Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
What a lovely and well writen novel. I could not put this book down. The setting was beautiful and it just pulled me right in. I could not put it down, I loved the characters. Such a great and mesmerizing novel.

I really enjoyed this book. It was different than anything else I've read recently. I couldn't put it down! I will keep an eye out for this author's future work!

A lovely warm saga set in Ireland. I particularly enjoyed the wonderful descriptions of the country. Perfect read for a stormy winter’s evening

A wonderful read! I loved how cozy and engaging this book is and hope to read more by the author. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Daisy Clarke is racked with self-doubt as she tries to believe she has what it takes to be a successful children's illustrator. She receives news that she is in line to inherit the lake house in her mothers home town of Innisfree and decides this is the change she needs to produce the material to impress her publisher. She has always wondered about the mystery of why her late mother left Ireland to bring her up on her own in London and hopes she can use the visit to find out more. Colourful descriptions of Ireland.

I didn't love this one but I also didn't hate this one. However I'm not sure how I feel about this one.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publshing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This was a lovely escapist read. A feel good book, that takes place in the small town of Innisfree in Ireland. Daisy Clarke is working as an illustrationist in London, dreaming of making her big break and hoping she doesn't get let go. She is in a comfortable relationship with Ash, a realtor. Daisy's mother died when she was a child and she wishes she knew more about her past but he mother never told her anything about her home town of Innisfree or even who her father was.

A lawyer reaches out to Daisy to advise her that her mother inheireted a property and that as her mother's sole heir it is solely hers. Ash sees dollar signs and thinks of the home they can buy together in London to get ahead of his friends, but Daisy is not so sure. Daisy and her bff, Kayla, go to Ireland and meet up with handsome lawyer, James. James agrees to help repair the lake house and make it ready to be sold but when the time comes, will Daisy be able to sell or will she find a new life in Innisfree.

I enjoyed this story and the supporting characters were wonderful. My only issue was why, oh why, did Daisy put her important paperwork in her checked luggage?! So frustrating. All in all, a great feel good read in a lovely countryside.

I love a good family drama, especially one that offers a glimpse of different parts of the world. Add in a bit of home improvement and a romance and it becomes a delightful diversion. I thought this was a sweet book and the characters were, for the most part, really well fleshed out and intriguing. A solid 4 stars!

This is a beautiful book of friendship, family and being brave enough to step out of your comfort zone to find true happiness. Absolutely loved how the author described the landscape, it was like being there. I have even more desire to visit Ireland now!

Oh my goodness what a fantastic book. I didn't want to finish this I was completely hooked into the story. I even shed a tear at times. The writing was so perfect. As you can tell I loved this one. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I've said it before & I'll say it again, but I will read absolutely any and every book set in Ireland! Coleman knocked this one out of the park & did a beautiful job painting the picture of idyllic Innisfree! I loved Daisy right from the start, and enjoyed some of the side characters (Kayla especially!!). This has the perfect mix of romance, mystery, heart, and charm - pick this up with a warm cup of hot cocoa and curl up by the fire for an afternoon!

I found this book incredibly show to begin with but after 12 chapters I was hooked.

This was a brilliant story, but I was disappointed that we didn’t get the whole backstory of the relationship between Daisy and James whilst they renovated the house. It seemed to just jump from an initial meeting to having feelings.

The ending of the book I absolutely adored.

For those who know me, they know that Ireland will always hold a special place in my heart. Until I can return, I'm constantly drawn to books set in Ireland and particularly those written by Irish authors. For those who have lived in Ireland and were there long enough to experience the literary life, you'll know that there is something special about the literary world in Ireland. There is so much creativity, originality, and talent in Ireland that a reader could explore pretty much every genre of novel without ever leaving the island.

