 Orchid Bay: Book 1
Publication Date: October 2, 2025
The young woman gazes at the Irish sea for the final time, a careful hand on her stomach. She will do anything to keep her unborn daughter safe, even if it means leaving this gorgeous house forever…
Becky gazes at the name of the village in her mother’s will: Orchid Bay, Ireland. It sounds like a magical place, so why did she never mention she owned a house there? Desperate to feel close to her mother again, Becky decides to escape her life in New York and travel to the wild Irish coast with her teenage daughter, Jen.
When she arrives, she finds peeling paint and a garden overgrown with wildflowers. Becky knows her mother would have wanted her to breathe new life into this house by the sea. And when local chef Ben, with his warm grey eyes, lilting Irish accent and kind smile, volunteers to help, they begin to renovate the house. And as they work together, Becky feels her heart slowly mending…
But before she can imagine a new life in the place that has captured her heart, Becky finds an old envelope lodged behind a painting. In the crinkled pages, she learns about doomed romances by the Irish sea and a pregnant daughter who was driven from the town in shame. Becky’s heart breaks as she thinks of her own daughter. But could this tragic love story explain why her mother kept this house a secret?
When Becky finally uncovers the connection between the letter and her family, it devastates her. Will the truth tear apart the happiness she has found? Or will she and her daughter finally be able to make a home with a new community here in this beautiful place?
An utterly emotional and page-turning read bursting with Irish magic, perfect for fans of Susanne O’Leary, Cathy Kelly and Mary Alice Monroe.
The sudden death of her mother sends Becky and her teen daughter across the globe to Ireland, where they claim an unexpected inheritance.
Author Ann O’Loughlin delivers a story full of family secrets in A Secret Daughter from Ireland.
Coolnamona House offers a new beginning, but beneath all the dust and disrepair lies a secret that will change everything. The community comes to life through the neighbors, even with a hint of romance.
The past unfolds through letters Becky discovers, providing insight into the former owner, Regina Reilly. Although deceased, she maintains a significant presence.
Including an element of danger seemed surprising in light of everything else happening within the story. However, it does tie up some loose ends regarding Becky’s actions.
A Secret Daughter from Ireland highlights how secrets from the past can alter the future.
Ann is the Irish author of five novels and has been translated into eleven languages. Her first novel The Ballroom Café was also an ebook bestseller and in the top 20 bestselling books of 2015 on Amazon UK. Ann loves to write and often gets up at 5am to get the words down, before starting her other job of writing as a news reporter. A leading journalist in Ireland, Ann has covered all major news events in a long career with Independent Newspapers, Ireland. She is now a senior journalist with the Irish Examiner specialising in legal issues. Ann has also lived in India. Originally from the west of Ireland she now lives on the east coast with her husband and family.
