A cute series about life as a general practitioner in the Northern Ireland countryside in 1964.
The village is full of quirky characters.

But to be honest, what Barry sees in Patricia, I just don't get. He's such a moonstruck puppy around her and she's just a drip. If he could dump her, these books would be much more interesting.

I really enjoy the narrator of the audiobooks.

While I enjoyed this book, I didn't love it for a couple of reasons: too many characters, too much medical terminology, too many colloquialisms (There's a glossary at the end that I found too late...). However, it was a nice story and an easy read.

"Experience is a wonderful thing. It lets you recognize the same mistake when you make it again...and again until one day you stop making that bloomer." (353)

Apparently there are a couple of other books in the series and I've marked the Christmas one as a "to read."

Not quite as engaging as the first book, but pleasant nonetheless. I do look forward to reading the next one, however. In this story, Dr. Laverty must repair his reputation among the villagers after a former patient dies. He still has faithful followers, though, so it's not so bleak as it seems. I love the great banter between the doctors and Kinky. The village and the people living in it are delightfully flawed and humorous in their antics. A comforting read.

This book is very silly, but I found that in spite of myself I enjoyed reading about Ballybucklebo and Dr. O'Reilly and Dr. Laverty. Afraid I may read the whole series.

This series of books is my comfort food. Everything will work out, as you know it should, but the gentle humor, the warmth of the townsfolk, the not-as-backwards-as-they-seem sayings and customs that drive the many subplots. There's little to dislike about these books.

'An Irish Country Village' builds on the struggles and initially awkward relationships from the previous book, 'An Irish Country Doctor,' itself (at first glance) an MD version of James Herriott's veterinary 'All Creatures...' books, but for obvious reasons, it offers the reader far more to empathize with through the human (and even some canine) characters. These will be books I can read every few years and cherish.

Really enjoyed this second trip to Ballybucklebo. The way Patrick Taylor weaves together the stories of a terrifically lovable ensemble of characters is impressive and natural. I really appreciate his pacing and ability to keep the story moving and the reader engaged, while still inserting details of Irish life, language, food, and landscape.

The only beef I had with the book is a technicality. There is a scene where a "very old record" of Nessun Dorma sung by Enrico Caruso is being played. Unfortunately it was published 5 years after Caruso's death in 1921. Very sad—I would really love to have heard a recording of him singing it...

It was Ok... if a bit chick-lit-ish.

I thought the first book in the series was good, slow paced and relaxing to read. This one reads the same, but I don't think I'll be reading any of the others. In many scenes, the author spent too much time talking about how the women looked and what this or that man thought about this or that aspect of her appearance. It read as disrespectful, and I found that it detracted from the story and characters. (And it made the book a little boring.) Maybe it's just the era, but pretty legs do not an engaging story make.

Almost as lovely as a Maeve Binchy book...northern Ireland, instead of Binchy's southern though, and lots more doctoring than just the varied story telling so signature of Binchy. The pace is slow and peaceful, like a Binchy novel, giving the few main characters lots of time to develop and share their stories. I'm eager to begin the third installment of this series...like sitting down to an afternoon cup of tea with a close friend.