The Irish Lake House, by Colleen Coleman, splits time between London and Innisfree in Ireland. It's a story of how the protagonist Daisy learns more about herself, her history, who she is, and who she wants to be. The story is a mix of mystery, women's fiction, and romance. Overall, the novel was enjoyable. I loved seeing the character's evolution and how she worked through her relationships. There were a few bittersweet moments as Daisy learns her history and can't ask the people involved about it or build relationships with them. I'm trying to avoid spoilers, because I don't want to give away anything and want to let the reader find these twists and turns on their own, but the reader can sense the struggle between wanting to get answers, knowing she may not ever know everything, and that the people she would most want to hear her story from cannot tell it. The story starts with the reader knowing Daisy's mother is dead and prior to that her mother raised her on her own, so we know we will never get answers directly from her mother about her mother's past or history, but it's still difficult sometimes to grasp as the story flows that there was once someone with all the answers. The story is told, and there are enough answers to leave the reader feeling that everything is for the most part resolved, but it is still enough to stick with the reader and make them think. In The Irish Lake House, the reader will find love, community, community building, relationships, and relationship building as Daisy moves through the reality of inheriting an unknown to her property in a small village in Ireland.

My one critique, and this is due to me not knowing enough of the author's history, is she writes about a certain community in Ireland (intentionally being vague here to avoid spoilers, if you're from Ireland/the UK/Europe in general you'll figure it out when you get there) and it's not clear if there were sensitivity readers involved to review the community's portrayal. There are certain communities that I love are getting representation in literature and popular fiction, but there are so many misconceptions and stereotypical portrayals that accurate and true representations are what is needed. I am not making assumptions, so I do not know enough about the author to know if she is from the community she included in this book, but again some acknowledgment that people from the community reviewed the portrayals prior to publication would have been helpful.

Please be advised that I received an Advance Readers Copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Irish Lake House is the first book that I have read by Colleen Coleman and it was a charming and engaging read with a wonderful setting. Yes, for the first quarter of the book it did feel a bit wordy and I just wanted the author to make the point a bit clearer and earlier rather than the unnecessary detail I felt was there in order to make a point. But after awhile this was gone. In fact, perhaps the later half needed more detail as I felt things were glossed over and maybe required more exploration and that sense of digging a little bit deeper. So it was a story of two halves in terms of detail but overall this was a lovely easy read exploring the themes of identity and belonging, secrets and revelations, dream destinations, soul mates and above all else hope for the future. The writing is easy to follow and there is a relaxing atmosphere throughout the book as the main character Daisy struggles to come to terms with her past and the secrets it holds in order for her to move forward into a more positive future.

Daisy Clarke is a freelance children’s book illustrator who took the leap and left her full time job in a call centre in order to pursue her dreams. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been as successful as she had hoped for as now she is working longer, lonelier hours for less pay which leads to her feeling burnt out. She is questioning her creative ability and the life she had dreamed of is turning into a nightmare as financial pressures increase not to mention her editors displeasure with the work she has produced so far. Also the relationship with her boyfriend Ash, although he is keen for them to buy a house together, Daisy herself is not sure of the entire thing and feels under pressure and not good enough. On the outside she just pretends that everything is ok but really deep down you can sense that is unhappy and unfulfilled. Forest Fables is a classic children’s book, that has meant so much to many generations and Daisy has been tasked with creating the illustrations for a special edition but anything she has produced has been met with scorn and very little enthusiasm. With the creative juices not flowing the way she wishes them to and trouble in her relationship Daisy is not happy.

Losing her mother, Rose, at a very young age has always haunted Daisy and being placed in a children’s home with its lack of love and support certainly did nothing to bolster her confidence but Forest Fables brought comfort, love, hope and security to her and therefore in the present day she wants to do the best she can with the new illustrations. Kayla, a girl she met in the home, has been her best friend ever since they laid eyes on each other and it definitely showed throughout the book. They had such a fantastic friendship and connection and they were the family for each other that they never had growing up.

Family and connection is a strong theme that runs throughout the book. What do we do when they are gone and how can we reconcile the past with the present and put right many wrongs? Daisy was never told anything about her mother’s family who came from Ireland except that she had lived in the village of Innisfree. Why did Rose leave Ireland at such a young age ? Why did she refuse to speak about it and why did she never return? So many questions that Daisy has no answers to, but she desperately wishes that she had. But maybe fate has a few twists and turns in store for Daisy when James O’Connor, a lawyer from Innisfree, comes to London looking for her. He has news for her which turns everything on its head and perhaps has come at a point where Daisy needs direction and something new and challenging.

