The Polio Epidemic that occurred in Ireland during the late 1948-1955 era struck fear into parents and is the era in which Daisy O’Shea has set her latest novel The Irish Daughter, creating the characters of Esther, desperate to bring her child home from the hospital, Hannah who is to grow up learning to live with the permanent disability caused by polio and Adrian her father, a bitter and silent man who had little time for his crippled daughter.
With a gentle skill, O’Shea tells the story of the road travelled by many during these years and the aftermath of the crippling disease as she peals back the layers of a family in crisis; the sad and lonely life that Hannah leads and the almost hatred she has learned tolerate from her father and siblings after the death of her mother Esther to cancer.
She meets an Englishman, Justin Sanders, in the boreen, who is looking for her father; he is trying to learn about his grandfather’s involvement in the IRA and has been told that Adrian Barry would be able to help with the history of the area and the people. Hannah takes him up in her donkey cart driving him back to his car.
They strike up a conversation which will have long term repercussions as they both realize they do enjoy each other’s company and that they can work together to try to discover more about what really happened so many years ago.
Summoned to the Solicitors office in nearby Bantry she is given terrible news about the inheritance she understood was hers; her estranged brother Mark also has been requested to attend.
This sets off a chain of events over which she has no control but will eventually lead to Hannah discovering that the community she felt had always shunned her have been watching over here since the death of her father, but from distance, and that sometimes, when something is very important you have to fight for what you believe is right.
A gentle love story, a trip down the pathway of history and a reflection on the love and support of a community when there is a need come together seamlessly in this captivating and emotional story of The Irish Daughter.

The Irish Daughter is a delightful & heartwarming, feel-good read. It is slower paced to start but around halfway into the story, the pace quickens and I simply couldn’t put it down. There are two mysteries to solve and they are both intriguing and emotional. The dual POV & timeline keeps the reader in the dark, just enough information given to keep the interest piqued.

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(I was sent the link to this arc from Bookouture)

Oh what a beautiful, gorgeous and heartfelt read and one I utterly devoured and couldn't put down. I loved following the story of Hannah, all the family secrets, and a small town setting in Ireland. It is the perfect mix of family, history, secrets, hope and so much more. This is the 4th book of the Emerald Isles series but each book can be read as a standalone very easily as each book has its own story.

This book had it all and more and will keep you turning the pages. I continue to love this series and the writings on Daisy O'Shea and highly recommend it. The writing is wonderful, the characters are real and the setting takes you on a journey as much as the story does.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

A emotive read full of family secrets and mysteries
As the death of Hannah’s Da hints at hidden histories.
The will reading involves a secret untold
And more will follow as the story unfolds.

Justin is searching clues to his ancestor’s past
Hoping to locate their grave at last.
But locals don’t acknowledge he was ever there
And any secrets they know they’re not willing to share.

As these two help each other to search for what’s true
They’re working together bringing them closer, too.
But will secrets revealed tear the apart
Or bring them together, heart to heart?

A heartwarming read full of twists and surprises
As slowly the truth they all realises.
With new friendships, new views and more
Just the kind of read I adore!

For my copy of this gorgeous book I say thank you
As I share with you this, my honest review.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Oh wow! Daisy O’Shea wastes no time jumping into the story. It is set in Ireland, in the small town of Roone Bay.
Hannah- has polio and learns she was adopted after her “Father” dies. She has low self esteem because of the way her family treats her. She meets Justin and they go on a quest to learn about his grandfather. Justin can’t find out anything about him and the townspeople aren’t telling.
Jack, 1918- a veteran of WWI, who is scarred from the war. He goes to Ireland to start over after the war.
I was flipping the pages so fast to figure out how all of the characters were tied together. This story has all the feels and I can’t wait for the next book in the series. Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
#TheIrishDaughter #DaisyOShea #NetGalley #Bookouture #BooksOnTour #BookLove #Bookstagram #NewBook #ILoveBooks #BooksSetInIreland

The Irish Daughter is the third in Daisy O’Shea’s Emerald Isles series and once again another fantastic read. Daisy has a natural storytelling ability and her love for Ireland, its landscape, history and the people shine through. I love that in each book the characters have so much depth to them and the societal constraints of the time are highlighted as it shows how far we have come in the present day. I can never quite put my finger on the actual timeline that the books are set in but certain things make me think it’s the late 70’s or 80’s as quite often I am surprised at some of the things the characters do or say. Or that the small town that features seems a bit backwards in some ways as if full blown modernity has not quite reached them yet. I don’t mean this in any negative way at all I would just be interested to see when is it specifically set or is the author purposefully not saying? But one thing is for sure the history of Ireland, the good, the bad and the ugly, is here and has clearly being very well researched and fits in perfectly with the overall themes and issues being explored.

