Irish Meadows

"At the renowned Irish Meadows horse farm in New York, 1911, sisters Brianna and Colleen O'Leary struggle to reconcile their own dreams with their father's plans for the farm and his demanding marriage expectations"--

User reviews

LibraryThing member ChicGeekGirl21

"Irish Meadows" is a pretty typical Christian romance novel. On the plus side, Mason captures the time and place really well and transports the reader to turn of the century New York. It also features a strong heroine (as most romances do) who learns to let her heart be her guide, rather than the

expectations of family and society. On the less great side, the story ends a little too tidily and you never really feel any tension or high stakes throughout the plot. It's a quick read, good for the beach or a plane, but probably not a desert isle keeper.

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LibraryThing member mzonderm

I've read enough romance novels to know that there is usually a formula, and the formula is so plain that many people think that anyone could write one. Apparently, Susan Anne Mason falls into that category. Unfortunately, she's wrong. She adheres to the formula admirably well (young people

hopelessly in love but horribly unsuited to each other because of class differences? check. forbidding father? check. conflict to keep the lovers apart in the middle of the book? check. conveniently timed illness to shift the plot onto different rails? check.), but the writing is so trite and predictable, it's almost painful to read. Fortunately, it also has the required happy ending, which doesn't even seem particularly contrived, so there were warm-fuzzies all around. It wasn't enough to make up for writing that preceded it, but, you know, all's well that ends well.

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LibraryThing member RobbyeFaye

Irish Meadows is the first book written by Susan Anne Mason and is the first book in the series, Courage To Dream.

Irish Meadows is the Long Island farm home of the O'Leary's in 1911. Brianna and Colleen, the two older daughters of James and Kathleen, both have different ideas and dreams for their

lives than what their father envisions.

Brianna, quiet and studious, wants to seek a higher education after graduating from high school. Her father wants her to marry a rich man to ensure the prosperity of the family's farm.

Colleen, a spirited coquette, has no problems getting married; she just wants to marry the man of her choice, not whom her father chooses.

Gill Whelan, a young man raised as the son of the O'Leary's, is asked to complete an impossible task for James. Torn between a desire to aid his "adopted" father and his dreams, Gil struggles to find an answer to his dilemma.

Rylan Montgomery, distant cousin of Kathleen, visits the family from Ireland during his seminary training. He helps Colleen with her spiritual journey and encourages her to assist him in caring for orphans at the local orphanage.

As Irish Meadows stands on the brink of failure, James becomes ill, forcing the family to re-evaluate their lives and dreams.

Susan Anne Mason has written a marvelous novel with her debut, Irish Meadows. The novel is striking in its narrative and imagery. Miss Mason carries several plot lines throughout the book without leaving the reader feeling tangled up or lost in the story. She does a remarkable job of combining a story of family, history and faith together.

I received this book from LibraryThing in exchange for a review.

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LibraryThing member pennma05

I received this ARC through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program in exchange for an honest review.

I need to remember to look at who is publishing a book when I request an ARC through LibraryThing. I'm not really into religion and this is the second time I've ended up getting a Christian Fiction

book. But that is my own fault so that will not have any affect on this review. The whole time I was reading this book, I kept thinking that I had already read this book. I think that is a common thing in all of the Christian Fiction I have ever read. There's always a girl and a guy who shouldn't be together according to either family or society (usually these take place in 1860s-early 1900s in North America). In this book there are TWO girls and TWO guys. The two girls are sisters and each have fallen for someone they shouldn't have. Add in an overbearing father and a horse farm and this is the story you get. For what it is I thought it was pretty well written. The author clearly describes all of the characters emotions and although the POVs were written in the third person I felt I got a good view of who each character was. I wasn't blown away by anything in this book but it wasn't bad either. If you're a fan of Christian Fiction I think this would be a good new series for you to try.

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LibraryThing member Nextian

Brianna and Colleen are two sisters growing up in early 20th century Long Island trying to decide whether they should follow their hearts or their father's will.

