Even knowing that this is a Christian romance, I wasn't expecting this book to be so preachy... To make matters worse, the characters in this book were unmemorable or unlikeable. Many others loved this book though, so clearly it just isn't my cup of tea. ( )

A mother's wish can be complicated. A mother's dying wish is hard to ignore. When both these collide a family will never be the same.

This book is filled with heart. The characters linger with you long after the last written word. It is so refreshing to read a story that is filled to the brim with a love for God and the people in this small town. ( )

I suppose there is a place for faith based books but I've never been a fan of romances and a romance sprinkled with references to scriptures and the Lord's will is just not my style. On the plus side this book is set in Ireland and a lot of the characters speak with an Irish brogue that is quite charming.

Moira Doherty moves to Ballymann, County Donegal, Ireland from Boston after her mother dies. Her mother grew up in Ballymann and it was her wish that Moira would go there. Before she died she arranged for Moira to take the teaching position at the village school. When Moira arrives in Ballymann she finds that not everyone welcomes her. An old man she encounters her first morning frightens her and then one of her students, Aedeach, threatens to disclose her secret. Thankfully some of the locals seem to feel kindly to her. In particular Sean McFadden, a thatcher, looks out for her and Moira finds him very handsome. Aedeach misses school for a week so Moira goes to find out why he is not attending classes. She finds him in a cold, stinking, ramshackle hovel with a racking cough and a high fever. After deliberating overnight she decides to nurse him and Peg, wife of Sean's employer Colm, accompanies her. It appears that Aedeach has the Spanish flu which rampaged through Donegal a few years before. The rest of the village, including all of her students, refuse to come close to Moira. She also hears rumours that her mother may have become pregnant while working at the local manor and some people obviously believe those rumours. However Moira is certain that she is doing the Lord's work and she is also certain that her mother was blameless. Eventually the truth comes out and Moira is accepted by everyone and she and Sean have a dance during which he proposes. ( )

Title: A Dance in Donegal
Author: Jennifer Deibel
Pages: 352
Year: 2021
Publisher: Revell
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
If you like stories set in Ireland that have the flavor of the Gaelic language, with a touch of romance and a flair of mystery, here is the book to read. The novel is a debut by author Jennifer Deibel who has herself been immersed in the Irish culture shares the richness of the Emerald Island through this tale.
The lead character is a young woman currently living in Boston with her mother; her name is Moira Doherty. Moira’s mother has been sharing stories of Ireland for all of Moira’s life. They stirred in her heart the desire to go there someday. Well, for Moira that day has arrived. After losing her mother and not sure what she is to do, she senses the Lord telling her to go forward with her plans. With her head filled with stories of her mother’s homeland along with the ache of her mother’s death, Moira steps into her future. From the moment she lands on the island, she encounters a different language with some very different customs and beliefs. Moira is welcomed into her temporary place of residence as she acclimates to the area in preparation to teach the children of the town’s school.
Throughout the book there is something in Moira’s past that she is unaware of, but all the people in town seem to know and look at her with questioning eyes. Moira is a young woman with hopes to understand what has drawn her to the very town her mother grew up in and what secret lies in her mother’s life that is impacting Moira’s life now. Moira is befriended by most of the local town’s people though she has a few of them who are threatening her with revealing her secret, the secret Moira doesn’t know.
The climax in the book is well written and comes with such heart-pounding force I couldn’t help but continue reading to see how it would be resolved. The book started out slow for me but quickly progressed as I was drawn into the mystery of what lay behind Moira’s life. The author has another Irish romance novel forthcoming, and a teaser is included in the back of the book. I look forward to her next book that I hope includes the flavors of faith, romance and a touch of mystery.
Note: The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility. ( )