What do you think?
Rate this book
Mystic Cove #1
Wild Irish Heart
From New York Times Bestselling author, Tricia O'Malley, comes a romance series set on the rocky shores of Ireland.
It is time…
An ancient book, a power untouched, and a heart unloved lead Keelin O'Brien from her graduate studies in Boston to a small village on the coast of Southern Ireland. Determined to unearth the secrets lying hidden in the enchanted waters of the cove, Keelin has little time for a surly Irishman who infuriates her during the day and haunts her fantasies at night.
Inexplicably drawn to the woman who has stepped from his dreams and into his world, Flynn fights a stubborn battle against his increasing attraction for Keelin. Forces unknown have better plans for the two.
Only the secrets of the cove can show Keelin who she really is, the beauty of her mysterious power, and a love that will break the bounds of what she knows.
Wild Irish Heart is a stand-alone novel and can be read on its own.
The Mystic Cove Series:
Wild Irish Roots: Prequel Novella
Wild Irish Heart
Wild Irish Eyes
Wild Irish Soul
Wild Irish Rebel
Wild Irish Roots: Margaret & Sean
Wild Irish Witch
It is time…
An ancient book, a power untouched, and a heart unloved lead Keelin O'Brien from her graduate studies in Boston to a small village on the coast of Southern Ireland. Determined to unearth the secrets lying hidden in the enchanted waters of the cove, Keelin has little time for a surly Irishman who infuriates her during the day and haunts her fantasies at night.
Inexplicably drawn to the woman who has stepped from his dreams and into his world, Flynn fights a stubborn battle against his increasing attraction for Keelin. Forces unknown have better plans for the two.
Only the secrets of the cove can show Keelin who she really is, the beauty of her mysterious power, and a love that will break the bounds of what she knows.
Wild Irish Heart is a stand-alone novel and can be read on its own.
The Mystic Cove Series:
Wild Irish Roots: Prequel Novella
Wild Irish Heart
Wild Irish Eyes
Wild Irish Soul
Wild Irish Rebel
Wild Irish Roots: Margaret & Sean
Wild Irish Witch
258 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 12, 2014
17191 people are currently reading
8636 people want to read
About the author
Tricia O'Malley
78 books2,472 followersAs an award winning NY Times, USA Today, and WSJ bestselling author, Tricia O’Malley’s infectious joy in writing romance with an added dash of the magical has touched hearts around the world. With over three million books read, O’Malley’s stories have been translated into several languages and enjoy a devoted following. Tricia O’Malley is a native of Wisconsin, and departed the wintry tundra for warmer locales five years ago. She now lives in the Caribbean with her handsome Scotsman.
An avid scuba diver, Tricia spends much of her time underwater dreaming up new stories while photographing the beautiful sea life. Tricia loves fun vacation reads, believes in mermaids, and has a serious travel addiction. She discovers her inspiration on the go – and you’ll find her books set in beautiful settings with characters who deserve a happily-ever-after.
To see some of her underwater or island life photos visit her on Facebook, Instagram, or join her mailing list at www.triciaomalley.com
An avid scuba diver, Tricia spends much of her time underwater dreaming up new stories while photographing the beautiful sea life. Tricia loves fun vacation reads, believes in mermaids, and has a serious travel addiction. She discovers her inspiration on the go – and you’ll find her books set in beautiful settings with characters who deserve a happily-ever-after.
To see some of her underwater or island life photos visit her on Facebook, Instagram, or join her mailing list at www.triciaomalley.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,230 reviews
March 19, 2022
I enjoyed this paranormal romance novel.
Keelin must go to Ireland to stay with her Grandmother in order to learn about her powers that she doesn't understand. She learns about her ancestors and learns how to use her powers safely. This was a sweet story with the author painting beautifully written descriptions of Ireland.
Keelin must go to Ireland to stay with her Grandmother in order to learn about her powers that she doesn't understand. She learns about her ancestors and learns how to use her powers safely. This was a sweet story with the author painting beautifully written descriptions of Ireland.
November 26, 2018
A Tepid 3 Stars
The first book in the series, presently free on Amazon, had the potential to be something fab, but overall, it’s a very light bit of fluff. Took me a while to be drawn in and when Keelin the heroine arrives at the Cove I was, a little. Quickly it became clear that the depth and magic I was hoping for wouldn’t occur.
The characters - primary and secondary are likeable, but I couldn’t help but feel the book needed something more, and its not the length of the book that’s the issue here. Rather the characters needed fleshing out, the relationships and how they are depicted some energy.
The lovers in this Keelin and Flynn are a good fit, but I couldn’t escape the feeling that things between Flynn and Keelin were rushed. I was never invested in seeing how things went.
For me this was an ok read, great for the commute into work – since there was no way I would be so absorbed I would miss my stop.
The first book in the series, presently free on Amazon, had the potential to be something fab, but overall, it’s a very light bit of fluff. Took me a while to be drawn in and when Keelin the heroine arrives at the Cove I was, a little. Quickly it became clear that the depth and magic I was hoping for wouldn’t occur.
