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Colors #2
The Greenest Isle
When Siobhán Murray gets a call from a neighbor saying her estranged father, Patrick, has been admitted to a hospital after a serious heart attack, she’s desperate to get to Ireland. Her girlfriend, Annie Slocum, books the first possible flight to Dublin for both of them.
Despite their difficult relationship, Siobhán wants to help her father, so she and Annie move in with him during his recovery. Although Annie loves Siobhán and Ireland, and wants to be supportive, she feels out of place and disconnected from Siobhán.
Patrick hasn’t been the same since his wife’s death fifteen years ago, and it takes time and patience for Siobhán and him to work through their issues.
Things slowly begin to improve as Annie figures out a way to expand her Boston-based blog to include some Irish content, and Siobhán’s spark of creativity re-ignites after lying dormant for more than a year.
But there’s one more hurdle they must overcome, and that decision will shape their entire future.
Despite their difficult relationship, Siobhán wants to help her father, so she and Annie move in with him during his recovery. Although Annie loves Siobhán and Ireland, and wants to be supportive, she feels out of place and disconnected from Siobhán.
Patrick hasn’t been the same since his wife’s death fifteen years ago, and it takes time and patience for Siobhán and him to work through their issues.
Things slowly begin to improve as Annie figures out a way to expand her Boston-based blog to include some Irish content, and Siobhán’s spark of creativity re-ignites after lying dormant for more than a year.
But there’s one more hurdle they must overcome, and that decision will shape their entire future.
- GenresFemme Femme
237 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 19, 2019
About the author
Brigham Vaughn
62 books527 followersBrigham Vaughn is on the adventure of a lifetime as a full-time writer. She devours books at an alarming rate and hasn’t let her short arms and long torso stop her from doing yoga. She makes a killer key lime pie, hates green peppers, and loves wine tasting tours. A collector of vintage Nancy Drew books and green glassware, she enjoys poking around in antique shops and refinishing thrift store furniture. An avid photographer, she dreams of traveling the world and she can’t wait to discover everything else life has to offer her.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 20, 2019
As you start the first chapter of The Greenest Isle, the second book in the Colors series by Brigham Vaughn, it becomes clear that all is not well between our couple Siobhán and Annie. Where Annie’s business is soaring, Siobhán seems to have lost her spark in her art as well as in the bedroom. Annie is at a loss about what do about this shift in their relationship.
Then disaster strikes when Siobhán’s dad suffers a serious heart attack and they fly post haste to Dublin, Ireland. They stay with Siobhán’s old friend Sorcha and as they settle in their routine there with Siobhán spending a lot time with her dad in hospital and Annie working on her blog, Annie feels their relationship deteriorate further.
They relocate to Bray, Siobhán’s ancestral home after her father gets out of hospital. Annie reworks her blog so that she can write about Ireland for the duration of their stay and putting their apartment in Boston up as an Airbnb will generate some income as well. Patrick has changed a lot since his wife’s death and the relationship between him and Siobhán is difficult.
Time moves on and we focus a lot on the beauty of Ireland, Siobhán’s improving relationship with her dad (she even begins to paint again) and Annie’s feeling of mounting frustration. She loves her girlfriend and she loves Ireland but their total lack of intimacy and Siobhán clearly entertaining thoughts about staying have her thrown. Is their love enough for Annie to build a life in Ireland?
While Annie is obviously still on the fence…
I didn’t re-read book one before I started this one, but the slight disconnect I felt with the characters was not only due to that. I get that Siobhán is under a lot of stress and totally absorbed in micromanaging her father, but I also found her a bit of a dick to be honest. Annie mourns their lack of intimacy throughout the book. Where A Brighter Palette was sexy as hell, The Greenest Isle is anything but. I hope the story is enough to sway the reader but I’ve heard some very disappointed grumbling already. I was not convinced with this second offering either, so it’s only three stars from me.
f/f there’s very little of it but what there is is explicit
Themes: tension, estranged dad, Ireland, apparently rent is terrible, Siobhán is struggling, drifting apart, no sex, referendum on marriage equality, Siobhán gets the artistic itch again, still no sex, will she stay or will she go, let’s have sex! It feels we might see a book three.
3 Stars
* A free copy was provided by the author for an honest review.
Then disaster strikes when Siobhán’s dad suffers a serious heart attack and they fly post haste to Dublin, Ireland. They stay with Siobhán’s old friend Sorcha and as they settle in their routine there with Siobhán spending a lot time with her dad in hospital and Annie working on her blog, Annie feels their relationship deteriorate further.
