Driving Maisie Crazy by Deborah M. Hathaway: Book Review

Details

• Genre: Contemporary romance
• Series: Men of the Isles (Book #2)
• Length: 362 pages (Kindle edition)
• Publication Date: March 17, 2025

Tropes

• Forced proximity
• Love at first sight/instalove
• Forbidden romance

My Rating

Book Description

“‘What happens on an Irish bus tour stays on an Irish bus tour…’

Maisie King:

• On her way to the Emerald Isle for the first time ever
• Blonde American
• Menu-creator for a future restaurant
• Dress-with-sneakers wearer
• Two-time county fair winner for Junior Market Hogs
  

And she. can’t. wait.

After three months sampling the best food Europe has to offer, Maisie and her aunt finally arrive for their two-week-long bus tour around Northern Ireland, the land of Maisie’s ancestors.

With plans to be chauffeured from pub to castle to historical site, Maisie has all the time in the world to eat all the food, take all the photos, absorb all the inspiration, and find all the recipes she needs for her soon-to-be-opening restaurant. This is going to be a breeze.

Or so she thinks. As her American luck has it, Maisie’s plan to get anything done at all is promptly thrown out the window the second she spies the group’s tour guide — the too-attractive-for-his-own-good Finn O’Meara.

Now, instead of working while being driven around, she’s distracted to high heaven with Finn’s nearly impossible to understand accent and his overly confident smile. Not to mention his constant flirting and his charming flat cap and his dark eyes constantly darting away from hers in the rearview mirror and, well, you get the picture.

But Maisie doesn’t have time to get distracted. She’s there for research and research alone. She’s not about to allow this Northern Irish heartthrob to distract her. But when her aunt has to go home due to a sudden emergency, Maisie’s resolve begins to weaken.

Luckily, tour guides aren’t allowed to fraternize with their passengers. Unluckily, this tour guide doesn’t seem to care about the rules…”

— from Goodreads

My Review

Maisie King is supposed to find some Northern Irish soups for her aunt’s new restaurant, not fall in love with her tour guide.  A task which would be much easier if Finn O’Meara weren’t so attractive.

It was fascinating to get a peek into Maisie’s foodie mind.  I loved seeing her thought process and how much she enjoyed trying new dishes.  And a food journal is a clever idea.

While I’m usually not a fan of romances that unfold over such a short period of time, Maisie and Finn had such great chemistry I just couldn’t help but adore them together 😊 

Finn’s natural charm, humor, and genuine love for his country made him an expert tour guide!  I loved learning more about Northern Ireland, through both his and Maisie’s eyes.

Favorite Moments

🚌 Maisie’s food journal
🚌 bike ride
🚌 Maisie singing on Bob
🚌 the rope bridge
🚌 Boatswain’s Bar
🚌 Finn tending Maisie’s cut
🚌 Finn seeing Maisie’s journal entry
🚌 reunion

Favorite Quotes

“Stragglers had always been the bane of his existence. But this one, perhaps, had been worth the wait.“

Deborah M. Hathaway

“Now what was Maisie to do? Because as charming as this guy was, nothing was going to pry this divine food from her hands. Nothing at all.“

Deborah M. Hathaway

“They shared a smile, and Maisie, practically falling into a stupor again with his eyes on her, cleared her throat to snap out of it. ‘I’m Maisie, by the way. Maisie King.’

‘I know,’ Finn said. ‘I have your name on me list. Right under Straggler and Tax-Evader.“

Deborah M. Hathaway

“Finn glanced at her sidelong, and when their eyes met, Maisie had a funny feeling that this last leg of her journey was going to be the highlight of her European trip. First, she just needed to figure out if flirting with the tour guide was allowed. She could only pray that it was.“

Deborah M. Hathaway

“His eyes flicked to Maisie again, who was still focused intently on her meal. He’d never seen someone look so fondly at food before, studying it as one would study a rare flower or a sunset on the sea.“

Deborah M. Hathaway

“Maisie, on the other hand, treated her meals like new friends. She wanted to take the time to get to know each ingredients. To see what they looked like as a whole, to learn the personality they reflected.“

Deborah M. Hathaway

“‘What about you?’ she asked, though he could tell her smile was more forced that usual. ‘Are you living out your dreams?’

‘Oh, aye. To be sure,’ he answered in earnest. ‘I love me job. It’s nothin’ grand like what you’ve done, but I’m happy with it just the same.’

A soft look touched Maisie’s eyes. ‘Sometimes, the best dreams are the humble ones.’“

Deborah M. Hathaway

“‘If it helps, feel free to look into me eyes….You’ve go to admit, they’re appealin’. Like the color of chocolate.’

‘Mud is also brown. And dirt. And —’

‘Hey, now. You best watch yourself, or I’ll call the color o’ your eyes….’

She stared up at him, those blue eyes watching him carefully….What would he call that color? The sea beneath them? The sky above? Priceless sapphires? All of them seemed too weak, so instead, he simply said, ‘Beautiful.’“

Deborah M. Hathaway

“Counterfeit dreams are nothing to the ones that reside deep in our hearts.“

Deborah M. Hathaway

“‘I don’t know your circumstances. If they’re like mine or not. But I can promise you, even if your dreams aren’t attainable now, and they’re out of your control, it’s far better to pursue them anyway. Ignorin’ dreams make you miserable. But hope is what makes life worth livin’.’“

Deborah M. Hathaway

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