The story opens with a very interesting prologue as we are introduced to Esther who was once taken in by the sisters of Mercy as an orphan when her parents died within a year of one another. She grew up and married Adrian, a farmer from West Cork. He is a dour man who works all hours and there is never a civil word spoken. Their young daughter Hannah has spent months in hospital with polio and she can barely walk. Esther finally gets to collect her from the hospital after only being able to see her once or twice and when she returns to the family farm her husband asks what have you done? I knew from the outset what had occurred as it was obvious really and within a few chapters it had come to light. The fact that this happened so early would normally ruin a story for me. I prefer the element of surprise to be kept for as long as possible. But here it didn’t detract from the plot at all. In fact it only added to it and made Hannah more determined than ever to uncover the truth.

Fast forward many years and Hannah’s father has just died and she isn’t really all that sorry considering the man he was. She was the one out of all the siblings who had been left to care for him and work on the farm given that she can’t walk very well due to her illness. Her mother had died several years before. In ways, I thought she was seen as being weak and a bit stupid but she was anything but that. She has a kind heart and possesses a quiet inner strength which is about to come pouring forth as her fathers will leaves a lot to be desired. She was left nothing and will soon be out on her ear. Not that the farmhouse offered any modern comforts or conveniences, but she did expect to be looked after given she was the one who did the caring. Her eldest brother Mark returns from America expecting to inherit everything but on the proviso that he lives there for ten years. This is a shock to him as he expected to sell the land and get out of Ireland as quickly as possible. One other problem remains - the deeds to the farm are missing and nothing can happen with it until they are found.

I thought Hannah didn’t put up much of a fight when it came to the farm and a sense of her being an outcast in the family or the one, they look upon with shame really came through. But when she learns some very surprising news which I won’t divulge here as I think it would ruin everything, well that sets the cat amongst the pigeons and her focus is turned elsewhere. She questions every little aspect of her life and she was right to do so. She also holds a secret close to her chest and I felt those that could help her didn’t. Instead local millionaire Noel and his family (whom we have met in the previous books) almost took her on like a surrogate daughter and I was glad they were there to help Hannah navigate through stormy waters. She was like a butterfly emerging from the cocoon. She had led a sheltered and isolated life but now events were forcing her to become the person she was destined to always be. She had a quest, a need, a longing deep within her and her father’s death spurred her on to push herself outside her comfort zone and boundaries as now was a pivotal time when her life could branch off in an unexpected direction. If she didn’t tread said path very carefully things could have been disastrous.

The arrival of Justin, an Englishman, to Roone Bay Hannah soon finds herself involved in another story but she never lets her own fall to the wayside. I thoroughly enjoyed how the two strands of the overall plot worked together. Justin is on a mission to find out about his grandad Jack’s past as a member of the Black and Tans. He amongst many others was sent from England in 1920 to keep the peace in Ireland. He found himself stationed in Roone Bay but the results of this posting were not favourable. Now Justin wants to fulfil a promise to his grandmother and discover the truth as to what actually happened to Jack and to lay a wreath for him. But people are keeping secrets in the village and Hannah and Justin will have to be very mindful of upsetting people. But the truth after laying fallow for all these years needs to come out.

Interspersed with Hannah and Justin in the present were chapters set from 1918-1920 and they focused on Jack. It was brilliant to get an insight into his life as a soldier during World War One and what were the effects of this for him. What led him to deciding to go to Ireland to become a Black and Tan? How was he affected by his experiences? What actually happened to him in Ireland that caused his disappearance? Was it something very sinister? The reader was given a fascinating insight into Jack’s situation and what his state of mind was. I was completely enthralled and without reading of Jack’s viewpoint I felt the story as a whole could have fallen flat. His viewpoint wove the strands of the story together very well and really made the last quarter or so of the book exciting to read and it became a real page turner. I thought I had it all worked out regarding Jack and I was quite smug regrading a certain character as although they made a fleeting appearance I felt they were there for a significant reason. Well, I was completely wrong. Yes they were there for a reason but not for the one that I had presumed and I was pleasantly surprised by the eventual outcome. I loved the twists and turns for all the characters, Hannah in particular, but on the whole there were surprises for everyone and of course some romance thrown in too for good measure.

