Bøger af Susan Colleen Browne

A quaint Irish village, a klutzy single mum, and a handsome former flame... In this charming romantic comedy, twenty-six-year-old Aislin is at a crossroads. As a Dublin single mammy, a lot of her life needs improvement, yet what she really needs is a father. Not for herself-she so does not need a father-but for her young son, daddy-hungry Kevin. And she's determined to succeed at motherhood, if nothing else. So Aislin follows the mad impulse to track down the perfect father-figure for her little boy. Who else but her first love, Ben Carpenter? Ben is great dad material, and has a cozy manor house tucked away in a quaint little village in County Galway. All the same, after her truly awful breakup with him seven years ago, commitment-shy Aislin is determined to keep Ben at arm's length. Or at least very platonic. Besides, surely friends-to-lovers only happens in films, right? Not...always! And now, along with this sizzling attraction, Aislin has new family complications to sort out. In this heartfelt novel of secrets, second chances and forgiveness, will Aislin find her own fairy-tale ending? Susan Colleen Browne's Village of Ballydara series, set in a sleepy Iris village, features deeply romantic, feel-good novels about love, friendship and family! "Browne has done wonderful work in capturing Ireland's language and current cultural milieu from pubs to puddings."-The Bellingham Herald About the Author:Susan Colleen Browne weaves her love of Ireland and her passion for country living into her Village of Ballydara series. She's also the author of an award-winning memoir, Little Farm in the Foothills, a heartwarming, true-life story of modern homesteading, and the sequel, Little Farm Homegrown. A community college instructor, Susan runs a mini-farm in the foothills of the Pacific Northwest, USA. When not writing, Susan is wrangling chickens, tending vegetable beds, and dreaming up new Irish stories!

A romantic comedy set in the Irish countryside... On the wedding day of the only man she's ever loved, Grainne Larkin is keen for a fresh start-why not settle for the nice guy in the wings who's successful, and mad about her too? Just as Grainne is poised to get her future on track, her family pressures her to leave Dublin for the quaint little village of Ballydara, to help her mother launch a B&B. Given her turbulent relationship with her mam, the last thing Grainne wants to do is live with her. But when Rafe Byrne, her old flame, turns up in Ballydara a free man, Grainne takes a page from her favorite fictional heroine Scarlett O'Hara: she plunges into a no-holds-barred pursuit of her lifelong dream. But Grainne soon discovers that opening her heart is the biggest risk of all... And from Chanticleer Book Reviews: Mother Love, written by Susan Collen Browne, is a romantic Irish story set in the colorful Village of Ballydara. She vividly portrays a written slice of contemporary life in Ireland with its pubs, puddings, pals and mams. Hers is a story of love, growth, and healing. It has just the right amount of chaos and family conflict, along with a good dose of Irish humor, to make it a fun and entertaining read. Grainne knows exactly what her perfect man is like, down to each little detail-the problem is her perfect man is getting married just as this book, and Grainne's story, have begun. Grainne sadly acknowledges and grimly accepts the fact that her perfect man is about to become permanently unavailable. However, her biological clock is ticking and, on the eve of her 30th birthday, she is anything but reasonable. A complex and realistic protagonist, Grainne is plagued by her own family conflicts. Grainne's relationship with her mam is strained to say the least. Having grown up feeling that she was less important than her sisters, Grainne does her best to avoid visiting her family home more than she deems necessary. She can't even be in the same room as her mam without making the entire situation uncomfortable for everyone around. Yet for a young woman who avoids her mother, Grainne spends more time wishing for her mam's acceptance and attention than not. Despite her tumultuous family life, Grainne is a devoted and doting nanny to three rambunctious kids whose own mother is too busy running a newspaper to pay them much attention. She finds happiness in her work as she dotes on the kids, but her wanting her own family cannot be ignored. Grainne's mam is keen to turn her home into a B&B and Grainne's sister has guilted our protagonist into helping out with the venture. Grainne grudgingly helps out, thinking this may be a good way for her to get to spend some time with Rafe-the one that got away. Grainne and Rafe's story seems destined to end before it ever begins, but sometimes you never know what life has in store. Rafe isn't the only man in Grainne's life. She's also got good-guy Joe, a nice man with a decent job and only minor flaws and he has his eyes set on Grainne. And with all the family drama and emotional stress it's a good thing Grainne has Justine-her best friend and flatmate-who spends her free time cooking and baking delicious food along with obsessing with the blog "Girl Talk." Grainne must navigate her way through this crazy and tumultuous life if she is to find happiness. Mother Love is a novel that lives up to the lore of Irish tales. If you like an entertaining light romance that is full of Irish humor and family fun, Browne's story telling will not disappoint. www.ChantiReviews.com "Browne has done wonderful work in capturing Ireland's language, socioeconomic picture and current cultural milieu from pubs to puddings." --The Bellingham Herald