Irish Meadows has all the subtlety of a sledgehammer, but it's an enjoyable summer read. Once I got started, I couldn't manage to put the

book down even though I always knew what was coming next. Maybe that's why I kept going; I wanted to make sure everything went to plan. It's an nice little bit of fluff, but don't expect much more than that. This is supposed to be the first book in a series, but everything was wrapped up so neatly, I don't know where the next book will go unless it starts with someone new.

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LibraryThing member PhDinHorribleness

This is a wonderful story about finding love and finding oneself. Young people coming of age struggle to figure out what they want in love while feeling pressure from parents (or parental figures) to take their lives in a certain direction that is not necessarily what they want for themselves. I

really enjoyed reading this and can't wait for the next book in the series!

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LibraryThing member SpellboundRDR

I rarely read historical romance but I'm very glad I took a chance on Irish Meadows. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and all the intricacies of the relationships portrayed in it. Even though the book was mainly centered around the two sisters -Brianna and Colleen, there were plenty of characters

involved who contributed significantly to the plot. As I was reading, it felt like several interconnected stories happening at once and this kept my interested piqued.

Even though their faith played a big part in the story, it didn't seem forced. In fact, the characters were all very real and flawed and I loved the fact that they were far from perfect. They made their fair share of mistakes and bad decisions so it was wonderful to see how each character grew so much by the end of the book. I think the author did a great job with this because it wasn't an instant change, it was gradual and that made it believable.

I think this was a wonderful book that any reader is sure to enjoy. There was drama, forbidden romance, character growth and so many things going on that made it a total page-turner. The relationships were so exciting too; there was angst and sadness but also joy and happiness. From the beginning I was hooked, and as I kept reading I just felt closer and closer to the O'Leary family. I would definitely recommend this book!

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

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LibraryThing member polarmath

This book is a story of dreams and trying to follow them. Brianna and Colleen are sisters who are trying to follow the desires and wants of their father, while still holding onto what they want as well. Their father wants them to marry well to keep the farm going. While they want to do what their

father wants, they also have plans of their own. While Colleen is okay with getting married, she wants to choose someone suited to her weather it is who her father wants, while Brianna is more interested in learning than love.
I liked how the sisters were able to come to understandings with their father even if it wasn't what everyone wanted all around.
I received this book free to review.

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LibraryThing member lanehillhouse

Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Irish Meadows by Susan Anne Mason, © 2015
Courage to Dream Series, Book 1

For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.
--Vincent van Gogh

1911, Long Island, New York
James O'Leary welcomes home a son he has accepted as part of the

family to the dismay of his son, Adam. Gilbert Whelan has been a great help as a stable hand and now returning from college with a degree in business, James is in hopes that Gilbert can be influential in turning around his holdings, the Irish Meadows horse farm, to carry their family from ruin. With the anti-gambling rulings declining horse-racing, James hopes to continue building great stock for his clients.

Gilbert is grateful to have been sent to college and has dreams of owning his own farm one day to make the Whelan name prosper in place of despair in his father's memory. In return, he agrees to give financial advice and bookkeeping for Mr. O'Leary. There are other plans in the works he is unaware of, plans for his life that are far from his own desires for his future.

Adam O'Leary has so withdrawn from his family, like the prodigal son's brother, he hasn't recognized it has all been his all along. Envy has driven him away.

As an Irish immigrant, James does not want his daughters, Colleen and Brianne, to struggle and plans to orchestrate future sons-in-law from successful families. His daughters have their own plans while competing with each other.

A little outside help enters as James' wife, Kathleen, invites a distant cousin to come and stay with them while he is attending seminary. Rylan Montgomery seems to be just the right addition to bring to light his observations of interworkings of the O'Leary family.

I especially liked the growth in Colleen as she finds those outside of herself are important. She becomes caring and giving, truly out of character for her as her sister Brianne has formerly been used to.

I liked the introduction to this family and look forward to book two in the series when we will learn more about Adam.

