J. P. Monninger, author of the international bestseller The Map That Leads to You, the novel Nicholas Sparks called “romantic and unforgettable”, tells a poignant love story of the ways the world divides two souls–and the way that love brings them together. Kate Moreton is in Ireland on sabbatical from her teaching position at Dartmouth College when she meets Ozzie Ferriter, a fisherman and a … Ferriter, a fisherman and a veteran of the American war in Afghanistan. The Ferriter family history dates back centuries on the remote Blasket Islands, and Ozzie – a dual citizen of Ireland and the United States – has retreated to the one place that might offer him peace from a war he cannot seem to leave behind.
Beside the sea, with Ireland’s beauty as a backdrop, the two fall deeply in love and attempt to live on an island of their own making, away from the pressures of the outside world. Ireland writes its own love stories, the legends claim, and the limits of Kate and Ozzie’s love and faith in each other will be tested. When his demons lead Ozzie to become reckless with his life–and Kate’s–she flees for America rather than watch the man she loves self-destruct. But soon a letter arrives informing Kate that her heroic husband has been lost at sea, and Kate must decide whether it is an act of love to follow him or an act of mercy to forget.
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Seven Letters by J.P. Monninger is a full length, standalone romance novel.
Seven Letters tells the story of Kate and Ozzie.
Kate Moreton is a aspiring professor at a prestge college, about to take a leave of absence to complete her studies. Her vtrip leads her to where her roots lie, beautiful, mysterious Ireland.
There she meets Ozzie, an ex-Navy SEAL, now fisherman, a grumpy loner with some serious issues. They fall in insta-love and have a whirlwind relationship. Love conquers everything they say. Only sometimes love isn’t enough.
Seven Letters is a heart wrenching, nailbiting, pageturner. I was captivated from start and read the book, cover to cover, in one sitting. I simply couldn’t put it down.
It’s the story of heartbreak, second chances, finding themselves, true love. It’s an emotional read and I cried my way through the book. I liked the pace and the storyline, the writing is excellent and the story is outstanding and beautifully thought out and beautifully told.
There’s only one question for me, what is a mushroom colored raincoat?
I greatly enjoyed reading this wonderful book . I recommend Seven Letters and give 5 beautiful stars.
The first half was a relaxed, enjoyable read. The second half, I read straight through without putting the book down once. I had mixed feelings about the hero early on, which I think the author intended. And further in, I began to have mixed feelings about the heroine. Ozzie and Kate are complicated characters with real flaws, but ultimately, it’s those flaws that bring them to life. Seven Letters is an adventure from start to finish, and another great recommendation from my book whisperer!
Seven Letters was beautiful! I enjoyed the portrayal of Kate’s relationship with Ozzie and how she sees him and their relationship. Kate is in Ireland to study the country while she is on sabbatical from her teaching position at Dartmouth College. On her first day there, she meets an interesting older woman who invites her to visit her later. This is how Kate meets Ozzie, the woman’s grandson. This begins a whirlwind relationship between the two of them. But after so long, Kate becomes confused by it all and returns home to the United States.
3.5 Stars
I don’t know why I kept putting this book off!!! Well, I understand why. Life got in the way, and it wasn’t at the top of my priority list, which happens to the best of us. So, when I realized that I missed the publication date (huge oops!!), I took Seven Letters off of the backburner and read it. It was a good read, and I really should have read it sooner.
Seven Letters went between having a fast-paced plotline, and a medium paced one. That did aggravate me while reading. It provoked me because I like my books to have one speed while reading. If I have to adjust my reading speed continuously, then it takes away from my experience. I also didn’t like that several secondary storylines were either ended abruptly or left hanging.
I liked Kate, but she annoyed me during the book. The choices she made were a huge source of irritation for me. Take her relationship with Ozzie, for instance. She knew he had issues (drinking, possible PTSD), and she jetted once the honeymoon phase was over. But, she did change. Her character matured, and she realized that her choices weren’t the right ones. By the end of the book, she was a different woman, and I liked it.
I felt terrible for Ozzie. But at the same time, I wanted to shake him and say, “Dude, get help!!”. He never told Kate about his time in the service (in his defense, though, she never asked). He never told her about his demons from that time. I do think that he was the better person when he let her go. He knew that his demons were too strong, and he couldn’t live with himself. He needed that time apart to heal.
The romance angle of the book got me. Kate and Ozzie burned fast and bright in the beginning. It was almost too quick and bright, and I knew that something was going to happen. By the second half of the book, they were floundering, and I did wonder if they would ever get past everything. But the end of the book, oh my. Talk about deep romance there. I was in tears from the minute Kate landed in Ireland to the very end.
