"The Tour" focuses on a week in the life of Conor O'Shea, a tour guide and bus driver who provides high-end tours of Ireland for American visitors. His guests are a varied group of people from all walks of life, some I liked, others not so much but most were cliche.

The novel was a wholesome, character-driven story and while I enjoyed the descriptions of Ireland, I wished there were more. Unfortunately, I found some of the scenarios implausible. Still, Conor was a charming protagonist and, having just discovered that this is the first in a series, I will happily go on another tour with him. ( )

Can't help loving the characters despite some plots are rather unrealistic. A nice heartwarming story overall. ( )

good book

Conor O’Shea is a driver of a Mercedes coach bus and tour guide in Ireland. Conor takes pleasure in driving small groups of tourists sharing an array of locations possible with a smaller coach. Tourists are amazed by his commentary sharing information about each location and in-between his love of the landscape, and enables everyone to appreciate the history and politics of his country. With 20 years of experience Conor is an asset to his tour operator, staff at all accommodations, and especially to his groups. He is easily available for questions and company in the off hours as well. Conor is a natural listener and makes needed changes effortlessly and quietly. He once drove larger 52-seat coaches but is delighted his current tour operator only permits up to 10 individuals in the group. In the current tour, there is a diverse group of 9 individuals but with this group Conor will experience a week unlike any other.

Although this novel could’ve been written by an author that previously enjoyed smaller coach tours and/or travel in Ireland, I was not surprised to learn of the author’s work history as a tour guide prior to becoming a novelist. Jean Grainger writes with sincerity and genuineness that shines through each chapter. Her personal experiences and love of her country give richness to the setting, descriptions, and the different experiences and dialogue of the characters in the group individually and collectively that is compelling.

I can’t wait to take another "tour" in this series. ( )

A tour of Ireland brings together some interesting people. The individual stories about each person are fun to read. Their lives all entangle in different ways. This book is delightful, albeit a bit predictable. I grew to like all of the characters, or most of them, at least. The bus driver is charming in every way, and he has his own story also. Some of the situations are a little too-good-to-be-true, but it works. This is the first in a series of 6 books. Visit the author's website to see all that she has written. ( )