”…Sienna’s best work yet. I LOVED the premise, the heart ripping angst, fat tears of grief and ultimately sobs of relief, all found in the pages of this immortal love story” ~ Book Bistro BlogSaoirseI wanted him since the day I met him. Long haired, tattooed and tall as an Irish giant. He was more than just handsome, he was drop dead gorgeous. And the only one who ever truly cared. It didn’t … ever truly cared. It didn’t matter to him that my father was a criminal and my mother a whore. He saw me, understood me.
I could be anything I wanted, he said.
Except his.
Because I was too young and he was my Juvenile Liaison Officer.
Diarmuid
It’s been years since I last saw her. No longer a girl, she has a body of a woman. When our eyes met again, I saw the only one who ever broke through my asshole mask. She never judged me. She saw me, accepted me.
She could be anything she wanted.
Except mine.
Cause she’s only seventeen and I’m trying my hardest not to fall for her.
If I give in, she will ruin me.
This is a slow-burn, angsty love story spanning across a seven-year time period with sexual situations and drug-use involving characters under the age of eighteen.
Irish Kiss is a complete standalone novel with a Happily Ever After, but damn, it is going to hurt along the way.
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5 Serotonin Stars
With each book I read by Sienna Blake, I see the growth of a fantastic author. Each book she’s written, progressively better than the last. An author that has made it onto my list of one-click without reading the blurb or thinking twice about reading.
Irish Kiss in my opinion is Sienna Blake’s best work to date! This book was written perfectly and flowed without a hitch. It’s an emotional journey spanning over many years.
Some people are born into family. We get to choose ours. We make our own, forged out of our hearts and weaved together by the strings of our souls.
Saoirse is a young 13 yr old living with a Ma who is a whore addicted to drugs. Learning to survive as best as she can. When a ‘friend’ causes her to have a run in with the local Garda. Once she’s been processed and taken to her mother by the Garda who has been assigned to her, a friendship unlike any she has had before is formed.
Diarmuid is a JLO (Juvenile Liaison Officer) who has been assigned to Saoirse. Helping children is his life. Someone once helped him become the man that he is today. He has appreciated the loyal help given to him at a young age. Striving to help these troubled kids understand that they too mean something in this world and can make themselves better.
What neither of them saw was the bond these two would form. So strong yet so forbidden. Everyone against them yet the only thing these two needs is each other.
This is a story of sadness, it’s a story of love, a rollercoaster of highs and lows. Back stabbing to advance, to betrayal of a person whom you’ve chosen to spend a lifetime with. Trying to be the adult and doing the right thing to being the almost adult and trying to understand why things happen as they do.
Fantastic slow burning love story that will form a serotonin molecule in your heart!
#BookBistroBlogApproved
Sienna Blake at her very best! She gives you a heart ripping, grief-ridden, forbidden love story. Set in Ireland and told in alternating POVs. The story of Saoirse and Diarmuid is complicated, messy and so full of pure love.
“So, you and me…” I said, “we’re soul family?” He smiled. “Yeah. We are.”
Saoirse Bryne, is thirteen when we meet her, naïve yet mature, brilliant, vulnerable, and tough. Trapped in a dump of a home with a drug-addicted, incompetent, and uncaring whore of a mother and a notorious drug pusher of a father. She’s suffering for love & attention as well as basic needs like food and clothes.
“She might have looked like a tiny doll but her soul was old, already hardened and calloused. At thirteen this girl already knew how unfair and cruel life could be.”
Diarmuid Brennan is a 24-year-old Juvenile Liaison Officer for troubled youths. Saoirse is assigned to him and he takes her under his wing, guiding her, giving her safety, and hope. He loses his heart and soul to her as she does to him. Dairmuid is caught between his heart and mind. His heart wants and needs her, but he knows it’s wrong with his job position and age.
“He was the first person who ever treated me like an adult. Like my thoughts and words mattered. Like I mattered.”
“He had been my world. My hope. My guiding light. He had been safety. Security. Unconditional love. Unconditional…until it wasn’t. Until he left, taking it all away.”
A push-pull relationship that embroils sacrificing your own wants and needs to save the one you love. The powerful, everlasting love story of Saoirse and Diarmuid grabbed me my page one and captivated me until the very last page. It’s all-consuming, deep, seductive, and so emotional. Fantastic read!
