Synopsis
The past is never over …
Jack Stewart thought he’d put the past behind him. On the surface, he has everything – success, money, a big house and he is never short of an attractive woman by his side, but a tragic road accident shatters his world.
Raised as an Irish Traveller, Luke Kiernan hasn’t had it easy, and when he wakes in a Dublin hospital to find the man he’s hated since childhood at his bedside, he’s hungry for revenge.
Two very different worlds collide, bringing new dangers, exposing past deceits, and unearthing dark family secrets buried long ago. But from tragedy springs the promise of a fresh start with two women who are intent on helping Jack and Luke mend their lives.
Can new love heal old wounds, or are some scars there for good?
Isabella Connor
Isabella Connor is the pen name for Liv Thomas and Valerie Olteanu.
Liv Thomas was born and raised in the South of England. She always had the dream of becoming a writer, but never had the confidence to pursue it completely. After positive responses to Lord of the Rings fan-fiction, she decided it was time to make the dream a reality.
Wife and mum, Liv works for the NHS, and is employed at the hospital which first featured in Channel 4’s One Born Every Minute. Liv is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.
Valerie Olteanu grew up in Scotland, and her childhood ambitions were to travel and to be a writer. After studying English and Art History at the University of Glasgow, she moved to London where she worked in the Literature Department of the Arts Council England.
Some years later, she decided to teach English and see the world. She lived and worked in Croatia, the West Bank, and Mexico, before settling with her husband in Canada. She is currently an adult educator in Burnaby, British Columbia.
Beneath an Irish Sky is their debut novel.
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Book Trailer
Well plotted with characters I would like to see appear in another book.
Read it in a great gulp and am sorry i could not wait to stretch it out!
Will definitely look for more and recommend to others.
This complex book centres around two families- one gypsy traveller and the other an upper crust English family. They are brought together by a death that exposes years of secrets, lies and betrayals. I could not put this book down. I found it to be very compelling and read it within a few days. Before I read this book, I had no idea about the travelling community but now, I feel as if I had an inside view of what really goes on. I recommend this book highly.
I found this book to be the kind that’s hard to put down. Really enjoyable.
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Overall, the storyline was entertaining and I loved reading about the setting of the story. One point I really found fascinating was that the author’s name, Isabelle Connor, was actually a joint venture of two authors by the names of Liv Thomas and Val Oltenau. This is one story you definitely should look into.
5 stars! Reviewed by Diana. Top Pick!
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This is Isabella Connor’s first book and I hope it won’t be the last because I eagerly await the next story.
If you’re looking for a great book to finish out your summer reading, I recommend this one to you.
Long and Short Reviews. 5 stars! Reviewed by: Stephantois
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…The real pleasure of the novel lies with Luke, who is both naive and knowing. His narration is shot through with a sly humour that’s a delight to read.
This is a compelling, fast-paced read with a plot that builds inexorably. The characters are finely drawn and the writers, despite the fact that neither are Irish, manage to weave Irish Traveller culture throughout the fabric of the book.
They manage to authentically capture an atmosphere of suspicion between the Traveller community and the rest of society. They also beautifully convey the emotional stiflement among characters haunted by the spell of the past.
Lorraine Courtney, Irish Independent Newspaper, August 2013.
The collaboration between these long-distance writers of romance has delivered a well-rounded novel with definite heart.
Sile McArdle, Sunday Independent Newspaper, Ireland. August 2013.
New Books Magazine, August 2013.
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..Written with wit and a dash of Irish charm, this is a touching and easy to read debut about a family not approving of the son’s marriage to an Irish Traveller and how they destroy it.
Sarah Broadhurst view, LoveReading.