Summer at the Garden Cafe: A Novel of Summer Romance and Family Drama in Ireland (Finfarran Peninsula Book 2)

The second book in Felicity Hayes-McCoy's Finfarran Peninsula series, following The Library at the Edge of the World, centers on secrets held by four generations of Irish women and the role of books, love, and friendship in healing. The Garden Café, located next to Lissbeg library, is a gathering place where people share plans and confidences over tea and sandwiches. Jazz, the twenty-one-year-old daughter of librarian Hanna Casey, works at The Old Forge guesthouse while recovering from a car accident. Struggling with her father's revelation of a long-term affair, Jazz develops feelings for someone unavailable. Meanwhile, Hanna pursues a relationship with architect Brian Morton, unaware of Jazz's difficulties. When Hanna's ex-husband Malcolm reappears seeking reconciliation with their daughter and is rejected, his mother Louisa devises a plan with Hanna's mother, Mary Casey. As Jazz's distress becomes apparent, Hanna questions whether secrets Malcolm forced her to keep have damaged their daughter. Her discovery of a journal buried in land inherited from her great-aunt Maggie reveals that the Casey women have long harbored secrets. The experiences of four generations of women ultimately provide a path forward for the family.