The characters - primary and secondary are likeable, but I couldn’t help but feel the book needed something more, and its not the length of the book that’s the issue here. Rather the characters needed fleshing out, the relationships and how they are depicted some energy.
The lovers in this Keelin and Flynn are a good fit, but I couldn’t escape the feeling that things between Flynn and Keelin were rushed. I was never invested in seeing how things went.
For me this was an ok read, great for the commute into work – since there was no way I would be so absorbed I would miss my stop.
October 25, 2019
..
Wild Irish Heart is the first book in the Mystic Cove series by Tricia O'Malley. This series transports the reader into a mystical world on the rocky shores in Ireland, where women have magical gifts passed down from their ancestral female descendants. In each book, the heroine must face revealing her gift to the man she has fallen in love with, hoping that he can accept this oddity.
DESCRIIPTION:
It is time...
An ancient book, a power untouched, and a heart unloved lead Keelin O'Brien from her graduate studies in Boston to a small village on the coast of Southern Ireland. Determined to unearth the secrets lying hidden in the enchanted waters of the cove, Keelin has little time for a surly Irishman who infuriates her during the day and haunts her fantasies at night.
Inexplicably drawn to the woman who has stepped from his dreams and into his world, Flynn fights a stubborn battle against his increasing attraction for Keelin. Forces unknown have better plans for the two.
Only the secrets of the cove can show Keelin who she really is, the beauty of her mysterious power, and a love that will break the bounds of what she knows.
Wild Irish Heart is a stand-alone novel and can be read on its own. Tricia O'Malley presents an entertaining and somewhat captivating place in an extraordinary world. There was a bit of incohesiveness that I did not always understand.
There was a H.E.A. followed by an informative epiologue. I really do appreicate a good epilogue. This installation was packed with several developing relationships and the reader would benefit greatly by reading each installation in the series in order to understand the characters and their relationships more fully.
I would recommend this book series to other readers who enjoy this type of genre. I am looking forward to reading the next installment.
-----------------------------------------
Wild Irish Heart
(Mystic Cove #1)
by Tricia O'Malley
Book Length: 258 Pages
The Mystic Cove Series:
Wild Irish Roots: Prequel Novella
Wild Irish Heart
Wild Irish Eyes
Wild Irish Soul
Wild Irish Rebel
Wild Irish Roots: Margaret & Sean
Wild Irish Witch
**For a limited time - get the first two books in this series FREE on Amazon!
Wild Irish Roots (prequel novella) & Wild Irish Heart are free to download!**
Wild Irish Heart is the first book in the Mystic Cove series by Tricia O'Malley. This series transports the reader into a mystical world on the rocky shores in Ireland, where women have magical gifts passed down from their ancestral female descendants. In each book, the heroine must face revealing her gift to the man she has fallen in love with, hoping that he can accept this oddity.
DESCRIIPTION:
It is time...
An ancient book, a power untouched, and a heart unloved lead Keelin O'Brien from her graduate studies in Boston to a small village on the coast of Southern Ireland. Determined to unearth the secrets lying hidden in the enchanted waters of the cove, Keelin has little time for a surly Irishman who infuriates her during the day and haunts her fantasies at night.
Inexplicably drawn to the woman who has stepped from his dreams and into his world, Flynn fights a stubborn battle against his increasing attraction for Keelin. Forces unknown have better plans for the two.
Only the secrets of the cove can show Keelin who she really is, the beauty of her mysterious power, and a love that will break the bounds of what she knows.
Wild Irish Heart is a stand-alone novel and can be read on its own. Tricia O'Malley presents an entertaining and somewhat captivating place in an extraordinary world. There was a bit of incohesiveness that I did not always understand.
There was a H.E.A. followed by an informative epiologue. I really do appreicate a good epilogue. This installation was packed with several developing relationships and the reader would benefit greatly by reading each installation in the series in order to understand the characters and their relationships more fully.
I would recommend this book series to other readers who enjoy this type of genre. I am looking forward to reading the next installment.
-----------------------------------------
Wild Irish Heart
(Mystic Cove #1)
by Tricia O'Malley
Book Length: 258 Pages
The Mystic Cove Series:
Wild Irish Roots: Prequel Novella
Wild Irish Heart
Wild Irish Eyes
Wild Irish Soul
Wild Irish Rebel
Wild Irish Roots: Margaret & Sean
Wild Irish Witch
**For a limited time - get the first two books in this series FREE on Amazon!
Wild Irish Roots (prequel novella) & Wild Irish Heart are free to download!**
November 2, 2014
I won this book and I have to say, it definitely wasn't a book I normally would have been interested in. However, I was buoyed by the fact that most reviews were 5 stars! FIVE stars? This book must be amazing! Yeah, I'm giving it 2.5 stars simply because I didn't fling my Kindle across the room. That being said, please take my review with a grain of salt.
I felt the main character (what was her name again?)had absolutely no depth whatsoever. Her relationship with Flynn escalated way too quickly (after he initially hated her for no reason) and I felt the sex scenes were not necessary at all (however, that is not the type of book I normal read, so what do I know). I really didn't understand why everyone in town had initially shunned the woman just based on who she was related to (and how the hell could they have known that?)and then to find out that everyone loved Fiona anyway made no sense to me. I'm not sure why the parents of the boy she heals didn't take him to a hospital. Yes, I realize this is a small Irish village, but there must be a hospital somewhere. If your kid is dying, you wouldn't just say, oh let the local witch take care of it. Completely unrealistic. The ending when she heals Flynn and he has the nerve to get mad also is confusing because he knew the grandmother was a healer so why wouldn't she be, too? (I mean in this crazy back asswards village where it seems every female is, why not?). I felt no connection to any of the characters (maybe the mom who wanted the hell out of that weird place) and I have no interest in what happens to them in subsequent novels. I found myself skipping whole paragraphs at the end just to finish this book.
I felt the main character (what was her name again?)had absolutely no depth whatsoever. Her relationship with Flynn escalated way too quickly (after he initially hated her for no reason) and I felt the sex scenes were not necessary at all (however, that is not the type of book I normal read, so what do I know). I really didn't understand why everyone in town had initially shunned the woman just based on who she was related to (and how the hell could they have known that?)and then to find out that everyone loved Fiona anyway made no sense to me. I'm not sure why the parents of the boy she heals didn't take him to a hospital. Yes, I realize this is a small Irish village, but there must be a hospital somewhere. If your kid is dying, you wouldn't just say, oh let the local witch take care of it. Completely unrealistic. The ending when she heals Flynn and he has the nerve to get mad also is confusing because he knew the grandmother was a healer so why wouldn't she be, too? (I mean in this crazy back asswards village where it seems every female is, why not?). I felt no connection to any of the characters (maybe the mom who wanted the hell out of that weird place) and I have no interest in what happens to them in subsequent novels. I found myself skipping whole paragraphs at the end just to finish this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2015
Star Rating:
5 bloody brilliant stars!
Ireland.
I need to go to Ireland.
Reading this book has only heightened my need to go to Ireland and explore. I love stories like these and the characters that are in them. Keelin is amazing and inspiring yet she is almost like a normal person with her dreams but also with her doubts. Flynn is a secluded guy if you will..everyone knows him but nobody knows the truth of him. I was really really intrigued by this one and I hope to read the other 4 books in this series so I know what happens to everyone that was in this one. Having friends and families tie together and secrets that come out is exhilarating and this one did it for me. I look forward to reading more from Tricia and I will definitely look for more of her books in the future.
Michele Y
5 bloody brilliant stars!
Ireland.
I need to go to Ireland.
Reading this book has only heightened my need to go to Ireland and explore. I love stories like these and the characters that are in them. Keelin is amazing and inspiring yet she is almost like a normal person with her dreams but also with her doubts. Flynn is a secluded guy if you will..everyone knows him but nobody knows the truth of him. I was really really intrigued by this one and I hope to read the other 4 books in this series so I know what happens to everyone that was in this one. Having friends and families tie together and secrets that come out is exhilarating and this one did it for me. I look forward to reading more from Tricia and I will definitely look for more of her books in the future.
Michele Y
April 20, 2021
This story didn't capture my attention and thrill me as much as I would have thought. I honestly expected more and I kept on reading hoping that something would change in better, in any case it was a nice book to read.
April 5, 2016
I couldn't finish this book. I really, really wanted to like it so much - Celtic magic? Mysterious Ireland? Hot love story? I was all in for this one. Then I started reading it..ugh. The editing is about normal for a decent Kindle book (none of them are without errors), a few slips but nothing really detracting. That's about the best thing I can say about this book.
The characters are two-dimensional and many actions don't seem to make sense. They get irrationally angry and then flip a 180 on a dime or do other random things out of character. (Mother scolds Keelin to not say "shut up" and then says "crap" herself which isn't exactly fitting with the whole proper lady thing.) The whole "new age" connotation to what is supposed to be ancient Celtic magic just does not work for me. The love story moves way too fast and doesn't really have any good tension. Everything is given in generalizations with no actual gritty detail. I didn't even make it to any so-called smut scenes at about 30% in (Chapter 10). I couldn't stand Keelin anymore at that point and called it quits.
The characters are two-dimensional and many actions don't seem to make sense. They get irrationally angry and then flip a 180 on a dime or do other random things out of character. (Mother scolds Keelin to not say "shut up" and then says "crap" herself which isn't exactly fitting with the whole proper lady thing.) The whole "new age" connotation to what is supposed to be ancient Celtic magic just does not work for me. The love story moves way too fast and doesn't really have any good tension. Everything is given in generalizations with no actual gritty detail. I didn't even make it to any so-called smut scenes at about 30% in (Chapter 10). I couldn't stand Keelin anymore at that point and called it quits.