The Irish Daughter was another fabulous read and thoroughly enjoyable. You are transported to a part of Ireland steeped in history and culture and the characters demonstrate this with every turn of the page. The issues they face are just enough to get your teeth into without the book becoming too heavy. The two stories come together perfectly and the ending was fantastic. I read this in two sittings which is a compliment as these days my attention when it comes to reading very much comes and goes. Hopefully Daisy O’Shea has lots more stories to tell about Roone Bay and the intriguing people that reside there.

This was an interesting story. Now that we have a polio vaccine, the suffering of those that experienced it prior to the vaccine gets brushed under the rug. I can’t imagine what the families who had members suffer went through. To have to leave young children in the hospital without anyone (similar to those that suffered from covid back in 2020) and not knowing if they’ll ever come home, had to have been traumatizing. And for someone like Hannah’s mother to bring home a child that wasn’t hers to replace a dead daughter baffles me.

I love returning to Roone Bay. Daisy’s books make it feel like I’m right there in Ireland. I’m always willing to jump on a book set there.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC of this book.

Hannah Barry, loves her father, and her heart is shattered when he passes away. But life as she knows it will never be the same when she discovers that he is not her biological father. Roone Bay, and the charming little farmhouse she grew up in, no longer feels like home, leaving her feeling like a stranger in her own family.

Justin Sanders receives a final letter from his grandfather, bearing a return address of Roone Bay. Fueled by curiosity, he embarks on a quest to uncover information about his grandfather. Justin soon realizes that Hannah’s real grandfather is intricately woven into the story. Together, they must navigate the complexities of their pasts to unravel the truth.

Daisy O’Shea’s “The Irish Daughter” is a captivating novel that weaves a tapestry of mystery, hope, and romance. The plot unfolds with unexpected twists and turns, making it an unputdownable read. Hannah’s journey is both heartwarming and poignant, while Justin’s enigmatic character adds an air of intrigue to the story.

Returning to the breathtaking Roone Bay, I was transported back to the of warmth and beauty of Ireland. The sun warmed my face as I stood on the shore of the emerald sea, a testament to O’Shea’s remarkable ability to transport readers to Ireland. I love this phenomenal series. I highly recommend “The Irish Daughter” to anyone seeking a captivating and emotionally satisfying read.

What a lovely story, full of secrets, hurt and love. Although The Irish Daughter is part of the Emerald Isles series, they are all standalone books set in the fictional Irish town of Roone Bay. The Irish Daughter is a dual timeline, dual POV story set in the 1920s, and the 1970s (?) The pacing was good and I couldn't stop reading, desperate to find out the truth.

I'll admit that my knowledge of "the troubles" is seriously lacking, but I feel I understand a little more about it after reading this.

The writing was easy to read, the speech felt genuine and the characters were realistic and loveable. I particularly liked Turlough, I'd love a book about him in the future as the glimpse we had of his story was fascinating.

I would have liked the pronunciation guide to be at the start of the book, rather than the end so that I knew how to pronounce the names before starting. Having said that, I was pretty close with the couple I didn't know.

I'm reviewing this as part of a tour with Bookouture.

This book was a tearjerker of a story that tugged at my heartstrings. The protagonist, Hannah, had a kind of inner strength and determination that I admired. All she wanted was to know the truth about her family, and where she belonged. As I was reading, I thought about how important it is, to have a sense of belonging. Maybe it's something that we don't always think about or take for granted, but without it, we might feel lost and alone.

As I carried on reading, I found myself becoming more emotionally invested. I felt as though I was on a journey with Hannah, and though we didn't quite know where we were going, we had to see it through to the end. Other than Hannah herself, my favourite characters were Aine and Justin. This story was emotional, heartwarming and uplifting all at the same time.

Thank you to Bookouture, and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.