Daisy has inherited the Lake House near Innisfree which was owned by Mick Kennedy. She has no clue who this man is but there has to be a connection somewhere or how else would it have been left to her? To be honest I guessed fairly on what the connection was as it really couldn’t have been anything else but the path to her finding this out was enjoyable to read. She feels the town is calling her and she decides to give herself a month there to sort things out and renovate the house in order to put it on the market. Kayla accompanies her and Daisy also hopes that inspiration will strike when it comes to the illustrations that she is under a timeframe to produce.

It was brave of Daisy to step into the unknown and she shows great courage and strength as she didn’t know the path ahead of her and it wasn’t easy to navigate as when she reaches the village there is plenty of opposition to her inheriting the Lake House. Why is a major question? Yet Daisy is determined to discover why she has been the left the house that is built in the most beautiful of landscapes. She also wants to discover more about her mother’s past but the community is tight knit and the answers don’t come all that readily. Will Moya, who lives in a caravan on the shores of the lake, know and tell all or have the secrets and lies that have lain dormant for so long remain that way forever?

There was a wonderful cast of characters introduced throughout the story. Typical Irish some of them with the usual mannerisms thrown in, a bit too twee at times but I overcame that. Gus and Marianne run the guesthouse where Daisy and Kayla stay. They meet brother and sister Fintan and Jacinta on the bus who run shops in the village. Stephen McDonagh didn’t come across all that well and was very much battling with his own demons and so does Daisy the more she uncovers which was slowly drip fed to the reader. But then I felt we found out something and it was readily accepted and then we were on to the next thing. I wanted that sense of digging deeper and exploring the reactions to news instead of Daisy taking everything at face value in terms of what she was told. A little more angst and I suppose anger on her part was needed. As for James, I could sense there was a spark between himself and Daisy but that couldn’t have significantly ignited as she was with Ash. But I did hope something could occur which would allow this to happen as Daisy needed a new start and to break away from London and the chains that were slowly starting to entangle her deeper and deeper.

As the house renovations are complete thanks to the work of the community and friends in Innisfree Daisy feels that this is where she belongs and is meant to be but she is torn between a big decision. Should she put it on the market or is there a calling within her to stay in the village as she feels so at home and at ease there. The author deftly explores the ties that weave us together regardless of where we are in the world and the story became very enjoyable and you are rooting for a positive outcome for Daisy. I liked how everything turned out in the end and was glad I gave this author a chance and would like to read more from her in the future. The Irish Lake House is a nice read that would be perfect for this time of year if you need a break from a lot of the Christmas books that are around at the moment.

I connected with Daisy and the story from page one. I loved her and the other characters. I’ve never been to Ireland, but reading this has put it onto my radar. Her struggles with life and change are stressful to her but she can she find the strength to make the leap.

I loved seeing her relationship with James and her connection with Moya. I rooted for Daisy as she learns where she came from on her journey of self discovery and starting over.

The author does such a great job describing Ireland that it felt like I was there. The small town charm and the quirky characters that live there.

I needed this novel of hope and its heartwarming tale. The romance, the community and the setting swept me off of my feet. This was the right book at the right time.

A great Story featuring Daisy who is trying to find out more about her past. She is living in London. Her mother died when she was young and Daisy is trying to find out about her past. She knows her mother came from a village on the west coast of Ireland.

I have loved every book I have read by this author, and this one didn't disappoint either.

Daisy is doing it tough in London. She lives in a tiny flat, she is working as an illustrator for a woman who doesn't seem to like her very much and her boyfriend is pushing for the two of them to set up home together without her being ready.

Enter James, an Irish lawyer who is looking for Daisy's mum as she has inherited a house in Innisfree. As the only child of her mother, Rose, it seems that Daisy has inherited said house instead but there are so many secrets around the house and about why Daisy's mother did a runner from Innisfree in the first place; so much for Daisy to unpack.

