Review: Romantic Comedy Gold Set in the Irish Countryside (B+ Grade)
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 30, 2014
Zara Keane is a new welcomed voice in Contemporary Romance. If you looking for crisp, clean writing, engaging dialogue, steamy sex, and too many laughs to count, you’ll find it with Love and Shenanigans, the first book in Zara’s Ballybeg series! I haven’t read many current day romances set in Ireland, and Love in Shenanigan is set in a small town of Ballybeg, which was a nice change. The setting is flavorful and the characters as well. You’ll feel like you’ve been transplanted into this colorful world Zara has created.Thee laughs are plentiful here, especially with Wiggly Poo, a rambunctious labradoodle that causes so many problems throughout the novel. This pup is one of the many reasons Love and Shenanigans was such a hoot to read!Fiona returns to Ballybeg for her cousin, Muireann’s wedding. Fiona and the bride don’t get along at all, but Fiona sucks it up and doesn’t want to cause a problem. Soon she’ll be on her grand holiday to Australia. Her cousin’s husband to be is, Gavin, a man Fiona has known for most of her life, and who she once had a crush on. She finds out right before the wedding that she is still married to Gavin. A few years ago she and Gavin ended up in Las Vegas, got drunk and married by Elvis. They didn’t think it was the real deal and forgot about it. It has come back to bite them big time. Now Gavin is in the dog house, so to speak, because Muireann hates him, and her powerful, rich father wants to ruin him. Fiona has her own problems because her beloved Aunt Bridie, who took Fiona in after her parents died in a horrible car crash, has an accident and can’t run her bookstore. Fiona takes over for Bridie and stays in Ballybeg until she and Gavin can get an annulment or divorce.Gavin’s life has come crashing down, and he might have no choice to give into Muireann father’s demands for retribution if he wants to still have his respect and a career. He starts spending more time with Fiona, which in turns makes him second guess everything about himself and what he thought he had with Muireann, who has conveniently skipped town to recover from her botched wedding. It’s not surprising Fiona and Gavin rekindle their romance, which should be so wrong, but feels so right to them. Perhaps these two should stay married and see what their future holds?Love and Shenanigans is romantic comedy gold. I can’t count the number of times I laughed out loud. There is drama, tension, a mystery regarding Fiona’s grandmother’s will and if Wiggly Poo will ever behave. Everything is wrapped up in a near perfect HEA bow, which I loved.I’m definitely on the Zara Keane fan bandwagon. I knew Zara when she first started as book blogger, who then turned author. I’m so happy she made the leap, and has done it very well.I urge to try this new author and the first book in what looks to be a very fun series that has the Luck of the Irish on every page.Katiebabs