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Wild Hart Saga #2
Straight Up
Ireland is a good place to get lucky...
Even a man on the run can enjoy the thrill of the chase...
After getting on the bad side of New York's Irish mob, Liam O'Brien thought he could weather the storm back in Ireland. Working as a bartender in his parent's old village of Ballycraig, he's not looking for any trouble. But he could use a bit of fun.
Aislinn McCafferty has already been scorned by a man once at the wedding altar. Now, any man who tries to woo her is quickly and coldly dispatched. The unknowing Liam soon learns this the hard way--and is immediately intrigued.
Eagerly accepting a wager from the pub's owner, Liam begins a determined pursuit of the stubborn and beautiful Aislinn, who in turn uses all of her wiles to rid herself of the charmingly determined Yank. But neither of them expects this donnybrook of the sexes to turn into an unlikely love...
Even a man on the run can enjoy the thrill of the chase...
After getting on the bad side of New York's Irish mob, Liam O'Brien thought he could weather the storm back in Ireland. Working as a bartender in his parent's old village of Ballycraig, he's not looking for any trouble. But he could use a bit of fun.
Aislinn McCafferty has already been scorned by a man once at the wedding altar. Now, any man who tries to woo her is quickly and coldly dispatched. The unknowing Liam soon learns this the hard way--and is immediately intrigued.
Eagerly accepting a wager from the pub's owner, Liam begins a determined pursuit of the stubborn and beautiful Aislinn, who in turn uses all of her wiles to rid herself of the charmingly determined Yank. But neither of them expects this donnybrook of the sexes to turn into an unlikely love...
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
9 people are currently reading
505 people want to read
About the author
Deirdre Martin
29 books580 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
New York Times Bestselling Author Deirdre Martin was six when she wrote her first "book,”a Peanuts parody. In addition to penning bad, maudlin poetry in junior high school and serving as the Arts Editor on her high school newspaper, she was also the Arts Editor at her college newspaper at the University of New York at Buffalo, where she earned her BA in English in 1985. While writing for the student newspaper there, she sold her first freelance magazine article and won a city wide play writing contest. Her play, Spin Cycle, about two lonely people at a laundromat, was subsequently performed in a theater space in downtown Buffalo.
Ater graduating college, Deirdre worked at a series of trade magazines before landing a job at Soap Opera Digest. While she says it was fun working in a place where she got to watch TV all afternoon, she longed to branch out, and after two years, left to begin freelancing full time. Over the course of her twelve year freelance career, her work appeared in a wide variety of publications, including Seventeen, YM, McCall's, Fitness, New Woman, Bride's, Bridal Guide, Inside Sports, Woman's World, Modern Maturity, Islands, Newsday, and the New York Times. In 1998, her first non fiction book was published: Investing for Retirement (Avon). She also contributed to Lifescripts for Managers, Lifescripts for Employees, and Lifescripts for the Self Employed. (MacMillan, 1999).
A fan of the romance genre and of soap opera ("If Dickens were alive today, he'd be writing for a soap," Deirdre maintains), she decided to try her own hand at writing a romance novel. The result, BODY CHECK, was published in March, 2003, followed by USA Today Bestseller FAIR PLAY in 2004, TOTAL RUSH in 2005, THE PENALTY BOX in 2006, and USA Today Bestseller CHASING STANLEY in 2008.
2008 also saw the publication of JUST A TASTE, which made The New York Times Bestseller List. Deirdre returned to the world of the Blades in 2009 with POWERPLAY. 2009 was also when she launched a new series, The Wild Hart Saga, centering around a large Irish American family who own a pub in Manhattan. The first book in the series, WITH A TWIST, was quickly followed by STRAIGHT UP in 2010, and there are plans for at least two more. But the New York Blades keep calling her back: her next book, ICEBREAKER, will be published in 2011.
A resident of Ithaca, NY, Deirdre enjoys hiking and biking with her husband, Mark Levine, co author of the financial bestsellers, Die Broke and Live Rich. When not busy lavishing affection on her beloved Newfie, Rocky, she also enjoys reading, baking, listening to music, yoga, photography, and hanging out with her friends from acting class. She's had the same best friend since she was ten and adores the color purple.
New York Times Bestselling Author Deirdre Martin was six when she wrote her first "book,”a Peanuts parody. In addition to penning bad, maudlin poetry in junior high school and serving as the Arts Editor on her high school newspaper, she was also the Arts Editor at her college newspaper at the University of New York at Buffalo, where she earned her BA in English in 1985. While writing for the student newspaper there, she sold her first freelance magazine article and won a city wide play writing contest. Her play, Spin Cycle, about two lonely people at a laundromat, was subsequently performed in a theater space in downtown Buffalo.