From the author of the "Little Farm" homesteading memoirs comes a friendly, down-to-earth little guide for starting and maintaining a thriving food garden, homestead-style. In Little Farm in the Garden, Susan Colleen Browne shares the evolution of her own homestead garden with warmth and humor. Whether you're starting with a pot, a small plot, or dedicated garden beds, she covers how to begin growing your own food with basic nut-and-bolts like selecting crops, raising food without chemicals, and creating healthy soil. If you've read Susan's Little Farm memoirs, this booklet can be a handy addition to the homesteading experiences she's shared in her books. But Little Farm in the Garden also works as a stand-alone manual for simple ways to approach creating your own food supply, focusing on easy-to-grow vegetables, herbs, and fruit, and building a balanced garden for the long-term. In these uncertain times, producing your own food supply can give you confidence in the future-and as all gardening fans know, a sense of pleasure and accomplishment. Wherever you are in your gardening journey, Little Farm in the Garden offers a lively, heartfelt approach for gardeners, nature-lovers, and dreamers of all ages!If you like fiction with a gardening theme, you might look at Susan's novel, The Galway Girls-the story has some intriguing tie-ins with her real-life experiences in Book 2 of the Little Farm series, Little Farm Homegrown... Susan's latest novel is Becoming Emma Book 2 of her new Fairy Cottage of Ballydara Mini-Series! About the Author: Susan Colleen Browne is a graduate of the College of the Environment, Western Washington University. An avid gardener and the author of novels, memoir and middle-grade fiction, she weaves her love of Ireland and her passion for country living into her Village of Ballydara series. Susan is also the author of an award-winning memoir, Little Farm in the Foothills, and the sequel, Little Farm Homegrown. She pens a fantasy-adventure series for tweens as well, set in a magical version of the Pacific Northwest. A community college instructor, she runs a little homestead with her husband John in the Pacific Northwest, USA. When Susan isn't wrangling chickens or tending vegetable beds, she's working on her next novel or homesteading book!

The Goonies Anniversary Celebration brings Seattle tween Morgan to Astoria, Oregon, for a fun weekend with her younger Astoria cousins, Sean and Ronan. The Anniversary festivities are in full swing at this historic riverfront town, plus the boys have just entered a spooky contest inspired by the movie. When the boys ask Morgan to help them win the grand prize, she's determined to make their Anniversary Celebration weekend together the most memorable ever! But there's something really peculiar about the bed-and-breakfast where Morgan, almost thirteen, and her mom are staying. When an even more outlandish girl at the B&B asks the three to go on a cryptic quest on her behalf-a scavenger hunt that could help the boys win the contest-Morgan and her cousins begin a rollicking visit to Astoria's most famous spots. Yet as the weird hunt kicks into high gear, they discover a mysterious boy is following them all over town. With the stranger in hot pursuit, the kids realize that the secrets and legends of old Astoria may be haunting them. Will Morgan, Sean and Ronan be able to escape from the powerful forces of the past? Or will they remain trapped in a world of shadows and dangerous secrets?

In this charming Irish novel, two friends search for their heart's desire in a sleepy Galway village. Kerry has fallen in love all over again with her husband Stephen, and after their miscarriage, she longs to try for another baby. But will her lifelong quest of having a farm bring an end to her marriage? Her best friend Fiona has left her free-spirited life behind her. Or so she thinks-until she finds herself caught between Dublin artist Colm, the man she was once mad about, and the sweet, youthful passion of Davie, who can see the woman she's meant to be. A feel-good read for gardeners and country-lovers, The Galway Girls is a warmhearted tale of women's friendship and of love lost and love found among the misty green Irish countryside! The Galway Girls, the 4th book in the Village of Ballydara series, continues Kerry and Stephen's story, featured in Book 3, The Hopeful Romantic...Praise for The Hopeful Romantic: This engaging story explores many facets about marriage, relationships, and family life...It has been said that for a marriage to work, that the partners must fall in love over and over with each other. Kudos to Browne for capturing this important life lesson about re-discovering true love in such an entertaining manner. We certainly do hope that the author will continue to transport us to the Emerald Isle in her next novel in the Village of Ballydara series. -Chanticleer Reviews

Kerry McCormack, a young Dublin wife and mother, dreams of trading her cubicle-bound job for a simpler life. After years of a satisfying marriage, she's grown apart from her husband Stephen, the strong, silent type whose practical nature masks his longing for a close family. Unresolved grief is only creating more distance between them...just as a dilemma from Kerry's past suddenly comes to light. When Kerry accepts an unexpected invitation from an old friend of Stephen's-a friend she once fancied- to spend a weekend in the little village of Ballydara, she's anticipating an idyllic family holiday with free-spirited Will and his family. Yet the grief shadowing her makes her a little too susceptible to Will's charm. He's the catalyst that exposes long-buried secrets between Kerry and Stephen, and the regrets that haunt them both. As Kerry's hopes for love and following her dreams are turned upside down, she wonders: will she have the courage for a fresh start? "The Hopeful Romantic was a pleasure to read for its engaging characters, its authenticity, and its unforgettable moments...a poignant and sometimes humorous, old-fashioned romantic story." -Chanticleer Reviews

A gardening book for anyone who's dreamed of going back to the land and living a simpler life…After two city-bred Boomers weather their first, tumultuous year on their rural backyard farm, the couple foresees smooth sailing for the future…then they discover their homesteading journey has only begun. In this sequel to the award-winning memoir, Little Farm in the Foothills, Little Farm Homegrown follows the continuing adventures of modern homesteaders Susan and her husband John as they pursue organic food-growing and self-reliance in the foothills of the Pacific Northwest-experiencing life-changing adversity and the ongoing joys and challenges of living closer to the land and transforming an old clearcut into a working homestead.In this lively true story, John and Susan cope with the demands of their middle years while raising chickens, creating a self-sufficient lifestyle, and living closer to-and often battling-nature. Like the first Little Farm in the Foothills memoir, Little Farm Homegrown is a warmhearted tale for gardeners, nature-lovers, and dreamers of all ages!Praise for Little Farm in the Foothills, Book 1:"The Browne's foray into slower living…is an enjoyable read. Their delightful, yet very real, experiences in making the big leap toward their dreams make for a humorous and charming book." -Washington State Librarian Jan Walsh

When two Boomers flee the city for a slower, simpler, and more serene lifestyle, they discover that simplicity can get awfully complicated… and life becomes anything but serene.In this award-winning, feel-good tale for gardeners, nature-lovers, and dreamers of all ages, Little Farm in the Foothills follows a midlife couple’s pursuit of the “new” Great American Dream—living closer to the land—as they start growing their own organic food, living locally, and  transforming  an old clearcut into a little homestead.When Susan and her husband John first came up with the idea of having a country place, they were settled into a comfortable and convenient home in the city, happily raising some vegetables and berries in the back yard. Being experienced gardeners, they figured that relocating would be no big deal—they’d expand the garden a little, have a bit more peace and quiet. So they bought 10 acres in the middle of the woods and prepared to pretty much transfer that comfortable town life to the new property.But this modest plan becomes an adventure that is more life-changing than they could have ever imagined.There was so much to this new life they never faced before—breaking ground by hand and wildlife predation of their first crops. Despite a tight budget and many roadblocks along the way, they must also cope with unexpected adversity like isolation, infrastructure failures, and extreme weather.Little Farm in the Foothills is not a memoir about farming…it’s a warmhearted story of making a dream come true. As Susan writes of their Foothills home, “it’s not a farm, it’s not even a ‘farmette,’ but it’s the dream of a farm.”A Washington State Library “Summer Reads” book selection:“The Browne’s foray into slower living in Whatcom County is an enjoyable read.  Their delightful, yet very real, experiences in making the big leap toward their dreams make for a humorous and charming book.”  —Washington State Librarian Jan Walsh“A delightful account.”  —The Bellingham Herald