I really like this series because they tend to feature strong and smart female protagonists that learn a lot about themselves while traveling and studying abroad. I love that I can share these books with my young teenage cousins and feel good about it. This is another great installment that I will happily pass along to young female readers. This particular installment follows Delk, a young girl trying to escape all of the changes in her life following the death of her mother. She goes to Ireland for a semester and learns just as much about herself as she does about the country. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to any teenage female, particularly one interested in studying abroad or travel. If you're a parent of a teen girl, this is the kind of series I would recommend you give to her. While Twilight might break the ice and get a girl into reading (if she's reluctant in the first place), this is the kind of series you want her to read ultimately. Teen girls should have positive and strong female characters to look up to and emulate and these books almost always deliver that.

Share/Like this Review?

Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

Delk Sinclair can't wait to get as far away from Nashville, Tennessee, as she can. Her mother passed away two years ago, and her father has remarried someone that is only ten years older than she is. And her new stepmother is going to have a baby. On top of that, it's almost time to start presenting to society. Without her mom by her side, the last thing Delk wants to do is go through the frenzy of debutante preparations. So Delk finds herself in Ireland for the S.A.S.S (Students Across the Seven Seas) program at Tremain Castle. Along with twenty-four fellow students, she will be immersed in Irish culture for the semester. Thus, she will avoid everything at home.

Within the first twenty-four hours in Ireland, she befriends Iris, Lucy, Latreece, Trent, Brent, and, most importantly, Pather. Pather is the local farmer's son, and can relate to the loss of a mother. Delk and Pather form an instant connection and their friendship grows.

While in Ireland, Delk learns a lot about herself that she never knew. Slowly, by letting her new friends in, Delk realizes that they like her for who she is. She begins to accept that her father is happy with his new wife. And she acknowledges that Paige isn't trying to replace her mother, but to help her heal.

Ms. Supplee writes a novel that fits the S.A.S.S. series perfectly. A young student wants to leave their own home for some reason. And while on their own in a foreign country, they will come to learn much about themselves.

WHEN IRISH GUYS ARE SMILING is a sweet addition to the series. Ms. Supplee paints a beautiful portrait of the lush landscape that is Ireland. The setting is realistic with the damp cold that the country can be known for. And the reader can get a taste of the drafty castle when the fire goes out. But even with the dreary weather, the reader falls in love with the Emerald Isle and becomes envious of what Delk gets to experience.

Share/Like this Review?