Ater graduating college, Deirdre worked at a series of trade magazines before landing a job at Soap Opera Digest. While she says it was fun working in a place where she got to watch TV all afternoon, she longed to branch out, and after two years, left to begin freelancing full time. Over the course of her twelve year freelance career, her work appeared in a wide variety of publications, including Seventeen, YM, McCall's, Fitness, New Woman, Bride's, Bridal Guide, Inside Sports, Woman's World, Modern Maturity, Islands, Newsday, and the New York Times. In 1998, her first non fiction book was published: Investing for Retirement (Avon). She also contributed to Lifescripts for Managers, Lifescripts for Employees, and Lifescripts for the Self Employed. (MacMillan, 1999).
A fan of the romance genre and of soap opera ("If Dickens were alive today, he'd be writing for a soap," Deirdre maintains), she decided to try her own hand at writing a romance novel. The result, BODY CHECK, was published in March, 2003, followed by USA Today Bestseller FAIR PLAY in 2004, TOTAL RUSH in 2005, THE PENALTY BOX in 2006, and USA Today Bestseller CHASING STANLEY in 2008.
2008 also saw the publication of JUST A TASTE, which made The New York Times Bestseller List. Deirdre returned to the world of the Blades in 2009 with POWERPLAY. 2009 was also when she launched a new series, The Wild Hart Saga, centering around a large Irish American family who own a pub in Manhattan. The first book in the series, WITH A TWIST, was quickly followed by STRAIGHT UP in 2010, and there are plans for at least two more. But the New York Blades keep calling her back: her next book, ICEBREAKER, will be published in 2011.
A resident of Ithaca, NY, Deirdre enjoys hiking and biking with her husband, Mark Levine, co author of the financial bestsellers, Die Broke and Live Rich. When not busy lavishing affection on her beloved Newfie, Rocky, she also enjoys reading, baking, listening to music, yoga, photography, and hanging out with her friends from acting class. She's had the same best friend since she was ten and adores the color purple.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
May 23, 2010
I can honestly say that Aislinn McCafferty – or “The McCafferty” as the townsfolk like to refer to her as “because it’s nicer than calling her the Bitch” is unlike any female lead I’ve read in a long time.
She’s a sheep farmer for goodness sake. She is one hard-working, fiercely independent, prickly as a porcupine tough cookie (hence the nickname from the townsfolk) and should come with a “Beware The McCafferty” sign. She speaks her mind to the point of being harsh and the people who hang out at the local watering-hole she frequents are often on the receiving end of her biting, caustic tongue especially the three local men she refers to as the “Holy Trinity of Arseholes”. And now the new bartender in town, Irish-American Liam O’Brien has arrived to try her patience, but he’s going to need more than his lucky charms to woo this lass. The scenes at the pub were among my favorite in the book.
The first half of this book was great. There was a sense of impending doom as the anticipation just kept building. A bet made by Liam and then a bad decision on his part due to his pigheadedness had me waiting for the other shoe to drop. You knew it was coming and that it was just a matter of time before the fireworks or “The McCafferty” exploded. And she didn’t disappoint.
Watching Liam try to woo Aislinn back and redeem himself while he enlisted the help of the locals as well as Aislinn’s sister Nora was at times comical. I did find this part dragged on just a wee bit too long for my liking. The last half of the book just didn’t pack the same punch for me as the first half did.
Straight Up is a good, solid read with lots of laughs and was worth it just for all the new words I learned: goolies (use your imagination), eejit (idiot) – this was used a lot, wellies and lots of other quaint Irish expressions. I am pretty sure the voices in my head were speaking with a lovely Irish lilt while I was reading this book.
She’s a sheep farmer for goodness sake. She is one hard-working, fiercely independent, prickly as a porcupine tough cookie (hence the nickname from the townsfolk) and should come with a “Beware The McCafferty” sign. She speaks her mind to the point of being harsh and the people who hang out at the local watering-hole she frequents are often on the receiving end of her biting, caustic tongue especially the three local men she refers to as the “Holy Trinity of Arseholes”. And now the new bartender in town, Irish-American Liam O’Brien has arrived to try her patience, but he’s going to need more than his lucky charms to woo this lass. The scenes at the pub were among my favorite in the book.
The first half of this book was great. There was a sense of impending doom as the anticipation just kept building. A bet made by Liam and then a bad decision on his part due to his pigheadedness had me waiting for the other shoe to drop. You knew it was coming and that it was just a matter of time before the fireworks or “The McCafferty” exploded. And she didn’t disappoint.