This book will take the reader from one end of the emotional spectrum to the opposite end. Hate, anger, love, pain and a hope that all works out in the end. The reader never knows where the story will lead next.
I had a hard time at first because of Saoirse’s living situation. Lot of anger towards a person who should have cared more.
Then she meets up with Diarmuid and seems like she has found her hero. Turns out that’s not so true in the first years of their relationship. As much as she loves this man, she is far too young for him. Either way, I was sad that Saoirse is once again left to her own devices.
Finally, closer to the end, Saorise is older now (although not old enough) that when they meet up again, Diarmuid is tempted by her beauty but still balks at her age.
Will they find a way to be together or will they be torn apart again?
This is a great read and one that this reviewer would highly recommend.
If you are a fan of angsty, taboo reads…then Irish Kiss needs to be on your reading list!
Sienna Blake has another hit on her hands and I cannot wait to see what follows Irish Kiss!
One of my favorite things about a taboo read is they are chalk full of all the heat, the need, and the forbidden aspect that you expect. Irish Kiss has all that and more and all the drama that surrounds Diarmuid and Saoirse kept my attention the whole time. I absolutely do have a favorite scene, but since I’m not a spoiler…you’ll just have to read it yourself! I promise it’s worth it!
It was a pretty long read for me. Took me probably about 6 hours? I had to read it in a couple sittings…but the whole time I had it put away…I had it in the back of my mind…wondering when I would have the opportunity to get back to it. I was hooked!
There are a couple of secondary characters which I cannot wait to see what happens there. Lots of hot potential!
Irish Kiss is told in alternating first person POV, which is one of my favorites! You really get a well rounded story this way, understanding what each is thinking or feeling.
I am giving Irish Kiss 5 stars for its heat factor, the fact that it kept me interested and the HEA that we get! Loved this and can’t wait for more!
I am pleasantly pleased with this book. The age difference between Diarmuid and Saoirse didn’t bother one bit, because I actually know of a few people with that age gap and they’re happy as can be. Diarmuid is such a sexy dream boat. And the journey to his HEA with Saoirse! My poor heart has had quite a few jolts this past week, and I am gladly welcoming them.
As always, Sienna Blake writes an amazing story with amazing characters; raw and angsty. That slow burn though. *DIES*
I love the build up of this story! So many age gap tales end up jumping right into the steam and don’t take the time to build up the confusion/doubt. Irish Kiss does an amazing job of letting us feel the uncertainty, as well as the heat!
WARNING: This novel contains strong and explicit language, graphic scenes or other sensitive or taboo content that may be disturbing to some readers. This is an age-gap love story.
Saoirse lived in poverty with her drugged up, whore mom who was more interested in men than feeding or taking care of her. Just a few blocks from where she lived were the affluent home and families. They had no idea what it was like to suffer.
Diarmuid was a juvenile liaison police officer. A young girl was picked up for possession and graffiti, but he knew that the charges had only been to make her give the names of the two boys who had escaped. When he took her home to explain the offenders program his was angry and horrified at her home and how her mother treated her.
I loved this book! The characters are very complex and the storyline keeps your attention. Saoirse is a young genius who falls in love with her juvenile liaison. Diarmuid’s life goal is to help troubled kids and Saoirse holds a special place in his heart. I love Diarmuid’s determination to do whats best for Saoirse even though it breaks both their hearts. There are twists and turns through the years that this book covers. Lies and betrayals. I highly recommend reading their story. Looking forward to reading the rest of the AN IRISH KISS series by Sienna Blake.
I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about this book at first. However, now that I’ve read it, I am SO very glad I got this book. It was recommended to me from another friend, but her tastes Don’t always line up with mine. This book was well written with complex characters that made you fall in love with them. You could see the back and forth, the push and pull between the two until everything fell in place. I do a LOT of reading. I also do a lot of writing, so tugging at my emotions has become a bit hard. But Irish Kiss absolutely tugged at my heart. I read this at work and had to stop because it made me cry. It was painful, torturous, and blissfully beautiful all at the same time.
