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Reviews for The Barefoot
Queen
by Jean Harrington
Sensuality Rating: Sensuous
Star Rating: 4.5 Stars
Jean Harrington has penned a compelling novel with The Barefoot
Queen. Gritty and raw at times, her pen paints an accurate portrait
of life as a tenant farmer during the 1600s in Ireland.
Grace O'Malley is full of fire and spirit. She is also very
beautiful and at times referred to as the Queen of Ballybanree. Her
father had been a tenant farmer for Lord Rushmount until he was hung
for poaching. Now Grace and her brother are living on the farm and
trying to make and grow enough to survive. With her brother planning
on marrying, Grace knows she must consider that as well but of the
many young men who have courted her, she only wants Owen O'Donnell.
Owen does not feel he can offer for any woman. The village
blacksmith, he has been teased and taunted since his leg was
severely mangled in an accident. Feeling he is only half a man, Owen
thinks Grace should put her attentions elsewhere. Grace is just as
determined not to. When Grace, a descent of a pirate queen, decides
to help with the food supply during the toughest time of the year,
she sets into motion events that no one would have believed
imaginable.
The Barefoot Queen shows the triumph of one couple against the
tyranny of the nobility during this time. It is unbelievable the
power the nobility had and how cowed they made the people. Grace was
willing to do something to help but no one else would. Owen was not
one to back down either but felt being 'crippled' kept him from
those activities. Realistic and compelling, The Barefoot Queen will
touch your heart and your soul. Jean Harrington is one author to add
to our list for those of us who love historical romances.
Reviewer: Debby Guyette, CataRomance - Single Title
BOOK BEAT, Naples Sun Times
Jean Harrington has done a fine job of
bringing knotty historical issues down to the flesh and blood lives
of individuals. And with Grace O’Malley, a young woman whose
adventures often find her lifting her skirts to her knees or getting
them tangled in her legs or washing away the blood of butchered
deer, she has devised a vital spirit ready to challenge any
influential young actress prepared to buy the film rights.
Philip K. Jason, Ph.D., is Professor
Emeritus of English from the United States Naval Academy. A poet,
critic, and free-lance writer with twenty books to his credit, this
“Dr. Phil” chairs the annual Naples Writers’
Conference presented by the Naples
Press Club.
Merrimon Book Review, February 2008.
Owen O’Donnell is a great hero --- disabled by an accident yet
strong and sexy, a wounded soul yet defiant and smart. In Grace's
character, like others, Jean Harrington fills in the shades of grey,
not presenting the reader with a black and white character but a
fallible heroine. Lord Rushmount is a villain ---- a man easy to
hate for his brutality. The author did a great job at showing how
evil and self-centered the passions are that inflame his heart. If
you want a light romance, this is not the one to read. There are sad
and devastating events here, and yet
Jean Harrington provides a magnificent catharsis, one that reaches
across time, place and perhaps even generations. The Barefoot
Queen has an exquisite spiritual and historical happily ever
after ending, a romance of daring hearts and a beautiful ending born
out of the pain and hardship but one full of future hope.
LONG AND SHORT REVIEWS
I absolutely could not put this book down! It's been ages since a
book made me laugh, cry, and run through the entire gamut of
emotions. I rooted for the heroine, cursed at the evil deeds of the
English lord, and gasped with shock when the unthinkable happened.
The author did an absolutely spectacular job of bringing 1665
Ireland alive with vivid descriptions and a historically accurate
portrayal of class divisions. I will warn you, however, that the
story was quite graphic in a few areas. This only added to its
believability because tenant farming in the 1600s was basically
indentured servitude. This definitely earns a place on my keeper
shelf!
Best of all there will be a sequel to this book in 2008 with “In the
Lion's Mouth.” I can hardly wait for Grace's newest adventure!
Crave More Reviews
Five Star Pick of the week
Ms. Harrington’s The BAREFOOT QUEEN is a superb historical with a
lushly painted setting. I adored Grace for her courage and the
cleverness with which she sets out to make Owen see her love for
him. The bond between Grace and Owen is tenderly portrayed and their
love had me rooting for them right up until the last page. Ms.
Harrington’s THE BAREFOOT QUEEN is a treasure in the historical
romance genre you’ll want to read for yourself!
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