Susan Anne Mason's debut historical novel, Irish Meadows, won the Fiction from the Heartland contest from the Mid-American Romance Authors Chapter of RWA. A member of ACFW, as well, she lives outside of Toronto, Ontario, with her husband and two children. She can be found online at her website and on Facebook.

*** Thank you to author Susan Anne Mason and Bethany House Publishers for sending me a copy of Irish Meadows to review. This review was written in my own words. No other compensation was received.***

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LibraryThing member hobbitprincess

For the most part, I enjoyed this debut Christian novel. The setting is a Long Island horse farm named Irish Meadows in the early 1900s. Owned by the O'Leary family, they raise race horses. Unfortunately, horse racing is becoming illegal in many places, which hurts the farm. The father uses his

family in various ways to try to save the farm, jeopardizing the happiness of his two oldest daughters, Brianna and Colleen. Mr. O'Leary was also the guardian of Gil, whom he treats like a son but also tries to use to save the farm. A distant relative studying to be a priest adds even more to the story. It's hard at the beginning to see how the mess that is created will be resolved, but it happens in the end. We can see the power of God at work. A couple of things didn't sit well with me about the book. First, everything is resolved in such a perfect manner, making the book a little unbelievable. It might lead some to think that if prayers are sincere enough, everything will work out the way we want. Second, while this is historical fiction, I never really got a feel for the time period. In my mind, the characters could have fit just as well into today's world as in the early 1900s. For example, there was an ample use of telephones, and I didn't think that in 1911 telephones were that widely used. The characters just felt modern, not historical. I enjoyed the characters themselves and the overall plot of the novel. The action moved along at a good pace. This is a good debut novel, and I'm sure we will be seeing more from her.

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LibraryThing member Kris_Anderson

Irish Meadows by Susan Anne Mason is the first book in Courage to Dream series. Gilbert Whelan has just finished college and is returning home to Irish Meadows. He originally came to Irish Meadows with his widowed mother who was a housekeeper to the O’Leary family. When she died, the family took

in Gil and raised him. James O’Leary is the head of the family. He raises and trains thoroughbred horses. With the new anti-gambling legislation, he is worried about the future of Irish Meadows. Gil has avoided coming home because of his feelings for Brianna O’Leary. They were the best of friends growing up, but then they developed feelings for each other. Gil was hoping that time away would alter his as well as Brianna’s feelings (she cares for him as well).

James is happy to have Gil home and puts him to work on the bookkeeping. Gil does not have plans to stay at Irish Meadows. He wants to have his own farm one day and make a name for himself. Colleen is the O’Leary’s eldest daughter. She is very self-centered and a big flirt. She is seeing a gentleman (and gets engaged to him), but has her sights set on getting a kiss from Gil (just to irritate her sister). Unfortunately for Colleen, things go awry. Colleen ends up sentenced to work at orphan asylum with a cousin of their mother’s, Rylan Montgomery. Rylan is in the seminary and doing an internship at St. Rita’s (their local Catholic Church). As Rylan and Collen spend time together, they get to know each other. Rylan gets to see the real Colleen and starts to fall in love. Will Rylan pick love or the priesthood?

Gil and Brianna’s feelings have not changed for one another and one night they kiss. The next day James has Gil accept a job with Arthur Hastings (the banker). James wants his children to marry someone with money or social status (which means Gil is not good enough for his daughter). James also wants Gil to court Aurora Hastings (banker’s daughter). James is about to apply for a loan and he believes Gil can help him. Gil does not want to court Aurora but he owes James so much (for taking him in and paying for his education). How far will James push Gil to get what he wants? Will James be disappointed? Will Gil and Brianna ever get their chance?

I give Irish Meadows 4 out of 5 stars (which means I like it). It was a good, light novel and I did enjoy reading it. It had good characters and a beautiful setting. I found it to be easy to read because of the author’s nice conversational writing style. It is not too preachy (just the right amount). I have just given you a little sneak peek at what happens in this novel. You will have to read Irish Meadows for the full story!