*Warning* this book DOES contain triggers for those sensitive to:
-underage sex
-drugs
-alcohol
-abuse and/or neglect
-cheating
-death by overdose
Despite all this, if you can stomach it, I HIGHLY recommend this book. My heart STILL hurts and my eyes are still watering and they HAD a happily ever after. Hats off to the amazing author that poured their heart and soul into these pages. Being a writer, myself, I know the blood, sweat, and tears that go into bringing a story to life. Thank you for helping me explore I world that I want to see. I can’t wait to check out Declan’s and Danny’s stories!
Saoirse meets Diarmuid when she gets caught by the police. Her life with her mother is terrible, with her dad in prison she has no one to care for her. After growing up and reconnecting things get interesting. A beautiful second chance, age taboo romance. I can’t wait to read the next book.
I received an arc and am voluntarily leaving my review.
Every now and again you find a book that you just adore. This was one of those books. I can’t even tell you why. But I LOVED it <3
5 STARS
I don’t know how Sienna does it. She continually brings us these amazing characters that we fall in love with. She also rips our hearts out, stomps on them a bit, then puts it back together piece by piece.
Saoirse is a kid who was unlucky enough to be born into a life no one should live. One wrong choice lands her in the hands of Diarmuid, a parole officer of sorts, who wants nothing more than to protect her.
Diarmuid knows that Saoirse is special and completely off limits. But the more time they spend together, the more time he realizes that his relationship with her goes beyond making sure she stays out of trouble.
Theirs is a beautiful tale of trust, respect, heartbreak, forgiveness and most importantly love. There is a beautiful Irish legend behind the nickname that Diarmuid gives to Saoirse, and it will give you all the feels. This book is full of want, need,heat, and lots of turmoil, but also with beautifully tender moments, that will make you want to hop on a plane to Ireland and find yourself a big brawny Irishman.
I took my time reading this book because I wanted to absorb every single word and feeling between these two, and it was absolutely worth it. If you love taboo love stories, ones that will make your heart race, then this book is for you.
I’d like to thank Terrie, Sienna’s PA for sending me an e-arc of this book it is very much appreciated! This is not my first book by this author I read her Dark Romeo Box set and you should definitely go and check that out! So I was expecting great things from this author and I was not disappointed by what I got! Sienna has such amazing writing that hits me right in the feelings and it gets me emotional all the time. Through this book, I was like please stop hurting my heart and each other!
The story is told in the dual point of view as well as a switch from the past when Saoirse is 13 to when she is in the present and is 17. It doesn’t get confusing and it is very well written that you know whose point of view it is as well as if you are in the past or present. Which is always good! I did have some trouble pronouncing Saoirse and Diarmuid’s names although by the time I’m writing this review I think I have the pronunciation down to a tee. There is a guide at the beginning of the book on how to pronounce them, my brain sucks. Anyway onto the book.
You forgot so many times that in the past Saoirse is actually 13, she acts so much older and maturer which is understandable as her dad is in prison and her mum is a whore. I love how mature she acts in some circumstances other times though you can still the child coming through especially when it comes to jealousy aspects in the story.
I loved the fact that both Saoirse and Diarmuid wanted each other (present) and that although he was her JLO he still had a very moral conflict with himself over the fact he shouldn’t be feeling like that for her. Diarmuid has a very moral argument with himself and it’s nice how much attention was put on that and it was actually shown in the story. Even though in Ireland the age of consent is 17 which she would be old enough but we still see him struggle with that being that he is technically in a position of power.
I loved learning why Diarmuid wanted to become a JLO and the fact his own life was technically saved by one. I loved how fleshed out his backstory was and how we learnt things about each of the characters in the book. Rather than it being info dump, it came out when it needed to.
Ava is a bitch.
Saoirse’s mother and father are bitches.
I loved Diarmuid’s friends Danny and Declan I loved the humour they brought to the book so A+ them, guys. I also loved Brian I believe his name was…
I fell in love with the characters in this book as well as the plot. I am looking forward to anything that Sienna Blake writes because I think I’m just really hooked!
Saiorse Quinn is the daughter of a criminal and an addict. Since his father, Liam Byrne, was arrested she lives with her mother in Dublin. She keeps two things from her father: the promise that he would return to her and advice never to trust a policeman.
