This was a wonderful debut of a book. As a historical fiction story and based on true events, it was a great way to learn new things about Ireland and the war that spanned between 1917 -1920. In this time, Ireland wanted to gain their independence from Britain. Veronica is a well put together main character who isn't going to let anything get in her way of getting to what she wants and we get to see so much about her through this story.

I wont spoil the book, but it had some very nice segments that just made the story. I love reading stories that are based on true experiences am grateful to have been able to read this one.

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher, and author on letting me read this ARC of Dublin's Girl for my honest review.

A year after the Easter Rising of 1916, Veronica McDermott finds herself working for Michael Collins as a secretary. She helps the Sinn Fein with their work to free Ireland from British rule. But her work comes at a cost. She constantly lives in fear of being arrested, imprisoned or even killed by the British soldiers occupying Dublin. When Veronica meets a high ranking British officer, Michael Collins asks her to build a relationship with him to learn more about what the British Army’s plans are in Ireland. But as Veronica gets to know Harry, she’s caught between helping her beloved Ireland and her growing feelings for Harry.

Dublin’s Girl is just an ok story with writing that leaves a lot to be desired. The story is reasonably historically accurate for a historical fiction novel, but it is obvious this is a debut novel for the author. The writing is very jerky, jumps around thought to thought with very minimal detail. The detail that is included is superfluous and unnecessary - pulls attention away from the real matter at hand. The dialogue in the story is very stilted. It’s surprising that Veronica and Harry can fall in love when they only see each other for a page at a time and say about 2 minutes worth of words whenever they speak to each other. Left a lot to be desired.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me the opportunity to read this book!

Fantastic Characters and I thoroughly enjoyed the journey through Ireland during the troubles. It was insightful and completely relevant to current issues through a different lens. I felt there was so much to unpack with a lot of the issues that were presented. Would have liked to see some comeuppance with regard to a character or two. There was an awakening that felt incredibly real and I was happy to immerse myself in this story. I felt it was a bit "tied up too neatly" at the end, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment. I would read more from this author and appreciated the opportunity to share my thoughts on this advance copy. Thank you.

3 Stars

I have a fascination with the part of English/Irish history. It had a very Peaky Blinders feel to it at first which I loved. We meet Veronica, who lives with her family on their potato farm. She is terribly bored and looking for a way to break free. She wants to be a working city girl instead of a working country girl. So when she's finally able to convince her father to let her attend secretarial school in Dublin, she's gone.

What she finds in Dublin, though, in a time that was under English rule, is real poverty and struggle. Soon, at her job, she is also tasked with getting close to Sinn Féin. Then one day while running an errand, she bumps into an English Soldier, who takes a an immediate liking to her. But the members of Sinn Féin see this as an opportunity, encouraging Veronica to continue and get as much information from him as she can. But as time moves on, her feelings for him develop. Soon she is faced with the dilemma, betray her country or her heart?

While I really enjoyed the historical aspects of this story, I didn't think Harry and Veronica got nearly enough page time to make their relationship something I could become invested in. The pacing felt off to me in several areas and there seemed to be a lot of repetition mainly on Veronica's part.

Regardless, still an interesting historical debut overall.

Thank you to @NetGalley @ariafiction for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this was a great historical fiction, and I really enjoyed reading it!

Veronica McDermott has big dreams that don’t include farm life in Cavan. She wants to attend secretarial school and that means heading to the big city and moving in with her aunt and uncle in Dublin. But 1917 was a dangerous time for Ireland as they fought for their independence, and Veronica quickly finds herself caught up in the fight for freedom.

It doesn’t take long for her to catch the attention of a British soldier, Major Harry Fairfax, but Veronica is tasked with secretly gathering information for Sinn Fein, which leads to more conflict as her loyalties and feelings are tested.

Overall, I thought this was a wonderful story and I loved the history intermingled throughout it, but I had mixed feelings about Veronica and Harry’s relationship. It seemed almost entirely one-sided. Their encounters had barely any dialogue from Veronica and, to be honest, she didn’t appear to be that interested in him. I’m sure it was difficult to portray this, considering her mission to gather info for Sinn Fein and having to keep her emotions in check. By the end I was honestly confused because it felt so rushed and, though Victoria and Harry had met several times, I didn’t pick up on any amorous feelings from Victoria’s perspective.