The end of the book was hard to read. It got almost too much for me to read. I did guess at some of the ending details. The last letter, though, made my heart sing (and I did shed a few tears).
As rich and mystical as its Irish setting, this is an unforgettable story of love in all its glorious imperfections. Gorgeously written by an author who knows how to plumb the depths of the human heart, this book will linger in the reader’s mind long after the last page is turned.
The theme of this book is set right from the opening Irish tale of love lost due to foolish (or selfish) choices. The author traces one woman’s journey over many years, paralleling the fable from the prologue. I enjoyed reading Kate and Ozzie’s story. I thought the author did an incredible job with detail, especially when it came to the Blasket Islands. Reading those stories made me curious about the realities, and I researched them further; what I found was fascinating. I also liked how the author made the point that there is often another side to people that even those closest cannot see. There is so much truth to that. I definitely recommend this book. For a complete review, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a complimentary digital ARC of this book.
I received a free electronic copy of this novel On August 4, 2019, from Netgalley, J. P. Monninger, and St. Martins Press – Griffin. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest personal opinion of this work. This is a book I will want to read again, by an author I will follow.
Kate Moreton is a member of the teaching staff at Dartmouth working on her dissertation, a close family history of the settlement of the Blasket Islands off the south and west coasts of Ireland, and then the removal of those settlers by the Irish Land Commission in 1953. She has received a scholarship that will allow her to spend a semester in that area, doing research and taking oral histories to add those stories of her father, deceased these last 4 years, and the memories and histories of the enclave of Blasket Islanders who immigrated and settled, along with her family, in the Springfield/Chicopee areas of Massachusetts. She has already a lot of information and feels that a few months on the site will finish her work, and she can move on.
J. P. Monninger takes us to those isles, that isolated part of Ireland, her words providing a clear picture of that area, making real the heartbreak being removed from those islands and that way of life was for her family and others. Kate meets many interesting people on her travels to Dingle Peninsula, the dropping off place for the Islands. Most notably she is touched by ancient Nora Crean and her sidekick Shamus. Not to mention Nora’s grandson Ozzie Ferriter, a fellow American and military veteran who recently served in Afghanistan. Already she is feeling immersed in the lore that is Ireland. From Dingle, she makes her way to the University of Limerick, where she will live in a small apartment and have a free hand at the associated library to work on her research. It is summer, so many of the carrels at the library are not being used, but Kate gets along well with the occasional drop-in and finds herself with growing friendships among the staff at the university. And then she meets again Ozzie and finds herself falling hard, almost against her will, for this troubled man. And as are most who love those deeply damaged by war, she cannot find a way to reach him, help him, even understand him.
But once back home, neither can she forget him. This is an excellent novel with much information and interaction with the refugee problems in Europe and Africa, an exceptional look at what can and cannot be done to help those refugees find asylum, all tied up in an interesting tour of New England Winter and Italy’s involvement in the Syrian crisis. It sounds complicated, but it all folds together through seven letters, to and from various protagonists. This is a special read.
I was totally drawn to this book by the book synopsis. At the start of the book, Kate is an academic who is travelling to Ireland to do some on-site research. She has a connection to family there, and she’s looking for … something. She finds her adventure and more.
When she meets war veteran Ozzie Ferriter, it’s more like a small explosion. Ozzie has some issues of his own. Kate and Ozzie fall for each other and marry but it’s not an easy relationship since they don’t really know each other. When Kate returns to the US, she’s ready to begin a new life, but when her life in Ireland comes calling she will need to resolve all that she left behind there.
Seven Letters is a love story that has it all — a great location, interesting characters and the highs and lows of living a life. It’s told all from Kate’s perspective, and I would have loved to have a little bit of Ozzie’s perspective as well in the story. One aspect of the story I really enjoyed was the descriptions of Ireland and the islands. It made Ireland almost another character in the story and I love it when that happens.
Overall, a satisfying and enjoyable romance.
This is not the normal kind of romance I read, but I admit to mostly enjoying it. Deeply layered and substantial characters, both Kate and Ozzie are, but I cannot say that I liked her much, nor did I feel connected to Ozzie, since his voice wasn’t really present enough for my tastes. I thought the beautiful descriptions of the Irish countryside and all the history helped round out the story, but perhaps the slightly too wordy prose slowed down the pace too much. Still, I did end up finding it interesting and I loved the ending, even though I saw it coming a mile away.
Seven Letters by J. P. Monninger
Story of Irish folklore about an island and man wants to go back to his birthplace and he knows once he touches the ground he will age. On the island they stay the same age. She’d not be able to help hmm return to her if he left….
Each phase of the story comes to light from a letter that is written.
Similar to a movie i watched about aqua-man where his mother is the fairy who leaves…
Love the technology and how it’s used to introduce others who are not tech inclined as to how it works.
She’s on a path to do her doctorate and heads to Ireland and meets many on the way and they come to take her to tie island with a picnic lunch.
The men take her around the island walking and talking about history and how people lived back then.
Interesting: Rock charm and purifying her new space at the university.
Feel as if I’m on a tour of Ireland, so cool that so many details are given.
Kate finds herself attracted to Ozzy, gram’s grandson…
Endless days and weeks on the water, new islands to explore to help with her dissertation and she finds time to spend back at her university apartment.
They live like nomads and decide to just go for it. I was surprised!
Not much time for bicycle girls but others she keeps attracting.
Adult situations. Storm at sea does things to their relationship….
News about her research and tragedy strikes as she had just begun her new life and she heads back to where they met to find out the details….
Her BFF comes to her rescue being with her. Lots of travel and very descriptive details of places to visit…
Miracles do happen and love how the ending comes full circle.
Acknowledgments at the end.
Received this review copy from the St. Martins Press via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
Kate is working on her PhD. She has decided to research the history of the Blasket Islands. She takes a sabbatical and takes off to study in Ireland. She never planned to fall in love.
At first, I did not feel a very strong connection between Kate and Ozzie. Basically because I thought of Ozzie as self centered and self absorbed. And Kate should have never accepted some of his excuses. As a matter of fact, I almost abandoned this tale because I disliked Ozzie so much. However, as their love grows, so does my belief in him.
The scenery and the rich history of the Blasket Islands is what makes this tale. This is a beautifully written story. I bet the movie will be fantastic with the Irish coast as a setting. Nothing like researching a new place!
For me, this story started a little slow. I was not sure where it was going. Kate was a go getter and had an opportunity of a life time. She met Ozzie who was a difficult person for me to like. As the story progressed, I became invested in this couple. They were surrounded by some wonderful characters who helped along the way. When things turned a little dark, my heart was hurting as well. For the last quarter of the book, I was crying on and off, and was so relieved to have a happy ending. I recommend this story.
I received an ARC as a gift, and this is my unsolicited review.
3.5 stars
Seven Letters is beautifully written, and Monninger certainly knows how to paint a scene. It actually felt like more time was spent on the setting than on the love story, or maybe it was that those were some of my favorite parts. The romance was good, not great, but good, but that could be due to a lack of connection with Kate. I just never quite warmed up to her. I’ve seen that this one is headed for the silver screen, so I’m anxious to see how it all translates to film. I’m hoping to find Kate a little easier to like, and I can’t wait for the terrific scenery described. In the end, Seven Letters fell just short of a really good story and landed somewhere in the mid-range for me.
I started this novel with high hopes that were quickly dashed when this novel went from one that piqued my historical and cultural curiosities to one of a passionate, self-absorbed relationship that was hard for me to read. Though it was told from only Kate’s point of view I struggled to connect with either her or Ozzie, especially when I wasn’t allowed to hear his side of the story. The selfishness of the heroine is astounding and the Kate/Ozzie dynamic so nauseating that at about the halfway mark I felt like giving up, but I held out hope that the narrative would improve. For me, it didn’t.
Normally I am a sucker for a good romance but the entire story did not bode well with me. The writing was good but felt choppy at times and I found myself skimming quite a bit, especially the last half, fighting to make it to the end.
In saying that, I fell in love with the imagery and reading about Ireland and the Blasket Islands, and wish the love story wouldn’t have tarnished this enchanting portrayal of a forgotten history. The story does go into an interesting direction, which at first showed promise, but then it quickly went back to being foreseeable.
I really wanted to love this story but sadly it was a huge disappointment for me.
*I have reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from St. Martin’s Griffin through NetGalley. All opinions are completely honest, and my own.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Seven Letters by J.P. Monninger and found it an emotional and amazing book. Kate Moreton take a sabbatical from her teaching so to research in Ireland the women of Blasket Island. In Dingle she meets Ozzie Ferriter, a fisherman and veteran of the American war on Afghanistan. The Ferriter family history is tied to the remote Blasket Islands and Ozzie, a citizen of both the US and Ireland, returned to the one place that might offer him peace from a war he is unable to forget and leave behind. Kate and Ozzie fit together like yin and yang, or two puzzle pieces. They each have so much love for the other, which brings them together; leaving their life in a world of their creation. When Ozzie’s demons drive him to become reckless with his life, and Kate’s, she makes the hardest decision ever; leave Ozzie and return to America instead of watching him self-destruct. When Kate receives word that Ozzie has been lost at sea she reacts as a woman still in love with her husband; searching for clues, evidence, answers to the truth of who Ozzie was. Warning: keep tissues nearby while reading this book.
Mr. Monninger wrote an amazing tale, using words to visualize the beauty of the location and history of the land. Kate and Ozzie were life-like character, sharing a love so strong, that their souls are joined. I highly recommend Seven Letters to other readers.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Je découvre la plume de JP Monninger et j’ai été emportée par le lyrisme et la magie qui se dégagent de sa plume. J’ai été emportée en Irlande pour découvrir cette histoire d’amour atypique aux rebondissements très intéressants.
Kate Moreton est une étudiante érudit qui s’intéresse tout particulièrement aux légendes liées à l’île de Blasket près de Dingle. Dans le cadre d’une thèse sur les récits des femmes dans la littérature féminine, elle va se rendre sur place pour se plonger au coeur même de cette île qui va révéler de nombreuses merveilles. De part ses origines irlandaise, elle va partir à la recherche de ses racines tout en nourrissant son envie de découverte. Dès qu’elle va poser le pied sur les terres irlandaises, elle sent que les choses ne seront plus pareilles. Elle tombe lors d’un laborieux voyage en bus sur deux personnes déterminantes pour son séjour : Nora Crean , qui est un personnage quasi féerique et Seamus son fidèle allié. Ces deux là sont plus qu’adorables et on va adorer les voir interagir avec notre héroïne. Ils seront les porteurs à la fois de la bonne parole mais ils sauront aussi transmettre leur amour de leur pays et de ses légendes. Nora est la grand mère d’Ozzie et elle nous permettra de mieux l’appréhender.
Le roman se divise en trois parties qui correspondent à trois périodes distinctes : dans un premier temps, ce sera la féerie qui va dominer car elle va découvrir des gens merveilleux et des terres éblouissantes puis elle va foncer tête baissée dans une histoire d’amour qui sera transcendante mais aussi éprouvante et enfin , nous aurons la quête pour obtenir des réponses sur une réalité qui est à mille lieux de ce qu’elle pensait . Kate sera toujours bien entourée et elle a ce côté sociable qui lui permettra d’aller au contact des gens et de ressentir de l’empathie pour eux. Elle aura une destinée assez incroyable et ce qu’elle va vivre ne sera pas anodin. Peut on croire aux signes du destin? Saura t-elle trouver sa voie?
Ozzie Ferriter est un personnage que nous aurons du mal à cerner car il ne s’ouvre que très peu sur lui, ses sentiments et son vécu. Nous savons qu’il a vécu l’horreur de la guerre mais en ne s’ouvrant pas sur ce sujet qui l’a forcément marqué. Il met des barrières entre lui et les autres. C’est un pécheur qui vit sur les mers et on sent qu’il y est plus à l’aise que sur la terre ferme avec des gens. Sa rencontre avec Kate sera aussi inattendue que surprenante. Il pourrait dès lors laisser une femme entrer dans sa vie mais cette dernière devra avoir une patience à rude épreuve car il est assez renfermé et s’ouvrir aux autres n’est pas une chose naturelle pour lui. Je ne dirai pas que nous le verrons sous un mauvais jour mais ses démons pourraient bien le faire couler sans promesse de retour.
Bref, j’ai pris plaisir à lire ce roman en VO qui est étonnant , envoûtant car c’est une véritable épopée voire un voyage initiatique que nous découvrons. Les personnages ne sont pas lisses et ce sont leur faille qui nous donne envie d’en savoir plus à leur sujet. L’amour pourra t-il les sauver et sera t-il assez fort pour perdurer ?
Seven Letters by JP Monninger is a modern romance where everything doesn’t exactly work out, which is what makes it different and so good. For some reason I connected to this book and can’t rave about it too much. The letters are not connected at all. The first brings Kate to Ireland to research the inhabitants and history of the Blasket Islands on the coast. She is planning to write her dissertation based on her research there and on collected oral histories of immigrants in Massachusetts. As she travels she meets a variety of people, growing to love Ireland and its inhabitants. Especially one. Kate and Ozzie fall in love quickly. They marry. For their honeymoon they sail in Ozzie’s boat around Ireland where the mistake they have made with one another quickly becomes clear to Kate and she leaves. She does write a wonderful dissertation, which is subsequently turned into a book, which sells well. Years later she gets a call from Ozzie’s grandmother. It seems he had taken his boat to the Mediterranean where he was transporting migrants. There was a storm. He went down and never came back up. She rushes to Ireland to comfort her friend and discovers that, as his wife, everything Ozzie owns has come to her. She gets to know her husband all over again.
Kate is a wonderful character. She is young and idealistic but grows and changes throughout the story. Losing Ozzie, but then getting to know the mane her had been, the one she had never seen, nearly breaks her heart. She is strong and courageous and moves forward to continue his work. Ozzie is a damaged man, mainly, but not entirely, from his experiences at war. He is not a great communicator, which is what breaks up his marriage. This is a romance for the ages. It is about two people who met at the wrong times in their lives. It is scalding, heartbreaking, and inspirational. I recommend it with my whole heart.
I received a free ARC of Seven Letters from Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations herein are solely my own. #netgalley #sevenletters
This is a story that tugs at the heartstrings. Katie is on a working vacation in Scotland. She is a little lost and is trying to do research for a book. She is focused and determined to succeed in her career. On the journey there she meets Nora who introduces her to her grandson Ozzie. Ozzie is an Afghanistan veteran suffering the effects of all the evil he saw and participated in. He feels guilty and covers it by drinking. After a rocky start the two get married and start their life together. Things do not go well and while they are separated Ozzie is presumed dead at sea. The story looks at the regrets you can live with when you don’t take the time to get to know the person you love. Katie goes on a journey to try and find Ozzie and discover who he truly was. It also leads to self discovery and back to each other.
Beautifully written romance story – and I am not a big fan of romances. The story itself did not grab me but I did enjoy the beautiful descriptions of Ireland and its Blasket Islands. While reading the descriptions I just had to do an image search online to see it for myself.
Kate Moreton goes to Ireland on sabbatical from Dartmouth College. As soon as she arrives in Ireland she meets Ozzie Ferriter, a fisherman and a veteran of the American war in Afghanistan. There are immediate sparks between them and before you know it they are married. Pretty much the entire first half of the book (or more) is focused on descriptions of the islands and the romance between Ozzie and Kate. I loved the descriptions but was bored with the romance.
It picks up a bit in the second half but is still very much focused on the romance. Overall I felt the story was just not very realistic. I guess that is part of why I do not care for romances. There was nothing about their relationship that had any depth to it. Ozzie had demons from the war he was trying to run from and I wish there had been more focus on that earlier in the book. His PTSD did not feel real; it was more of a device used to move the story along rather than showing a couple facing the effect of PTSD in a relationship. And the portion at the end set in Canada was just way too contrived for me.
I do not want to spoil the latter part of the book for you so will say as little as possible. Throughout the book Kate makes several very significant impulsive (and poor) decisions. She will come to realize that she didn’t fully know the man she married and flees back to the US without a final goodbye to her husband. Kate will now need to decide if she loves Ozzie enough to deal with his sometimes reckless behavior and the demons he harbors. The book is written entirely from Kate’s perspective. I think it might have been much more interesting if we had been allowed into Ozzie’s head from time to time. There were also some minor characters that I would have loved to have more of a role in the book. All the characters seemed to be there only to further the Ozzie and Kate storyline.
4.75 Stars!!
A number of years ago I randomly picked up a book called Whippoorwill and started reading while waiting for a friend. That friend’s appearance was the only reason I set it down. I had been immediately drawn into the fabulous writing and since then, I’ve made it a habit to read each new release by this author. I haven’t been disappointed yet.
After reading the blurb, I knew that I was going to fall in love with Seven Letters, but I hadn’t realized how much. I was taken in by the beautiful prose, creative imagery, and evocative storytelling. This had all the makings of fantastic women’s fiction, but then strengthened by the passionate romance between Ozzie and Kate. I was caught up in their whirlwind as much as they were and then equally devastated, elated, heartbroken, and healed. So many emotions. There was a point in the book just after 80% where the pacing slowed with some extraneous and unnecessary information, but it picked back up quickly and moved right along to a powerful and rewarding ending. It was almost not worth mentioning, since it was another fabulous story by this author, regardless. I’m still determined to read this author’s back list, but until then, I will look forward to every new release.