I really enjoyed this brilliant, gripping and emotional read. I couldn’t put it down.
Book #4 in the Emerald Isle Book series. Can be read as standalone.
I was totally hooked from beginning to end. It’s beautifully written, poignant. Your pulled right into the story with relatable characters that are so real..
A story about disability, grief, family secrets, love and forgiveness. It’s full of mystery, romance and Irish history. Told in a dual timeline with beautiful descriptions of Ireland/Roone Bay. It’s so atmospheric.
Definitely recommend if you enjoy Irish fiction. I look forward to reading more from this author.
With thanks to #NetGallery @bookouture for an arc of #TheIrishDaughter in exchange for a honest review.
Book publishes 15 May 2025.

THE IRISH DAUGHTER (Emerald Isles Book #4) by Daisy O’Shea is an emotional dual timeline mash-up of romance, mystery, and history that pulled me into the story and kept me turning the pages. This book is easily read as a standalone with a few carryover secondary characters, but the real connection between the stories is that they are all set in Roone Bay, Ireland on the southern coast.

Hannah Barry has dutifully taken care of her alcoholic and dismissive father until his death as she promised her mam on her death bed believing she would inherit their hard-scrabble farm. While the home and farm are not worth much it has been her home since she returned from the hospital at three years of age after recovering from polio. Then her brother returns from America with a will to claim it all.

Justin Sanders is an English doctor who has come to Roone Bay to find where his granddad, Jack, who was stationed there as a Black and Tan in 1920, was buried during the Troubles. Hannah is surprised that no one is willing to talk, so she offers to help.

They work together as both have family secrets and history to be uncovered.

This is an enchanting story of family, love, forgiveness, and discovery. The tissues came out at a time or two. Hannah was such a strong protagonist and Justin was the perfect hero for her. The historical dual timeline tells Jack, Justin’s granddad’s story, in 1920 while he was in Roone Bay and the present-day timeline with Hannah and Justin is set in their present day, but our late 1960’s. The author’s story telling and descriptions made me feel as if I was experiencing each timeline right along with each character.

I have read all the Emerald Isles books, and they are all moving and engrossing. I highly recommend this one, also!

The Irish Daughter by Daisy O’Shea is a heart-warming story of a young woman who had been stricken by Polio in the 1950s and returned home with braces on her legs. She stayed and guided her mother during her journey to death and then stayed to care for her father. He drank, missing her mother, but he also eventually died. Her mother had always told her that when they died, the farm would be hers, but as it turns out it was left to the oldest son, who came from American to sell it. He didn’t really care what would become of Hannah. Meanwhile Hannah, believing she would need a husband to handle the farm, had selected one that was not worth her while and had allowed him to bed her. She ended up pregnant and he backed off when he heard what the will said. A young man from England called Justin appeared who is looking for his great-grandfather’s grave: a promise he made his great-grandmother. He had been a black and tan and apparently met a bad end.

They both had quests, Hannah and Justin, and they solved them far too easily, but this is fiction. They also found each other. Hannah discovered that she was the only person in town who saw her as handicapped, which was huge for her. She made friends, and they helped her. They also discovered there was more about the ownership of the farm than they had known. This is a feel-good series with interesting people and situations. A good read, as always with the characters taking over the book.

I was invited to read The Irish Daughter by Bookoutre. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Bookoutre #DaisyOShea #TheIrishDaughter

From the first time we visited Roone Bay when Grace arrived from the UK in The Irish Key, every book in this series has been a thoroughly enjoyable read. Don't be fooled, though, by the pretty covers. While these are feel-good reads, they also cover serious subjects and act as Irish history lessons. I was particularly struck by Hannah’s polio story, as my father was also a victim of the Irish polio outbreak of that time.
Wonderful relatable characters and switching between two timelines, this excellent read will keep you gripped, and if you've read the previous books in the series, you'll enjoy reaquainting yourself with some of the other characters in the series too. I really can't wait to revisit Roone Bay and see whats in store for them all again in the future.

This is a well told story with amazing characters. It has a lot of heart. I loved the alternating timelines. I can absolutely say the blurb doesn't do this book justice. The story pulls you in.

