This book was a cute Irish romance! All I want to do now is have my own summer in Ireland! The characters were all so sweet. The main character did start to grate on me after a bit with her feelings of always wanting to go back to Boston. I just wanted her to live in the moment a bit more and take advantage! Overall a cute quick read!

This was a cute, simple romance set in a fun Irish setting. Having recently traveled to Galway, I was excited to feel like I was back there, but it felt like it could be any little Irish town vs feeling specifically Galway. I did enjoy the hostel and all the cute side characters that make up the hostel. I struggled connecting to the main character because she had such a wonderful opportunity to travel and explore and she seemed upset by it until the very end. Overall, I would try another book by this author!

This book was a disappointment. The writing felt repetitive, and the main character was insufferable—entitled and bland, with no redeeming qualities. The male lead wasn't compelling enough to make up for it, and as a result, I struggled to get into the story. While the initial premise had potential, the execution fell flat.

10*. It was simple and beautiful. I adored it and it was the perfect summer read. I can't recommend it enough. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Alexandra Paige, and Avon/Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read and review this book. The opinions are completely my own.

While this was a quick and easy read I found myself struggling to finish because the main female character just had a way that made me annoyed. Not sure if it was just me but she made it hard to get through the book. The premise of the story is what intrigued me and the cover is lovely. While it may not have been for me doesn't mean others won't enjoy.

This one is a charming little journey of self-discovery, set over the course of a single summer in Galway, so truly, what better time to pick it up than late summer?

The setup is cozy, if not a tad stressful: after losing both her job and her home in one fell swoop, Chelsea hops across the Atlantic for a temporary gig at an Irish hostel. The hostel staff are an ensemble of weirdos (honestly, I would watch an entire Netflix show about them), and the whole thing gave off big "found family meets travel romcom" energy. Among them is Collin, a slightly grumpy Irish bartender with a brogue that had me swooning right along with Chelsea. Their romance has everything I love: sarcastic banter, a slow burn, and some top-tier pining.

This book doesn't reinvent the genre, and I did find myself wishing for more development from a few of the side characters. But it nails the escapist mood, and if you’ve ever fantasized about dropping everything and running away to a rainy Irish town to figure out your life, An Irish Summer delivers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for the advance copy!

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I had high hopes for this book but overall, it felt a bit meh. The setting had potential, and there were moments of charm, but the story moved slowly and didn’t offer much to keep me fully engaged. It wasn’t terrible—just not my cup of tea. If you're looking for a light, scenic read, it might work for you, but I found it hard to stay interested.

This book was really cute and I enjoyed it so much. The setting in Ireland and Irish accents yes please. It was charming. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

The story follows familiar romantic tropes, which will appeal to fans of cozy, slow-burn romances. However, while the setting and mood are strong, the pacing can feel uneven at times, and some of the character development, especially for side characters, felt a bit thin. The main romance is sweet but predictable, with few surprises along the way.

Overall, it’s an enjoyable escape if you’re looking for a breezy, picturesque read

I REALLY wanted to love this book. It had so much potential: an Ireland setting, a meet-cute romance, a cast of quirky characters (at a hostel!), but honestly, it was kind of boring. Predictable and kind of flat - just nothing really satisfying.

There were some interesting elements - I particularly loved the “exploring Ireland” component because I have visited many of the locations - but overall, the story lacked emotional depth. And, I really didn’t like the main character. Chelsea just struck me as immature and self-centered, not appreciating the experience she was having. (Side note: Perhaps this is because I have a daughter who DID appreciate her Ireland experience!) Collin, on the other hand, did feel warm and caring and authentic. I kept wondering why he would want to be with this obviously ungrateful girl. Maybe if her irritation with her situation and angst about her Boston/Ireland choice hadn’t been so repetitive throughout the entire book? I lost patience with that VERY quickly. I wanted to see Chelsea develop and grow over the course of the book and that just didn’t happen. To the point where her decision at the end of the book felt pre-ordained, but also inauthentic. I was hoping for more.

Please note: I received a digital copy from NetGalley & Avon and Harper Voyager in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.

This book was enjoyable and easy to read, definitely cute for a quick summery read. I really liked the Ireland setting.

The book itself was a bit slow despite being enjoyable. The plot itself was really good. I liked the characters for the most part, but I found the FMC to be a bit irritating and hard to understand. I did find her to be funny at times though, so that was her saving grace.

Overall, it was a pretty enjoyable read and lighthearted. I’d recommend it to someone.

☘️ Book Review☘️

Title: An Irish Summer
Author: Alexandra Paige

Thank you so much @avonbooks, @netgalley , @harpervoyagerus and @alexandrapaigewrites for this marvelous ARC!

Pub Date: July 1, 2025

Read if you like:

-Friends to lovers
-Slow burn
-He falls first
-Ireland

The book:

When Chelsea’s B&B employers suddenly retire she not only looses her job but her stability in Boston as well. She is saddened but refuses to work for her parents and let alone move in with them. With no other alternative, she finds herself forced to take a job with her ex-employer’s sister’s hostel in Gelway, Ireland. Upon her arrival she finds it hard to settle into not only a new country , but a new job and people as well. It is there where she meets Collin, a charming tour guide whom falls for Chelsea as he helps her adjust and overcome a reluctance to embrace Gelway’s charm. As these two spend more time together, Chelsea finds herself deciding between her new-found interest for Ireland or her safe haven Boston.

My thoughts:

This was such a cute adventure filled romantic story! I absolutely loved how Collin showed Chelsea around and didn’t give up on her reluctance to open up to a new beginning. I highly recommend this cute Irish summer read.

