A book set in Ireland is bound to be a good book. This was cute and sweet. Very predictable but that is not a bad thing. I have been to Ireland multiple times and knew a lot of the places she talked about and she captured my feelings about the places perfectly. Great quick read

This was a fun, sweet read. Felt long at times.

Thank you to netgalley for an advanced copy. My opinions are my own.

An Irish Summer
by Alexandra Paige
Pub Date: July 1, 2025
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I picked this book up because we are leaving for a sixteen day adventure in Ireland this Saturday. I found this book charming and will recommend it for readers seeking a summer release.
A new romantic comedy in which a young woman embarks on a summer adventure—and summer fling—in Ireland, perfect for fans of Sophie Cousens and Beth O’Leary.

Boston has everything Chelsea needs: her best friend, her family, a great job. She’s worked and lived at the same bed and breakfast since graduating college, and she relishes the sense of stability. That is, until she’s informed that O’Shea’s Bed and Breakfast is being sold and she has less than a month to find a new job and apartment. Desperate, she takes a summer gig at the B&B’s sister hostel in Galway, Ireland. It’ll be an adventure, she convinces herself, and it’ll give her some time to plan her Next Act.

Loved the premise, but I could not connect with the characters. Right off the bat, I felt as though the conflict was sprung on the readers without any context for why we should care about Chelsea and her connection to O'Shea's Bed and Breakfast. I understand possibly wanting readers to feel as caught off guard as Chelsea was, but, unfortunately, it just led me to not care about what was happening. And this continued throughout the rest of the book. I was not invested in the characters or story, and, therefore, I had no investment in what happened in the end.

Title: An Irish Summer    
Author: Alexandra Paige       
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5

Boston has everything Chelsea her best friend, her family, a great job. She’s worked and lived at the same bed and breakfast since graduating college, and she relishes the sense of stability. That is, until she’s informed that O’Shea’s Bed and Breakfast is being sold and she has less than a month to find a new job and apartment. Desperate, she takes a summer gig at the B&B’s sister hostel in Galway, Ireland. It’ll be an adventure, she convinces herself, and it’ll give her some time to plan her Next Act.

As it turns out, Galway has everything Chelsea nonstop rain, no iced coffee, shared bathrooms. Working at The Wanderer might grant her time and a few extra lines on her resume, but Chelsea can’t help but feel like she left her life back in Massachusetts. Her new coworkers, however, are determined to change her mind, especially the handsome and charming tour guide Collin.

Collin and Chelsea strike up a he’ll show Chelsea everything Ireland has to offer, and only then can she pass judgement. Sure enough, Chelsea finds herself warming up to the hostel and Irish lifestyle… and falling for her charismatic new friend. But as the summer comes to an end, she finds herself torn between the familiarity of home and the tantalizing adventure of life abroad.

This was a cute read. I really enjoyed the description of hostel life, as that’s something I have zero knowledge of. The characters were a lot of fun, although Chelsea’s stubborn refusal to see reality got a bit frustrating at times. I loved the descriptions of the Irish scenery/life, and that made the read even better.

Alexandra Paige lives in New Jersey. An Irish Summer is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Avon and Harper Voyager in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 7/11).

This was a cute, quick romance perfect for vacation reading. Chelsea has lost her job but she gets an invite to work at a hostel in Ireland for the summer, so she takes it with every intention of going back to her Boston life afterwards. She has a plan for her life and Ireland is not in that plan. She loves Boston. She goes begrudgingly and her coworkers try to get her to love Ireland but she is not making it easy. She meets Collin, a tour guide, and he makes it his mission to show her the beauty of Ireland and why making lots of money living in a big city may not be all there is to life. I loved that there was actual romance in this book. They have a first kiss, go on dates, and fall in love. A proper romance. I enjoyed it. And the Ireland backdrop just made me want to go to Ireland. Also, I inherited a Claddagh ring from my stepmom and I now know it matters which way the heart faces when you wear it.

-"You've had one in Ireland, then?
"Well, no, but-"
"Then you've no idea what a Guiness tastes like."
(I laughed at this quote because my dad loves Guiness and after drinking it in Ireland, he no longer can drink it here in the States)

-"Guilty pleasure?"
"No one should ever feel guilty about pleasure."

-"It's just to say that the people you're related to aren't necessarily where your home has to be. If you have enough love for each other, it shouldn't matter where you are, so long as you're happy."

I appreciate the opportunity to read this title, but unfortunately it didn’t quite capture my interest. While the premise was promising, I found it difficult to stay engaged. That said, I’m sure it will find its audience with readers who connect more strongly with the writing style or pacing.

