‘A wildly romantic story on a wild island with the promise of hope,
redemption and self-discovery at its core’
– Worth a Shot (Publisher Quote)
[ About Worth A Shot ]
Cordelia James was once at the top of her game—a renowned street photographer with a massive social media following, gallery showings in Chelsea, and a lucrative book deal. But after the sudden death of her father, Cordelia can barely force herself to leave her apartment. That is, until she sees an ad for a summer gig at a cozy cottage on Ireland’s picturesque Inishmore island. Cordelia is on a plane before she can talk herself out of it.
The moment she steps off the boat, she crashes—literally—into Niall O’Connor, a grumpy local who’s just returned home to Inishmore from Dublin. Niall is nursing a broken heart and trying to patch up a broken life, and he has no time for posh American tourists. The more Cordelia’s and Niall’s paths cross, the more they make each other’s lives hell. But as with all rivalries, their hatred is about to reach a tipping point—and it’s going to heat up their cool coastal nights.
[ My Review ]
Worth A Shot by Amy Ewing published June 6th with Eriu (Bonnier Irish Imprint) and is described as ‘the steamy Irish holiday romance hit of the summer!’
Cordelia James is struggling to manage her life. Following the death of her father two years previously, Cordelia’s mojo for life has slipped. Once a well-respected street photographer in New York, with a large social media following, Cordelia is now despondent. She has lost her creative spark, her zest for life and knows that something has to give. When she sees an advertisement for a summer house-sitting job on Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands off the coast of Galway in the west of Ireland, she jumps at the chance. She has never been to Ireland before but decides on a whim that this injection of spontaneity is just what she needs.
Cordelia travels to Inishmore via plane, train, bus and ferry, arriving with her precious camera in hand and a sense of hope. But this feeling of elation is brief as a stranger bumps into her sending her camera flying to the ground. Cordelia is bereft and angry suddenly homesick and regretful of this huge upheaval she has undertaken.
Niall O’ Connor is returning home to Inishmore with his ego in shreds and his tail between his legs. His dream of being a successful restaurateur has been shattered and he has lost everything. Now, with no job, no money and no fiancée, he is embarrassed and angry. In his haste, getting off the ferry, he bumps into an American tourist with a camera. Her anger towards him is off the charts, in his opinion, and he is way too wrapped up in his own affairs to pay her much heed.
Cordelia and Niall start off on bad footing but, as one expects, their exchanges alter over the course of the book as they get to know each other and an intense romance soon follows.
I must admit on picking up this book I did fear that it would gravitate in style toward the recent movie Irish Wish, but to be fair to Amy Ewing she doesn’t stereotype the Irishness too much. Worth A Shot is a fun read, an entertaining novel set against the stunning backdrop of Inishmore but there are some serious themes explored throughout. If you look up Amy Ewing on Instagram you will see some lovely posts and reels, with gorgeous views of the island, taken on her recent return visit there. It’s very clear that Amy Ewing has a grá (love) for Ireland and her vivid descriptions of the wild landscape of that part of the country are fairly spot on, giving her international readers a flavour of the beauty of The Aran Islands.
Two fiery individuals, one small island, an entertaining cast of characters, delicious food and plenty of Irish charm are all shaken up with a sprinkle of sizzle and smoulder. I was expecting a cute holiday romance, an airy summer read and while, in part, it was certainly that, it was also an intense tale of passion and self-discovery. Worth A Shot really is your summer escape sorted, and, to be fair, how often do you see a tagline of a ‘steamy Irish holiday romance’!!
Note: Thank you to Gill Hess for a copy of Worth A Shot in return for my honest review. Worth A Shot is entitled The Irish Goodbye in The States, published with Alcove Press (PRH) June 4th.
[ Bio ]
As the daughter of a librarian, books were a crucial part of Amy Ewing’s childhood. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School, and her young adult fantasy novel The Jewel became a New York Times and international bestseller. Amy lives in New York City with her senior rescue dog, Sam, and far too many books than she has shelf space for. Worth A Shot is her debut novel for adults.
Instagram ~ @amyewingbooks