Happy Reading!☘️🇮🇪

An Irish Summer had the potential to be such a sweet, heartwarming story but it did fall flat for me. I could not quite relate to Chelsea, the main character. She seemed a bit cold and selfish, and it made it hard to understand why Collin was falling for her. Collin was written so wonderfully - warm, kind and cultured - and I think that is why I struggled with their relationship. The scenic descriptions of Ireland were incredible, and I loved their visits to historic parts of it throughout the story. I just think the story was missing some elements to bring it all together.

An Irish Summer is a story that takes place in the beautiful backdrop of Ireland. Chelsea is from Boston and travels to Galway for a summer job. She meets Colin who volunteers to be her tour guide and show her around Ireland so she can determine if she wants to stay there.

A perfect summer romance book or beach read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

First, I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read an early copy of this! (Even if I got to it shortly after publication.)

An Irish Summer is an easy, breezy summer romance. I like to call this category of book "book ice cream", as I find it's easy to process and is always delightful. Especially during the long Summer months.

In this book, we have Chelsea, Collin, and the beautiful Galway. Chelsea learns some important lessons about herself because the beauty of Ireland and the love of an Irish man change her.

To be completely transparent, Chelsea was a bit dense for my liking, but I adored the rest of the book, so it kept the balance. Either way, this is a fantastic choice to ward off those Summer blues.

A fun read that look me a journey I really enjoyed. I thought at times the plot seemed a little thin

This book was the perfect summer read. I really dug into it and it was a good pallet cleanser for me. I am super thankful for the arc that was given to me. Can’t wait to read more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and Alexandra Paige for a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Such a nice read! I am so glad I requested this ARC because it was a nice, refreshing romance.

Chelsea has just learned that the bed and breakfast she loves working at is closing down and she is left with very few options on what to do next. She could stay in Boston and find another hospitality/event planning gig or go to Ireland, where the B&B owners have a sister hostel in Galway. After getting talked into it by her friend, Chelsea decides that it wouldn't hurt to spend a summer in Ireland. Plus it'll look good on her resume and give her time to decide what to do next.

In Galway, Chelsea settles in at The Wanderer where she makes friends with a few coworkers and is introduced to a cocky tour guide, Collin. Collin is determined to make Chelsea slow down and enjoy Ireland. His main goal is to teach her that her idea of the perfect "white picket fence" life isn't all it's cut out to be.

Collin and Chelsea have fantastic banter. I like that Chelsea only denies the flirting a little bit. The pace of the romance was perfect. I like that a majority of the book is focused on Chelsea's character development and that Collin's character is just unashamedly outgoing and flirty. The side characters are mostly cheerleaders for Chelsea, but it doesn't bother me. I also appreciate that it takes a minute for Chelsea to realize what she truly wants. It was a good gradual decision instead of drastic flips back and forth.

Overall, wonderful read and I'll be booking my trip to Galway soon. Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and Alexandra Paige for a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Such a nice read! I am so glad I requested this ARC because it was a nice, refreshing romance.

Chelsea has just learned that the bed and breakfast she loves working at is closing down and she is left with very few options on what to do next. She could stay in Boston and find another hospitality/event planning gig or go to Ireland, where the B&B owners have a sister hostel in Galway. After getting talked into it by her friend, Chelsea decides that it wouldn't hurt to spend a summer in Ireland. Plus it'll look good on her resume and give her time to decide what to do next.

In Galway, Chelsea settles in at The Wanderer where she makes friends with a few coworkers and is introduced to a cocky tour guide, Collin. Collin is determined to make Chelsea slow down and enjoy Ireland. His main goal is to teach her that her idea of the perfect "white picket fence" life isn't all it's cut out to be.

Collin and Chelsea have fantastic banter. I like that Chelsea only denies the flirting a little bit. The pace of the romance was perfect. I like that a majority of the book is focused on Chelsea's character development and that Collin's character is just unashamedly outgoing and flirty. The side characters are mostly cheerleaders for Chelsea, but it doesn't bother me. I also appreciate that it takes a minute for Chelsea to realize what she truly wants. It was a good gradual decision instead of drastic flips back and forth.

Overall, wonderful read and I'll be booking my trip to Galway soon.

Bostonian Chelsea has found herself without a job when the B&B she’s worked at for years is closing due to the owners retiring.
Not leaving her completely without options, the owners mention they have family in Ireland who run a hostel, The Wanderer, and would be happy to employ her.
Determined to go just for the summer while getting her life in order - meaning finding a job in Boston along with an apartment- she sets off for Ireland.

What she finds is a rag-tag team of compatriots: Lars from Germany, Flo from Spain, and Collin the local Irish boy. And despite Chelsea’s determination to stay neutral with her coworkers, she finds friendship and a sense of family.

While this set up sounds delightful and charming, I found Chelsea and Collin a little annoying. From the get-go, Chelsea has blinders on, thinking her life is in Boston and Boston alone. And Collin did nothing but try to talk Chelsea into staying in Ireland from the moment her meets her. The dynamic seemed strange and if that had been me, I’d be more than a little put off with someone telling me what I should do and what’s best for me.
But the thing that really got to me was that Chelsea’s and Collin’s entire personalities were based on their preferred location.
Every.Single.Conversation Chelsea had with anyone was about her desire to return to Boston.
And all Collin did was try to convince Chelsea the opposite despite just meeting her.
This ended up being a three star read for me meaning while it was a swing and a miss for me, I acknowledge this could be someone else’s favorite read of the summer.

Thank you NetGalley, Alexandra Paige, and Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read this in exchange for a review.

An Irish Summer was a fun summer read! Chels reminds me of myself, having a plan and working only toward achieving those goals and plans you see for yourself and having to learn that sometimes it is okay to try new things and that plans can change and so can you. Now I am planning my vacation to Ireland.