{"id":5475,"date":"2026-01-26T15:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T15:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=5475"},"modified":"2026-01-26T15:30:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T15:30:00","slug":"star-of-the-county-down-by-doc-richter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=5475","title":{"rendered":"Star of the County Down by Doc Richter"},"content":{"rendered":"

A sweet, unexpected romance between a lovable giant and an Irish superstar<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Sam Miller is tired of being deployed. He\u2019s missed out on too much time with his kids and his wife, so he\u2019s stepping away from his position in the Marines to rectify that. Only problem is\u2014his wife left him for Texas four days ago, and she brought his kids and his money with her.<\/p>\n

Upset at the colossal unfairness\u2014and at least a little sure that what she did is not technically legal\u2014he seeks solutions and any way possible that he can see his kids again. First step: procure enough money to hire a lawyer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But the COVID-19 pandemic has left few financial options for him and his previous career as a crane operator. Nobody\u2019s building in America right now, so he sets his eyes on opportunities abroad. That\u2019s how he settles on the rolling green hills of Ireland.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Once securely in a position and with barely enough money for the retainer, Sam seeks assistance from a lawyer who confirms that what his wife did was illegal. He continues working and saving his money to get his kids back, except for maybe splurging on a Guinness or two at his neighborhood pub.<\/p>\n

This pub is where he sees the stunning Irish singer Hayley McCann. He wouldn\u2019t dare strike up a conversation with someone so out of his league, but when her fianc\u00e9 lays his hands on her in front of him, he can\u2019t help but spring into action. This big-bodied former Marine won\u2019t stand for a man putting his hands on a woman, so he makes sure that guy can\u2019t use his hands on her (or maybe anyone) ever again.<\/p>\n

What follows is a passionate, slow-burn romance between our construction worker hero and this grateful, gorgeous Irish singer. Through ups and downs, pints and apple juices, and countless trips to the bedroom, Sam and Hayley take readers through a heartwarming true-love romance you\u2019d be hard-pressed not to root for.<\/p>\n

Author Doc Richter has created a valiant romantic lead in Sam Miller. There\u2019s not a moment in this novel where you question his motives or his heart, and Hayley McCann is a lucky lady to have found him. Only thing is\u2014he might just be too perfect. He\u2019s always doing the right things and going above and beyond what\u2019s expected of him to the point where he loses a sense of believability. Without any external flaws, he seems more an idea than a fully realized lead. Of course, for those looking for an extra large knight in shining armor, they\u2019ve found him in Sam.<\/p>\n

Subtlety is often missing in Star of the County Down<\/em>. Both point of view characters\u2014Hayley and Sam\u2014share exactly what they\u2019re thinking in italics, and their characters discuss the plot issues directly to the reader throughout. While I\u2019m a romance reader appreciative of both light and heavy spice, these characters mention and engage in passionate lovemaking so often that it becomes repetitive.<\/p>\n

The obstacles that stand in the way of Sam and Hayley\u2019s romance are among the book\u2019s strongest features. It\u2019s the sort of romance where you want to reach through the page and shake your characters into making sense\u2014\u201cGo get your girl!\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t let a good thing go!\u201d You\u2019ll be dying for these two to reconnect, for everyone to get the happy ending they deserve.<\/p>\n

In the end, Star of the County Down <\/em>is a sweet, big-hearted romance with a cast of lovable characters. It may not feature the most nuanced storytelling, but it\u2019s an emotional love story that defies the odds and allows success for the people who most deserve it.<\/p>\n

The post Star of the County Down by Doc Richter<\/a> appeared first on Independent Book Review<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A sweet, unexpected romance between a lovable giant and an Irish superstar Sam Miller is tired of being deployed. He\u2019s missed out on too much time with his kids and his wife, so he\u2019s stepping away from his position in the Marines to rectify that. Only problem is\u2014his wife left him for Texas four days […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5475","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bookreviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5475"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5475"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5475\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5475"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5475"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5475"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}