They relocate to Bray, Siobhán’s ancestral home after her father gets out of hospital. Annie reworks her blog so that she can write about Ireland for the duration of their stay and putting their apartment in Boston up as an Airbnb will generate some income as well. Patrick has changed a lot since his wife’s death and the relationship between him and Siobhán is difficult.
Time moves on and we focus a lot on the beauty of Ireland, Siobhán’s improving relationship with her dad (she even begins to paint again) and Annie’s feeling of mounting frustration. She loves her girlfriend and she loves Ireland but their total lack of intimacy and Siobhán clearly entertaining thoughts about staying have her thrown. Is their love enough for Annie to build a life in Ireland?
While Annie is obviously still on the fence…
I didn’t re-read book one before I started this one, but the slight disconnect I felt with the characters was not only due to that. I get that Siobhán is under a lot of stress and totally absorbed in micromanaging her father, but I also found her a bit of a dick to be honest. Annie mourns their lack of intimacy throughout the book. Where A Brighter Palette was sexy as hell, The Greenest Isle is anything but. I hope the story is enough to sway the reader but I’ve heard some very disappointed grumbling already. I was not convinced with this second offering either, so it’s only three stars from me.
f/f there’s very little of it but what there is is explicit
Themes: tension, estranged dad, Ireland, apparently rent is terrible, Siobhán is struggling, drifting apart, no sex, referendum on marriage equality, Siobhán gets the artistic itch again, still no sex, will she stay or will she go, let’s have sex! It feels we might see a book three.
3 Stars
* A free copy was provided by the author for an honest review.
June 17, 2019
Book 1: Great! Book 2: *record scratch* Nope!
I had honestly given up hope that there would be a second book in the Colors Series. Imagine my surprise when Corrie informed me that not only was book two about to be released but I could get my hands on an ARC as well. I immediately re-read book one and fell in love with it all over again and could hardly wait to start book two.
Let me just get this out of the way first because this will not be a review where I gush about how much I love this book. If you're looking for a guide on what to see and do while in Ireland, then go ahead and read this. The author apparently spent some time there and did not hold back when it came to expressing her love for the country, its history and its people. Which is great, but it's not what I want to read about.
I wanted to read about Annie and Siobhan as they navigate a new dynamic in their relationship now that the tables have turned and Annie's blog has become the main source of their income. Instead I got a story about Annie growing more and more frustrated by Siobhan's emotional outbursts, her isolation in a foreign country and their lack of intimacy. Speaking of intimacy. If you're looking for the level of hotness that book one had, stop looking. You'll only be disappointed.
Their moments together were fairly short and were focused on Patrick's recovery, Siobhan essentially becoming his caretaker and Annie's increasingly demanding blog. Unfortunately the book also suffers from being utterly predictable every step of the way. By the time I finished 75% I was ready to check out completely. I want to say the last part was good but I can't. In fact the last part of the book for me was what totally ruined it.
Major spoilers listed below!
Honestly I can write several more paragraphs worth of grievances but I'm going to leave it at that. I'm still too baffled by the difference between this and the first book. This ends with a disappointing 2* rating.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 20, 2019
I cannot describe how thirsty I'd been for Brigham Vaughn's continuation of Siobhán and Annie's love story. A Brighter Palette, the first book, is an easy favorite to revisit. And once Connie gave me the heads up on an ARC, I was immediately invested.
I'll admit that I have a big preference towards the girl-meets-girl aspect for lesfic, so this was another journey of its own. This journey being the navigation between characters with very strong personal convictions. After a family emergency befalls Siobhán, she and Annie pack up their little couple's nest for Ireland. Are you ready to hear a lot about Ireland? Because it sounds lovely.
Honestly, I'd call a huge portion of this book uncomfortable to read, which gives testament to Vaughn's talent. I could relate to mourning a close family member, the fear of being dropped into an unfamiliar environment, lack of romantic intimacy, meeting exes, jealousy, relationship friction, and loneliness. It felt too real at time. More angst than sexy, for sure.
As for the eventual resolution, I feel...strange.
This could easily pass as the end, but another book may be added to the series. I'd be up for reading more. Or better yet, a new lesbian story. Please, Brigham Vaughn!