Romance aside, I definitely recommend this book!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3792513350

Veronica is bored of her country life and wants more. Determined to make something of herself in Ireland, she manages to get herself into Secretarial School in Dublin. She settles in and makes a friend in Bridget, and is overjoyed when her teacher gets her a job while she’s studying. Doing secretarial duties for Father O’Flanagan she soon realises she’s actually working for Sinn Féin…..And because she’s so good at her job, she ends up moving up and getting more and more involved. Then one day running an errand she bumps into an English Soldier who takes a liking to her and they arrange to meet. But the members of Sinn Féin see this as an opportunity, encouraging Veronica to continue and get as much information from him as she can. But as time moves on, her feelings for him grow. What will she do? Betray Harry or her country?

What a wonderful debut. We all know I love historical fiction and actually all the information in this was new to me. Set between 1917 and 1920, it covers the war and also Ireland’s battle for independence from Britain. Obviously I’ve heard about bits and pieces but this really bought to life what it must have been like living in Ireland during this time.

Veronica is a wonderful female protagonist. Determined to make something of herself, she handles so much at a young age and gets herself in to dangerous situations that others might not. Watching her grow throughout the book is heartwarming and I absolutely loved her relationship with her Aunt and Uncle. And then we have Harry. An Englishman in a place he’s not wanted, he is actually (mostly!) a gentleman and surprises Veronica on a number of occasions. But there is more to him that meets the eye……

I enjoyed the storyline and there were a number of twists that I didn’t see coming! The last few chapters had me picking my jaw up off the floor! As I’ve said this gives us a real insight into what it must have been like in Ireland, and particularly Dublin during this time. The poverty and living conditions is heartbreaking; and the action on the streets is terrifying. It also reveals what it must have been like for people who had family members fighting for the British when many were against it.

Overall, this is a brilliant debut and I’ll definitely be looking for more from this author. So if you’re looking for a new historical fiction novel with a bit of romance then you should definitely check this out. Recommended by me.

Dublin's Girl by Eimear Lawlor
Publication Date: January 28, 2021
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Description from NetGalley...
“Falling in love with the enemy is the ultimate act of betrayal...

1917. A farm girl from Cavan, Veronica McDermott is desperate to find more to life than peeling potatoes. Persuading her family to let her stay with her aunt and uncle in Dublin so she can attend secretarial college, she has no idea what she is getting into. Recruited by Fr Michael O'Flanagan to type for Eamon De Valera, Veronica is soon caught up in the danger and intrigue of those fighing for Ireland's independence from Britain.

The attentions of a handsome British soldier, Major Harry Fairfax, do not go unnoticed by Veronica's superiors. But when Veronica is tasked with earning his affections to gather intelligence for Sinn Féin, it isn't long before her loyalty to her countrymen and her feelings for Harry are in conflict. To choose one is to betray the other...”
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Thank you to @NetGalley @ariafiction for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts...
I was excited to read this book, because it was inspired by real life events and published to mark the centenary of the end of the War of Independence. The romance was okay. There were repetitive themes about Veronica’s feeling and musings. But what kept me interested was the historical theme and seeing Dublin through Veronica’s eyes. The Easter Rising in 1916 was well told, though I would have liked more thrill and excitement in the fictional role Veronica played. I love history, so I appreciated the opportunity to read about Sinn Féin victory in the 1918 election, the establishment of an independent parliament (Dail Eireann) and eventually the birth of the Irish Free State. An interesting historical fiction debut.

Dublin's Girl by Eimear Lawler is the story of a young woman who lived through and helped with the Irish takeover of Ireland (I know-makes no sense) during the early 20th century. All Veronica wanted to do was get out of the country and the farm and go to the city. Her brother finally convinced her da and it was off to secretarial school for her. It was a stark life. That fact is probably the most important fact to be gleaned from reading. There was poverty everywhere. If you were Irish, you were hungry, unless the British needed you for something. The fight for independence was real. She stayed with her aunt and uncle. Her aunt was beyond depressed over the death of her only son while fighting for the English. At first she only delivered packages. It relieved a little of the starkness of her life. She only had one friend: Bridget. The other women at school laughed at her for the country bumpkin she was. Eventually she got a part-time job typing and taking dictation from Father Flanagan. That led to another, better job with Sinn Fein. Frightening but good, until the day that Michael Collins asked her to keep her date with a young English officer she had met, Harry, and see if she could gain information about the English. She did, reluctantly. Michael kept encouraging until, after many trials, she found herself falling for him.

