I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
All That Compels the Heart
by Erin Bowlen
on February 13, 2018
Genres: New Adult Rom-Com
Pages: 785
Format: Kindle
Goodreads
BookBub
Get Your Copy at: Amazon, Book Depository
Aoife O’Reilly had the perfect life: her dream job working in a publishing house, a successful boyfriend, and the two best friends she could ever ask for. But, when tragedy strikes, she begins to feel like her life is unraveling. Seeking some sort of divine answer to what she should with her life she seemingly finds her answer in the charming village of Ballyclara, and in a bold move, Aoife uproots her cozy life in Dublin and moves to the Irish countryside.
Purchasing the long-abandoned Aldridge Manor, she throws herself into the task of renovating her new home with the help of local pub owners and contractors, Michal Flanagan and Brendan McCaffrey. While Aoife easily becomes friends with the other residents of Ballyclara, she finds herself perpetually at odds with Michael, who seems to have a deep dislike of her she cannot explain. But somewhere beneath his stubborn and irascible exterior, Aoife slowly uncovers a man she feels she may have misjudged at first, and who may have misjudged her. As the two try to find common ground, her old life begins to intrude, and she has to choose between her life in Dublin with her boyfriend, Danny, or the possibility of a new life here with Michael.
Just as Aoife finally finds peace with her choice, a career opportunity in New York presents itself and she is left with the question: will she choose to stay in Ireland? Or should she take the job in New York and leave everything behind?
Can Aoife figure out what she wants?
All That Compels The Heart by Erin Bowlen is another soap opera book about a poor, wealthy girl who no one understands. Ms. Bowlen has a way to transport you to Ireland with her descriptions, but that wasn’t enough. If some things could have gone differently, I think for it to be a bit better. Aoife O’Reilly and Michael Flanagan are interesting characters. Perhaps there is a reason why they say not to make big life decisions after the death of a loved one.
Aoife O’Reilly – Female Lead
Ms. O’Reilly is the main character as we follow her throughout the story. Aoife has gone through a lot of development from the beginning to the end. Well on parts of her life but not really on anything emotional. She says that she is a gypsy, but then Aiofe contradicts that by saying the home she is making is where she belongs. If that’s the case, I think she would fight a bit more to stay in her home. Aoife is a very wishy-washy person, and she can’t stick with one thing. She acts like a different person when near her family in Dublin, then when she is near her friends or when she is alone. She isn’t one of my favorite characters; in fact, I didn’t like her much by the end.
Michael Flanagan – Male Lead
Michael Flanagan is the male lead. He isn’t rich but owns two small businesses and makes a good living. Michael is older than Aoife by five years. He and Aoife get together eventually, but were they meant to be? Everyone says that they are genuinely in love with each other, but Aoife doesn’t behave like it. The two of them have a bit of a communication issue. They also don’t fully trust either. Otherwise, they could talk to each other no matter what. I liked Michael and felt like he deserved better than what received.
Three Stars
All That Compels The Heart by Erin Bowlen was a pretty interesting read. Once it was all said and done, I was left with more questions than answers. I am sorely disappointed in this book, and I wanted to love it but with everything that went on in this long-winded book I wasn’t satisfied. All That Compels The Heart by Erin Bowlen is getting a three-star rating from me. I thought this story would be completely different than what it turned out to be.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of All That Compels The Heart by Erin Bowlen.
Until the next time,
Happy Reading!
About Erin Bowlen
Erin Bowlen was born and raised in New Brunswick, Canada. Growing up, she was influenced by her family’s artistic roots in the art of storytelling, which fostered a deep love for literature at a young age.
Erin began her writing career during her postgraduate studies at the University of New Brunswick. Finding herself at a crossroads with her academic writing, a friend suggested that she try writing fiction. Afraid she might be too much of a storyteller to be completely academic (and afraid she might be too academic to be a storyteller), she decided to participate in a 30-day writing competition. At the end of the month she was surprised that she not only met her word count goal, but she had also developed several novel ideas.
After a few years of developing her craft, she finally took the next step and published her first novel: “All That Compels the Heart.”
Erin currently lives in New Brunswick.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2019 Goodreads Reading Challenge
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