Watching Liam try to woo Aislinn back and redeem himself while he enlisted the help of the locals as well as Aislinn’s sister Nora was at times comical. I did find this part dragged on just a wee bit too long for my liking. The last half of the book just didn’t pack the same punch for me as the first half did.
Straight Up is a good, solid read with lots of laughs and was worth it just for all the new words I learned: goolies (use your imagination), eejit (idiot) – this was used a lot, wellies and lots of other quaint Irish expressions. I am pretty sure the voices in my head were speaking with a lovely Irish lilt while I was reading this book.
June 9, 2011
i like the idea of having a heroine who works on a farm, but Liam was a bit too much the like the guy in
For a guy who supposably broods a lot, he seemed like Mr.Sunshine.
Not a bad book overall. And i do admire Deirdre Martin for stepping away from Hockey with this book. Although it is playoff season and nothing would have gotten me prepped for that better than a book about a hockey player.
For a guy who supposably broods a lot, he seemed like Mr.Sunshine.
Not a bad book overall. And i do admire Deirdre Martin for stepping away from Hockey with this book. Although it is playoff season and nothing would have gotten me prepped for that better than a book about a hockey player.
March 25, 2011
I wouldn't say that this was the best book I ever read, but while reading this book, somehow Deirdre Martin managed to have me expecting views of lush Irish hills when I opened my curtains in the morning (huge disappointment when I didn't get any such view), had me wanting to work on a sheepfarm, eat Irish stews, drink guinness (I don't like beer) and call everyone around me an 'eejit'. It was so much fun feeling this way while reading, that I couldn't not rate "Straight Up"5 stars. I hope other readers will have the same enjoyable experience when they read this book.
October 15, 2012
3.5/5 - I really liked this one. The heroine is tough as nails, a bit bitter, but life has sent a few hits her way and she's dealing as best she can. The hero was so charming, I forgot that he initially sets out to win the heroine's heart on a bet. When the details of the bet came out, I felt as betrayed as Aislinn by what he did!
This was a well rounded, emotional (had a few tears at times) book and I enjoyed it.
This was a well rounded, emotional (had a few tears at times) book and I enjoyed it.
November 13, 2017
2.5
Liam, who is stuck in the village of Ballycraig, Ireland in hopes of staying off the Irish mob's radar in his home of Manhattan, NY is just getting by tending bar when local sheep farmer and hard as nails, Aislinn MacAfferty comes into the bar to check out the new Yank. She insists she's not impressed, but Liam thinks differently. He's so confident she's into him that he makes a bet that he can charm her into love with him. And he does, but then Aislinn finds out about the bet. By then of course, Liam's in love with her and sets out to woo her again. But Liam isn't cut out for life in a small village and Aislinn isn't cut out for anything else - so what kind of future can they have?
I told myself I was done with this author because we just don't mesh, but I'm a finisher so I picked up the last book in this series. I am definitely done. My biggest issue, that I've finally pinpointed, is the characters. I haven't liked a single one so far. I mean, it's great that the characters have flaws and they are so far from Mary Sue - but they're also not very likeable. Case in point - Aislinn is fiery and is really good at putting the smug Liam in his place. But boy can she be a bitch. And it's not the defensive, pushing people away kind of bitchiness...it's in her very monologuing. In her own head she whines and complains about people and doesn't really have much nice things to think about people. That negativity got to me. Liam is also a bit of a shit and for the most part, he does grow a lot through the story, as does Aislinn, but Liam especially didn't become all that more likeable. I mean, what sort of personality does a guy have to have to make a bet like that and not back out of it when given the chance? He went into it knowing she'd had her heart broken and that he was going to do that to her again. Just. OMG. And don't even get me started on Nora. She should have been disowned by her only family.
Not to say that this wasn't a good story. In reality, had this story just been the first 60% with a good grovelly finish, I would have chalked this up to a good read and considered reading this author again. It was actually an enjoyable build up, with Liam and Aislinn ratcheting up the tension and romance and all the while knowing that the shoe was about to drop. And when it did - WOW. It was perfectly done. But the story that followed was a lot less interesting, with him trying to win her back and the townspeople (with friends like that who needs enemies) trying to help him out, culminating in Liam revealing how justified I was in not really warming up to him. The essence of a grovel, when you're in the wrong, is to suck it up and take a helping of the shame you should feel...which means you don't get pissed at the woman you're hoping will forgive you like it's your right to be forgiven. She forgives you when she forgives you - and if you love her, you wait as long as it takes and don't whine about it. And Liam, who claimed he'd never give up on trying to woo her back, did exactly that and put the ball in her court claiming he wouldn't wait for her forever.
For some reason he couldn't fathom why she wouldn't forgive him when he knew she loved him.
