From Booklist
Noreen and Oliver Flynn's wedding is a big event in the small town of Kilronan outside Dublin, Ireland. Noreen left her successful career as a nurse in London to take care of her dying mother, and consequently met Oliver, a successful builder. Both were lonely, and Noreen, a take-charge kind of woman, asked Oliver to marry her, leaving her uncertain if he would ever have asked her. Cousins Lorna and Heather envy the pageantry of the wedding, and embark on a new life of their own in Dublin. Lorna loves city life, but Heather misses their small town, and problems develop in each of their lives as their expectations are not met. Readers will form an attachment to all of Scanlan's extraordinarily believable characters, making this an exquisite gem of a novel about human foibles and happiness. Scanlan should have wide and increasing appeal as word gets out about her books. Patty Engelmann
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Review
"Dublin author (and former librarian) Scanlan (Francesca's Party) has written another winner. Reminiscent of Maeve Binchy's Circle of Friends . . . [t]he reader is plopped into the middle of an Irish soap opera . . . [and] will want to read nonstop. In her usual style, Scanlan contrasts big-city life with village life and takes her heroines' disastrous situations and turns them into opportunities for growth. Highly recommended"
--Library Journal

"Readers will form an attachment to all of Scanlan's extraordinarily believable characters, making this an exquisite gem of a novel abotu human foibles and happiness. Scanlan should have wide and increasing appeal as word gets out about her books. (YA: Teens will relate to Heather's desire for independence while maintaining her attachment to her home and family.)"
--Booklist

"[A]n interesting character study . . . readers who value a slice of contemporary life will gain plenty of joy reading Patricia Scanlan's fine tale."
--Midwest Book Review

"Patricia Scanlan proves herself worthy of comparison to Maeve Binchy, queen of Irish fiction. Both women are earthy, entertaining and use description and characterization to perfection. The seductive appeal of this author lies in her distinctive Irish voice, the lyrical vernacular of Ireland, the artful use of rhetorical devices in her descriptions, and characters that are at once believable and entertaining. Two for Joy is a perfect summer read."
--Tulsa World (Tulsa, Oklahoma)



Review
Praise for Patricia Scanlan and Francesca's Party

"The dialogue is crisp and intelligent, and there are plenty of amusing scenes . . . that will have readers cheering. Scanlan shows that living well is indeed the best revenge."
--Publishers Weekly

"Maeve Binchy is going to have a serious challenger as the Queen of Irish fiction."
--Dublin Evening Press (UK)

"[With] seven bestsellers, Patricia Scanlan is a brand name . . . . Poignant, entertaining, and believable. . . what distinguishes this particular offering is Patricia Scanlan's capacity to make the ordinary extraordinary."
--Irish Independent (UK)

"Scanlan's writing is perfectly pitched, seductively familiar, easy . . . . her fans will love this book."
--Irish Times (UK)



Book Description
Oliver Flynn's wedding is the social event of the year, and the creme de la creme of Kilronan are happy to boast of being invited.

Noreen, his new wife, has finally outclassed her two sisters, who think they are better than her in every way. Not any more! But there is one nagging doubt: does Oliver really love her? Would he have married her if she hadn't done the proposing herself?

Cora Flynn, Oliver's bitter mother, has boycotted the wedding. She is determined that her detested new daughter-in-law will not become the number one woman in her son's life.

Wedding guest Lorna Morgan can't wait to shake the dust of Kilronan off her shoes. She's destined for bright city lights, unlike her stick-in-the-mud cousin, Heather Williams, who was only invited to the 'afters' with her clodhopper boyfriend, Neil. But then, in Lorna's eyes, Heather's just an 'afters' sort of person and always will be.

But worms turn, and what a difference a year makes. In Dublin, London and New York there is no respite for Noreen, Lorna or Heather. Only in Kilronan can the Pandora's box that was opened at Oliver Flynn's wedding finally be closed.



About the Author
Patricia Scanlan was born in Dublin, where she still lives. She worked as a librarian and now has a career as a full-time writer. Two for Joy follows Francesca's Party as her second novel to be published by St. Martin's Press.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Oliver Flynn's wedding is the social event of the year, and the creme de la creme of Kilronan are happy to boast of being invited.

Noreen, his new wife, has finally outclassed her two sisters, who think they are better than her in every way. Not any more! But there is one nagging doubt: does Oliver really love her? Would he have married her if she hadn't done the proposing herself?

Cora Flynn, Oliver's bitter mother, has boycotted the wedding. She is determined that her detested new daughter-in-law will not become the number one woman in her son's life.

Wedding guest Lorna Morgan can't wait to shake the dust of Kilronan off her shoes. She's destined for bright city lights, unlike her stick-in-the-mud cousin, Heather Williams, who was only invited to the 'afters' with her clodhopper boyfriend, Neil. But then, in Lorna's eyes, Heather's just an 'afters' sort of person and always will be.

But worms turn, and what a difference a year makes. In Dublin, London and New York there is no respite for Noreen, Lorna or Heather. Only in Kilronan can the Pandora's box that was opened at Oliver Flynn's wedding finally be closed.

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal