Angel Light

An insubstantial piece of lilting romantic Irish-travelogue fluff from Fr. Greeley (Irish Gold, 1994, etc.), in which an amiable American visits the Enchanted Isle to woo a fiery lass - and collect a cool $10 million. Twenty-five-year-old Toby Tobin, known to his distant Irish-Catholic relations as "Paddy," a nerd and computer geek, has little desire to face a wealthy dead relative's edict that he both capture the heart of his ravishing eighth cousin, Sara Anne, and end a century's worth of Tobin family feuding. While netsurfing for plane tickets, however, Toby connects with Raphaela, his celestial travel agent and - yes - guardian angel. Through Rae's almost constant interventions, Toby flies first class, always seems to have a new suit at the ready, thwarts Irish uglies and well-armed terrorists, and discovers in himself a silky charm with both Sara Anne and her people that he previously felt he lacked. With the magical Irish landscape as a backdrop, matters of the heart proceed swimmingly (Greeley's recurrent breast fixation finds expression in endlessly salacious descriptions of Sara Anne's bikinis). Toby and Sara Anne boat, golf, eat, romp, and kiss aplenty, so much so that one waits and waits for the wheels to come off. They do, sort of, but Sara Anne's so-called emotional problems pose fewer threats than her drunken lout of an old boyfriend. Toby chivalrously straightens everything out, though, then emails the results to his frequently dismissive family. Still, the race is on: He's got only a few weeks to marry Sara Anne before his claim to the big money evaporates. Meanwhile, he saves Sara Anne's father's business reputation, acquires an irritating Irish brogue - and the entire confection winds back to an Old Testament love story. Wholesome entertainment, laced with occasional yucks, but preachily old-fashioned and chatty to a fault. (Kirkus Reviews)