Yet now one clued him in on the fact that love and forgiveness have very little to do with one another. Then the whole marriage thing and the last 15% were just out of the blue and strange. It felt out of place...like a hastily added on ending.
Liam, who is stuck in the village of Ballycraig, Ireland in hopes of staying off the Irish mob's radar in his home of Manhattan, NY is just getting by tending bar when local sheep farmer and hard as nails, Aislinn MacAfferty comes into the bar to check out the new Yank. She insists she's not impressed, but Liam thinks differently. He's so confident she's into him that he makes a bet that he can charm her into love with him. And he does, but then Aislinn finds out about the bet. By then of course, Liam's in love with her and sets out to woo her again. But Liam isn't cut out for life in a small village and Aislinn isn't cut out for anything else - so what kind of future can they have?
I told myself I was done with this author because we just don't mesh, but I'm a finisher so I picked up the last book in this series. I am definitely done. My biggest issue, that I've finally pinpointed, is the characters. I haven't liked a single one so far. I mean, it's great that the characters have flaws and they are so far from Mary Sue - but they're also not very likeable. Case in point - Aislinn is fiery and is really good at putting the smug Liam in his place. But boy can she be a bitch. And it's not the defensive, pushing people away kind of bitchiness...it's in her very monologuing. In her own head she whines and complains about people and doesn't really have much nice things to think about people. That negativity got to me. Liam is also a bit of a shit and for the most part, he does grow a lot through the story, as does Aislinn, but Liam especially didn't become all that more likeable. I mean, what sort of personality does a guy have to have to make a bet like that and not back out of it when given the chance? He went into it knowing she'd had her heart broken and that he was going to do that to her again. Just. OMG. And don't even get me started on Nora. She should have been disowned by her only family.
Not to say that this wasn't a good story. In reality, had this story just been the first 60% with a good grovelly finish, I would have chalked this up to a good read and considered reading this author again. It was actually an enjoyable build up, with Liam and Aislinn ratcheting up the tension and romance and all the while knowing that the shoe was about to drop. And when it did - WOW. It was perfectly done. But the story that followed was a lot less interesting, with him trying to win her back and the townspeople (with friends like that who needs enemies) trying to help him out, culminating in Liam revealing how justified I was in not really warming up to him. The essence of a grovel, when you're in the wrong, is to suck it up and take a helping of the shame you should feel...which means you don't get pissed at the woman you're hoping will forgive you like it's your right to be forgiven. She forgives you when she forgives you - and if you love her, you wait as long as it takes and don't whine about it. And Liam, who claimed he'd never give up on trying to woo her back, did exactly that and put the ball in her court claiming he wouldn't wait for her forever.
For some reason he couldn't fathom why she wouldn't forgive him when he knew she loved him.
Yet now one clued him in on the fact that love and forgiveness have very little to do with one another. Then the whole marriage thing and the last 15% were just out of the blue and strange. It felt out of place...like a hastily added on ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2020
This was a cute book about woman sheep farmer who's been burned and is gun shy of relationships.
April 13, 2020
I prefer the Blades series from Martin, but was still a fun and easy read.
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
July 14, 2025
Very enjoyable fast paced read. A little predictable of course but again good read.
quit-reading
December 4, 2024Got about 4 chapters in and couldn't take any more. I hate the heroine a lot.
November 15, 2018
It seems to Aislinn McCafferty that, of late, all anyone in the small Irish town of Ballycraig can talk about is The Yank. Evidently Liam O’Brien, the new bartender at the Royal Oak, got on the bad side of New York’s Irish mob and is hiding out in his parents’ hometown until it’s safe for him to return to the States. Not that Aislinn cares. Ever since she was humiliated and abandoned at the altar, she’s turned inward and good luck to any man who tries to talk to her. Yet something about Liam interests her. Maybe it’s his devilishly good looks. Or perhaps it’s that he won’t leave her alone. Can Aislinn take a chance on love and open her heart once more? Or will a secret Liam’s keeping destroy her faith in him before their relationship ever has a chance to blossom?
Take a trip to the Emerald Isle to see opposites attract in the charming Straight Up. It might sound odd, but what interested me most about Aislinn was that she was a woman in a profession that’s unusual for a romance heroine. She’s a sheep farmer, and a hard-working one at that. Aislinn’s not a girly-girl by any stretch of the imagination and I loved that Liam adored her for who she really is. Liam himself is an extremely sexy hero, one whose mistakes keep him from being cardboard perfect. He and Aislinn work well together and I enjoyed watching them fall in love. If there was one thing I could wish for in Straight Up, it’d be that it was a bit longer. The book moves at a leisurely pace for most of the story, but the ending felt a bit rushed and patched together. Considering that the issues that needed to be resolved were done so at the end, this seemed a bit odd to me.
