Irish Lace (Zebra Historical Romance)

Rating:
Summary: Emotionally intense -- Highly recommended
Review: As children, their grandfathers betroth Meara Kathleen Dunne and Rian Quaid. As a teen, Meara vows she will not wed Rian, despite her family's wishes. When the Irish famine endangers her well being, however, she's sent to America to wed Rian in the company of her cousin, Kathleen Mary Maguire. Meara falls in love with Robert Widham on the voyage and convinces her cousin to meet Rian and relay the message that the marriage is off and give him the dowry anyway.

Afraid of being cast adrift without any family, Meara complies with her cousin's wishes and meets Rian at the dock. She doesn't immediately explain her identity, wishing a more private forum for such a revelation. Rian believes him to be his fiancée, as they've not seen one another in ten years, and takes her to his home Green Lawn. Determined to make herself useful, Kathleen hopes to persuade Rian to allow her a home there once she reveals the truth. The longer they are together, however, the more difficult circumstances and the heart make it to tell Rian the truth. As she marries this man she's fallen in love with, Kathleen fears that Rian will one day learn the truth of her identity.

IRISH LACE weaves a rich historical tale spanning the Ireland and America in a moving tale of mistaken identity. With richly developed characterization and a vividly realized plot, Candace McCarthy weaves a finely crafted historical novel with a hint of danger as attacks on the hero come from a mysterious source. The emotional intensity never lets up, making IRISH LACE highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Irish Lace is a wonderful and romantic historical.
Review: I love Irish stories and I think that Ms McCarthy brings us the best. I read her "Irish Linen" and loved it. This one is even better. The history is well done, not heavily applied as in some historicals. But the book gives you the feeling of being there. It begins during the Irish famine and continues in America. I think anyone who loves historical romances would enjoy "Irish Lace."

Rating:
Summary: Perfect!
Review: Meara Kathleen Dunne was sent from Ireland, by her father, to her fiancé in America. Since childhood she and Rian Quaid had been betrothed. Her cousin, Kathleen Mary Maguire, (both named after the same relative) accompanied her. During the voyage, Meara fell in love with Robert. They convinced Kathleen to meet Rian once the ship had docked, give him the dowry, and explain that Meara would be marrying another. Meara and Robert would wait for Kathleen to do so and then they would all leave together and live happily ever after. However, once Kathleen began talking to Rian, Meara and Robert deserted her!

When Kathleen realized she had been abandoned and was alone in a strange country, she feared telling Rian the news she had. She decided to let him believe she was his fiancé for a short while. She never expected to fall in love with him though.

Rian was not eager to wed after witnessing his father's second marriage. However, he felt responsible for his fiancé since he never wrote to cancel their betrothal. Meara had apparently changed over the years and seemed entirely different than he remembered. The more he was with her, the more he decided marriage would not be bad at all. However, his property (called Green Lawns) was experiencing several unfortunate accidents. Someone was out to ruin Rian.

Then Meara reappeared to once again shatter Kathleen's happiness. Life with Robert was awful and Meara needed the money she had told Kathleen to give to Rian. Even though Kathleen had yet to tell her new husband that she was not who he had thought, she had already turned the money over to Rian.

**** This one is terrific! I never really cared for Meara though. Such a snob! But that just proved to me that this author, Candace McCarthy, was talented! I could not help but fall in love with many of the co-characters. They seemed so full of life, so real! The book is very well written and flows smoothly. Perfect for Summer reading! ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch