Review & Giveaway: Longing for Home by Sarah M. Eden

"I am Katie Macauley. And I don't particularly like you."

Meet Katie, an Irish immigrant who's a "sharp-tongued, demanding, stern-faced bundle of difficulty". She carries around a huge load of guilt and wants nothing more than to make enough to go home and set things to rights. But as we all know, sometimes fate...well, it just doesn't cooperate.

She ends up in a small town in Wyoming Territory in the middle--literally on the fork in the road--of feud between Irish and non-Irish. Her presence starts a war of sorts. I had no idea the Irish faced this in early WY. It really made me think though as I read...how it seems one group of people/race is always an outcast in this country. It was the Irish, then the slaves, then this group or that group...and dang, but we're a long way away from just overall accepting each other.

What the Irish face: name-calling, outrageous "Irish" prices that ensure they go hungry or freeze, damaged animals, their own side of the church.... What Katie brings them is a backbone and hope. It's a lot of weight on a girl's shoulders, on top of what's already there. And I'm going to take care in what I say here so as not to reveal things I shouldn't reveal. I'm just going to say I loved Katie, LOVED her. She made this book. Without her smart alecky ways and the absolutely INCREDIBLE banter among her and Tavish and Tavish's family, I would have quickly grown bored, because it's a rather slow tale and not much going on beyond the town feud--which doesn't conclude in the end.

My favorite Katie Saying:

"When I reach the pearly gates, how likely is it that God himself will have posted a 'No Irish Need Apply' sign thereon?"

Long review short, I loved Katie, loved her backstory--it's so sad and so revealing about the plight of the Irish in those days. I learned a lot from this. Loved the dialogue. It is truly superb. The love triangle--so well done in a time when usually that twist is predictable and lame. I could really feel her love of both men and I had no idea which one she was going to choose. BUT I have to admit it's a really slow story and a bit overlong for what it contains at times.

I got this via Netgalley.

Now, time for the giveaway!!! The publisher is offering ONE paperback copy to a U.S. resident. This will run for two weeks. Last day to enter is September 3rd. Rafflecopter is below.

Follow the tour here.

About Sarah: (taken from her website)
I'm not normal. I'm an author. I spend enormous amounts of time avoiding responsible things like cooking dinner and doing laundry and making vital phone calls. Instead, I fill my days with making up stories, talking to voices in my head, and laughing hysterically at my own wit. Like I said, I'm not normal.

This is Shadow's Mountains second book in the A Proper Romance series. They would like you to know that for the month of August, this title is on sale for only 7.99.

a Rafflecopter giveaway