Straight Up is the third story in Deirdre Martin’s Wild Hearts Saga. When I picked up Straight Up, I wasn’t aware it was part of a series and thus I can safely say it reads perfectly fine as a standalone. Liam is close to his siblings (the protagonists of the other Wild Hearts books) and thus they are mentioned frequently in Straight Up and I admit I am intrigued enough to want to go back and read the previous two stories (“Luck of the Irish” in the Double the Pleasure anthology and With a Twist). All in all I found Straight Up to be an entertaining read and I look forward to reading more of Ms. Martin’s work.
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed.
Take a trip to the Emerald Isle to see opposites attract in the charming Straight Up. It might sound odd, but what interested me most about Aislinn was that she was a woman in a profession that’s unusual for a romance heroine. She’s a sheep farmer, and a hard-working one at that. Aislinn’s not a girly-girl by any stretch of the imagination and I loved that Liam adored her for who she really is. Liam himself is an extremely sexy hero, one whose mistakes keep him from being cardboard perfect. He and Aislinn work well together and I enjoyed watching them fall in love. If there was one thing I could wish for in Straight Up, it’d be that it was a bit longer. The book moves at a leisurely pace for most of the story, but the ending felt a bit rushed and patched together. Considering that the issues that needed to be resolved were done so at the end, this seemed a bit odd to me.
Straight Up is the third story in Deirdre Martin’s Wild Hearts Saga. When I picked up Straight Up, I wasn’t aware it was part of a series and thus I can safely say it reads perfectly fine as a standalone. Liam is close to his siblings (the protagonists of the other Wild Hearts books) and thus they are mentioned frequently in Straight Up and I admit I am intrigued enough to want to go back and read the previous two stories (“Luck of the Irish” in the Double the Pleasure anthology and With a Twist). All in all I found Straight Up to be an entertaining read and I look forward to reading more of Ms. Martin’s work.
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed.
September 25, 2010
This was so a fun and sweet romance, and I am not just saying that cos it took place in Ireland ;)
It’s about Liam who is running from the Irish mob back in NY, and now he works as a bartender in a little Irish village. Then there is Aislinn, a sheep farmer who got hurt badly in love and now is just angry. After a little run in with Liam he does something incredibly stupid. With the pub owner and the 3 stooges he makes a bet that he can get her. Let the games begin.
Oh oh, man he was stupid. He makes that bet and then falls for her. He realizes that she is sweet under that frown, and he loves who she is with her sheep and Padraig that works at the farm. So he gets this stupid notion that he can win the bet, and keep the girl. Sighs, men! Does he not understand that when she realizes the will leave him bleeding in a ditch? No is the answer and she falls in love with him, and I keep waiting for her to find out and hit him over the head with a whisky bottle. Cos he deserves it if he is such a bloody eejit.
Aislinn has a tongue of her own, she was lied to be a man she loved, and now she feels like everyone is pitying her so she rather angry and people in the village is calling her The McAfftery. But it’s her way of dealing with the hurt, and it’s not like she is some angry woman. No she just gives the three stooges at the pub a tongue lashing now and again, but hey they enjoy it too. It seems she is the only woman to actually talk to them. Other than that she is a nice woman, and I do like her. She has had much to deal with, but she stays strong, too strong actually, and all she wants is to keep those sheep.
I want these two to be happy but with that lie between them I know that sooner or later all hell will break loose. In the mean time it’s fun to see Liam try, and finally manage to court her. They do have this bantering between them and it’s fun to watch.
A sweet romance, set in a beautiful country. A Yank falling for a sheep farmer, what more is a girl to ask for.
Blodeuedd’s Cover Corner: It looks fun !
Reason for reading: own copy
Final thoughts. This was a great contemporary romance, fun and romantic, with some great characters in it.
It’s about Liam who is running from the Irish mob back in NY, and now he works as a bartender in a little Irish village. Then there is Aislinn, a sheep farmer who got hurt badly in love and now is just angry. After a little run in with Liam he does something incredibly stupid. With the pub owner and the 3 stooges he makes a bet that he can get her. Let the games begin.
Oh oh, man he was stupid. He makes that bet and then falls for her. He realizes that she is sweet under that frown, and he loves who she is with her sheep and Padraig that works at the farm. So he gets this stupid notion that he can win the bet, and keep the girl. Sighs, men! Does he not understand that when she realizes the will leave him bleeding in a ditch? No is the answer and she falls in love with him, and I keep waiting for her to find out and hit him over the head with a whisky bottle. Cos he deserves it if he is such a bloody eejit.
