The Pub Owner's Proposal
(2025)(The first book in the Love in Dooncarra series)
A novel by Maeve McBride
One fake engagement. Two stubborn hearts. And a whole town determined to meddle.
Niamh Kelly's gift shop is three months from closing. When grumpy pub owner Darragh O'Sullivan walks through her door with an outrageous proposition: pretend to be his fiancée to help secure a crucial bank loan. She knows she should say no.
She absolutely should say no.
But Niamh needs the publicity boost, Darragh needs the bank's approval, and Dooncarra's infamous gossip mill has already done the rest. Suddenly they're knee-deep in cake tastings they didn't ask for, dance lessons neither of them wanted, and a wedding committee that won't take no for an answer.
The plan was simple. The feelings were not supposed to be.
As the lines between pretend and real begin to blur, Niamh and Darragh must decide whether they're still just playing a part, or whether saving their livelihoods might cost them something far more valuable than their businesses.
Perfect for readers who love grumpy/sunshine tension, fake dating chaos, and small-town romance with a big warm heart.
Book 1 of the Love in Dooncarra series: interconnected standalones set in a coastal Irish village where community, meddling neighbours, and second chances make the best love stories.
Genre: Romance
Niamh Kelly's gift shop is three months from closing. When grumpy pub owner Darragh O'Sullivan walks through her door with an outrageous proposition: pretend to be his fiancée to help secure a crucial bank loan. She knows she should say no.
She absolutely should say no.
But Niamh needs the publicity boost, Darragh needs the bank's approval, and Dooncarra's infamous gossip mill has already done the rest. Suddenly they're knee-deep in cake tastings they didn't ask for, dance lessons neither of them wanted, and a wedding committee that won't take no for an answer.
The plan was simple. The feelings were not supposed to be.
As the lines between pretend and real begin to blur, Niamh and Darragh must decide whether they're still just playing a part, or whether saving their livelihoods might cost them something far more valuable than their businesses.
Perfect for readers who love grumpy/sunshine tension, fake dating chaos, and small-town romance with a big warm heart.
Book 1 of the Love in Dooncarra series: interconnected standalones set in a coastal Irish village where community, meddling neighbours, and second chances make the best love stories.
Genre: Romance
Used availability for Maeve McBride's The Pub Owner's Proposal