The Lady of Galway Manor

Author: Jennifer Deibel
Genre: Historical Romance
Release Date: February 1, 2022

In 1920, Annabeth De Lacy's father is appointed landlord of Galway Parish in Ireland. Bored without the trappings and finery of the British Court, Annabeth convinces her father to arrange an apprenticeship for her with the Jennings family--descendants of the creator of the famed Claddagh ring.

Stephen Jennings longs to do anything other than make a career in his family's jewelry shop. The past has taught him to no longer believe in love and the "lies" the Claddagh ring supposedly promises. How can he peddle what he now finds offensive?

The war for Irish independence gains strength, and the De Lacy family is caught in the crossfire. As events take a life-threatening turn, Annabeth and Stephen will discover that the bonds of friendship, love, and loyalty can only be made stronger when put through the refiner's fire.

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Reviewer: Nikita Wells

Two words to describe this book? Clean and brilliant! This is the first Irish book I've read, and I absolutely loved it!! I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for more books like it, such as Ms. Deibel's previous book, A Lady In Donegal. 

The Lady of Galway Manor is beautifully written and brings the land of Ireland to life on the pages.

Being a jewelry maker, I loved that this story centered around an Irish handmade jewelry store. The legend of the Claddagh ring and inspiration for its design is a wonder in itself.

Lady Annabeth De Lacy comes to Galway, Ireland, as a jewelry apprentice under Seamus Jennings, a local Irish craftsman. She soon falls in love with the people and culture of Galway and discovers it's far different than what's she has been told by the other Brits.

Stephen Jennings, son of Seamus, yearns to start life afresh in a new land and work a new trade hoping to escape the heartbreak of past years. He's very talented but finds it hard to market their wares to happy couples every day when he is tortured with memories of his own lost love. Can he hope one day to find true happiness on his native shores?

This book was excellent- a beautiful cover decorated with traditional Celtic knot designs, a story free of vile language or otherwise inappropriate content, and some Gaelic words sprinkled in here and there, with a translation key in the back of the book!

I received this wonderful book courtesy from Revell through Interviews and Reviews in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. 

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Reviewer: Susan Poll

I love how this author sinks you into the culture and people of Ireland. That gift of writing is why I will keep coming back to her books. It’s not all roses and perfect romance. She gives you gritty life of that time and during the war for independence.

Detailed descriptions of landscape and native Irish people will make you want to live there yourself. My heart tugged at the heartache, the tears, the small triumphs, and the love that blossomed along the way.  Stephen and Anna certainly struggled through two sides of misunderstandings and pain to find each other. I recommend this for any romance lover. 

Thanks to Revell and Interviews & Reviews for the chance to read this.  

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Reviewer: Rebecca Maney

"She never dreamed Galway would be so endearing and exciting. A city teeming with music, architecture, and art - the very last thing she'd expected."

Expecting to live in a very rough, indigent environment when her family moved to Ireland, Lady Annabeth De Lacy found herself enchanted instead. Yes, it was different from her native England, and a lot less refined, but curiously pleasant nonetheless. After her father was granted the lordship of Galway Parish, her family's move to Galway Manor had raised questions about what Annabeth could do with her time away from polite society. Allowed to indulge her artistic tendencies by apprenticing with the local jewelers whose ancestors had originally crafted the famed Claddagh rings, Anna found herself feeling at home with the aging Seamus Jennings and his handsome son Stephen. If only . . . but for the sake of her family's future, Anna had been promised to another.

To what extent would Anna and Stephen adjust their dreams?

"In the few short months she'd been in his life, Annabeth De Lacy had been one of the clearest examples of God's love Stephen had ever encountered, aside from his father. All these years, he believed those professing to be in love were blind. It turned out, it was he who was visionless."

Enjoy this lovely look at what sacrificial love really means.

I received a copy of this book from Baker Publishing through Interviews and Reviews. The opinions stated above are entirely my own.

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Reviewer: Joy Hannabass

Annabeth is overjoyed to be learning the trade of jewelry making. It's working side by side with the handsome Stephen Jennings that she's worried about. The problem is Stephen has such a hard, thick shell around his heart. Will anything or anyone ever change him? 

Annabeth De Lacy can't believe her father actually agrees for her to apprentice with the Jenning's family in their jewelry shop. Everything made in the store is inspired by the famous Claddagh ring. An intriguing design that the Jennings family has been making and selling for decades. I love this little shop. What I would have given to have had the opportunity as Anna had. This Irish community and its people quietly worked their way into my heart, and I'm not over them yet. 

Stephen and his dad Seamus were so down-to-earth and such loveable characters. Seamus is my favorite character of the book, with Steven coming in a little bit behind him! Anna is a sweetheart as well. Even with all of her family's wealth, she was more interested in helping people. Several scenes left me in tears proving this. A lot is going on here, some shocking twists and turns that will throw you off guard for a bit, but just hang on and keep reading. 

This book is wonderful, and the ending was bittersweet for some of the characters, but it all turns out well and happy for them all. I think anyone would love this one, especially if you enjoy historical fiction. 

I received this book courtesy of Revell through Interviews & Reviews for my honest opinion.

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Reviewer: Laura J. Davis

The Lady of Galway Manor by Jennifer Deibel is an inspiring novel that is enchanting in its premise, with delightful characters that step off the page and into your heart.

Lady Annabeth Delacy has grown up with more of an open mind than her parents towards the Irish. Her willingness to immerse herself in the town of Galway and step away from her title and privileges spoke volumes about her character and who she served. She has been taught that the Irish "need" the English, but when she meets Stephen and Seamus Jennings, she realizes that the English might not be the "saviours" they think they are to the Irish. 

Stephen, for his part, is instantly antagonistic towards Anna (as she preferred to be called) because of past hurts and his perception that every English person thought the Irish were beneath them. Seamus, his father, was probably my favourite character in the book because he was willing to look past what the English or Irish thought about each other to accept Anna with open arms. How Anna and Stephen come together is fraught not only with misconceptions but also danger.

As the Irish war for independence looms over the town of Galway, I couldn't help but see the similarities to our modern times regarding racism, nationalism and the horrors that can happen with that. 

I stayed up until the wee hours to finish this one. It's hard to put down. I highly recommend it.

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Revell through NetGalley.

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Reviewer: Lori Parrish

Sometimes lessons have to be learned from experience, not handed down or taught as Anna has found out. I enjoyed getting to know Anna so much. Seamus and Stephen are good characters too. I learned quite a bit from this story, and I could also take something with me after I finished it. I didn't want the story to end. I'm still thinking about those characters. 

This new and upcoming author has a wonderful way with words and a style of writing that pulled me into Anna's story before I knew it! The scenery was gorgeous, and I felt like I was there. I truly enjoyed the history of the Claddagh ring and a few other historical facts along the way. Five stars for a well-written story.

This book was provided courtesy of Revell through Interviews & Reviews for my honest opinion.

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