Despite his father’s advice, Saiorse will entrust a police officer with all his heart. The problem? He is 10 years older than her and is her JLO, that is, he is a designated mentor so that she does not become a repeat offender in her infraction.
Diarmuid Brennan has in his work his mission of life. He is a juvenile liasson officer (JLO), a police officer who serves as a counselor and mentor so that juvenile offenders have the opportunity to reach adulthood with a clean criminal record. And everything in hes life went well until he met a tormented pair of green eyes.
The story is told by blending facts of the present and the past. When all the facts are revealed, the trajectory of Saiorse and Diarmuid focuses only on present problems. Incidentally, problem is the middle name of these two.
While Diarmuid is trapped in a relationship that leaves him unhappy, and likely to complicate his future, Saiorse develops a growing affection for him. The problem is how far these feelings can go, the attitudes the girl takes on them.
The plot is intense and arouses all kinds of emotion, from tenderness to hatred. Saiorse is a controversial protagonist. Ternder, hopeful, moody, gentle, spoiled, rebellious, inconsequential, altruistic and daring. Imagine everything good and bad that is completely opposite. A true blond paradox that at the age of 17 returns to the life of Diarmuid to drive him crazy.
While she is imperfection in person, Diarmuid is the synonymous of perfection. Imagine a muscular, inked body stuffed with the Prince Charming’s personality. He is all moral and principles. An Irish giant, gentleman down to the bones who will make you sigh.
There are many encounters and misunderstandings. The end contains several twists, one behind the other. When you think: everything is fine,finally! You can be sure something can go wrong.
The scenes in which the friends of Diarmuid, Declan and Daniel (or Dex and Danny for the intimates), appear are always good, although they are few. Bryan and Moina also appear little, but have much importance of the life of Diarmuid and Saiorse. Patricia Quinn, when she does not appear, she does not need to.
The book contains some delicate subjects involving minors, but nothing too obscure or absurd. The final scene is literally a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Wow what a awesome hot steamy romance book called Irish Kiss by the author Sienna Blake . Love this book its a thick paperback book it might take you a little longer to read . But once you start to read this book you have to stay right with it and OMG it was a awesome book definitely a 5 star rating definitely recommend this book to everyone to read.
This romance took me on an a gut-wrenching, inspiring, just an amazing journey of hope and love. Saoirse has been dealt a challenging deck of cards with a mother that does drugs and drinks, bringing home random men for her next fix. When Saoirse is caught with weed, she is assigned a Juvenile Officer to keep her out of trouble. Diarmuid is blown away by the courage and hope that Saoirse shows, he finds himself connecting to the 13-year-old and wanting to help her find a better life. Saoirse is blown away that someone actually cares for her and she finds herself falling in love with him. With the age difference and Diarmuid’s job, a relationship isn’t possible but the connection between these two is electric. This is a journey over several years full of hard choices and broken hearts. The beauty of the journey is each one has to find their path in life but will it include each other. I truly wasn’t sure how this story would end but enjoyed this amazing ride.
It’s taboo. It’s wildly inappropriate. But once you get over your personal judgment of those thoughts, it’s a beautiful love story.
It’s a beginning.
It’s sad.
It’s troubling.
It’s got hot accents and names that will take you a few attempts to pronounce correctly.
It’s romantic.
It’s going to make your insides smile.
Irish Kiss is complicated, sweet, and endearing. It’s also hot, sexy, and all kinds of right.
reviewed for Sweet Spot Sisterhood
This is the first book I’ve read by this author and won’t be the last. Irish Kiss is a story of forbidden love spanning over 7 years. It was refreshing to read a story set in Ireland even if I struggled pronouncing some of the names.
Irish Kiss is quite a long book and it took me some time to truly get into the story, as it goes back and fourth between past and present. From the halfway point I was truly sucked into the story and from then on I didn’t put the book down.
I loved how the author used the myth of the Selkie, and I really thought I had the ending worked out but there were quite a few unexpected parts that blew my expectations out of the park. I hope this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Diarmuid and Saoirse!