I received a complimentary copy of Irish Meadows from NetGalley and from Bethany House through The Book Club Network Inc. in exchange for an honest review. The review and opinions expressed are my own.

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LibraryThing member lanehillhouse

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LibraryThing member HouseofPrayer

Fans of historical romances may enjoy this story about a horse farm in Long Island, New York in the early 1900's. In a fairly standard boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl format, Gilbert realizes he is in love with young Brianna, but her father, who has been his guardian, forces him to court the

banker's daughter in order to secure a much-needed loan for the farm. The father also has plans for his daughters to make matches advantageous to the family's business and social standing. Two things bothered me a bit about the book. Older sister Colleen going through a total personality transformation from a self-centered, catty young woman to a sympathetic, warm-hearted one after volunteering a just few days at an orphanage. Also, Catholics address their pastors as "Father," not as "Reverend" as used in the book.

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LibraryThing member lamb521

Title: Irish Meadows (Courage to Dream #1)
Author: Susan Anne Mason
Pages: 384
Year: 2015
Publisher: Bethany
My rating is 5+ stars out of 5.
Maybe the tale drew me into the pages as the central figures are an Irish family or maybe because it was set in the year 1911, thus a historical setting. Either way

Susan Anne Mason has crafted a novel that draws on the hearts of the readers keeping them turning pages until the story ends, at least until the sequel coming in 2016!
Irish Meadows is the family estate where horses are bred, trained, cared for and rode to prepare them to be horses ready for racing. The family living on Irish Meadows is the O’Leary family who work hard, love much, face trials with determination and occasionally get into spats. The Irish during this time period and before were not looked upon with anything but hatred, and people were unwilling to hire them to work. When, in the book, the state of New York bans racing, the demise of Irish Meadows appears on the horizon.
The patriarch of the family, James, rules with an iron hand and temporarily loses sight of what is truly important in life and his faith. His wife Kathleen is a compassionate woman who longs to see her family’s souls fed and no more secrets kept. On top of that, one son has left Irish Meadows and two sisters are at times at odds with each other along with having budding romances. Once readers start this book, the heart will be drawn into the characters quite easily.
I cannot wait to see what the author’s sequel, which will share Adam’s story, will be like. I am sure it will be as captivating and enticing as this book! I could relate to the Irish temper as well as the desire to be a better person seeking God’s help. Like the love interests of the two sisters their suitors can either bring the best out of them or set their tempers to flare. At times I would smile with the picture that would form in my mind of how the scene would look if it were to be real. Other times I anticipated eagerly learning how the characters lives and trials would finally be resolved.
Don’t miss this exceptional novel and look with me in 2016 for the sequel to be published!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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LibraryThing member Virginia51

This book made me laugh and cry. It is about two sisters and their family. How do they live with each other and how do they get their father to let them do what they want to do with their lives. Everyone in this story learns many valuable lessons. Love the horse farm that they live on. Each sister

is so different and falls in love with very different men. I received this book from Bethany House and the author for a fair and honest opinion.

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LibraryThing member macnoid

I love reading historic books, and Mason does a good job of taking you back to the 1911 time period, and right in the middle of this family's struggles. But no matter the time period, family dynamics are little changed....... The characters were interesting and you found yourself siding with them

at times, and irritated at other times. I did find the change in Colleen welcome, but sudden......but I guess people sometimes have a 'wake up ' call, and she had hers! The romance parts were nicely done, but the story was so much more than a romance novel. This was an excellent first book, and I look forward to reading the series, and more by this author!

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LibraryThing member Harley0326

I received a copy of this book from book fun.org for an honest review

I was so excited when I received this book. The cover was breathtaking and having never read a book from Sisan Anne Mason before, my expectations were high. I definitely was not disappointed in this story at all. The author takes

us back to 1911 in Long Island , New York. The history written in the story was a highlight for me. I love books that transform a reader back to an era with a subtle use of words.

