Fiction• Romance

Review: When in Dublin by Tracy Avery

May 20, 2026

Synopsis:

Jessie Dunhour has a checklist for her life and a plan for everything. At almost twenty-eight, she’s mostly on her dream promotion within reach, a house under contract and the chance to finally prove that hard work and staying the course pays off. Sure, her relationship timeline hasn’t unfolded the way she expected, but that’s something she’ll figure out once her career is firmly in place.

There’s just one complication. The path to promotion comes with a mandatory year-long relocation to Dublin, Ireland. Jessie doesn’t even have a passport, let alone a desire to upend her carefully curated life.

Thrown into a world of brightly colored Georgian doors, relentless rain and coworkers who actually take lunch breaks, Jessie struggles to find her footing—until she meets Aidan. Charming, spontaneous and well-travelled, he is everything she isn’t. As her assignment ticks away, he pulls her further from her comfort zone and into a life she never one filled with adventure and a future that doesn’t fit neatly into a spreadsheet.

But when her time abroad runs out, Jessie faces the most important choice of her life—return to the path she always planned, or take a chance on the one she never saw coming?

Review:

Jessie is someone who has her life carefully planned out. She focuses on building a career, having a stable job, owning a home, and being in a relationship. It feels more like a checklist than truly living her life. She seems like someone who does not like change very much, which is something I can understand and relate to. But when things do not go exactly as planned, she is forced to make a decision that will change everything.

Moving to another country – even if only for a while – is not easy. It is often shown as something exciting and simple, but in reality, it can be very hard. A new place, a new job, new people, and making friends all take time. It does not happen overnight, and Jessie learns this very quickly. It makes her question whether she made the right choice.

This book is about taking chances and dealing with change. Change can be scary, especially at the beginning. Jessie has to learn how to stand up for herself, speak up, and trust that she will figure things out along the way. It also shows that not every decision has to be final. Sometimes things are just steps that help you grow and learn.
I was especially interested in this book because I have been spending my holidays in Ireland for the past few years. I would have loved to see more of Ireland in the story (and learn more about it), but that did not make me enjoy it any less. I could relate to Jessie in many ways, especially her feelings of loneliness and not knowing what the future will bring. Showing up every day, even when you feel unsure, is something I really connected with.

Overall, for a debut novel, this was a very good one.

🌙 Recension: When in Dublin by Tracy Avery
📚 Genre: Fiction, Romance
📅 Release Date: May 20, 2026
📖 Publisher: Heuston Press
📗 available in various formats – included in Kindle Unlimited
📱 Read as: Kindle
💸 I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
🗣️ Language: English
📆 Pages: 333
⭐️ 4/5