Chelsea loses her job at the beginning of the summer and reluctantly takes the opportunity to work at a hostel in Ireland. Collin has worked at the same hostel for several years and is very quickly attracted to Chelsea. He takes on the challenge of convincing her to fall in love with Ireland, and I really loved seeing Ireland through that lens, along with the slow burn between the two of them. Also shoutout to Flo as an awesome supportive friend throughout!

Thanks to the author, Avon, and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book!

Such a fun summer read and it makes me want to travel to Ireland even more. An Irish Summer can change you, sometimes even if you don't want it too. Collin, Flo, Lars and the Wander are the family you didn't know you were looking for. Chelsea may not have wanted Ireland but she deserved the happily ever after.

"Whatever you're worried about, Chelsea, let it go. I've got you"

"Life can look like more than one thing, you know."

What a lovely jump into the Irish culture and town. I loved the dynamic and growth of the main character, when life threw her a pile of lemons she had no desire to make lemonade. She moved to Ireland for "just the summer" so she could go back to her life plan. It is a refreshing reminder to the reader that holding on to plans to tight can make you miss out on life, fun, and new opportunities. While at times I just wanted to shake Chelsea and say, come on! Chelsea needed to grow some and that felt real and relatable. A joyful, travel inspriring rom-com perfect for summer vacation!

I really wanted to like this book. I recently had to cancel a trip to Dublin this summer, so I was looking forward to living vicariously through someone going to Ireland and inevitably falling in love with an Irish guy amid the gorgeous scenery and culture. And to be fair, that is basically what happens, but man, I cannot relate to Chelsea Gold AT ALL.

She gets laid off from her old job at a B&B in Boston, but they can set her up with a job with the owner's sister at a hostel in Ireland. Instead of being grateful they thought of her or even curious about living in Ireland for a summer, she's disdainful, annoyed, and put out that she HAS TO go to IRELAND for the summer. Even though she has other options (sure, living in your childhood bedroom and working for your parents isn't ideal, but it's a lucky thing to have in any case, but that's annoying to her too for some reason), she decides that she's going, even though she is VERY CLEAR to EVERYONE that it is ONLY FOR THE SUMMER and couldn't possibly think about actually ENJOYING her time there. Because god forbid she have any gap in her resume, something that NEVER happens in 2025 - be real!

The hostel is not as nice as her apartment at the B&B, so she's immediately put out and kinda snotty to everyone, but people seem to think it's charming? I just kept being reminded of the quote from The Devil Wears Prada, "Because this place, where so many people would die to work, you only deign to work." The hostel's tour guide, Collin, takes a shine to her right away, even though she snipes at him pretty constantly (I wouldn't call it banter, but I'm sure that's what it's supposed to be), and wants to sell her on Ireland, so she'll stay past the summer. Which yes, she should be trying to get to know the place she's living for three months, but I'm not sure why a bunch of strangers are so invested in her moving to Ireland permanently. Her "plan" isn't much of one for all she blathers on about it, but there are legitimate concerns about moving to a foreign country that should be considered for longer than a few weeks.

It takes more than 50% of the way through (I was watching the counter because if this was not an ARC, I would have DNF'd) before she finally decides she likes it there and then becomes all weird about Collin. The romance feels shoehorned in and I still don't see what he sees in her. Anytime he tries to have a real conversation with her or call her out about something, she immediately shuts it down with more biting banter. I never felt like I got to know what she wanted or much about her, despite the entire book being from her first-person POV. The side characters are interesting and I wish we spent more time with them, but this was a miss for me.

This was a cute, easy romance read! Not necessarily one that stood out for me but I think would be a really great read for those that are lovers of all things Ireland or going there on a vacation.

The beginning felt a little slow, and I found the FMC to be a bit frustrating at times and a little unrelatable. I don’t know that I was totally sold on the romance, but once the characters started exploring Ireland, I found myself much more drawn into both the story and the romance. Also doesn’t hurt that Collin is definitely a dreamy Irish man.

The last few chapters were actually some of the strongest for me. I appreciated that the conflict wrapped up quickly (no long, drawn-out drama!) and that the main character’s decision felt like it came from a place of personal growth—not just for a man.

Review promised this was a book for fans of Sophie Kinsella and Beth O'Leary so I was excited. However, this book left me wanting. I typically read anything set in Ireland but these characters and their problems/stories didn't grab me.

I received an advanced copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

An Irish Summer is the perfect verdant getaway for those look away from the beach for summer reads.