☆I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.☆
I'll admit that I have a big preference towards the girl-meets-girl aspect for lesfic, so this was another journey of its own. This journey being the navigation between characters with very strong personal convictions. After a family emergency befalls Siobhán, she and Annie pack up their little couple's nest for Ireland. Are you ready to hear a lot about Ireland? Because it sounds lovely.
Honestly, I'd call a huge portion of this book uncomfortable to read, which gives testament to Vaughn's talent. I could relate to mourning a close family member, the fear of being dropped into an unfamiliar environment, lack of romantic intimacy, meeting exes, jealousy, relationship friction, and loneliness. It felt too real at time. More angst than sexy, for sure.
As for the eventual resolution, I feel...strange.
This could easily pass as the end, but another book may be added to the series. I'd be up for reading more. Or better yet, a new lesbian story. Please, Brigham Vaughn!
☆I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.☆
June 18, 2019
I’m disappointed to say that while I’d enjoyed A Brighter Palette a lot, book 2 didn’t work for me. It felt a bit dull and somewhat repetitive and I couldn’t relate to the characters as much. There were a few good moments, such as the referendum on same-sex marriage, but not enough to hold my attention.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
May 7, 2022
A little subdued compared to Book 1. Siobhan is somewhat a poor reflection of herself in Book 2 vs Book 1. She seemed to have lost her spark and passion in her art which inadvertently flowed over into her relationship with Annie. Their love is still strong but the passion was gone. There is a shift in dynamics where in book 1, Siobhan was the more established one between the 2, career-wise, while Annie was still trying to find her footing. Whereas in Book 2, Annie is now more established with her blog while Siobhan was just lackluster, having lost the spark/passion to paint.
This time around, our 2 MCs, went back to Ireland where Siobhan tries to mend her strained relationship with her father, Patrick, as she nursed him back to health. As she focus more on her father, her relationship with Annie took a toll. You can sense that all is not well between Siobhan and Annie. They are no longer the same passionate couple who used to get all hot with each other. Their relationship was pretty tense in Book 2.
So suffice to say, Book 2, wasn’t what I was expecting. Siobhan frustrates the hell out of me in Book 2. But I do get it though. Relationship can’t be all full of passion, great and dandy all the time. It gets tensed and strained at times and couple will have to get through these issues, talk about them and have them resolved to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Still an Ok read though. High 3s from me.
This time around, our 2 MCs, went back to Ireland where Siobhan tries to mend her strained relationship with her father, Patrick, as she nursed him back to health. As she focus more on her father, her relationship with Annie took a toll. You can sense that all is not well between Siobhan and Annie. They are no longer the same passionate couple who used to get all hot with each other. Their relationship was pretty tense in Book 2.
So suffice to say, Book 2, wasn’t what I was expecting. Siobhan frustrates the hell out of me in Book 2. But I do get it though. Relationship can’t be all full of passion, great and dandy all the time. It gets tensed and strained at times and couple will have to get through these issues, talk about them and have them resolved to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Still an Ok read though. High 3s from me.
July 2, 2019
3.5 Stars This sequel to A Brighter Palette wasn't nearly as good. But still an OK read.
June 19, 2019
The first book of the series was my first book of the author, I liked it very much and I was happy to read book two.
It’s interesting, but doesn’t feel like a sequel. I liked the guided Ireland tour though. The truth is in this book Siobhán’s attitude was getting on my nerves. I liked them very much in A Brighter Palette, their love and dynamics. But in this one I was growing as frustrated as Annie. Too much drama and I felt Siobhán so out of character, which is a pity. I would have enjoyed the last chapter and epilogue if it wasn’t for all the neglect toward Annie almost throughout the whole book. I really like them as a couple, but this time I just couldn’t love them together as did in the first book.
Hope to see them again, but more like they were in the first book.
I don’t want to be harsh, but it’s a bit disappointing, I am giving it 3 stars only because I enjoyed the virtual tour to Ireland.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
It’s interesting, but doesn’t feel like a sequel. I liked the guided Ireland tour though. The truth is in this book Siobhán’s attitude was getting on my nerves. I liked them very much in A Brighter Palette, their love and dynamics. But in this one I was growing as frustrated as Annie. Too much drama and I felt Siobhán so out of character, which is a pity. I would have enjoyed the last chapter and epilogue if it wasn’t for all the neglect toward Annie almost throughout the whole book. I really like them as a couple, but this time I just couldn’t love them together as did in the first book.
Hope to see them again, but more like they were in the first book.