Aislinn has a tongue of her own, she was lied to be a man she loved, and now she feels like everyone is pitying her so she rather angry and people in the village is calling her The McAfftery. But it’s her way of dealing with the hurt, and it’s not like she is some angry woman. No she just gives the three stooges at the pub a tongue lashing now and again, but hey they enjoy it too. It seems she is the only woman to actually talk to them. Other than that she is a nice woman, and I do like her. She has had much to deal with, but she stays strong, too strong actually, and all she wants is to keep those sheep.
I want these two to be happy but with that lie between them I know that sooner or later all hell will break loose. In the mean time it’s fun to see Liam try, and finally manage to court her. They do have this bantering between them and it’s fun to watch.
A sweet romance, set in a beautiful country. A Yank falling for a sheep farmer, what more is a girl to ask for.
Blodeuedd’s Cover Corner: It looks fun !
Reason for reading: own copy
Final thoughts. This was a great contemporary romance, fun and romantic, with some great characters in it.
August 30, 2012
I usually pick these up on hope of hooking characters, the kind you're sorry when the book ends because you just wanted more of them. So, kind of not the case. It's not that they aren't a strong couple, the idea was good indeed, so I blame the writing. It was tiresome and I didn't feel the urge to keep reading to know what's gonna happen. I kind of waited to the end to see how she'll wrap Aislinn's and OMG is the first time ever I forget a protagonist name so quickly! Liam's happy ending.
I liked Aislinn sharp tongue and how Liam got under her skin. It wasn't the most exhilarating romance ever written (and yet again the writing! It's the root of the problem indeed!). But the abruptness of the events, how oh so randomly we came to find 2-3 months have gone by. And the romance...it just doesn't meet the cut. I cheered for them, but they are so mercurial! To just describe a character as moody doesn't justify out of the blue actions.
I feel like I'm repeating myself, so let's say I do blame the writer. Martin didn't knew how to describe a romance or moody people. Won't be looking forward for another one from her. But it's a nice story it just wasn't told right.
I liked Aislinn sharp tongue and how Liam got under her skin. It wasn't the most exhilarating romance ever written (and yet again the writing! It's the root of the problem indeed!). But the abruptness of the events, how oh so randomly we came to find 2-3 months have gone by. And the romance...it just doesn't meet the cut. I cheered for them, but they are so mercurial! To just describe a character as moody doesn't justify out of the blue actions.
I feel like I'm repeating myself, so let's say I do blame the writer. Martin didn't knew how to describe a romance or moody people. Won't be looking forward for another one from her. But it's a nice story it just wasn't told right.
August 6, 2013
Luckily, it was way better than the previous instalment in this series which I hated.
In this case, the heroine seemed harsch and extremely brutal at first, but explanations were provided and she managed to change without turning into someone else that made this behavior acceptable.
Liam, on the other hand, remained a much more shallow character. The original events that have led to his requiring exile to Ireland did not show any strength, intelligence, but rather the willingness to please without thinking. He remained constant to himself in this book - trying to please everyone and always look at his best and obviously failing on all counts.
Their love story was ok, interesting at times, very predictable at others. There were some touching moments, some funny ones but also quite a few just so-so. Some climatic event was even totally missed in my opinion .
I rather liked however the secondary characters that managed to bring life to the portrait of this village.
In this case, the heroine seemed harsch and extremely brutal at first, but explanations were provided and she managed to change without turning into someone else that made this behavior acceptable.
Liam, on the other hand, remained a much more shallow character. The original events that have led to his requiring exile to Ireland did not show any strength, intelligence, but rather the willingness to please without thinking. He remained constant to himself in this book - trying to please everyone and always look at his best and obviously failing on all counts.
Their love story was ok, interesting at times, very predictable at others. There were some touching moments, some funny ones but also quite a few just so-so. Some climatic event was even totally missed in my opinion .
I rather liked however the secondary characters that managed to bring life to the portrait of this village.
November 1, 2010
Book #52 of 2010
When I saw this in the store, I thought it looked like a cute contemporary romance, hopefully pretty funny. In reality, I found it rather dull. The characters just weren't that interesting to me, and it annoyed me how Aislinn's moods would change at the drop of the hat. For example:
Aislinn is annoyed at something. Some other character comments on her annoyance. Aislinn is no longer annoyed.
The first half of the book felt like it was moving at the speed of light. Then other parts would drag. And so much was thrown at the two that the book wasn't really long enough to get through all of the conflicts. There was the bet, and then the fact that Liam was running from the Irish Mob, and then the fact that they were from different countries, and Aislinn's sister, and the farmhand who was starting to lose his memory and just on and on and on. It just felt like too much.
