Part of Irish Country, book 10
First published 2017
Surgeon-lieutenant Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly trains at a British naval hospital, preparing to return to HMS Warspite as the ship's doctor. He dreams of marrying Deirdre after the war, but German bombers make their future uncertain. At sea, Fingal treats wounded sailors while dodging enemy fire. The story shifts between his wartime service and his later life as a village doctor in Ballybucklebo. Years after the conflict ends, O'Reilly tends to patients alongside his partner Barry Laverty. They handle a complicated pregnancy and confront an old colleague who refuses treatment for his serious illness. Despite finding peace in rural practice, O'Reilly struggles with memories from his naval days. The war shaped him, but so did his love for Deirdre and his commitment to healing others. Patrick Taylor moves between these two periods of O'Reilly's life, showing how duty and devotion define both eras.
Genres: romance, historical-fiction, medical, 20th-century, adventure, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Ballybucklebo, HMS Warspite
Period: World War II, Post-War
640 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Forge Books