I'm a sucker for the found family trope, but *The Irish Boarding House* had TOO many coincidences for me to fully enjoy it. Also, the ages of the main character (MC) and her love interest weren’t very clear to me, nor was when this story takes place. Cars and trains and such, but somehow it seemed old-timey almost. Maybe that’s just Ireland in the present, and I don’t know it since I don’t live there. 🤷‍♀️ Also, the “magical money” at the LAST second was a stretch.Trigger warnings: attempted su...

3.5 stars Sandy Taylor's *The Irish Boarding House* is a solid, if not spectacular, read. It occupies that comfortable middle ground – enjoyable enough to keep you turning pages on a rainy afternoon, but perhaps not groundbreaking enough to linger in your thoughts for weeks afterward. If you're looking for a cozy historical novel, this might just be it. Think of it as comfort food for the bookish soul. A decent addition to the 'historical fiction book reviews' category for sure.

Should you read The Irish Boarding House? Absolutely. But also... maybe not? It's complicated. B̷R̷I̷N̷G̷ ✨ 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪 ✨ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷ First things first – a year and a half ago I read another book by Sandy Taylor, The Irish Nanny. And I LOVED IT. It was in my Top Ten of the year, y'all. See below: From my review in August of 2021: I'm new to Sandy Taylor as an author but I will definitely be looking up her backlist because I just genuinely LOVED reading this book. Her writing erased the wor...

This book is the sweet, easy-going love child of later Maeve Binchy books and a Hallmark movie special. Everyone gets a happy ending, all the priests and nuns are wise and kind, everyone slighted is forgiving, and nothing too complex is dwelled on to ruin the taste of Happily Ever After. If you're looking for a feel-good read, Sandy Taylor's *The Irish Boarding House* is it! It's the perfect comfort book.

52book challenge : Dublin

Not my cup of tea

Reading Sandy Taylor's *The Irish Boarding House* is like eating apple pie for breakfast, lunch, and dinner – you just get sick of the same sugary sweetness. It’s supposedly historical fiction, but it reads more like a relentless dose of sugary optimism. If you're looking for gritty realism or complex characters, this probably isn't the historical fiction novel for you.

Mary Kate Ryan had lived with her grandparents on Tanner's Row in Dublin since her mother abandoned them when she was a baby. After her grandmother and then her grandfather passed away, leaving her without a home, she felt utterly lost and alone. The boarding houses she stayed in were dingy and dirty, and nothing felt right anymore. Then, the day she received a letter from a solicitor, her life took a turn. The money she inherited allowed Mary Kate to buy a beautiful old house that had fallen in...

I've often noticed that people who grow up with very little are often the very ones who've gained the most from life. Mary Kate Ryan is a perfect example of someone who had empty pockets but not an empty mind. When her circumstances changed due to an unexpected inheritance, Mary Kate could have chosen to keep it all to herself. Instead, she reaches out to the less fortunate. Having lived in abhorrent conditions herself, Mary Kate knows all about the horrors of low-income living. Using the inher...

Mary Kate Ryan was abandoned by her mother as a baby and raised by her grandparents. But when they passed away, she was left to fend for herself, drifting from one boarding house to another. Penniless and with a bleak future ahead, she contemplates ending her life in the local river. But fate intervenes. She's contacted by a solicitor, Mr. Renson, who informs her that her long-lost mother has died and left her an inheritance. Initially skeptical, she decides to accept the money. However, instead...

What a wonderful book! "The Irish Boarding House" was simply lovely. Sandy Taylor's writing style is so easy and engaging, making it the perfect read to unwind with before bed for a couple of evenings. She's created such warm and relatable characters that you'll instantly like and root for them from the start. The 1950s Dublin setting is fascinating, and it really made me want to revisit that vibrant city and delve deeper into its history. And then the drama kicks in! The family secrets that un...

What a beautiful story of kindness, hope, and second chances! I simply adored *The Irish Boarding House*, set in 1950s Dublin. This is the first novel by Sandy Taylor that I've read, but it definitely won't be my last. She captured my attention from the very first page, and I absolutely love her writing style. There's a real warmth in her tone and genuine care for her characters. If you're looking for heartwarming book reviews, look no further! It was so easy to slip into this uplifting story a...