September 6, 2015
I found Wild Irish Heart on Amazon's free list. I wasn't sure about it at first due to mixed reviews, but I thought, bugger it! Just because some readers are harsh doesn't mean the book isn't worth it! I Loved it and will be reading the rest of the series as I thought Wild Irish Heart was well worth reading :-) Thank you Tricia for taking me to Grace' s Cove. Loved it
November 6, 2016
As part of a reading challenge I needed only one more book, and it was a book by an "O" author. This one was available and not too long which is good since my reading time is fairly non-existent lately. The story sounded interesting. I'm part Irish and would love to visit Ireland some day. Parts of the story were good, and I was intrigued by the magic and healing even though I normally shy away from those types of books. However, the sex scenes were completely unexpected and way too much for me. The book is classified as romance which I did not expect to mean smutty, descriptive sex. I almost didn't even rate it as I'm embarrassed to admit I read it. Definitely not recommending this one.
September 3, 2015
Just OK. The h never managed to make me like her, more dislike. The descriptions were boring and made me skip paragraphs and the sex scenes seemed too graphic and empty. The love felt forced. The magic explanations and descriptions left me rolling my eyes most of the times. She (i've already forgot her name) felt inconsistent, shallow, self-important and stupid. I loved her mother, thou', and would have liked to read about her. The "friendships" were rushed and childish. The dialogue sounded stilted and false.
March 3, 2019
Atmosphere, an Irish village settled near a mystical cove, and a woman who comes seeking answers to long-held secrets. I was all in to try this first in series by a new to me author.
Keelin O'Brien receives a mysterious package from a grandmother she has never met, calling her back to the coastal Irish village her mother left just before she was born. Margaret O'Brien has kept many secrets from Keelin who is now ready to get to the bottom of things. She has odd moments of visions and ability to read people's health and heal them. She wants to ignore this and hold tightly to her preference for everything to be answered by science. Her arrival in the small village leads to several memorable encounters including the irascible Flynn who rubs her wrong just as much as she does he. Keelin must come into her own and embrace it all if she is to have a fulfilling life.
Wild Irish Heart was a pick for my annual St. Patrick's Day holiday read. I wanted something set in Ireland and wanted to keep working off my backlog of Kindle titles so this one fit the bill. I found it moderately engaging. It offered up elements that match up well with my personal tastes and I enjoyed it to a certain extent, but never whole-heartedly liked either heroine or hero. They both swung too wide on the emotional pendulum and I had a hard time figuring out half the time why they made such a big fuss over stuff. So much tempest in a pot of tea.
But, the world and setting of the series and the intro to the larger circle of characters had me enjoying much of what I was reading. It wasn't as atmospheric in tone as I thought it would be and focused more on Keelin and Flynn's internal issues while not developing their characters much beyond lust and resistance. Okay, and Keelin pull a lot of stupid stunts for someone who is supposedly driven by science and study. She nearly drowns twice in less than twenty-four hours for Pete's sake when she actually knows the safety rules since she's a marine biologist. Not to mention, her grandmother has just got through telling her the rules for respecting the cove's magic. But, Keelin finding the rest of her family and getting to know them, meeting and seeing the other characters from the village and sensing some stories there, and, the knowledge that others who are Grace O'Malley the pirate queen's descendants also are gifted- all made me pleased to have read about this little slice of Ireland.
So, it was mostly good and I was definitely glad I read it. I wish I could like the main characters more, but I have hopes for when the later books shift to other lead characters. This will be for those who wish for a small village setting, some magic and a spicy hot romance.
Keelin O'Brien receives a mysterious package from a grandmother she has never met, calling her back to the coastal Irish village her mother left just before she was born. Margaret O'Brien has kept many secrets from Keelin who is now ready to get to the bottom of things. She has odd moments of visions and ability to read people's health and heal them. She wants to ignore this and hold tightly to her preference for everything to be answered by science. Her arrival in the small village leads to several memorable encounters including the irascible Flynn who rubs her wrong just as much as she does he. Keelin must come into her own and embrace it all if she is to have a fulfilling life.
Wild Irish Heart was a pick for my annual St. Patrick's Day holiday read. I wanted something set in Ireland and wanted to keep working off my backlog of Kindle titles so this one fit the bill. I found it moderately engaging. It offered up elements that match up well with my personal tastes and I enjoyed it to a certain extent, but never whole-heartedly liked either heroine or hero. They both swung too wide on the emotional pendulum and I had a hard time figuring out half the time why they made such a big fuss over stuff. So much tempest in a pot of tea.
