The Granddaughter's Irish Secret by Susanne O'Leary - Book Review

Series: Magnolia Manor #2 

Publication Date: 05th June 2024

Genre: Contemporary Fiction 

3.5 Stars 

One Liner: Good drama; not enough romance 

Rose Fleury returns to Dingle to the family home, Magnolia Manor. The place is being renovated and converted into residential housing for senior citizens. Nursing heartbreak, Rose hopes to find a fresh start in a place filled with childhood memories and her grandmother Sylvia. 

When Rose realizes that her topaz necklace, a family heirloom is fake, she is worried the news will upset her dear grandmother. Rose begins to dig through the family archives to find out more about the necklace. With help from Noel Quinn, a local lawyer, Rose is determined to solve the mystery. Will this also give her a chance to build a relationship with the handsome lawyer? 

The story comes in Rose’s third-person POV. 

My Thoughts: 

The book should work as a standalone, though it seems to have elements from the first book (which I didn’t read). It is Lily’s story and also has elements related to the Magnolia Manor. Yet, I could understand the basics without much difficulty. 

Sylvia seems to be a great character, though she doesn’t have much role in this one. Whatever I saw of her is good. The side characters are definitely intriguing, more so than the FMC, which doesn’t work well for her. Henri, Vicky, Noel, etc., manage to make an impression. 

The book is quite short (200+ pages) and has a fast pace. This is an advantage and a disadvantage. The pace keeps the story moving and covers many days at a stretch. However, it doesn’t give the reader a chance to connect with the characters. This made it very hard for me to connect with Rose. I couldn’t get a hang of her. 

I loved the mystery of the necklace and the backstory behind it. I kept guessing where and how it would turn. Moreover, the conclusion for the mystery is also good. Not what I expected, but something I really liked. 

The setting is good, too. We get enough glimpses of the countryside and lush landscape with cliffs, sea, charming sunsets, etc. 

My main issue is with the romance between Rose and Noel. I just couldn’t feel their chemistry despite enough scenes between the two. Rose’s third-person POV somehow doesn’t give us the depth of her emotions. For a long time, she doesn’t want anything more from him, but then she is suddenly in love? Even afterward, she is tentative? Not convinced! 

To summarize, The Granddaughter's Irish Secret works better as a family drama than a romance. The book should be more enjoyable to fans of the author or those who liked the previous book in the series. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for eARC. 

#NetGalley #TheGranddaughtersIrishSecret