I have been promising the author a review for this book for quite awhile now and for that I apologize. With that said Five Days on Ballyboy Beach is about a group of friends who congegrate at the beach for their get together camping trip. The protagonist is Derek, who is reputed to be a lady's man. He currently has a girlfriend who he wants to break up with because he is attracted to another woman. He has always liked her but never acted on it.

The days on Ballyboy beach are filled with surfing, relaxing, eating and drinking at the local pubs. Of course Derek does a lot of inner contemplating about his situation. There are secrets to be had, some come out in the open and some don't. Everyone basically gets along with each other so everyone seems to have a great time. There is a lot of discussions regarding destiny, their current jobs/school, are they happy with what they are doing, how do they see their future pan out, all the things that 20 something adults focus on at one time or other. The story takes an unexpected turn when tragedy strikes and puts into perspective just how fragile life really is.

I enjoyed this book and thought the author did a fine job in fleshing out the characters. Plus the fact that the story took place in Ireland made the book interesting for me. ( )

While reading this book I felt I could have actually been in Ireland on holiday with the five friends in the story. The author’s ability to graphically create with words pictures provided an intimacy not often found in books. I could see the nesting birds, feel the salt of the ocean, feel the thirst for water while hiking, smell the food, see the colors of flora and fauna, and experienced the emotions as they occurred. This is more than a romance and more than a story of a camping trip at the beach. It is a reminiscence of a time in life that dealt with friendship, love, betrayal and loss. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more of this author’s work. ( )