#IrishWish – Rosepoint Publishing

Rosepoint Reviews – March Recap – Welcome June!

April Fools!

Rosepoint Review Recap-March-Hello April!

March is history and spring sprang; it’s already April! Hope everyone had a great Easter or at the very least a lovely weekend and April Fools already. As usual, I’m getting those gardening ideas and checking my supply of veggie seeds to see what I’ll need to replace this year. It’s hard to exercise patience but this area has experienced snow in April (and occasional freezing temps), so hopefully I can wait long enough for the ground to change from mud to soil.

Punkin the Pomeranian has now been with us almost six months. I’ve come to the realization (and in speaking with several who’ve experienced rescuing ex-breeders) that it can actually take a year to two years to get them over fear and gain trust in the humans now caring for them. She got out on us in March merrily running down behind the houses on our cul-de-sac then discovering she could run between the houses to the street. Fortunately, she allowed the CE to walk up to her, pick her up and bring her back home. Yeah!! Surprised me, too, but so thankful. Apparently all that fun wore her out?

I’m not sure where the time went, but we only read-reviewed twelve books in March. Well, I also posted a Netflix movie release for Irish Wish, perfect timing for #ReadingIrelandMonth24.

As always, links on titles are to our reviews that include purchase or source information.

Rosepoint Reviews - March Recap

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day (CE review)
The Big Lie by Gabriel Valjan (CE review)
Obey All Laws by Cindy Goyette
The Wrong Side of Goodbye by Michael Connelly (audiobook)
Lost Man’s Lane by Scott Carson (CE review)
The Keeper of Secrets by Maria McDonald
No Strangers Here by Carlene O’Connor (audiobook)
Netflix Movie Irish Wish
The Connellys of County Down by Tracey Lange (audiobook)
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett (audiobook)
A Day of Fire by Kate Quinn (audiobook)
The Light Over Lake Como by Roland Merullo

Favorite Book of the Month

Both of us enjoyed books in March, but most reviews tied for 4.5 stars—just missing the five-star mark. Still, you can’t beat Michael Connelly and in this case, I have to give it to him for the favorite of the month. Bosch runs two cases concurrently, once again using his half-brother Mickey Haller, the Lincoln Lawyer and keeps the reader immersed and invested.

Book of the Month for March—The Wrong Side of Goodbye

My Reading Challenges page… I haven’t caught up the Reading Challenges page but hoping to tackle that next and haven’t been able to copy the Goodreads 2024 Challenge banner. Always a work in progress!

April is booked and I’m already juggling things around and trying to fit in author requests for favorite and Indy authors. Looking to get back to book tours too, something neglected last year for the NetGalley 500 badge. I’m also looking forward to spending more time on graphics, love spinning some artistic ideas, but spring can be difficult with so many outside activities. Time to abandon the treadmill in favor of walking the hood again!

As always, welcome to my new subscribers and a big shout-out to long-term blogger buddies, some of whom were recently discovered in my spam folder. Sorry! I can’t imagine why they got moved, was wondering what happened, and thrilled to see you there. Trying to do some catching up now!

Hello Spring

Netflix Movie Irish Wish – Holiday Themed #romcom – #readingirelandmonth24

Introduction

Just in time for the St Patrick’s Day holiday, Netflix releases their latest Lindsay Lohan offering. You may remember her for her most successful Netflix holiday rom-com, Falling for Christmas which earned her first Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes in ten years. This one won’t topple her record. Of course, I had to view it for one of my contributions to the annual #begorrathon and #ReadingIrelandMonth hosted yearly by Cathy at 746 Books.

Blurb

When the love of her life gets engaged to her friend, Maddie puts her feelings aside to be a bridesmaid at their wedding in Ireland. Days before the wedding, Maddie makes a spontaneous wish for true love, only to wake up as the bride-to-be.

My Thoughts

Lindsay Lohan photo courtesy Rotten Tomatoes

Madeline (Maddie) Kelly is in love with an author whose book she’s been editing, Paul Kennedy played by Alexander Vlahos.

Alexander Vlahos photo courtesy Rotten Tomatoes

She hasn’t shared that tidbit with her two best friends, only her mother, played by Jane Seymour. She is celebrating his book release party and hoping he’ll confess he feels the same for her. He doesn’t. No, he proposes she edits his next book and when she introduces her friends, there is an obvious connection between him and BFF Emma.

Killruddery House photo courtesy Netflix through House Beautiful

Yes, we rolled out the insta-love and ALL the clichés they could think of for this one! (I think the one that annoys me most is the suddenly clumsy persona.) And just like that, they are on their way to a destination wedding in Ireland, the “Kennedy House.” (The home is actually a historic private estate and working farm known as the Killruddery House and breathtakingly gorgeous.)

Ed Speleers photo courtesy Rotten Tomatoes

Okay, throw in all the usual silliness (including the aforementioned clumsiness), the introduction of James Thomas who will be the wedding photographer played by Ed Speleers. The scene with Saint Brigid is beautiful and I wondered at times if colors were enhanced or scenes graphically adjusted. It is, after all, a travelogue and they don’t miss much including Westport and the Cliffs of Moher.

Well, Saint Brigid worked her magic, but it doesn’t quite work as Maddie is soon to realize. As the priest said, she has a sense of humor…”She may not give you what you want, but she’ll always give you what you need.” In this case, another old saying comes to mind.

The movie also stars Jane Seymour, Elizabeth Tan, and Ayesha Curry, and is directed by Janeen Damian and written by Kirsten Hansen.

The critics have had a field day with this romp into unreality or fantasy borrowing from every slick production tried before. I loved the comments by top critic Kevin Maher Times (UK) who noted on Rotten Tomatoes, “It’s genuinely terrible, but also oddly watchable.” Due in no small part, I’m sure, to the cinematography.

Official Release Poster Irish Wish — Official release poster Irish Wish

I’m still scratching my head over the costume changes from smart, professional to hausfrau once she arrives in Ireland. Irish Wish What was that all about? I didn’t notice the other characters dressing down and for me stood in jarring contrast to the historic majesty of the estate in particular, if not to the support characters.

Rotten Tomatoes, by the way, as of this writing puts it at 35%, although that appears to be changing. Perhaps the viewing public is starved for a light-hearted trope. Indeed, it appears that just days after release the movie hit the Netflix top ten rankings. How long has it been since Netflix had a general change-up of their roster?

Perhaps I should mention that I’m not a fan of Lindsay Lohan, her level of acting in contrast to most of the rest of the notable cast, with some exceptions. If you are looking for a whimsy rom-com with fantasy overload and some adolescent dialogue, you may well enjoy this piece of fluff.

While I would agree Paul was not a good choice (don’t get me started on the would be mother-in-law), neither would I have said an itinerant photographer would be a solid choice. But then, I’m obviously looking on the practical side and I’m telling you, Saint Brigid or not, that couple couldn’t have worked either.

Kinda like the movie.

It’s out now and streaming on Netflix.