But, the world and setting of the series and the intro to the larger circle of characters had me enjoying much of what I was reading. It wasn't as atmospheric in tone as I thought it would be and focused more on Keelin and Flynn's internal issues while not developing their characters much beyond lust and resistance. Okay, and Keelin pull a lot of stupid stunts for someone who is supposedly driven by science and study. She nearly drowns twice in less than twenty-four hours for Pete's sake when she actually knows the safety rules since she's a marine biologist. Not to mention, her grandmother has just got through telling her the rules for respecting the cove's magic. But, Keelin finding the rest of her family and getting to know them, meeting and seeing the other characters from the village and sensing some stories there, and, the knowledge that others who are Grace O'Malley the pirate queen's descendants also are gifted- all made me pleased to have read about this little slice of Ireland.
So, it was mostly good and I was definitely glad I read it. I wish I could like the main characters more, but I have hopes for when the later books shift to other lead characters. This will be for those who wish for a small village setting, some magic and a spicy hot romance.
September 26, 2018
It isn’t rare for me to give books one star. But it IS rare for me to so actively despise everything about them as I do with this one. Mostly the one star books in my list just aren’t written well. But this was awful. Does this Ms. O’Malley even realise how despicable her heroine is? On top of the hideous writing and grammar, all the yours that are written you’re and vice versa, the sadly underdeveloped characters, cardboard situations, conversations and so on and so forth.
This was me venting out, now, this is me writing something I would’ve appreciated to read before venturing forth on wasting a couple of hours of my time which I will never get back, don’t read this book. Reread something old if you can’t find anything new.
This was me venting out, now, this is me writing something I would’ve appreciated to read before venturing forth on wasting a couple of hours of my time which I will never get back, don’t read this book. Reread something old if you can’t find anything new.
August 28, 2024
Bad writing, weird romance, cringe dialogue
The Irish setting was the only good thing
The Irish setting was the only good thing
February 7, 2020
Not worth the price... and I got it for free.
I was supremely disappointed with this book. It was billed as time travel romance and there’s Nary a bit of time travel in this. It barely meets my definition for paranormal romance. Being so completely missed categorized takes it down a star
But I decided to give it a go anyway. I should’ve followed my instincts and stopped after the first chapter. The writing was boring... perfunctory... it was in desperate need of a good line edit. I found myself re-writing the story in my head as I was reading. The author overused the characters names and kept using very weak language to describe what was going on.
As I kept reading the info dump continued. It reached a tipping point when literally we kept repeating the same things over and over and over again. Like the audience had forgotten what it happened in the previous chapters.
Worse some of the info dump felt like cultural appropriation. All of the stuff about Ireland and the Celts and the Druidic culture felt almost like the author was pulling the from the damaging trope of mystical shaman or mystical native. Stuff relating to Wicca and Druidic religions was couched in very Christian terms. And for meeting some of the other reviews I can see that the Wicca and witchcraft is making them angry as well.
Even Ireland felt like a caricature. I’m not even from Ireland and I found myself cringing at several of the descriptions. On the plus side I totally agreed with the author statement regarding Ireland’s back country lanes.
Continuing I really didn’t like the characters Keelin felt almost too stupid to live. While Flynn Was completely unlikable. I really dislike it when the hero feels like he has full right to berate and insult the heroine.
I reached about the 25% mark and I was done.
I’m reclaiming my time
One star.
I was supremely disappointed with this book. It was billed as time travel romance and there’s Nary a bit of time travel in this. It barely meets my definition for paranormal romance. Being so completely missed categorized takes it down a star
But I decided to give it a go anyway. I should’ve followed my instincts and stopped after the first chapter. The writing was boring... perfunctory... it was in desperate need of a good line edit. I found myself re-writing the story in my head as I was reading. The author overused the characters names and kept using very weak language to describe what was going on.
As I kept reading the info dump continued. It reached a tipping point when literally we kept repeating the same things over and over and over again. Like the audience had forgotten what it happened in the previous chapters.
Worse some of the info dump felt like cultural appropriation. All of the stuff about Ireland and the Celts and the Druidic culture felt almost like the author was pulling the from the damaging trope of mystical shaman or mystical native. Stuff relating to Wicca and Druidic religions was couched in very Christian terms. And for meeting some of the other reviews I can see that the Wicca and witchcraft is making them angry as well.
Even Ireland felt like a caricature. I’m not even from Ireland and I found myself cringing at several of the descriptions. On the plus side I totally agreed with the author statement regarding Ireland’s back country lanes.
Continuing I really didn’t like the characters Keelin felt almost too stupid to live. While Flynn Was completely unlikable. I really dislike it when the hero feels like he has full right to berate and insult the heroine.
I reached about the 25% mark and I was done.
I’m reclaiming my time
One star.
