"Romantic suspense in romantic Ireland."

Brandon Archer was not only an employee but also a friend, and now he and his wife Jessica are dead. Niall Burke, "wealthy Irish importer and industrialist", is going to see that someone pays for this. So he sets the wheels of his revenge into motion.

Her recent break-up with her abusive fiancé, Rick, has left Fionnha Brennan with a yen to get away from everyone she knows, especially Rick. Making use of a small inheritance left her by an aunt, she goes to Ireland to spend a year searching for her roots. Unfortunately, she doesn't realize that Rick is determined to find her and there is more to this than just unrequited love.

When Fio ends up on the same plane as Niall, she also ends up talked into staying in Gatehouse Cottage on the Burke estate--by his mother. Niall is immediately attracted to Fionnha and leaves her in little doubt he's interested, but Fio thinks only of what happened with Rick and doesn't want to get involved. Yet involved is what she gets, and finds there is a lot more to Niall than meets the eye.

Judy Mays' gift of description gives you a "you are there" feeling. Not only mundane things, such as clothing, come to life, but Ireland itself lives and breathes for you. Niall's accent is not overwhelming, but comes through in just such a manner that you can hear it clearly. I really liked this hero, in looks and personality (except for the birth control issue). I must admit I prefer stories that focus more exclusively on the main characters, but the shortness and necessity of the side trips added to this story. I did feel that some things were left hanging and not satisfactorily resolved.

I could have done without Aileen, the jealous "other woman". Fio's "nagging little voice" began to irritate after awhile. There is a misunderstanding that I thought revealed a lack of intelligence and maturity in the heroine. The way she acted and handled things gets worse before it gets better. Yet, even with these drawbacks, I found CELTIC RENDEZVOUS to be a fast moving and suspenseful story. I will be on the look-out for stories featuring the secondary characters.

Personal comments: Another one with a hero that is TSTL where sex is concerned. No birth control anywhere in sight and never referred to. As the very experienced one, I feel it was the hero's responsibility to make sure this was seen to.

Sensuality--R. Masturbation; oral sex; fairly descriptive sex.

Reviewed by Flora Bell
Posted April 4, 2002

Summary

Fionnha Brennan's trip to Ireland is more than just a search for her Irish roots. Her abusive ex-fiance wants her back, so she hopes putting an ocean between them will stymie his attempts to find her. Meeting Kathleen Burke is sheer luck. The Irish matron insists that Fionnha stay in the gatehouse of the Burke estate for the duration of her stay. At last, she feels safe. Then she meets Kathleen's son, Niall. Niall Burke is willing to do anything to revenge the death of a friend by an ultra-conservative group from Northern Ireland, even if that means allying himself with an illegal arms supplier to supply guns to the IRA. But how can he satisfy his need for revenge with his growing desire for Fionnha, a woman who would be appalled by his illegal activities? A woman who his partners might see as an obstacle to what they want?