Fresh Eggs and Dog Beds 3

More Living 'The Dream' in Rural Ireland

By: Nick Albert

Narrated by: Andy Stevenson

Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's Summary

For Nick and Lesley Albert, swapping the hectic intensity of modern Britain for the peace of a tumble-down farmhouse in rural West Ireland was like a dream come true. But three years later, with the economy crashing and the house refurbishments unfinished, their plan for a tranquil life is falling apart. Are they in danger of replicating the very lifestyle they had hoped to escape, or can they get their lives back on track? Only time will tell.

Chock-full of laughter and with a few tears too, this third installment of their quirky life in County Clare sees these whimsical chicken farmers forge ahead with the renovations, make new friends, rescue more dogs, eat a lot of cake, and dance joyfully, while enduring floods, droughts, fire, and ice and debating the curious problem of what to do with 300 eggs.

©2019 Nick Albert (P)2020 Nick Albert

More Adventures in Rural Ireland

Pour yourself a cup of tea, cozy up next the fire, and enjoy the next installment of Nick Albert’s charming series on establishing a new life in rural Ireland. This is the third Living the Dream in Rural Ireland book I’ve listened to, and I’ve enjoyed each one as much as the last.

Nick and Leslie finally come to the end of renovating their old, ramshackle house, but that doesn’t mean their adventures also come to an end. There’s some changing of the guard in their canine pack, Leslie has another adventure in the hospital (don’t worry, she’s fine), there are some chicken adventures, and changes are afoot for Nick and Leslie’s daughter, plus more.

This memoir is delightful, and made all the better for this American listener by narrator Andy Stevenson’s wonderful voice and accent. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

More DIY and adventures!

This is Nick and Lesley’s continuing memoir about rebuilding a house themselves in rural Ireland. They have relocated from England along with their very beloved pets for a quieter but more satisfying life. The stories of the extensive work on the house, their dogs, and lifes trials and tribulations are quite enjoyable.. I'm so glad to hear the new stories and the updates on the family.
I am happy Nick is going to continue the series. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Laughed my sox off!

Ireland, laugh-out-loud, memoir, renovation, restoration, situational-humor, verbal-humor*****
The adventure continues! I have read the previous two but this one is every bit as much fun. There's still lots of work being done on the house and it is sooo challenging, but it is recorded in a way that encourages laughter. There is also the interesting interactions with the village folk as the Alberts continue learning more about village life and the joys(?) of living the rural life in Ireland. Reminds me of my sister and husband when they moved to a rather Amish area in central Wisconsin some years ago! And the dogs! Love his tales!
Andy Stevenson really adds good things to the audio interpretation.

It lost its edge.

I so badly wanted to love this story as I did the first and second ones of this series, but unfortunately, I felt book 3 took a different direction. I found books 1 and 2 to be more focused on the fixing up of their house and yard/garden, which I found very interesting. With book 3, I felt like only a small portion of the story was dedicated to the fixing up part, leaving the majority left to the “besides the house” information. I’m all for learning how other people live, especially in different locations, but once you start a series, there’s a certain expectation, at least for me, in which the author should follow a similar outline to their previous books in the series. With the added parts relating to specific monuments and places they visited, it read as a guide for a tourist and I didn’t find that appealing at all. It’s like the descriptions were copied from a brochure as opposed to put into the author’s own words. But even if he’d done that, those scenes just lasted way too long in my opinion.

When I got to the part where the reader learns that they had been in Ireland for eight years already, I was like “Huh?” I never once felt like that much time had gone by, between book 1 and 2 and then after starting book 3.

I still like the narrator but am curious as to why he pronounced “in-sta-lation” as “in-sha-lation”?

I have two comments. The first is regarding when they were fixing up the house and the one beam is about to fall onto Lesley’s head. I get the whole time can slow when something major is about to happen, but listening to all that took place during this slowed-down time didn’t add up for me.

The second comment is that I’m glad there were still funny moments throughout the story.

I received a free audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.

The story continues...

Nick continues to tell his humorous and entertaining story in this third book of the series. The excellent narration by Andy Stevenson serves to make this a delightful listen.

NOTE: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

loved it

Fresh Eggs and Dog Beds 3 does not disappoint, following the lives of Nick & Leslie you really feel like you are on the rollercoaster journey with them ..... well done for keeping the same excellent narrator too.

Prepare for a roller-coaster ride....

Empathetic writing, it is easy to picture Nick, Lesley and then family and friends enjoying life in County Clare

Interesting humor

Having read book 1&2 this one didn’t disappoint more tales from real life and at time humerus easily engaging and well narrated

Captivating

We have listened to all three editions of Fresh Eggs and Dog Beds, and also read the Kindle versions.
Very well narrated, makes for very easy listening.
Love the story, feel like we have got to know Nick and Lesley very well and have enjoyed their new life in Ireland.
All the highs as well as the lows.
Now the house is finished, wonder what will happen in future volumes

Absolutely brilliant

I have enjoyed this book immensely. Again I have felt I was there with the family. Good to hear the renovations are completed and daughter Joanne got married. I am pleased Jack stayed with them. The chickens were amusing and the saga of the satnav made me laugh a lot. I particularly enjoyed the anniversary venture, they seemed so happy. It was made alive by Andy Stenson's excellent narrating. A very pleasant listen to.

"Welcome to the family."

Continuing the story of the English couple who moved to rural Ireland to try to get out of the rat race, as a golf instructor, taking on the restoration of a rambling, if beautiful, old cottage of several strung together buildings they thought of as 'higgledy piggledy'. And with them, their dogs, including new additions, causing chaos. Between hard working days, Nick and Lesley continue to explore the country they've determined to make their own, with lighthearted descriptions and plenty of cake.
Andy Stevenson narrates, his English accented voice perfect to relate Nick's story of their times, good and bad, of problem solving and successes, as Ireland's economy begins to fail. Stevenson's use of intonation and pacing ensure this as a pleasure to hear. Sent

Another enjoyable episode in this deliciously escapist (and enviable) tale of leaving a pressured life for one more desirable - relaxing and fun. ..

Such Fun

I have listened to the previous books in the FE&DB series and this one, like the rest, doesn’t fail to please. It’s fun to know how Nick and Lesley’s life in Ireland evolves. And, it would appear, that there is still more to learn about it, as Nick mentions a Book 4 is in the making. Yes Please! Can we have some more? Or as Lesley would say “Just get on with it!” In this book there are some sad times, but lots of happy and funny incidents and as ever, beautifully and descriptively written by Nick. Eloquently and faultlessly narrated by Andy Stevenson; it’s amazing how effortlessly he switches characters. I truly recommend this series.