January 18, 2023
1 star for description of the scenery and characters. 1 star for cute puppies.
i’ve learned a lot about reading in these past few years. i’ve concluded that reading a book w poor writing is like faking an orgasm: lots of forced enthusiasm/ hopeful page turning just to find yourself rushing to the end, and not bc you can’t get enough but just so you could say you really gave it a shot. it’s annoying and boring yet you see it through. but every time you do it, you’re lowering your standards a bit more. so do yourself a favor: if after a certain point the book (or sex) is not giving what it needs to give, don’t bother waiting for the end w hopes of a satisfying ending. you’re compromising your satisfaction and justifying poor story telling. find a better quality writer that will always see to your needs, bc they do exist lol.
this was yet another book with such potential that ended (and honestly started) in disappointment. this book is supposed to be about magic and healing and fantasy and irish folklore vibes. it turns out to be about a smart, powerful woman needing to prove herself and be accepted by an asshole man she’s supposedly “in love with” even though he pretty much treats her like shit from their first encounter. absolutely not lol.
i did appreciate the scenery like i said and if the writer had focused more about the magic and less about how dick men take up so much real estate in the FMC’s mind, maybe it would’ve been more enjoyable. overall the writing was stagnant and the story was not at all what i thought. maybe for a different reader this wouldn’t be too bad, but not my vibe.
i’ve learned a lot about reading in these past few years. i’ve concluded that reading a book w poor writing is like faking an orgasm: lots of forced enthusiasm/ hopeful page turning just to find yourself rushing to the end, and not bc you can’t get enough but just so you could say you really gave it a shot. it’s annoying and boring yet you see it through. but every time you do it, you’re lowering your standards a bit more. so do yourself a favor: if after a certain point the book (or sex) is not giving what it needs to give, don’t bother waiting for the end w hopes of a satisfying ending. you’re compromising your satisfaction and justifying poor story telling. find a better quality writer that will always see to your needs, bc they do exist lol.
this was yet another book with such potential that ended (and honestly started) in disappointment. this book is supposed to be about magic and healing and fantasy and irish folklore vibes. it turns out to be about a smart, powerful woman needing to prove herself and be accepted by an asshole man she’s supposedly “in love with” even though he pretty much treats her like shit from their first encounter. absolutely not lol.
i did appreciate the scenery like i said and if the writer had focused more about the magic and less about how dick men take up so much real estate in the FMC’s mind, maybe it would’ve been more enjoyable. overall the writing was stagnant and the story was not at all what i thought. maybe for a different reader this wouldn’t be too bad, but not my vibe.
June 15, 2016
I tried. I really hate giving up on a book but the writing style did not draw me in. By the fourth chapter I realized I was forcing myself to trudge through it. I applaud anyone who takes the leap and publishes a book. However, this book mimicked my own style of writing that I know, deep down, requires much improvement. The imagery felt forced, the story line skimmed around deeper issues. I never really felt the need to learn more about the character.
WHY was the mother so superficial? WHAT did the main character go through in her younger years to deal with her unknown power? I need depth, not cliches. Don't get me wrong, I love a great fluffy romance but this didn't even fill that need. As previously said, I only reached the fourth chapter before throwing in the towel but I HATE to give up on books. The book may be more readable for some but not for me.
WHY was the mother so superficial? WHAT did the main character go through in her younger years to deal with her unknown power? I need depth, not cliches. Don't get me wrong, I love a great fluffy romance but this didn't even fill that need. As previously said, I only reached the fourth chapter before throwing in the towel but I HATE to give up on books. The book may be more readable for some but not for me.
August 19, 2015
Almost did not finish
I nearly gave up on this book more than once, initially because the first chapters bored me, then because the heroine is too stupid t o live. But she does. I stuck with it and the story did improve somewhat. There's not a lot of action, it's mostly dialog and internal musings. The editing is generally clean, but for a few cringe-worthy errors, such as you're instead of your and "disorientated" (which is not a word) for disoriented.
I nearly gave up on this book more than once, initially because the first chapters bored me, then because the heroine is too stupid t o live. But she does. I stuck with it and the story did improve somewhat. There's not a lot of action, it's mostly dialog and internal musings. The editing is generally clean, but for a few cringe-worthy errors, such as you're instead of your and "disorientated" (which is not a word) for disoriented.
July 26, 2019
The heroine was dumber than a box of rocks and it really irked me. How she didn't suffer mental trauma from cognitive dissonance I'll never know. The fact that she could magically absorb other peoples ailments and thought it had a scientific explanation is beyond me. Especially since she had been doing it her whole life. So when she was straight-up acting a fool by risking her life and shit to disprove magic made no goddamn sense.
May 23, 2021
This book is terrible. No other word for it. The writing is bad, the plot is poorly thought out (even for a romance novel of such low caliber) and every character is one-dimensional and lacking in compelling motivation. This review isn’t going to be a very long or in-depth explanation of why this book is so terrible, simply because I don’t want to give any more of my time on this earth or space in my head to this book. Consider this a brief warning.
This feels like it was written by a twelve-year-old. The writing is clumsy and direct, not what one expects from a seasoned author such as O’Malley. She just directly states things to the reader, rather than letting her dialogue and descriptions attempt to imply them. For example, just after our main character meets Her dialogue is also rather nonsensical and clearly written to advance the plot in a lazy way rather than reflect character.