Hannah Barry has had a very difficult and tumultuous life. When she was a baby she was in the hospital for several months sick with polio. Polio affected her ability to walk so she has worn clunky and cumbersome leg braces her whole life. This left Hannah feeling like she never fit in, and not just socially. You see Hannah’s father treated her with disdain, never showing her any love or kindness. And when her mother passed away, and her siblings left home, Hannah was left to care for her cruel alcoholic father. She gave up 10 years of her life to care for him. But it was worth it as she thought she would inherit her families run down farm upon his death. But Hannah’s dreams were shattered when a lawyer tells her that not only did her father leave her nothing in his will, he let it be known that Hannah was not his blood daughter. Devastated, Hannah doesn’t know what to do. She is secretly engaged to a man who is only willing to marry her in return for the farm and land she was supposed to inherit. Just when Hannah feels like all hope is lost, she meets Justin. A British doctor trying to discover the mystery of his grandfather Jacks disappearance during the Irish War of Independence. Both Hannah and Justin are searching for answers and their paths cross at just the right time.

What ensues is a beautifully heartbreaking yet uplifting, story about family, secrets, love, resiliency and belonging. I adored this book. Daisy O’Shea is a masterful storyteller and writes with such vivid detail, warmth and heart. I can visualize the rugged Irish coastal town of Roone Bay where Hannah lives. I can imagine being there watching Hannah and Justin embark on their journey of discovery.

As for the main characters, they were so relatable and likeable. I fell in love with Hannah. She was such a warm, selfless woman. Full of courage and tenacity. And Justin was just as incredible. He was patient, kind and compassionate.

Although a work of fiction, there are many historical events and details referenced and discussed. This really appealed to me as I’m a huge Historical fiction fan and I am of Irish descent. So I got to learn more about my families country of origin while reading a genre I love.

Thank you so much Bookouture for including me in the book tour of The Irish Daughter by Daisy O’Shea. This story will be on my mind for years to come.

The Irish Daughter tells the story of Hannah, a young woman who had been stricken with polio as a child and walks with braces. Hannah always felt like an outsider with her father, who is unloving and difficult. She was the only sibling who stayed in Ireland to care for her mother when she became sick, and when she died, she also cared for her father until he, too, died. She is engaged to Cathal, a local man she doesn't love and he doesn't love her but he believes she will inherit the family farm, which he wants. Enter her older brother Mark who returns from America and has her father's will stating that he inherits the farm and that Hannah will get nothing, presumably because Hannah is not his child. There is so much more going on in this story - with Hannah, her sister Aine who is a dancer in America, and Justin, the handsome British doctor who has come to Roone Bay to ask about his grandfather Jack, who was a black and tan and disappeared in 1920. This novel is told in two voices - that of Hannah and also of Jack - and paints a picture of Ireland then and now. And it gave me the happy ending that I love so much. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Daisy O'Shea has an easy-to-read writing style that I enjoyed. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Thank you, Bookouture, for the eARC! This book has the most unique storyline I have ever read. It hooked me from the beginning, and I finished it in just three days because I was eager to see how the story would unfold. It’s a poignant and beautifully written novel that tackles themes of disability, grief, and family secrets. It also opened my eyes to the Black and Tan, inspiring me to look up more about Irish history.

Lately, I’ve been reading a lot of fantasy and contemporary romance, so this book was a refreshing change. I rated it 4.5 stars because I found it somewhat repetitive at times. There was a lot going on with Hannah, Justin, and Jack’s storylines, and while I suppose the author repeated certain plot points to clarify things for the reader, I didn’t think it was necessary.

This is the first book I’ve read by Daisy O’Shea, and I would definitely read more from this author.

4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨


The Irish Daughter by Daisy O’Shea? Such a beautiful, emotional read.
This book captivated me with its rich, atmospheric setting and heartfelt story. It’s a family saga that weaves together love, loss, and the complex dynamics of generational trauma. The characters are so well-developed, and I really felt their struggles, triumphs, and everything in between.

The plot pulled me in from the start, with just the right balance of drama and tender moments. I loved how it explored identity, belonging, and the ties that bind—especially within the context of Irish culture and history.

4/5 stars. A compelling, emotional journey with beautiful writing. Perfect for readers who love stories about family, love, and finding your roots.”



❤️shaye.readss

Hannah's wondering about who her father really is or was when Justin arrives in her small Irish village looking for information about his greantather Jack. Hannah's lived a lot already- survived polio, cared for her mother until she died, and then for the man she had always believed was her father. And she's got to deal with the farm which her brother Mark now claims is his. Her bond with Justin helps and together they explore the secrets and lies in their families. No spoilers from me but know that this has ups downs and twists. Thanks to netgalley for the Arc. A good read.