Four stars
The myth of Selkie is the basis of this modern love story. Legend has it that a woman with fins of a seal is in love with a human and sacrifices her happiness to save him. This story is all about sacrificing for your love, for their betterment and their well being
Diarmuid Brennan is a JLO-Juvenile Liaison Officer for troubled youths. He’s giving back to the community by saving young, first time offenders and delinquents from sinking more into the quagmire of drugs, crime & gang violence. He’s very passionate about saving these pure souls and nudging them on a path towards better life, school, career. And then she walks in……
Of all the police stations in all the country, she had to walk into mine.
His new ward-Saoirse Bryne, all of thirteen, naive, innocent, trapped ! A hellhole of house, whore of a Ma and criminal Da, languishing in jail. She’s suffering so bad, breaks my heart & Dairmuid’s . The Angel has to struggle daily for food, studies, clothes, love & attention.
I hated all of those people in those terrace houses, all those self-important fathers with proper jobs, those overbearing helicopter mothers, all those ungrateful brats with full bellies and laughter in their lungs and no idea how lucky they were. They had no idea what life was really like, what it was to burn and ache and hate and struggle. To feel like you had to fight and kick for every breath because life was holding your head underwater, laughing at you all the while. I’d learned long ago that I was alone. But that didn’t bother me. I knew I couldn’t count on anyone else except for myself.
I hated her parents, her dire situation, her life and wanted to save this beautiful girl from being crushed under the weight of loneliness and despair, so my work is done by Dairmuid !. He takes her under his wing, guiding her. But in the process, loses his heart, his life, his soul.
Oh Gawd!! The story is so hopelessly romantic, hugs and tears at my heartstrings. Dairmuid is caught between his wants and needs, heart want her , head KNOWS it’s wrong and he stays away, keeps her at a distance. It kills Saoirse and me too
Where the HELL is the Luck O The Irish when you need it
A classic tragic tale, just waiting to rip you apart !
This. Here. He was my harbour. This was my home. It felt so damn right I could have cried. I could have begged him to never let me go. Instead I curled my fingers into his shirt. I held on for as long as I could. Stealing his seal-skin under the cover of darkness, with the non-judgemental moon as my only witness.
Two devastated lovers have to remain distant, a mile or a moment, doesn’t matter.
It’s unfair! It’s Life !!
By this time I was crying , wanted to manually race the clock towards her 18th birthday.
I was sick to death of this want you, shouldn’t have you, push-pull bullshit.
The writing has improved so much, this might be Sienna’s best work yet. Her adopted home of Ireland seems to be a place rich with traditions, warmth & folklore. We get to see it through her eyes & words. I LOVED the premise, the heart ripping angst, fat tears of grief and ultimately sobs of relief, all found in the pages of this immortal love story of Saoirse and Diarmuid. Because you see, they’re Selkie
he has her skin
She has his
They’re bound by fate, love and misery. Equal partners despite the decade between them.
I just wished them early relief but Sienna loves to dig the knife deep and keep twisting !
Bleed all over people, get tissues handy and wine glass full
4.5 “Serotonin Molecule” stars
Theirs was the greatest love of all and not a typical taboo romance. The forbidden aspect of this love story is just one nugget that makes this gripping, emotional, and passionate read unputdownable.
There’s so much more to this story of love.
Choices, sacrifice and acceptance and the price we pay for it are the main caveats of this read.
My emotions that were on high alert as the story of Saoirse and Diarmuid unfolded.
Their heartfelt, slow burn love story spanned years as they struggled with societal taboos and their painful circumstances.
There were times I couldn’t decide whether I was rooting for them or not as I became so angry and frustrated at their actions. Hence, that’s the magic of the author’s fantastic writing!
The author created such believable complex characters, they came to life within the pages and as angry and frustrated I became at their situation, I couldn’t stop reading!!
The storied flowed easily connecting the dots of their past and present.
In the end, it all came together and I realized I had been holding my breath to see what would happen to them!
4.5 stars!
When Diarmuid first saw Saoirse as a girl and he was her Juvenile Liaison Officer and meant to help her. Diarmuid loved his kids and he would do anything for them, but something was different with Saoirse. His connection with her was special. So when events led him to walk away from her, it hurt not only Saoirse but him as well deeper than he thought. This is a romance that spans seven years but it is not a happy journey. This journey is filled with pain and love. This story shows devotion and hatred. This story shows that just because you are born a certain way doesn’t determine your future. Great characters that were very well devoloped and believable. Enjoyable read that I would read again.