Overall, I just wasn't impressed.
When I saw this in the store, I thought it looked like a cute contemporary romance, hopefully pretty funny. In reality, I found it rather dull. The characters just weren't that interesting to me, and it annoyed me how Aislinn's moods would change at the drop of the hat. For example:
Aislinn is annoyed at something. Some other character comments on her annoyance. Aislinn is no longer annoyed.
The first half of the book felt like it was moving at the speed of light. Then other parts would drag. And so much was thrown at the two that the book wasn't really long enough to get through all of the conflicts. There was the bet, and then the fact that Liam was running from the Irish Mob, and then the fact that they were from different countries, and Aislinn's sister, and the farmhand who was starting to lose his memory and just on and on and on. It just felt like too much.
Overall, I just wasn't impressed.
February 14, 2012
I really enjoyed this story. We saw Liam in the other Wild Hart books and knew a little about him, but after he was sent away to Ireland in book 2 not much else was said about him.
Book 3 is the story of him meeting and falling in love with Aislynn, a girl who has her heart broken and is confident she will never love again.
While I enjoyed their story, it was a little unrealistic to think that they never once discussed how their relationship would go if he was able to move back to NYC. When the time came they were both shocked and surprised and angry at the other's response. Seriously, you marry someone from another country and never once discuss the option of where you will want to live permanently? I realize this is fiction, but a little bit of reality would make it a much better read for me.
Book 3 is the story of him meeting and falling in love with Aislynn, a girl who has her heart broken and is confident she will never love again.
While I enjoyed their story, it was a little unrealistic to think that they never once discussed how their relationship would go if he was able to move back to NYC. When the time came they were both shocked and surprised and angry at the other's response. Seriously, you marry someone from another country and never once discuss the option of where you will want to live permanently? I realize this is fiction, but a little bit of reality would make it a much better read for me.
May 14, 2015
I was on the fence about reading this book, but just for a minute LOL
1. I cant not finish a series but 2. the main reason I was on the fence was because I still wasn't convinced that liking With a Twist [Wild Hearts Saga #1] wasn't just a fluke because I REALLY didn't like the Blades series book I had read, so I was afraid that with Liam being away from his family [Quinn and Maggie and of course Natalie and her sister and all of the other odd balls from the Pub lol] that I wasn't going to get such a kick out of the book and once again dislike Ms Martin but I was wrong because HOLY LAUGHTER batkids. I LOVED LOVED LOVED Aislinn and all her ways! And Liam just blossomed and grew thru the book as well as she did. Its because of this book that I am going back to read the rest of the Blades series!
EXCELLENT!
1. I cant not finish a series but 2. the main reason I was on the fence was because I still wasn't convinced that liking With a Twist [Wild Hearts Saga #1] wasn't just a fluke because I REALLY didn't like the Blades series book I had read, so I was afraid that with Liam being away from his family [Quinn and Maggie and of course Natalie and her sister and all of the other odd balls from the Pub lol] that I wasn't going to get such a kick out of the book and once again dislike Ms Martin but I was wrong because HOLY LAUGHTER batkids. I LOVED LOVED LOVED Aislinn and all her ways! And Liam just blossomed and grew thru the book as well as she did. Its because of this book that I am going back to read the rest of the Blades series!
EXCELLENT!
September 4, 2011
I love the Deirdre Martin books.
Description:
Even a man on the run can enjoy the thrill of the chase...
Hiding from New York's Irish mob, Liam O'Brien is in Ireland working as a bartender in his parents' old village. Hurt once by a man, Aislinn McCafferty is the local ice queen, which the unsuspecting Liam soon learns the hard way.
Accepting a wager from the pub's owner, Liam pursues Aislinn. But neither of them expects this donnybrook of the sexes to turn into an unlikely love...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aislinn is a strong, independent, yet scorned woman. She has become a bit hard after being hurt and she doesn't let anyone in town too close to her. Liam is a big headed Yank who we first meet in the book "With a Twist"
Description:
Even a man on the run can enjoy the thrill of the chase...
Hiding from New York's Irish mob, Liam O'Brien is in Ireland working as a bartender in his parents' old village. Hurt once by a man, Aislinn McCafferty is the local ice queen, which the unsuspecting Liam soon learns the hard way.