Chelsea moves to work at an Irish hostel after her losing her job and apartment in one swoop. The charming Irish bartender wants her to appreciate Ireland, so he takes her around to all the sights (cliff diving, a ceilidh, and the Temple Bar, etc etc). Along they way, they become closer, despite Chelsea's repeated assurances that everything is just for the summer. Until she decides that maybe Ireland is exactly what she needs.

The characters are all quite entertaining, and the adventures Chelsea and Collin go on almost make you feel like you're right there with them.

PS, I'm not GenZ but these characters certainly are. I'm not put off by that, but I do find myself occasionally just being like...huh I guess I'm old now when the people flouncing off to find themselves are younger than me 😂

Thanks to Avon for the arc!

I really enjoyed this one. It felt low stakes and cozy. I didn't connect with the character at first because she was so shut down and judgy, but as she opened up and started to engage with the people around her, it got so fun. I loved following her new friendships as they grew. The romance was realistic and the spice was a good level for me (maybe 1.5 peppers?). The 3rd Act Breakup was super reasonable and the Grand ROmantic Gestures were really well done. It was a little cheesy at times, but I enjoyed reading it.

When Chelsea loses her job and her apartment at the Boston B&B where she worked, she thinks her world is crashing down. However, life has a way of turning things around in unexpected ways. Chelsea accepts a summer job in Ireland, and finds her life upended yet again as she falls in love with her new country and the people at the hostel where she works.

This is a fun romantic comedy with lots of descriptions of Ireland and the comedy of errors in which Chelsea finds her new life. Readers who enjoy a light romantic comedy will probably find this to their liking.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I loved this book so much! This was my first Alexandra Paige book and if her others are anything like this, I will absolutely devourer them. I would read myself to sleep every night because I didn't want to put this book down!

Ireland is at the top of my bucket list and this book made me feel like I was there with them. The detail she put into each setting was so great and when I looked up photos of where Collin and Chelsea went, the descriptions were spot on.

I think Collin was really good for Chelsea in the instance that he made her get out of her comfort zone and see the world and open herself up to new experiences. As someone who is similar to Chelsea in a lot of ways, it was great to see her become a better version of herself in a new place.

If you're looking for a lighthearted summer read about self-discovery mixed with traveling to new places, this is absolutely the book for you!

Once I started this book I really couldn’t put it down! I loved all of the characters and the Ireland setting is spot on.

The characters were love able and had strong character growth. I was tearing up with the resolution at the end.

Throughout I was googling the spots they were going to in Ireland and it has me wanting to go and visit.

The development of the love story was great plus all the friendships found throughout.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

this was a lighthearted, quick read that satisfied my need for romance but ultimately left me wanting...

I definitely see myself in Chelsea, but I'm like her poorly cloned alter ego—I love planning and security and have intense anxiety about the future and the unknowns it brings, but I also desperately want to fly to Ireland tomorrow, work in a hostel, fall madly in love with an Irishman, and make lifelong friendships that have me feeling supported, seen, and sometimes bullied into being brave. I want the adventure and the romance and the life-altering change.

As such, I really struggled with both sides of Chelsea's personality. In the beginning, the plans thing made sense; I could relate and even enjoyed her little digs to everyone at the Wanderer about her "reality" vs. their reality. But...that got old real fast. Even at 50, 60, 70%, Chelsea was still lying to herself, and while she ultimately DID realize that Ireland is where her heart belongs, I felt like the build up to that resolution was really lackluster. I would've added 2-3 smaller moments of realization or disappointment before reaching the interview to really cement things; so many characters were spewing wisdom at her and after a while it felt repetitive and Chelsea's constant denial felt so frustrating. Obviously not everyone, especially romance novel MCs, is expected to be super in tune with their emotions and self-aware, but the lack of obvious growth in her thought patterns lead to an ultimately lacking sense of catharsis and resolution.

All that said... there WERE things I loved! Collin's open optimism and penchant for storytelling, the faerie stories in particular, Flo's huge personality, all the jaunts off to incredible landmarks and experiences, the cèilidh!!, and the few event planning experiences Chelsea put together (espec the dress fitting and champagne tea, sign me up!!). there were LOTS of elements I enjoyed, I just wish I were coming away from the whole story as enthused.

If you're looking for something easy, light, playful, Irish, and a guaranteed HEA, this is your jam.

3 out of 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

“An Irish Summer” by Alexandra Paige was a book I couldn’t put down! I haven’t read books by Paige before but will be reading all her books now. This book made me want to be in Ireland. It made me think about how sometimes life changes from what you expect. As told in the story, that’s not always a bad thing! Maybe it’s even better than you could have ever imagined!