Love and Shenanigans (Ballybeg, #1) by Zara Keane
Romance Contemporary
Ebook, 365 pages
June 2014

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: 
“Tattoos aren’t ladylike.”
“But being a total bitch was?”

What happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas as Gavin Maguire and Fiona Byrne learn the hard way. Eight years ago, Fiona and Gavin went to Vegas together and in a drunken haze, got married. After bribing the drunk Elvis who married them to not file their marriage certificate, Gavin ups and disappears, leaving Fiona with a broken heart.

Fiona, about to leave on her trip of a lifetime, takes a small detour to Ballybeg in order to participate in her cousin’s wedding. Fiona already expects the worse as she and her cousin have always had a extremely antagonistic relationship. When curiosity and Google reveals that Fiona is indeed officially married to Gavin she hightails it to the church and gives Gavin the news. Tempers erupt and a series of events forces Fiona to postpone her lifelong dream.

Gavin likes his life bland and drama free but after Fiona drops her marriage bomb, Gavin now has no fiance, no home, no job, and a labradoodle he didn’t want. As Gavin and Fiona try to navigate the intricacies of divorce in Ireland, their time spent together brings back some long buried feelings. Can Gavin and Fiona make this marriage work or will Fiona be the one to leave Gavin this time?

Zara Keane’s debut Love and Shenanigans is a lightweight humorous second chance romantic contemporary. Heavily character driven, the story revolves mainly around our heroine Fiona Byrne. A fast steady read with witty dialogue, a hint of mystery, and some mild sexual playtime. The romance and a small mystery intertwine and feed off each other as our hero and heroine try to figure out their hearts. I do wish the romance had claimed a larger place in the story. The journey of discovery and forgiveness for the heroine controlled a large portion of the storyline. The villain(s) are identifiable from the very beginning. I did feel some of the plot lines weren’t developed to their full potential and the conflicts were too easily resolved for the build up they recieved.

Fiona is a classic misfit whose wealthy relatives view as the black sheep of the family and made her life miserable growing up. Fiona left Ballybeg and made a life for herself; growing in self confidence and looks. When she is called back to Ballybeg by her aunt who raised her after her parents died, begging her to come back for her cousin’s wedding and make nice, Fiona swallows her animosity and goes home. I enjoyed how Fiona is portrayed. She doesn’t follow the common trope of holding her tongue when insulted in order to keep the peace and generate a deeper connection with the reader. She gives as good as she gets and allows no one to talk down to her.

Gavin was harder to connect with as the book is told mainly from Fiona’s point of view. Gavin’s not a bad person, he just oblivious at times. He goes with the flow,  enjoying life as drama and stress free as possible. With his issues of abandonment, he does what he feels he has to ensure stability in his life. When he deserted Fiona in Vegas after their faux wedding, he wasn’t trying to be cruel. Rather he was trying to escape the intensity of his feelings for Fiona. Fiona was wild and unpredictable; everything Gavin feared. I felt Gavin just sort of drifted along in the story, popping in when scenes called for him. But, when he did appear, he left an impression.

Fiona and Gavin fuss, bicker, and kiss their way into romance. Keane does a admirable job of allowing them time to adjust to what was happening around them and address some misconceptions they both hold about one another. Sadly, the actual sexual scenes are extremely mild and fade to black. We get the tease but not the show.

*sad face*

Interesting and some outrageous secondary characters are presented in a stereotypical small town manner. Gossip is rampant and everyone knows everyone’s business. The evil aunt and uncle made me laugh with their insane and illegal demands. I would have liked some resolution to the problems between Fiona and her cousin, Muireann. Or at least an explanation to why Muireann treated Fiona the way she did. I felt there was no real advancement in this area and it made Muireann seem more like a plot device. Muireann will be receiving her own book in the future so hopefully this will be addressed further. Fiona’s best friend (who is the heroine of book two) brings humor to the storyline as she watches Fiona’s back and helps her discover some interesting facts about her family. Wiggly Poo and Aunt Bridie are fantastic as they each help our lovers learn to let go of the past and look towards the future.

The ending wraps up everything nice and neat, leaving us with a sweet happily ever after for our protagonists. Regardless of my issues, I enjoyed my trip to Ballybeg and meeting the various residents who live there. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

A short novella, Love and Blarney, is scheduled to release September 2014 with a full length novel, Love and Leprechauns, scheduled to release November 2014. According to the author, each book can be read as a stand alone.

Overall Rating: C+

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