Title: By the Light of My Heart
Author: Pat McDermott
In: The Mammoth Book of Irish Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Romance
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Running Press
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: He’d make a fine commission.

Tom is bored with his life in the Irish countryside. Until he runs into Doreen. Then everything changes in the blink of an eye and he dares to dream of a brighter future.

I love when you read a nice, simple, homely story. And just finish it… smiling. Nothing else, just quietly smiling to yourself. The fact that this was the final tale in The Mammoth of Irish Romance collection just made it all that much more sweet and endearing.

There are almost two storylines happening throughout this tale. That of Tom and Dorreen’s plight against the fae and that of their meeting in real life. The fact that they are both realities and crossover beautifully at the very end was something that I enjoyed monumentally. As I enjoyed the way in which you’re not truly certain if their visit to the fae is merely a dream or something more… until those very final moments.

An incredibly fitting end to a wonderful collection of romantic tales.

Image source: Goodreads

Book Review Easy Reading Pat McDermott Romance The Mammoth Book of Irish Romance