Brianna is a young woman who has a love for horses and is quite a lovely person to look at. She has a deep desire to go to college but her father has other ideas for her. Colleen the other sister is anxious to marry and seems to be a bit more strong willed than her sister. Their father is a strong almost controlling man who causes anxious moments for his two daughters. They both must find strength and endurance to overcome obstacles that could deter them from their destiny. Will they find the right man to marry? Does Brianne get to follow her dream of going to college?

Their father becomes desperate when he feels like he is going to lose the horse farm . He thinks that his two daughters should marry men with money in order to help save "Irish Meadows." As I read the story I began to think about how our Heavenly Father wants the best for us, but we sometimes ignore Him. There were many conflicts the family needed to address and I liked how the author wrote with grace as the characters worked through them.

At the end of the story one of the characters were explaining to Brianna the mistakes he had made. This is the man that Brianna has always been in love with. He says," The other mistake I made was forgetting what is truly important . I didn't keep God in the middle of our relationship." That statement really made me think . Do we remember who needs to be in our relationships we have ?

I must thank the author for a story that is rich in history, characters that had flaws and how they overcome them with guidance from God. There are other characters in the story that I didn't mention, but I encourage you to pick up this book and fall in love with the O'Leary family and journey with each of them through a breathtaking story .

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LibraryThing member Beverlylynnt

The author, Susan Ann Mason, has skillfully created a world into which we can step, gaze around, and feel comfortable. The two main characters, Brianna and Colleen, could be our sisters, realistically endearing and frustrating simultaneously. Brianna feels she has grown up in Colleen's shadow, her

father's favored daughter. Nothing she did seemed to gain his respect. Colleen is the sister we love to hate. She is bold, brash, flirtatious, the apple of her father's eye, and always on the prowl for rich, handsome bachelors. She played with them and even pit them against each other. Brianna, on the other hand, wanted to attend a university in the fall. She has no use for men at the moment, although her daddy wants her to get married to a suitable (prosperous) gentleman as soon as possible.

But then Gilbert Whelan returned to Irish Meadows after three years at college. Gil grew up on the farm, the son of the O'Leary's housekeeper. When she died, James O'Leary took in Gil and treated him like a son. He was big brother to all the rest of the five O'Leary children. Adam, the eldest son, resented Gil for that. Brianna wanted to enlist Gil's aid in convincing her father to allow her to further her education. But it becomes a more complicated situation when she discovered her feelings for him were no longer brotherly. Gil himself has felt the stirrings of love for Brianna. When he finally gained the courage to approach James, his mentor and father figure, he was flatly refused. The reason shook him to the core.

One day a distant relative of mother 0'Leary's came to stay with the family for awhile. Rylan Montgomery needed a place to stay for a few months while he worked on his internship. His goal was to become a priest. It was Colleen's duty to ferry him around until he became familiar with the area. When her father caught her in a compromising position one evening, he "sentenced" her to working with Rylan at the orphanage. This was truly punitive for Colleen since she hated all things religious, including priests, church and orphanages. However, working with Rylan day after day brought about subtle changes to her heart. She began enjoying working with the children. In introspection, she questioned her previous dubious behavior. And...she fell in love with Rylan. Colleen's world was turned upside down. Family dynamics, secrets, disastrous emotional upheavals and more make this book an intriguing read.

There's a lot to like in this book. First, the Point of View (POV) is key to how the author develops tension and suspense. There are four Points of View: Colleen's, Brianna's, Rylan's, and Gilbert's. This author manages to blend them so well that she avoids the disjointed feeling so common in books with so many POV's. I feel these points of view are what keeps this storyline moving along without the action stalling. That's excellent characterization.

Second, the four main characters all have a crisis of heart to meet, deal with, and resolve. Even the secondary characters, Kathleen and James O'Leary, the parents, had to face issues themselves such as what really mattered in life, and how to handle secrets within a family unit. Each issue felt real, urgent, and relevant for today even if the source is a historical novel. I found each of the conflicts believable and could relate to many of them myself.

