Of Brighter Days ~ Review

Of Brighter Days

Hearts of Eire #2

By Rachel Nickle

Both Norah McGowan and Finnegan Boyd are trapped by the hurts and pains of the past. Neither is willing to reveal what their private pain is but each is a caring and loving individual - except that Norah is determined to keep Finn at a distance. But Finn is determined to find out why he is the one member of the Boyd family Norah is determined to disapprove of.

Life hasn't been easy for the Boyds - lack has caused them to leave their beloved Ireland behind for the chance of at least surviving in Liverpool. But Liverpool isn't the haven of opportunity that they had been hoping and praying for. Instead, they are met with hate, disdain, and outright anger over their Irish heritage in a very English city. With little hope of anything better the Boyds and Norah find themselves looking to America as their new hope for not just survival but living.

The voyage is anything but easy and the cost is high. The hope that America offers is within their grasp and Finn and Norah have hope that they too will have a future together. But, there is always a but, sometimes the past won't let its grip loosen and Norah and Finn know all too well its power.

Of Brighter Days is a story of hope for what may be. Can this hope be found in a place? Or is it a state of mind and heart? Is it with the people who mean the most to you? This is a lovely piece of historical fiction that will touch the heart of any who reads it. The characters are engaging and relatable with a hidden layer that keeps you reading hoping that one can discover what makes each person unique.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I offer my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

Norah McGowan has kept Finnegan Boyd at a distance since the moment they met, and, unfortunately for Norah, who is set on keeping her past behind her, she is an enigma the normally reserved Finn is determined to figure out. Although she is closed about her past, she is also kind and caring--to everyone except Finn.

Both get more than they bargained for when Finn's family and Norah must travel to America in the wake of the Great Famine and troubles with the law in their current home in Liverpool. Aboard a ship bound for new opportunities and a better life, Finn and Norah grow closer, no longer able to deny the draw they feel to one another. Amidst sorrow and loss, they finally open up to one another to reveal pasts that make any future together impossible. They must navigate beyond the chasm of misunderstanding and differences in religion if they ever want to win a chance at love and belonging.