Nick and Lesley’s desire for a better life in the countryside was a long-held dream. Unforeseen events and a leap of faith forced that dream into reality, but moving to rural Ireland was only the beginning of their story.
Foreigners in a foreign land, they set about making new friends, learning the culture and expanding their collection of chickens and unruly dogs. But their dream home was in desperate need of renovation, a mammoth task they attacked with the aid of a DIY manual, dwindling funds and incompetent enthusiasm. With defunct diggers, collapsing ladders, and shocking electrics, what could possibly go wrong?
Will their new life live up to expectations, or will the Irish weather, dangerous roads, and a cruel twist of fate turn this dream into a nightmare?
Chickens
Ducks
Big Dogs
Little Dogs
Irish countryside
Ramshackle farmhouse
Digging machines
DIY involving walls, excavating, stairs, plumbing, electricity
Many reviewers gave this humorous and down-to-earth (literally) memoir 5 stars and I agree! And the good news is that there are 3 books in this memoir series- and hopefully even more. Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for the review copy and the opportunity to participate in this blog tour.
Nick and Lesley’s desire for a better life in the countryside was a long-held dream. Unforeseen events and a leap of faith forced that dream into reality, but moving to rural Ireland was only the beginning of their story.
Foreigners in a foreign land, they set about making new friends, learning the culture and expanding their collection of chickens and unruly dogs. But their dream home was in desperate need of renovation, a mammoth task they attacked with the aid of a DIY manual, dwindling funds and incompetent enthusiasm. With defunct diggers, collapsing ladders, and shocking electrics, what could possibly go wrong?
Will their new life live up to expectations, or will the Irish weather, dangerous roads, and a cruel twist of fate turn this dream into a nightmare?
Amazon UK
Kindle https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07DFNF3K4/
Paperback https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1721005226/
Audible https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0844YCGSS/
Amazon USA
Kindle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DFNF3K4/
Paperback https://www.amazon.com/dp/1721005226/
Audible https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0844GYPSQ/
JENA’S REVIEW
Fresh Eggs and Dog Beds 2: Still Living the Dream in Rural Ireland by Nick Albert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
It’s hard to believe this is a memoir and not fiction. But whatever-it’s a charming and rollicking tale that is as engaging as an Irish accent. The book is subtitled: Still Living the Dream in Rural Ireland and if you look closely at the cover of this charming book- you will see that one man’s dream is another person’s “mayhem”. Yes, in his congenial book, author Nick Albert describes the “beauty of owning land in County Clare Ireland” and the “satisfaction of remodeling and adding value to the home”-while the cover shows a man falling off a ladder, a happy gang of rowdy dogs, and a chicken.
This is the second book in what is currently a 3 book series- and the first one I have read- although I will be reading Books 1 and 3 as soon as I can. The reason I joked that this seemed to be more fiction than fact, is because who, having never been to Ireland, would move to County Clare, buy a derelict property and proceed to create a cozy country life-totally DIY?? Nick Albert and his wife Lesley would.
Author Nick must have made time to kiss the Blarney Stone, because he certainly has a lovely writing style. Warm, pleasant, with enough details to be fun, the author is a nice guy who loves to tell a humorous story. He also enjoys operating heavy machinery and setting himself on fire. While he may joke about his remodeling, once this man makes a list with bullet points, he can dig ponds, and knock out walls and still have time to walk his dogs and laugh at his ducks’ antics. He and his wife must deal with literal and figurative ups and downs, as their love for their new life shines through.
Get to know Nick, his family of people and animals, and the beauty and history of Ireland, with this happy and satisfying story. I received a review copy from Rachel’s Random Resource and this is my honest review.
Looking for more books to read? Please visit my Book Promotions page and explore all the latest releases. Extracts, blurbs, reviews, author info, books links- all waiting for you!
Nick Albert was born in England and raised in a Royal Air Force family. After leaving College he worked in retail management for several years before moving into financial services where he quickly progressed through the ranks to become a training consultant. As a very passionate and reasonably talented sportsman, Nick had always wanted to use his training skills towards creating a parallel career, so in the mid 1980’s he qualified and began coaching sport professionally. After a health scare in 2003 and in search of a simpler life, he and his wife Lesley, cashed in their investments, sold their home and bought a rundown farmhouse in the rural west of Ireland – a country they had never before even visited. With little money or experience and armed only with a do-it-yourself manual, they set about renovating their new home, where they now live happily alongside a flock of chickens, two ducks and several unruly, but delightful dogs.
In 2017 Nick was signed to Ant Press to write a series of humorous memoirs about his life in rural Ireland. Fresh Eggs and Dog Beds (book one) was published in September 2017 and soon became an Amazon bestseller. Book two in the series was published on 1st June 2018 and book 3 in August 2019. Book four is due out in 2020.
Nick is also the author of the twisty thriller, Wrecking Crew, the first in a series of books featuring reluctant hero Eric Stone.
Social Media Links –
https://www.facebook.com/author.nick.albert
https://www.instagram.com/nickalbertauthor/
http://nickalbert.allauthor.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6886008.Nick_Albert
https://nickalbertauthor.blogspot.com/
I am a writer, blogger, book reviewer, and bon vivant and encourager. I have lived my entire life in Tropical Ohio. My goal is to make friends with everyone in the world. I wrote a fiction series, The Golden Age of Charli, that presents the problems and praises, and the love and laughter of family life and retirement. My passions are blogging, reading and reviewing, and writing. My life is a WIP.