The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls by Jen Gilroy ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

They're ordinary blueberry muffins.  A lot like her...Once, she'd been a starry-eyed girl with a golden voice who'd imagined she could make it in the music industry.  But nowadays, she was an ordinary person and she'd worked hard to convince herself that all she wanted was to raise Hannah and live her everyday life."  (p 4)

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

October 2019; Soul Mate Publishing
ebook (250 pages); romance

The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls is a very good novel about lost dreams. Is it possible to make a long-time dream come true when you are the mother of a teenager in your 30s? Or is it better just to continue your life as it is and not think about what could have been?

Annie lives in upstate New York in the small town of Irish Falls in the Adirondack Mountain area. She lives with Hannah, her teenage daughter and the rest of her family also lives in town - her mom, step-dad, brother and sisters all live in Irish Falls and they all work at the family bakery. Annie tries to be content in her small town but as her 16-year-old daughter wants to go to Nashville and try to make a success in the music industry, Annie is reminded of her move to Nashville years before. She tried to break into the music industry but she came home pregnant and defeated with secrets that she never shared with her family. After her return home, she decided that small-town life was the best for her future and buried her dreams. One day at the bakery, Seth shows up. He is a famous songwriter from LA and has come to Irish Springs to sell the radio station that his long lost uncle had left for him. Seth is burnt out and his reputation is in shatters due to his business partner so maybe a little time in a small town are just what he needs. When Seth finds out that he has to stay in town and run the radio station for 6 months he is at first very unhappy but then decides that it will do him good to be out of LA. As he spends more time with Annie and her family, he realizes that he might have been chasing the wrong life and as his relationship with Annie intensifies, he tries to help her live her dream. Will it work for Seth and Annie - will they get their happily ever after or are their lives just too different to let them find happiness together?

This is a beautifully written story about friendship and love and family and community. It's also a story about forgiveness and hope. Not only were Annie and Seth fantastic characters but all of the supporting characters were easy to like. This is my first book by this author but it certainly won't be my last.

Buy The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls at Amazon

Susan Roberts lives in North Carolina when she isn't traveling. She and her husband enjoy traveling, gardening and spending time with their family and friends. She reads almost anything (and the piles of books in her house prove that) but her favorite genres are Southern fiction, women's fiction, and thrillers. Susan is a top 1% Goodreads Reviewer. You can connect with Susan on Facebook, Goodreads, or Twitter. 

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