Speaking of character, there is none in this book. Flynn is hot, rich, mysterious, and obsessed with our main character Keelin from the moment they meet (but wait? I though I just finished reading Pride and Prejudice. Why is Darcy here?). That’s all we ever learn. Keelin is clumsy, awkward, and different than those around her. That’s pretty much all we ever learn about her, particularly if we are talking only about indirect characterization (which is far and few in this book). I could talk about the other characters, but they are all irrelevant stereotypes, and I don’t want to.
Now, onto the most critical and potentially redeeming aspect of any bad romance novel: the sex scenes. And woo boy, did these not compensate for any of this book’s other offenses in the slightest. They didn’t actively lower the quality of the book (like the writing does) but still. They are unrealistic (I would love to meet anyone who could orgasm from just one finger inserted into them) and rely on too many metaphors for my taste, while still trying to be graphic. It’s a hard line to walk and O’Malley just falls short with them.
In short, Kindle Unlimited recommended another dud and I have finally learned my lesson; the only mass-market adult romances worth reading are historical ones (looking forward to When a Scot Ties the Knot).
June 25, 2016
Irish heart beats within...
This was a book I could not put down. I had to know what happened...I was up until midnight trying to finish it. I'm always hesitant trying a new author; however, Tricia O'Malley has just been added to my list to read. I really want to see what happens in the other novels. Characters were introduced in a way that makes me like them and want to know about their story. I had a special relationship with my grandmother and can relate with Keelin as she discovers on her arrival to Ireland that her grandmother is alive and not dead as she originally thought.
The story develops as Keelin's grandmother helps her embrace her power and teaches her the ways of Celtic Healing, the knowledge and use of herbs and flowers and cautions her regarding the cove and it's power. They are the female descendants of a powerful woman who left her legacy in the cove. To even approach the cove with disrespect could get you killed.
Keelin is a graduate student working on her master's thesis in marine biology. Sometimes she does the most stupid, dangerous, 1st year student mistakes that could have gotten her killed had it not been for Flynn a surly Irishman who constantly was fishing her [literally] out of trouble. It was fun discovering his story and what he was about.
It was a delight to watch their relationship develop even when I wanted to smash Keelin. There were a lot of questions left unanswered and I look forward to discovering them in the subsequent books. There were weak places in the writing, limited information regarding her knowledge and the science of marine biology, the healing properties of plants, what plants, what flowers and how they were used. I wanted to know...this knowledge is lost in modern times. Everyone wants to take a pill.
This was a book I could not put down. I had to know what happened...I was up until midnight trying to finish it. I'm always hesitant trying a new author; however, Tricia O'Malley has just been added to my list to read. I really want to see what happens in the other novels. Characters were introduced in a way that makes me like them and want to know about their story. I had a special relationship with my grandmother and can relate with Keelin as she discovers on her arrival to Ireland that her grandmother is alive and not dead as she originally thought.
The story develops as Keelin's grandmother helps her embrace her power and teaches her the ways of Celtic Healing, the knowledge and use of herbs and flowers and cautions her regarding the cove and it's power. They are the female descendants of a powerful woman who left her legacy in the cove. To even approach the cove with disrespect could get you killed.
Keelin is a graduate student working on her master's thesis in marine biology. Sometimes she does the most stupid, dangerous, 1st year student mistakes that could have gotten her killed had it not been for Flynn a surly Irishman who constantly was fishing her [literally] out of trouble. It was fun discovering his story and what he was about.
It was a delight to watch their relationship develop even when I wanted to smash Keelin. There were a lot of questions left unanswered and I look forward to discovering them in the subsequent books. There were weak places in the writing, limited information regarding her knowledge and the science of marine biology, the healing properties of plants, what plants, what flowers and how they were used. I wanted to know...this knowledge is lost in modern times. Everyone wants to take a pill.
February 19, 2017
I've read two of O'Malley's series books and would not recommend either. The stories sound promising, the locations seem interesting, the people should be fun. However, it all falls apart quickly. This author needs an editor! There are so many problems in this area and it is so distracting.
The Mystic Cove Series is the better of the two series I've read. The other series is The Althea Rose Mystery Series - this one is a waste of time.
The Mystic Cove Series is the better of the two series I've read. The other series is The Althea Rose Mystery Series - this one is a waste of time.
January 4, 2017
I'm sure that most people who read this book are not Irish and that's why I'm being so harsh. The story itself is not awful but this is one of the most unrealistic representations of Ireland I have ever seen. For example, I have never in my life heard an Irish person say, "yes ma'am". Also could anyone please tell me what on earth are Irish cottage socks ?! like, what !
July 24, 2021
I was immediately drawn to the blurb for this book, thought it sounded likely to be an interesting story, especially the setting. Unfortunately, the writing was basic, with short choppy sentence, compounded with remedial word choices, it had me bored to death within the first couple of chapters.
February 5, 2016
Graphic sexual scenes, before they even go all the way, warned me what I was in for! Too smutty.
