much it is a page turner !
Read
April 19, 2011If only real life was like the movies…
Fleur O'Farrell seems to have the perfect life.
Living in the idyllic village of Lissamore on Ireland's West Coast, she has her own vintage clothes business as well as her very own Mr. Big. But when she starts to proffer anonymous advice via the internet to a young girl with a tangled love-life, Fleur's big heart leads to big trouble, as this act of kindness uncovers a darker side to her charmed life…
Similarly, newly-wed Dervla Vaughn appears to be living the dream. However, with husband Christian working away more often than he's at home, there's trouble in paradise. Left alone to care for her demanding mother-in-law, Dervla wonders how her once-enviable life changed beyond all recognition… Surely married life should be blissful, not stressful?
Meanwhile, the once-sleepy Lissamore is now a whirlwind of activity as the The O'Hara Affair is filmed in its picturesque surroundings. And with many locals being seduced by the glamour of the movies, who knows what could happen…
Take a trip to heavenly Lissamore in this warm, witty read that will pull at the heartstrings.
Fleur O'Farrell seems to have the perfect life.
Living in the idyllic village of Lissamore on Ireland's West Coast, she has her own vintage clothes business as well as her very own Mr. Big. But when she starts to proffer anonymous advice via the internet to a young girl with a tangled love-life, Fleur's big heart leads to big trouble, as this act of kindness uncovers a darker side to her charmed life…
Similarly, newly-wed Dervla Vaughn appears to be living the dream. However, with husband Christian working away more often than he's at home, there's trouble in paradise. Left alone to care for her demanding mother-in-law, Dervla wonders how her once-enviable life changed beyond all recognition… Surely married life should be blissful, not stressful?
Meanwhile, the once-sleepy Lissamore is now a whirlwind of activity as the The O'Hara Affair is filmed in its picturesque surroundings. And with many locals being seduced by the glamour of the movies, who knows what could happen…
Take a trip to heavenly Lissamore in this warm, witty read that will pull at the heartstrings.
July 13, 2011
really enjoyed this book also, would love to live in that village where the book is based, once you start these books it's very hard to put them down because you are dying to see what happens to the characters, a definate must read.
September 1, 2011
what is this book about? I have no idea. There was a lot of jumping around and some sort of weird internet fetish happening. I feel very confused by the photo on this book, because the picture it paints is NOT what the cover implies!!
April 7, 2010
I loved the first one but this one was a little slow and contrived. It also struck me as a little nasty in places.
March 20, 2013
Really good book full of interesting characters would recommend as easy relaxed read
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews