Tears of the Moon

This story features the second Gallagher, Shawn, who is a musician, composer, cook, and dreamer and Brenna O'Toole. Shawn moved into Faery Cottage,with it's resident ghost, when Jude moved into the main Gallagher residence. Brenna O'Toole is the family friend and has grown up with the Gallaghers. She has always harbored a love for Shawn, and decides to do something about it in her usual pushy way. Their relationship changes drastically, and Carrick, Prince of the Faeries, is actively involved in getting them to resolve their differences into love. Brenna, of course, pushes Shawn too far, but he finally reveals some backbone and everything is worked out at the end.

This is a wonderful, warm and sometimes funny story, with the beauty of Ireland and the Irish lovingly portrayed. I personally liked Jewels of the Sun a little more than this one, as Brenna's character rubbed me wrong, overall the characters were pure Nora Roberts magic.

Well worth the wait! I hope Heart of the Sea comes out soon.


Brilliant second Gallagher book!   July 1, 2000
pontmarie (SF Bay Area)
48 out of 51 found this review helpful

Nora does not disappoint - this is the second story in the Gallagher siblings trilogy, wonderfully begun with Jewels of the Sun.

Here, Shawn Gallagher, the cook for the Gallagher pub, writes songs and idly lives with little thought to the future, or to his lifelong friend Brenna.

Brenna, however, has been giving thought to Shawn for a long time. In fact, she wants more then the friendship they've had all along and lets him know it, much to Shawn's shock.

Carrick, Prince of the Faeries, encourages Shawn in hopes that this romance will make it for the 2 out of 3 that he needs in order to get his own happy ending.

We get to revisit Aidan and Jude from Jewels of the Sun, and Shawn's sister Darcy, who is scheduled for her own romance in Heart of the Sea, the last Gallagher book.

I absolutely loved this book, reading a "sibling" book by Nora is just about the most fun there is. Her characters are well drawn, her heroines strong, her heroes nurturing. She's done it again!


Tears of the Moon   February 25, 2008
Kelly (Littleton, Colorado)
36 out of 36 found this review helpful

Irish Trilogy - Book 2

The second story brings Shawn to find his destiny. After Jude and Aidan marry, he takes up residence in the haunted cottage where continues with his compositions and music. He is perfectly content until fate puts Brenna in his way.

Brenna O'Toole has always loved Shawn, but has never done anything about it. When she decides to stop sitting on the sidelines and take control, she pushes Shawn beyond his limit.

It takes magic and a ghost to get them to resolve their differences, and love each other.





Tears of the Moon   July 4, 2000
29 out of 30 found this review helpful

Once again Nora Roberts has charmed me with her storytelling! The 2nd of a trilogy, "Tears of the Moon" was a wonderful book! I love the way Nora includes some location history. Plus, Shawn and Brenna are brought to life and I felt as if they were real. I read very few romances that make me laugh at loud, and that is the beauty of this book(and the 1st of this trilogy)! There is only one other romance author that does that to me, and that is Jayne Ann Krantz. Brenna and Shawn find each other, but not w/o the help of Lady Gwen and Prince Carrick and the rest of Ardmore. If you have not read Nora Roberts before then you are truly missing out! I finished the book within a day, and am anxiously awaiting the 3rd in the trilogy. It probably helped that after I read the 1st, Jewels of the Sun, my husband and I went to Ireland and stopped in Ardmore for a night so I could indulge myself and see the pub, the round tower, and St Declan's well. Nora was right when she said that there is "magic and music in the air".


The Magic of Ireland   September 15, 2000
Marcia L. Hopkins (Orlando, FL United States)
28 out of 29 found this review helpful

This second book, Tears of the Moon, in Nora Roberts' Irish Trilogy is every bit as wonderful as the first, Jewels of the Sun. The characters, of course, are the same but the focus has shifted to Brenna O'Toole that feisty handy-woman and Shawn Gallagher the dreamer song writer who works at the Gallaghers family-owned pub as the cook. The magical legend of the beautiful ghost that lives in the cottage Shawn now inhabits continues. But Shawn doesn't see her, Brenna does, and she receives a message from this beautiful ghost about Shawn's music. A message she doesn't fully understand. Shawn, however, meets and talks with Carrick, prince of the faeries, who gives him a pearl and some advice that Shawn decides he isn't going to take. When Brenna decides to take matters into her own hands and seduce Shawn, he is completely thrown by this development, even though he discovers his (previously unknown to him) passion for her. Shawn finally recognizes his musical talent and finds someone who is anxious to publish his work. The beautiful descriptions of Ireland in the book make you want to visit this enchanted place and maybe meet a faery there as well. The next, and last, book in the trilogy will focus on Darcy, the Gallagher's independent and beautiful sister. Eagerly awaiting "Heart of the Sea".