Third, this is a faith-based book. Each voice dealing with an issue was facing something that included a crisis of faith, as well as heart and home. When a faith issue has to be dealt with, even though it may be an entirely private matter between you and God, it does affect those around us because what we believe leads to how we live our lives. That is how this author presents each character's conflicts. When we are privvy to their thoughts, feelings and the process of resolution within, we appreciate them more for their struggles, even if they are still a flawed individual. I enjoyed the process as I read along, because what they struggled with was thought provoking and insightful. And since most of this was internal, none of it sounded even remotely like preaching or finger wagging. Rather, I felt blessed to gain a glimpse through the window of their souls. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series which will give us Adam's story.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy (ARC) of this book from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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LibraryThing member JaymeWill

I am a very avid Christian fiction reader. I love historical fiction, and I waited expectantly for my copy to come in the mail. But for some reason, I didn't enjoy this book. Frankly, I found it boring. I had to start it over 10 times before I got through it. I felt the plot was slow and

disconnected. I felt no connection with the characters, which always made me close the book.

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LibraryThing member Becky_L

Great Premise and Plot; Weak, Confusing Conclusion...

Wander back in time to Long Island, New York, 1911, when Irish immigrants were snubbed and even mistreated. James O'Leary has built a successful horse racing farm, only to find gambling is curtailed and he is on the verge of losing it all. He has

two,maybe three, aces in his pocket: two beautiful marriageable daughters,Brianna and Colleen,and one foster son, Gilbert Whelan. Gilbert's last name is apropos for James's and others'actions as they are "wheelin' and dealin'" to get what they consider to be important out of life.

There are some great faith lessons as well, but I take exception to the theology of Rev. Fillmore, who says, "Everyone who repents of wrong deserves forgiveness..." We would like it to be that way, but the Bible is quite clear we are NOT given forgiveness based on desire, but on the GRACE of God only, once we repent.

Susan Anne Mason, in this first book of the Courage to Dream series, evokes real emotions: distress, fear, greed, love, uncertainty, rebellion, guilt, longing, forgiveness, and conditional vs. unconditional acceptance. I loved the growth of some of the characters over the span of the novel.

*SPOILER ALERT*

Others vacillated so much I couldn't decide if the author wanted to show that not all people grow at the same speed, or if she was just trying to draw out the length of the tome. Most books I finish I feel a soul satisfaction with, I can see why the author did what he /she did, or at least it's obvious the author has set up the real resolution for another book. While I know there are two more stories coming, I was not convinced the people in question are going to be given a whole new book. I am left unsettled, confused, and ready to call for a marriage counselor before certain characters proceed!!

I gratefully received this book from bookfun.org in exchange for an honest review.

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LibraryThing member SherylHendrix

BethanyHouse Publishers has found a winner in debut author Susan Anne Mason's "Irish Meadows." This story of the O'Leary family daughters and their not-so-suitable love interests captured my attention and had me reading quickly through the chapters to see where young Brianna's and Colleen's lives

would take them. The family tension stems from their overbearing father's desire to manage his family's lives, partly in response to the economic worries that plague his stable business, Irish Meadows. Young Gilbert Whelan, who benefited from the largess of Mr. O'Leary's generosity towards him, feels a strong need to pay back his benefactor in whatever way Mr. O'Leary asks. This complicates matters when he and daughter Brianna realize that their childhood friendship has blossomed into something more. And when a distant relative arrives who is preparing for the priesthood, young Colleen's life takes an unexpected turn. The ins and outs of the family's relationships and their underlying love for each other and for God permeate the pages of this novel. A great first novel - can't wait to read the next installment.

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LibraryThing member rjmoren

I am loving this series. I have checked out #2 and #3 from my library. I love the genuineness of the characters. The story line is one that kept me reading into the night. This first one follows two sisters and their father's wish for them to marry well. The suitors he chooses are men his daughters

do not love. Enjoyed how the romances changed over the course of the book.

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