Rolling green hills, windswept coastlines, and the lyrical cadence of Irish voices – Ireland is a land steeped in story. And what better way to experience its magic than through the pages of a book? From ancient myths and legends to contemporary tales of love and loss, Irish literature offers a rich tapestry of narratives that can transport you to the heart of the Emerald Isle. Join me as we embark on a literary journey through Ireland, exploring the books that capture its essence and invite you to wander its enchanting landscapes.
The Half of It: A Spicy Small-Town Ireland Romance
In a small town halfway around the world, she might just find her whole heart.
Tough but tender Juniper Martin should have tossed that DNA test. A frustrating workday and one too many cosmos later, she mails a sample that unearths her half-sister in Ireland. Raised in a broken home, Juniper grants trust sparingly. But when she’s assigned a career-changing article about the findings, Juniper travels to the small town of Ballygrá to meet Cara and attend her wedding.
After Aidan McCarthy’s brother died, he dropped out of postgrad to help his parents. Only his best friend Cara knows he wants to pursue photography and not pour pints at his Da’s pub forever, but duty to family comes first. He desperately needs something—or someone—to inspire him and breathe new life into his old dreams.
When Aidan and Juniper must work together and help with Cara’s wedding preparation, neither can deny the chemistry between them. But Juniper can’t stay in beautiful Ballygrá forever—and when a discovery calls into question everything she’s worked for, she must decide how much to open her heart to the family she never knew she wanted and to the man she never anticipated falling for.
The Half of It is a spicy slow-burn romance set in the small town of Ballygrá, Ireland, perfect for fans of the Irish setting in Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks, the cinnamon roll male main character in Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez, and the heart and heat of Kate Clayborn books.
Casual Cruelties: A brand new nail-biting domestic suspense with a breathtaking twist
She wants to escape the prison of her marriage—but after decades of mind games, does she have the strength to break free?
Fifty-three, long-married, and in the throes of menopause, Laura is dismayed. She’s always tolerated her journalist husband’s belittling insults and manipulation—but at least she got some peace when he was busy at his job. Now he’s working from home, and her life is becoming a nightmare. Laura’s blessed escape comes in the form of book club meetings where her female friends commiserate and joke about raging hormones and rogue chin hairs. She also runs into an ex-boyfriend, and their renewed friendship awakens the spirit and self-confidence she thought was long gone.
But when Laura learns some startling things about her spouse, she begins to think she needs a different kind of life change. But an abuser can be dangerous when deprived of his fun—and just how far is Laura prepared to go to get her life back?
Demure (Modern Legends of Sidhe Book 1)
Recent college graduate Sierra Lopez has no idea what she wants to do with her life. With a degree that’s useless on its own, Sierra decides to complete a one-year master’s program at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Alone in a new city, Sierra downloads Tinder, expecting to go on a few casual dates during her study of human aging and fragility.
But then she meets the mysterious and brooding Aodhan De Thuaidh, who doesn’t seem to be at home in Dublin either. When he’s 30 minutes late for their first date, however, Sierra writes him off as just another jerk, intending never to see him again.
Except Aodhan keeps showing up. First around campus, then at a bar, and during Sierra’s work hours at the campus library. He claims it’s just a chance they keep running into each other, which annoys Sierra to no end, but something about Aodhan just isn’t adding up…
Hope. E Davis’s Demure is a spicy NA fantasy novel for fans of Twilight who no longer want to read about teenagers and who enjoy the fantasy worlds built by Sarah J. Maas and J.R.R. Tolkien.
And so, we close the final chapters of our literary tour, leaving behind the echoes of Irish wit, the haunting beauty of its landscapes, and the enduring power of its stories. These books, with their vibrant characters and evocative prose, have offered us a glimpse into the soul of Ireland, a land where history and myth intertwine. I hope this journey has ignited your own desire to explore the literary treasures of the Emerald Isle, and perhaps even inspire a real-life adventure. May your own reading experiences be filled with the magic of Ireland, and may the stories you discover linger in your heart long after you’ve turned the final page.