The Empress of Ireland

Places to See, Volume 1

By: Jennifer Conner

Narrated by: John Martin Byrne

Laila Byrne made a final promise to her friend. She will travel more and work less. After sticking a pin in a map of the world, she heads off to Ireland. Laila's trip doesn't work out as planned, but the mix-up results in a chance encounter with a handsome Irishman, Alasdair. Alasdair spends all his waking hours trying to figure out how to keep his family's century old pub, The Empress of Ireland, open for business. He doesn't have time for anything. But when the lovely American comes across his path, will he find time? Once you come to Ireland, you may never leave.

©2014 Jennifer Conner (P)2014 Books to Go Now

Perfectly Delightful

If you could sum up The Empress of Ireland in three words, what would they be?

Charming, Upbeat, Sweet

Who was your favorite character and why?

Alasdair, the pub owner. He was charming in a natural and warm manner. Straight off, you know he's not a man who plays games with a relationship.

Which character – as performed by John Martin Byrne – was your favorite?

Again, Alasdair. Byrne's interpretation is exactly how I imagined the character would sound and Byrne does a nice job with the Irish accent.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

The book drew me in right away and had me cheering for a happy ending from page 1- the end. I highly recommend the story.

Great Voice

Would you consider the audio edition of The Empress of Ireland to be better than the print version?

No, to me they were about equal. I enjoyed both of them. I really liked John Byrne's voice as Alisdair. I pictured Laila better when I read the book.

What other book might you compare The Empress of Ireland to and why?

It doesn't really remind me of any other book. It's unique.

What about John Martin Byrne’s performance did you like?

I liked to hear his accent come out in Alisdair's voice. I liked to hear the way he pronounced the Irish words and the way he rolled his R's. Very sexy!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Well, probably a couple places. The beginning when the friends read the letter from Janelle who passed away. Reminded me of my friend who passed away a year ago. Made me sad. And the other was when Laila stayed on to help Alisdair and his grandmother.

Any additional comments?

I hope that Ms. Conner uses John Byrne's voice again in an audiobook!

Sweet short story!

Having read the Empress of Ireland on my Kindle, I looked forward to hearing it as an audiobook. I enjoyed John Byrne's narration, especially when he did an Irish accent. If you like sweet romance that takes you to distant shores, you'll like Empress of Ireland.

Charming story, but flat characters

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No, I would not recommend this book, because the story is very short and the main characters remain flat, which makes the read unsatisfactory.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

The storyline takes a jump from the beginning of the main character's holiday to the end of the Ireland holiday. This is a missed chance to tell us more about the characters, their history and to develop their relationships with more depth. Well, what else shall I say, Nora Roberts describes the ups and downs of a romance far better and with more detail.

What does John Martin Byrne bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I was hoping from former review the reader would read with a stronger Irish accent.

Could you see The Empress of Ireland being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

It might, because the story is shortened and flat enough.

Boring

The narration was horrible and it sounded like an 80-year-old man – the story was contrived and predictable and ridiculous