Accepting a wager from the pub's owner, Liam pursues Aislinn. But neither of them expects this donnybrook of the sexes to turn into an unlikely love...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aislinn is a strong, independent, yet scorned woman. She has become a bit hard after being hurt and she doesn't let anyone in town too close to her. Liam is a big headed Yank who we first meet in the book "With a Twist"
March 10, 2011
I think I'm getting too particular with contemporary romance. I just feel like I've read this story before. Sure, Ms. Martin added fun twists (Ireland, sheep farming, INIS, a tiny snippet of the Irish Mob in NYC)...but the whole "I bet I can get her to love me"-"I can't believe he bet he could love me, now we're through and I'll never take him back"-"Ok, I still love you and I'll take you back" story line has been done. A lot. It was still an enjoyable read. I liked Aislinn's feisty attitude and the bits of Irish culture that were thrown in. I could easily envision the farm, bar and home. I laughed out loud a couple of times. Overall, I would tell others I liked the book but I don't think I would hand it to them and insist they read it.
October 8, 2010
The plot for this romance was kind of cliché: He is a player, she is a tough, hardened woman. He makes a bet that he can date her and then falls in love. But what will she do when she finds out? (she does what you think and it ends the way you think it will)
But despite this, the relationship between the female main character and her family comes through very nicely and the setting is absolutely wonderful. Ah, to be a sheep farmer in Ireland! Okay, I'm probably too much of a weakling to be one, but I did love reading about it. The descriptions of the farm and the farm work totally made the book for me.
But despite this, the relationship between the female main character and her family comes through very nicely and the setting is absolutely wonderful. Ah, to be a sheep farmer in Ireland! Okay, I'm probably too much of a weakling to be one, but I did love reading about it. The descriptions of the farm and the farm work totally made the book for me.
December 20, 2010
It appeared that this book was going to be a typical contemporary romance with a very predictable plot, but Martin threw in a couple surprises that I didn't see coming. This book is set in Ireland. Aislinn is a sheep farmer in Ireland who becomes involved with Liam, an American hiding from the mob in her hometown of Ballycraig. I always like Martin's characters and these two along with a full cast of family and friends where no exception. This was a quick, easy and enjoyable read. I found myself looking forward to finding out how things turned out.
November 15, 2010
This one was better than the last though I still feel these books have gone down hill a bit. Compared to the first couple, subsequent books have become more predictable and less entrancing. This one in particular was good except for the end. Did I know the ending was coming and would end up a certain way? Yes. But the actual getting there could have been better. It was a little too neat, and life and love are never neat.
Read
January 2, 2011DNF. I'm remembering why it took me so long to even open this book. Liam has no redeeming characteristics. He didn't interest me in the last book and I'm not even sure why I bought this one. The heroine was even less interesting so I'll just chalk it up to a lesson learned. Don't buy a book just because you've read and enjoyed others by this author.
April 5, 2011
Ok, this one was my last Deirdre Martin's romance and I'm feeling a bit disappointed. The story was fine but well, just fine. I didn't like her so much and her sister was really horrible.
I had expectations about Liam, loving this wonderful brooding hero but Liam was a bit of disappointment too.
Not bad but not so good.
I had expectations about Liam, loving this wonderful brooding hero but Liam was a bit of disappointment too.
Not bad but not so good.
August 12, 2011
I just couldn't find this book interesting. I actually skipped a good 100 pages in the middle just to get to a better part of the story. The ending just didn't seem real to me either. That he would give up everything and she would have no qualms with him doing so. Seemed kinda selfish, that she couldn't leave the farm at all while Liam had to leave everything.
March 2, 2013
giving this book 3 stars because the grammar was terrible and the the words were basic like: said... or she laughed or she replied.
the author never really explores other types of words
the story line was okay, but i definatly wont be reading the book again because i didnt really connect with the characters like i normally do in other books, so that was quite disappointing.
the author never really explores other types of words
the story line was okay, but i definatly wont be reading the book again because i didnt really connect with the characters like i normally do in other books, so that was quite disappointing.
September 14, 2010
My second book by Ms Martin and I loved it. When a smooth talking city-boy bar tender met a hard edged country-girl sheep farmer, nothing short of fire works went off.
I loved the dialogs between the characters in the book.
I loved the dialogs between the characters in the book.
October 11, 2010
A light, entertaining read. You rarely see a female sheep farmer, I think the last one I encountered was in Judith Ivory's "Untie my heart". They were both great. Martin did a good job drawing the characters and the small Irish town.
January 3, 2011
Es mag daran liegen, dass ich krank bin, aber dieses Buch ist keine Stimmungskanone, sonder sogar ein wenig deprimierend. Außerdem ging es mir viel zu glatt, wie schnell sich Aislinn sich in Liam verliebt.
July 6, 2011
I don't know why I keep reading Ms. Martin's books--I have read a lot of them. I think it's because I like her characters and the real-world situations she places them in. But as romances, they are not particularly romantic.
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