I don’t want to be harsh, but it’s a bit disappointing, I am giving it 3 stars only because I enjoyed the virtual tour to Ireland.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2019
Oh man. I was so excited to return to Annie and Siobhan. They’d taken me on a very entertaining not to mention somewhat emotional journey in A Brighter Palette and I couldn’t wait to see what they had in store for me this time.
When The Greenest Isle starts Annie and Siobhan have been together for over a year, but have had a bit of a reversal of fortune. While Annie’s blog has taken off and is keeping her very busy, Siobhan’s inspiration appears to have vanished, much to her frustration. And, without her art, Siobhan’s sex drive seems to have disappeared too. When Siobhan gets a phone call that her estranged father in Ireland has been admitted to hospital with heart failure, she doesn’t hesitate but decides to go home. Annie doesn’t need much persuading before agreeing to go with her.
Their stay in Dublin turns out to be one with quite a few ups and downs. While Annie loves visiting Ireland for a second time and soon decides that she can use her time in Ireland to expand her blog, she isn’t there as a tourist this time. And since Irish society is foreign to her, she feels like the odd one out more than once. The fact that Siobhan seems to focus solely on her father, to the point where Annie may well be right to feel neglected, doesn’t help things either.
Not that I could blame Siobhan. Being estranged from your one surviving parent is tough at the best of times. Now that she’s come face to face with the possibility that her father dies before they can mend the rift between them, it is hardly surprising her focus shifts from her healthy partner to her sick father. And because Siobhan is incapable of doing anything by halves, she throws herself into her father’s recovery, with little regard for the rest of the world, including Annie. Which of course means that Annie becomes ever more insecure and frustrated. The two ‘girls’ once again face an uphill struggle to keep their relationship going. While Siobhan starts to blossom in her old surroundings once her father’s on the mend, Annie feels out of place; not quite a tourist but not belonging either. It’s only when Annie makes a few connections of her own the path ahead becomes clearer.
And that is one of the things I truly love about these books. These two characters are real, as is their struggle and the way they react to what life throws their way. Neither Siobhan nor Annie is perfect. Both of them make mistakes and maybe focus on their own needs and wants a bit more than on the other person’s. While that certainly lead to me wanting to give both of them a good shake once or twice, it also meant that they came to life in my head, as if I personally knew them.
While Annie and Siobhan are the main characters in this story, it is safe to say that Ireland is a very important secondary character. I’m in awe at how well Brigham Vaughn managed to describe places I know personally and very well, just as it was delightful to see them through American eyes. And, while I’m on the subject of secondary characters, this book comes with a host of fascinating personalities, all of whom I’d love to spend more time with.
Since this is a Brigham Vaughn book it goes without saying that it is very well written. This author obviously chooses her words with care and manages to paint pretty and crystal-clear images with them.
A Brighter Palette told the story of two women finding each other and carving out a relationship despite obstacles. The Greenest Isle tells the story of how a relationship develops after the first rush of falling in love has subsided and real life starts throwing real obstacles in the way. Both stories are as realistic as they are fascinating, and I can only hope we’ll get to visit this world and these characters again in the future.
Long story short: This enthralling story about love and loyalty, about going back and finding home, stole my heart.
June 22, 2019
I'm embarrassed to admit that I had no idea how close Brigham Vaughn was to releasing The Greenest Isle, her sequel to A Brighter Palette. Once I saw it was out(and luckily for me it was on release day that it came to my attention) I went and 1-clicked it and set down to read almost immediately. I wish I could say I read it in one sitting but life gets in the way and I was interrupted. HOWEVER, it kept pulling me back every free minute I found and though reading books like that isn't my way-of-choice I couldn't help it, I just couldn't wait till I had a free half hour. So at times it was a bit "choppy" for me but that was down to my only reading a couple pages at time occasionally and not the author's writing style.
I want to start off by saying for those looking for full-on heat and lots of it might be a bit disappointed. Don't get me wrong what's there is definitely WOW! but there isn't an overabundance of heat-ness but that's okay. For me, sometimes a story is even better written that way, as the saying goes "less is more" and in the case of Annie and Siobhan I found it to be just right. Considering everything that is being dealt with its understandable that Siobhan's passionate side has cooled a bit.