February 11, 2019
I started listening to this on audio, but switched to the ebook about 3 chapters in. The heroine was frustrating me, but I thought it might be the way the narrator was speaking for her. Sadly, that wasn't the case. She was just immature and childish. She was supposedly 28 years old, but she acted like a teenager most of the time. Impetuous and headstrong, she rushed into things without thinking and even said things like "you can't tell me what to do!". What? You're adult, FFS.
The premise was really intriguing - I love books featuring psychic abilities - but the execution was poorly done. Between the immature actions of the heroine and the asshole hero, I had to DNF around the 40% mark. I'm just glad this was a free read, or I'd be asking for a refund.
DNF
"Stupid?" Keelin hated being called stupid. Her Irish Temper kicked in. "Who are you calling stupid, you big oaf? What are you doing down here anyway?"
She pounded her fist on his chest and he grabbed her wrist with his hand. His eyes glinted dangerously at her as he held her hand captive.
"Obviously, I'm saving a stupid child from drowning."
"A child? You, you jerk. Leave me alone."
The premise was really intriguing - I love books featuring psychic abilities - but the execution was poorly done. Between the immature actions of the heroine and the asshole hero, I had to DNF around the 40% mark. I'm just glad this was a free read, or I'd be asking for a refund.
DNF
February 21, 2017
Couldn't finish. This author is the Ugly American Tourist. She has obviously been to Ireland. Once. Therefore, she is now an expert on all things Irish. There are grammatical errors, bizarre word usages, factual issues (for example, jet lag from Boston to Ireland means you will feel like it is earlier than the local time, thus waking up late, not early), and plain, boring, choppy writing. I cringed, gritted my teeth, and rolled my eyes through 8 chapters, all the while hoping the next turn of the page would justify the 4 and 5 star ratings.
Thankfully, I quit and sought out some critical reviews before I got to the gratuitous sex others report. And I have nothing against sex, or swearing, if it flows with the story.
I do partly blame the paranormal and fantasy labels. This is merely a romance novel, full stop.
Not my "cuppa."
Thankfully, I quit and sought out some critical reviews before I got to the gratuitous sex others report. And I have nothing against sex, or swearing, if it flows with the story.
I do partly blame the paranormal and fantasy labels. This is merely a romance novel, full stop.
Not my "cuppa."
February 11, 2023
The story had potential, but the writing fell super flat. About half the dialogue was purely for exposition, and the rest of it was...sub par.
Also I do not believe for a second that Keelin is a "logical sciencey" type. She makes rash, childish decisions, can't make up a decent comeback if her life depends on it, and is kinda helpless, at least until her character arc happens. Which is too late for a nearly 30 year old marine biologist working on a thesis (the subject which she conveniently forgot right after she got to Ireland) to learn that you don't just wander into the ocean without preparation.
I was expecting to relate to her more, and I am disappointed that I didn't (because she's flimsy).
I really wanted to like this story but as it went on it got worse. I didn't hate it though, it's just that the writing is rushed and clunky. The story was cute.
Also I do not believe for a second that Keelin is a "logical sciencey" type. She makes rash, childish decisions, can't make up a decent comeback if her life depends on it, and is kinda helpless, at least until her character arc happens. Which is too late for a nearly 30 year old marine biologist working on a thesis (the subject which she conveniently forgot right after she got to Ireland) to learn that you don't just wander into the ocean without preparation.
I was expecting to relate to her more, and I am disappointed that I didn't (because she's flimsy).
I really wanted to like this story but as it went on it got worse. I didn't hate it though, it's just that the writing is rushed and clunky. The story was cute.
September 9, 2015
Terrible characters. Everyone instantly says every single thing they're thinking. There is no foreplay, in more ways than one, everything is just straight to the point. No mystery in anything. The storyline itself is boring. Not a lot happens. The main character is really dumb. Like how many times does she have to be told what she is? How many times does she need to question why people are behaving the way they are when she's explicitly been told already about ten times? Argh infuriating.
March 17, 2018
I absolutely loved the magic, the pirate legends and the, but I wasn't a fan of the romance at all. Very insta-lovey.
November 11, 2017
A friend of mine recently returned from Ireland and recommended these books to me. It was alright, but not my favorite. The main character Keelin, has lived in Boston her whole life. She goes to Ireland to be with her grandmother Fiona. She discovers she has “witchy” powers - she is a healer. I loved Keelin’s exploration of her powers and her love of Ireland. The love interest Flynn was a little too controlling and frustrating for my personal taste.
I think if this was my first romance novel I would have loved it, but it’s not and I was underwhelmed. It’s currently free on Amazon. I’d recommend it if you want a light contemporary romance with a hint of fantasy.
I think if this was my first romance novel I would have loved it, but it’s not and I was underwhelmed. It’s currently free on Amazon. I’d recommend it if you want a light contemporary romance with a hint of fantasy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,230 reviews