When her grandmother dies leaving her in debt, Bridget Mulligan sees no hope for her son's well being until the letter arrives from Ireland. She learns that her husband Culley never abandoned her as she had thought for years, but actually died in a car accident. His mother and sister want her to come to Ireland to live with them though his older brother Riley thinks she is a gold digger.
Bridget and her son travel to Ireland where she feels the nearby ruined castle calling her. Though her female in-laws shower her with love, Riley treats her rather shabbily. Still even though he does not fully believe that Jacob is his nephew, he begins to act like an uncle towards the lad. Neither one wants it, but soon Riley and Bridget fall in love. However, chances of anything between them are improbable as both savor the memory of Culley and he remains doubtful about her motives. Finally there is the family curse.
Award winning Deb Stover provides her fans with an exhilarating paranormal romance within a classic-style romantic story line starring two souls who mistrust one another while falling in love. Riley remains obstinate a bit too long, but the audience will still cherish this hunk. Bridget is a strong female protagonist doing what needs to be done for the sake of her son. The support cast supplements the plot by providing depth to the personalities of the lead duet. With a strong cast, the key to MULLIGAN STEW is the ability of Ms. Stover to interweave her two subplots into one entertaining cohesive tale.
"This is one of the Irish Eyes Series of Books. Years Ago, Cully Mulligan visiting the US, sweeps Bridget off her feet. She fell desperately in love with him, they were quickly married, but then he vanished. For years, she presumed he had abandoned her - and the son he never knew he had, forcing her to work to support herself and their son.
But suddenly fate steps in. She learns that Culley did not abandon her, but was killed in a car accident. Since they were just married there was no reference to her as next of kin so she was never notified. However, Culley's mum has learnt that Culley was married and fathered and son and she wants Bridget and Culley's son Jacob to come home to Ireland. Not having any family, and no reason to stay in Tennessee, she takes her son to live with his father's family. Right off, Culley's mum and sister accept them with open arms, especially since Jacob is the image of Culley.
The one thing stops this new home from being a dream come true is Culley's brother, Riley. He thinks she is a lying fortune hunter, since he believes Culley never married her, that he would not marry when he had a childhood sweetheart waiting in Ireland for him. And he is determined to prove that she is nothing but a golddigger trying to steal the family's land.
However, his determination to hate her is instantly undermined when he recognises her as the woman in his dreams."
DeborahAnne MacGillivray, Resident Scholar
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of story
- Present (2000-2010)
Who:
- son
Matchmake, (will/family)
Yes
Matchmaker...
- matchmake by ghost
Family focus?
Yes
Family, loving
Yes
Main Male Character
Profession/status:
- small businessman
- wealthy
Age/status:
- 20's-30's
How sexual is this person?
- very picky
- somewhat promiscuious
How romantic is this person?
- somewhat romantic
Sex makes him
- confused
- more bitchy/arrogant
- more demanding
- angry
- guilty
Sex has good effect on him
Yes
Sex makes him
- blissful
- sensitive
- a better lover
Sex has bad effect on him
Yes
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Female Character
Age/status:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- unemployed
- servant
How sexual is this person?
- very picky
How romantic is this person?
- very romantic
- somewhat romantic
effect of sexing
- confused
- scared
- guilty
Sex has bad effect on her
Yes
Sex has good effect on her
Yes
Effect of sexing
- a better lover
- blissful
- mature
How sensitive is this character?
- soggy whimpering jelly muffin
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Deep South
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
- Ireland
Misc setting
- castle
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- no torture/death
What % of story is romance related?
- 70%
- 90%
Sex in book?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references
- descript of kissing
- touching of anatomy
- licking
- actual description of sex
- descript. of female anatomy (the big B's)
Part of a series?
Yes
Focus of story
- equally on him and her
How much dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
How much sexing?
- 1-2 sex acts
