O'er River Liffey Author: Heidi Ashworth
Series: Power of the Matchmaker #6
Genres: Historical Romance
Format: eBook, Print
Pages: 306
Date: June 1, 2016
Publisher: Dunhaven Place Publishing
Irish heiress Caroline Fulton knows this house party, ostensibly celebrating the victory of Waterloo, is really an audition: will she make a suitable wife?
Her host, an English lord, has already won over her father, who’s determined to buy a title with Caroline’s dowry. She is far from taken with the baron, however, especially once she meets Niall Doherty, the impoverished, perceptive tutor to her host’s younger brothers. He shares her love of Irish fairy tales and seems to guard a troubled past…but neither quality will earn Caroline’s father’s approval.
Although part of the POWER OF THE MATCHMAKER series, a multi-author project featuring the recurring character of Pearl the matchmaker, this book is a STAND-ALONE novel.
[bctt tweet=”Can Caroline convince her father that love is more valuable than a title? O’ER THE RIVER LIFFEY #regency @AshworthHeidi”]
[shareaholic app=”share_buttons” id=”304462″]
About Heidi Ashworth
Heidi Ashworth is an Award-winning author who lives with her husband and three children in the San Francisco Bay Area. She writes historical Regency-set mystery and sweet, traditional, Regency-era romance. She is the author of The Lord Trevelin Mysteries and the Miss Delacourt series. Her installment in the popular Power of the Matchmaker series is set in Jane Austen-era Ireland.
Another great book in the Power of the Matchmaker series! This book had a slower pace to it than some of the others. I was also surprised by the minimal appearance of the matchmaker, Miss Pearl. She plays a very low-key part in this story in comparison to some of the others in the series. And yet, her character still fulfills a very big role in the way everything comes together at the end.
This story contains several Irish folklore tales related by one of the main characters, Niall. It slows down the pace of the book, especially in the first half, but I enjoyed reading the tales as I’ve heard different versions of several of them and it was interesting to compare them. I loved the personalities of both Niall and Caroline and seeing how their friendship and relationship developed. There were lots of little historical details about the time period (such as the jaunting cars) and the way the different classes of people were allowed to interact with each other. The action picked up towards the ending and I was anxiously reading to see how everything turned out. Loved it!
Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!!
This was such a sweet story! I loved the characters. Caroline was such a good, kind person and I wish I were more like her. I also loved her friend Fiona. I liked the way they supported and loved each other. I also really enjoyed seeing their interactions with the two little boys in the story. Niall was a master storyteller. I loved reading the Irish tales he told. They added a unique aspect to the story.
This book is part of the Power of the Matchmaker series, so Miss Pearl was also in the story. In this book, her presence is very brief. Niall meets a mysterious, exotic stranger who tells him where he will find love. This was quite a different approach than we’ve seen from Miss Pearl before. I liked the way the story ended as Niall had to decide what to do about the mysterious stranger’s prophesy.
The book contains a lot of Irish names, in large part due to the stories Niall tells. There is a pronunciation guide at the beginning of the book, which was appreciated. But I had to go back to it often, so I finally gave up and just pronounced them in my head the way they looked. 🙂
This is the first full-length novel I’ve read by Heidi Ashworth. It really made me want to read more of her work!
I was given a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I usually enjoy a good Regency, but this one moved a little too slowly with not enough character development and too much mundane narration and conversation. I’d say it has an overall vibe of pleasantness, with Caroline as the consummate beauty in a perpetual good mood, her sidekick friend always willing to giggle at her little remarks, and Niall overcome by all her goodness. They are immediately attracted to each others physical appearance, develop a very proper and polite friendship, and bemoan the fact that her father would never allow a match between them… all within two days. Niall’s Irish storytelling was a highlight of the book, and I especially enjoyed one in particular, of a girl who saves her brothers from a curse. Each of the books in the Power of the Matchmaker series utilizes Pearl, the Asian matchmaker, to various degrees, but this one had her involved the least amount.
(Thank you to Ebooks For Review for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)
This was not a favorite for me. I didn’t hate but didn’t love it either.