This is a romantic story, of course, but the romance isn't at the centre of it. It is more about trying to figure out where you're from and doing what makes your heart sing, if that makes sense. All the secondary characters that are in this story really make it come to life and I wanted to take the next plane over to Ireland, just saying.

I loved this book. There were a few bits that could have done with a bit more detail but that is very minor in the scheme of things.

4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

The Irish Lake House by Colleen Coleman.
Daisy Clarke is searching for a new beginning. So when she inherits a lake house on the stunning west coast of Ireland that was mysteriously left to her late mother Rose, she wonders if this could be the fresh start she’s been looking for.
I really enjoyed this book. I did like Daisy. We'll written. An easy read for me. It was as if I was there with them. 5*.

BOOKWORMS REVIEW:
Well,where do I start? This book just warmed my heart..but also pulled at it! A story full of questions from our main character Daisy..about her childhood,her mom Rose' reason for leaving Ireland,the father she never knew. Living in England,Daisy illustrates children's books,has a steady beau and is looking a new home with him. Life is good.

When she's tracked down by a lawyer from her mom's homeplace - Innisfree,saying she's to inherit a lakehouse,it's hard news to take in. For a woman full of questions,this one goes to the top of the pile! Who was Mick Kennedy and why did he bequeath a house to her mum(and now her)?.

There's nothing else to do but go to Innisfree,sort out paperwork and see this house in all its ...not so fabulous glory,having fallen into disrepair since Micks death. On this adventure/work trip(Daisys hoping to find inspiration for a new illustration that her boss is breathing down her neck about),she brings Kayla,her lifelong bestie.
What ensues is a trip that changes her life. In every way possible. She gets answers,makes life changing decisions and finds inspiration and family in the place her mother loved so much.

The characters are written with such love,you can literally see them in front of you. Not only their physical attributes,their clothes,and their surroundings,but their personalities and flaws. It all hops from the page,and lands in your heart and mind. You KNOW these people by the end.
Injected into the story are appropriate pockets of humour,that will stay with you,as this one did for me..."- A Newsagent. The Patron Saint of all stationary sniffers and gel-pen fans. I spent so much time in paperchase,they added me to the staff WhatsApp group". 😆

So,did I enjoy this book? Very much so. I live in Ireland and somehow I was still jealous of the landscape that is Innisfree. Colleen portrays it so vividly. The entire book is a triumph-the plot,characterisation,the journey,scenery,right to the conclusion. 🤌
Three words... READ THIS BOOK!

The back of this book could just have said ‘set in the west of Ireland’ and I would have been desperate to read it. This is one of my favourite places in the world and, since I can’t get there physically at the moment, travelling there by book is the next best thing. The writing does a wonderful job of bringing this beautiful place to life and made me even more desperate to go back as soon as possible. If you’ve never been, this book will put the west of Ireland firmly on your bucket list.

Armchair travel aside, this is a fantastic story about finding your roots and finding yourself at the same time. Daisy doesn’t have a clue about her mum’s past or why she left Ireland before Daisy was born. Her mum was snatched away before Daisy had chance to find out anything about her father or the rest of her family so, when she is left a mystery inheritance back in the small Irish town her mum came from, Daisy jumps at the chance to try and find out more.

Anyone who comes from a small place where everyone knows everyone and everything about them will recognise the locals of Innisfree and how it is to live in a small town, but it’s a bit of a culture shock for an outsider and I think the author captures the feel of a strong community really well. The contrast between Innisfree and Daisy’s anonymous life in London is very stark and the author plays on this very well to illustrate how much Daisy needs a sense of family.

The one thing about this book that didn’t quite ring true for me was how attractive James was. In all my years working in law, I never came across any lawyer quite that hot! Still, you have to allow for a little poetic license in a fiction book and I may be willing to accept it since he is Irish and Irish men generally are more attractive (i think it’s the accent, although I may be biased.) Any how, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about him, realistic or not, and he was a nice contrast to Ash, it has to be said.

All in all, this was a lovely, uplifting, heartwarming book that ticked all the romance boxes for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end. I will definitely look out for more books from this author.