I am a sucker for a Christmas story. Doesn’t matter the author, genre, story line. I have to admit I selected to read The Mistletoe Matchmaker by Felicity Hayes-McCoy by the title alone, knowing nothing about the story or author.
The first couple chapters left me wondering if this was a book I could enjoy. So much of the storyline, backstories of the characters, were vague; much of the wording – although English words, made no sense to me the way they were phrased together. I quickly realized that 1) this is an authentically Irish novel, not just set in Ireland but written by an Irish author, in the manner spoken in Ireland, and 2) this is book #3 in a series of 5. These two realizations allowed me to look past the things I had been questioning and just relax into the story.
And I’m so glad I did! I discovered a kind, loving story about family, love and hurt that can pass through generations; and of the real meaning of ‘home’. It may not look the same to everyone, but the unconditional love and acceptance of home is something everyone seeks.
This story centers around Canadian born Cassie, who visits her grandmother in Ireland for the first time. As she becomes familiar with the family and culture she never knew, she begins to find a sense of belonging and starts to question why her father left his family in Ireland never to return.
Page by page I was drawn into this story, this family. I try to limit the number of book series I take on – it is easy to find yourself reading nothing but, leaving little time for other books. Having said this, Cassie and family of the Finfarran Peninsula series by Felicity Hayes-McCoy has wormed its way into my heart. Can’t wait to learn the back story by starting with book #1 and following through to #5, and on from there as more are written.
I enjoyed and recommend The Mistletoe Matchmaker by Felicity Hayes-McCoy, but do recommend starting the series with book #1, The Library At The Edge Of The World.
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