Irish Overseer Mick O’Hurlihey thinks he has found the woman of his dreams when he sees a beautiful lass cavorting in the estate gardens with a young boy.  Imagine his chagrin when he finds out that the lass is actually his employer Ciara, Countess Fitzsimmons, widow of the late Earl and the lad is Edward, the current Earl.  Nevertheless, Mick still finds himself wildly attracted to Ciara, and for her part, she wants him too.  When the estate is hit with the potato famine that attacked all of Ireland, Ciara and Mick must work closely together to save not only the estate, but also the tenants and servants.  Even more disturbing, Edward has been the subject of several unsettling attacks and danger seems to lurk on every side.  With just a few trusted servants to ensure Edward’s safety, Ciara and Mick must identify his attackers and safeguard his inheritance.  Most importantly, will Ciara and Mick be able to safeguard their hearts? 

Ms. Quinn has written a very heartwarming story with a most unusual setting.  While Ireland has been a land long known for producing great love stories, this reviewer cannot recall one set amid the Potato Famine.  This time period, however, provided a great wealth of emotional heart-tugging episodes that added great richness to the tale and made this plot line of star-crossed lovers who were prevented from acknowledging their love due to their stations in life fresh and new.  This tale also features some great moments of suspense and readers will not figure out the exact villain until the great reveal near story’s end.  The story is very moving and is sad at times, but a spirit of hope overlays the entire tale.  Mick and Ciara are very appealing lovers and readers will find themselves rooting for this couple to find their happy ending. Their romantic tension was palpable and very much so true to the characters as written.  Ms. Quinn has shown a deft hand in making what could be a somber tale both engrossing and ultimately uplifting.  This story is a worthy addition to her book list and readers of historical romance will enjoy her latest offering.  Highly recommended!