As someone who has been the primary 24/7 caregiver to a parent for the better part of the past 25 years, I completely understand how it can change a person's life as well as those close to them and I didn't have to travel to another country on top of it. Perhaps it is my role as my mother's caregiver that helped me bond with Siobhan and not so much with Annie in regards to her feeling, well I hate to use the term neglected but left out or shut out at times. Caregiving is a 24/7 job, it is all consuming and when you have the kind of focus that Siobhan has its completely understandable how she puts everything into helping her dad. Just because I relate more to Siobhan in The Greenest Isle doesn't mean I don't sympathize at times with Annie, after all her life has been flipped on its side, I just bonded more to Siobhan.
Watching these two navigate this newest leg of their journey is a real treat that isn't always easy. Caregiving is often used in fiction but more times than not its in small doses and not as life-changing or life-altering as Brigham Vaughn has done in Greenest, the whole moving to Ireland bit isn't exactly an everyday scenario. You can tell when an author has some degree of personal experience with caregiving because Miss Vaughn has tackled it and then managed to balance it with the ongoing romantic relationship that doesn't come from just research. As a caregiver, that part of the story is greatly appreciated.
Now you might think because I concentrated so much on Siobhan's caring for her dad that that is all the story is about but its not, there is so much more to Greenest its just that element really stuck with me. I don't think HEA is ever 100% guaranteed in life and that no matter how happy a couple is there is always work needed to be put into the relationship. This is one of those hurdles that requires patience and determination to further their HEA and Brigham Vaughn balances it all absolutely perfectly with realism that made The Greenest Isle a reading pleasure. If you loved A Brighter Palette than you'll enjoy this as well and if you haven't read Brighter yet, now is the perfect time to jump in.
I want to start off by saying for those looking for full-on heat and lots of it might be a bit disappointed. Don't get me wrong what's there is definitely WOW! but there isn't an overabundance of heat-ness but that's okay. For me, sometimes a story is even better written that way, as the saying goes "less is more" and in the case of Annie and Siobhan I found it to be just right. Considering everything that is being dealt with its understandable that Siobhan's passionate side has cooled a bit.
As someone who has been the primary 24/7 caregiver to a parent for the better part of the past 25 years, I completely understand how it can change a person's life as well as those close to them and I didn't have to travel to another country on top of it. Perhaps it is my role as my mother's caregiver that helped me bond with Siobhan and not so much with Annie in regards to her feeling, well I hate to use the term neglected but left out or shut out at times. Caregiving is a 24/7 job, it is all consuming and when you have the kind of focus that Siobhan has its completely understandable how she puts everything into helping her dad. Just because I relate more to Siobhan in The Greenest Isle doesn't mean I don't sympathize at times with Annie, after all her life has been flipped on its side, I just bonded more to Siobhan.
Watching these two navigate this newest leg of their journey is a real treat that isn't always easy. Caregiving is often used in fiction but more times than not its in small doses and not as life-changing or life-altering as Brigham Vaughn has done in Greenest, the whole moving to Ireland bit isn't exactly an everyday scenario. You can tell when an author has some degree of personal experience with caregiving because Miss Vaughn has tackled it and then managed to balance it with the ongoing romantic relationship that doesn't come from just research. As a caregiver, that part of the story is greatly appreciated.
Now you might think because I concentrated so much on Siobhan's caring for her dad that that is all the story is about but its not, there is so much more to Greenest its just that element really stuck with me. I don't think HEA is ever 100% guaranteed in life and that no matter how happy a couple is there is always work needed to be put into the relationship. This is one of those hurdles that requires patience and determination to further their HEA and Brigham Vaughn balances it all absolutely perfectly with realism that made The Greenest Isle a reading pleasure. If you loved A Brighter Palette than you'll enjoy this as well and if you haven't read Brighter yet, now is the perfect time to jump in.
June 19, 2019
We continue Annie and Siobhan's story and delve deeper into their relationship. Annie's blog has taken off, but Siobhan seems to have lost her artistic spark leaving Annie feeling guilty and floundering on how to help. Things become drastic when Siobhan's father has a health scare and they rush to Ireland to get him through this rough time. Their relationship has been strained for years. With Siobhan feeling the stress of helping her father recuperate, Annie is feeling quite helpless and doesn't quite know where she fits in. Their relationship is being pulled at from all sides, and soon jealousy rears it's ugly head and tempers flare. Siobhan throws a monkey wrench in the works and asks Annie to consider a life-changing event in a completely bone-headed way. They eventually get help from friends to realize that they deal with things differently and make a unified decision that ends in a HEA.
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