This was a moving book: the poverty, the allegiances, the prejudice (on both sides), and the death. Irish men were sent to prison and died there often. Irish people were shot on the streets. It was a horrifying time. It was difficult not to get caught up in it when there were so many wrongs being committed every day. Veronica stood tall and did the right thing. It is her story: the story of everywoman, that rings through all the nonsense. These people lived in a nightmare for years and survived it. Well, many did. Amazing. A truthful piece of fiction relaying the reality of life in an Irish city during this time. I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free ARC of Dublin's Girl by Netgalley. All opinions contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #dublinsgirl

A good debut with plenty of content!

Veronica McDermott lives on a farm where life is pretty good but, being a young girl, she yearns for a bit of excitement in her life and would really life to have a career instead of spending her days helping her mother in the home. Finally gaining her father's permission to attend secretarial college, she set off to live with her aunt and uncle in Dublin. When she lands her first full time job, she realises that she is working for those pursuing independence for Ireland and upon meeting an English army Major, soon finds herself placed in some precarious situations. Which one will she be loyal to?

Firstly, I'd like to mention that as a 'proddy' from the West of Scotland this is an entirely different side of a story to that I normally hear so I'm not going to comment on the political situation or the rights and wrongs of either viewpoint. As a debut author, Eimear Lawlor has produced a beautifully written story which draws the reader in. There isn't anyone who could fail to be touched bu the poverty, especially where it concerns children. We got to know Veronica well and there was always something of interest going on. I did feel, however, that the pace of the novel changed towards the end which was quite rushed. A sterling book for a first published book and I'm sure this is an author we shall hear more of. Four stars.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley and to Vicky Joss for my spot kicking off this tour; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

Veronica McDermot insisted on going to Dublin to attend Secreterial school during the height of when Ireland was battling Britain. Even before she knew it she became embroiled in the middle of the conflict and was used as a pawn to lure information from a British officer.
However, as things happen when you spend time together with a person emotions can start to build. Major Harry Fairfax had mixed opinions about British politics and this endeared Veronica even further, but caused her to have guilt because of her commitment to the cause and family.

The author takes such a sensitive approach on the British vs. Irish that your not just seeing the fighting but the innermost dealings of the war. Choices are made and not all are good or bad, but you do what your country needs because that is where your allegiance is and family. The author depicts the characters as they make these decisions and intrigue that comes with them and then what they are learning.
The book is a slow build, but it is because it is setting the stage for the plot to complete. Just hang in there because the book is worth reading!

I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

This is an interesting and exciting story set in Ireland during the Irish War of Independence. It’s 1917 and Veronica is bored of the country life that her family leads, looking after the farm, peeling potatoes and watching all the wealthy English land owners from afar. Veronia dreams of being a working woman and manages to persuade her father to let her go to Dublin to secretarial school. While there she begins to see the true poverty and difficulties that the Dubliners and Irish face, being under English rule, and soon she finds herself getting involved by working for Sinn Féin. But when they task her with getting to know an English officer, can Veronica do what she’s asked or will her feelings get in the way?

I was keen to read this book after finding out that it was inspired by real events, and I’m surprised with how much I have come to enjoy this story despite a bit of a slow start. Veronica’s life in Cavan is a sheltered one, she doesn’t know much about the politics of Ireland and doesn’t know how much the people suffer from poverty and harassment especially when she visits Dublin for the first time. This was an interesting start for me as I really didn’t know much about this history of Ireland or what people had been through. When Veronica moves to Dublin to live with her Aunt and Uncle there she sees how difficult the poverty and hunger is for so many under English rule but soon she is involved with learning shorthand and typing, and making new friends at her secretarial school before managing to get her first job as a working woman.

I like the way this story unfolded although I have to admit to finding it a little difficult to get into at first. The story has a good pace with a decent amount of description to make you understand what is happening and get a feel for the atmosphere, but I have to say that I think the copy I was given to read was not quite fully edited so the pacing of the story was, at times, a little off and often too quick for me. But the story is easy to read and although it took me some time to really get into this, I was completely gripped by the second half and just couldn’t put this down! As Veronica meets the English officer, something that doesn’t happen for a while, we start to see some of this this relationship develop. I love the idea of this kind of forbidden love between enemies and I love how it developed although some of the earlier scenes felt rushed and I would have prefered a slower development of the relationship as I just love a good slow burning romance story.

The book takes place across a few years, from the last year of the First World War through to the Irish War of independence where the violence in Ireland, against the Irish, sadly increased. Some real life events were well depicted and I like how I was able to see what really happened in Ireland in that time and how it was seen from the Irish point of view, things like the elections and the constant difficulties in hiding things from the English were fascinating and I love how tense a lot of moments were. I especially felt this tension increase when Sinn Féin won more seats in parliament. The fear felt on the streets as well as what happened to some of the characters including Veronica was exciting to read and a little shocking too as I really didn’t know how bad things were in Ireland at that time.

I loved how the relationship between Veronica and the English Officer, Harry, developed in the second half of the novel, there were romantic moments that I truly loved and towards the end especially, there was a brilliant climax with some surprises and a brilliant twist that I just wasn’t expecting. In fact the story was so compelling and I was so desperate to see what was happening, that I have to admit to spending most of one day just sat there glued to the book, desperate to finish reading it! The ending was just brilliant, it was so perfect but also so dramatic too. And that very last chapter was good as it gave Veronica’s story a good ending and just made me smile. 🙂

The book has a few uses of derogatory language towards the Irish at that time as well as a few uses of the b swear words and one use of the f word. There is some violence that isn’t really graphic although there are a few disturbing moments described of the general violence that some military had towards the Irish, and one moment right near the end of the book that was a bit shocking to read. The end notes explain how this book was inspired but the author’s Aunt who worked with some of the real life people of Sinn Féin that are mentioned in this book. I love how these real life events are weaved into the ficticious story that the author has created.

Overall this is a great story. I had some problems with the original pre-publication copy I got as I felt it still needed an edit or two to fix some issues with pacing, etc. But the second half of the novel felt much better and well written and had no real issues. In fact I really fell in love with the story in the second half and felt so compelled to keep reading it right through to the end. It’s a story I have really enjoyed reading and it’s still on my mind several days after reading it. Having been educated in Britain (all about British history) I just never knew about the true history of Ireland or why some people hated the British so much. It felt good to read this book not only for Veronica’s own story but to find out more about the real history of Ireland. And although it was a bit of a slow start for me, assuming that the few issues I had are going to be edited out I’d give this book four stars.

Published to mark the centenary of the end of the Irish War of Independence in 1921 and inspired by real life events, the book transports the reader to the city of Dublin in the wake of the Easter Rising in 1916, a troubled period of Ireland's history.

I enjoyed witnessing Dublin through Veronica's eyes. With it's grand hotels, tearooms and picture houses it's a far cry from the countryside where she grew up. However, it's also a city where wealth resides side by side with extreme poverty, poor housing and the threat of arrest - or worse - by British forces.

Thanks to her shorthand and typing skills, Veronica gets to rub shoulders with some of the key figures in the fight for independence from Britain, in particular Michael Collins. It's an occupation not without danger although Veronica has already demonstrated her courage and commitment to the cause earlier in the book.

Like Veronica, the reader gets to witness key events such as the Sinn Féin victory in the 1918 election, the establishment of an independent parliament (Dail Eireann) and eventually the birth of the Irish Free State.

I confess the historical aspects of the story interested me more than the relationship between Veronica and Harry, which seemed to rely a fair bit on coincidence. Also, I had my doubts about how useful the few bits of information Veronica gleaned from Harry over tea and scones were in practice. However, Harry's much more enlightened view of the Irish people's situation was an interesting counterpoint to the attitude of, for instance, the hated 'Black and Tans' (mainly British ex-soldiers recruited as reinforcements into the Royal Irish Constabulary). 

Despite finding themselves on opposing sides of a conflict, is there a place in Veronica's life for Harry, her 'guardian angel'? You'll have to read the book and its touching epilogue to find out.

Thank you Netgalley and Aria & Aries for providing me this arc.
The idea that this is inspired by true events was enough to convince me that I HAD to read this book. What I wasn't expecting was to be this happy with the outcome! I have to say that I have been completely overwhelmed by the events. Thanks to the author for sharing this story with us. I am satisfied with this book. I recommend it.

Loved this book and loved how it was based predominantly in Dublin. Having family that live in Dublin I could interact with a few of the places mentioned. Definetely will read more by this author

I want to thank NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for my review.
The book takes place in a rural Town of Virginia during 1917. A Teenage girl, Veronica McDermott, wants to live in the city Dublin and go to secretarial school. . She bribes her twin brother and goes to stay with her aunt and uncle while going to school in Dublin. She observes the poverty and constraints of city living.

She manages to get a typing and shorthand job with a priest who eventually passes her skill to the politician Micheal Collins. and the Sien Fein, a group working towards Irish independence of Britain. She gets caught up in the cause for Irish freedom. Initially she delivers packages but gets more involved with espionage.

She develops a relationship with an English Major Harry Fairfax. Initially, she was trying to get information about theirs raids and how they get information on the Irish. However, her emotional feelings are conflicting with the cause of helping the Irish..

The book flows fairly smoothly the romance could have been more connected during the story. I would call the story fictional history, not romance

Veronica never expected to find herself working for Michael Collins or spying on the English. She came to Dublin from her family farm in 1917 in hopes of becoming a secretary. Her job working with a priest involved with Sinn Fein leads her to Collins' office. This puts her in a tenuous position and in fear of arrest by the English but then she meets Major Harry Fairfax. While this could have turned to a conventional love story, Veronica finds herself in an ethical dilemma when she asked to use him to collect information on the English. Does love conquer all? No spoilers for me. I liked this for the characters to be sure (and there are a few cameos by real people) but more for the atmospherics of life in Dublin in 1917. Another edit of this debut novel would have smoothed a few rough spots in the narrative bu the storytelling is good. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of historical fiction.

Thank you Aria & Aries for the copy of this book.
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I really enjoyed reading about this time period. Through the main protagonist, Veronica, we get to see the tension between the Irish and the English specifically after the Easter Rising of 1916. Veronica moves to Dublin from the country in order to attend secretarial school. From there, she becomes involved in Sinn Fein, the Irish Resistance, and meets an English Major that she first starts seeing in order to gather information, but when she finds her feelings changing for Harry, she feels caught between helping the cause and her feelings for the Major.
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I love learning about this time period in Irish history. So the plot and the setting drew me in immediately. However, I wanted to see a bit more in the development of the relationship between Veronica and Harry. Overall this was an enjoyable book!
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CW: violence, torture, mild sexual content, loss of a child.

So I’ve finally managed to read this book. It is good even though it’s seems rather a few books coming out recently have this sort of love match going on. It’s nice to see a slightly different side to that. But I have one really big annoyance which is why I picked the book so I could give this feedback. The COVER. That flaming couple has been used before for After the War is Over by Jennifer Robson (they just changed the girls hat and goat to more colder colours) and I've seen it on another book cover too but I can’t recall the name at present.
PLEASE. For the love of god, get a new cover. Or else historical fiction buffs like me are going to be comparing the stories even more - and you don’t want that. Some might even think it’s a squeal. And please tell the designer to stop using the same image over and over again.

Looking for historical fiction, a girl trying to break the societal norm to become a working professional woman in the 1900s while also toeing the line of duty and her heart? Give this debut novel a chance.

In 1917, rural life in Cavan, Virginia is no longer enough for Veronica. She is searching for freedom and excitement that Dublin can offer while attending secretary school. She is naive and a dreamer. Through one favor to her uncle, she is unwittingly drawn into the very fight she was trying to avoid at home; the independence of her fellow countrymen. If that wasn’t suspense enough throw in the worst possible love interest.

This book is exciting, suspenseful and definitely read in 24 hours. Although I am not one for historical anything this book kept me engage and waiting for each turn of the page. My only drawback was that some of the dialogue between H/h was a little forced but even that didn't stop me from finishing.

Definitely a 3.75/5

3.5 stars!

Oh, wow! That's all I can really say. This was a really good book. It was different, so it made it that more special.

The story picks up slowly at first. We meet Veronica that goes to Dublin where her life changes completely. She wants to go there to go to college, yet she has no idea what's waiting for her. The game she's playing is dangerous and it makes her fall in love with the enemy - an enemy she's convinced she could never be with because not only is he by nature someone she shouldn't be seeing, but he's also engaged.

What Veronica was doing was dangerous and she knew it. It made her conflicted when she had to choose between her family or love and she soon started to question herself whether what she was doing was the right thing or not.

This was an interesting read, portraying how life was in the years when Dublin and Britain were at war, but I didn't find this book as a book I'd call romantic - for that it lacked too much romance for me and Veronica and Harry's meetings were brief and very short, so we don't get to see much of their connection and them really getting to know each other. In other words, the romance was dry.

For that, the ending felt a little too rushed, as well, and incomplete. I expected a little bit more of romance, but it's nonetheless a very good and quick read. The author focused more on how life was then and how people were acting and since I'm a history junky, that's okay with me.