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Outside Blessings
In the winter of 1896, Neema, 16, works as a seamstress. She is a halfling. Her mother was a selkie. Her sister Lila fell in love with a human but was jilted on her wedding day. When Lila is found dead in the rocks of the town's jetty, officials assume her death to be a suicide. Lila is buried outside the town limits since suicides are not allowed in the hallowed ground of the cemetery. The would-be groom is missing.
Neema does not believe her sister would commit suicide. She crawls on the rock jetty searching for clues to prove someone harmed her sister. There she meets Emmett, 17, a new surfman in the lifesaving service. He is drawn to Neema, but she's odd. Yet, when they kiss, their feelings for each other intensify.
The lifesaving dog finds a sealskin along the edge of the shore and fights with a seal for the skin. Emmett kills the seal.
Neema learns of selkies seeking revenge upon Emmett. How can she warn him of the danger?
Neema discovers a hidden room in the cottage of her employers. Are they harboring a criminal unknowingly?
When a nor'easter hits, Neema knows it presents an opportunity for the selkies to enact their retribution against Emmett. As a ship founders offshore, Emmett must go out with the other surfmen to save those on board the ship. Neema shifts into a seal and saves him, but can she save herself from the selkies' revenge?
Neema does not believe her sister would commit suicide. She crawls on the rock jetty searching for clues to prove someone harmed her sister. There she meets Emmett, 17, a new surfman in the lifesaving service. He is drawn to Neema, but she's odd. Yet, when they kiss, their feelings for each other intensify.
The lifesaving dog finds a sealskin along the edge of the shore and fights with a seal for the skin. Emmett kills the seal.
Neema learns of selkies seeking revenge upon Emmett. How can she warn him of the danger?
Neema discovers a hidden room in the cottage of her employers. Are they harboring a criminal unknowingly?
When a nor'easter hits, Neema knows it presents an opportunity for the selkies to enact their retribution against Emmett. As a ship founders offshore, Emmett must go out with the other surfmen to save those on board the ship. Neema shifts into a seal and saves him, but can she save herself from the selkies' revenge?
183 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 7, 2025
4 people want to read
About the author
Penelope Marzec
28 books182 followersPenelope Marzec grew up along the Jersey shore, heard stories about Captain Kidd, and dug for his buried treasure. Her adventure resulted in a bad case of poison ivy. Deciding books were better than buried treasure, she discovered romance novels and was soon hooked on happy endings. She became an early childhood educator and found her own hero in an electrical engineer who grew up in Brooklyn, played the accordion, and was immune to poison ivy. Together they raised three daughters. Now retired, Penelope either writes her stories or paints seascapes in oils. Sometimes she sings while her husband plays the accordion.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 27, 2016
Outside Blessings is a Historical Paranormal Romance set in the fictional town of Blessings, N.J. In many ways this could be any small town in the northeast. That is, except for the fact that it has paranormal residents. This type of integral setting is the hallmark of any good historical novel, paranormal or otherwise. Blessings is skillfully described in full detail. The opening quote: “When angels fell, some fell onthe land, some on the sea.
The former are the faeries and the latter were often said to be the seals”, is beautiful and hints playfully at the context of the story. The main character’s name is Neema, who is half Selkie and half human. I loved that the author chose a heroine with this kind of a background. The Selkie stories that I have read are all classic literature from a time long past. It was nice to see the tale reimagined in a modern way.
I’ll be careful not to include any spoilers, but I do want to mention some specific things that I connected with as I read. First of all, in chapter four when the seals are wailing, I could picture the scene vividly. Penelope Marzec does agreat job of being descriptive enough to paint a picture without seeming overwrought. Besides her settings, something else that stood out to me in particular was her character building, especially with Neema and Emmett. This brings me to the plot. The plot in this book is a parallel plot. First, there is Neema who is trying to find answers after her sister’s death. Then, there is Emmett who is the complex protagonist. He’s Neema’s reluctant protector, having taken on the role of a lifeguard after the death of his uncle. He’s was cared for by relatives who didn’t really want him, and has the physical and emotional scars to prove it. This is where Emmett and Neema’s stories begin to weave together. They both understand that feeling of not belonging anywhere. They are outsiders, even among their own families. Emmett is trying to come to terms with who he is and what he wants, just as Neema is working to do the same.
Some of the scenes are sensual, but this would be completely appropriate for a YA reader as well as NA or fans of Historical Paranormal Romance. I gave this book 5 stars and would recommend it to anyone who likes Historical Paranormal Romance, especially stories of Halflings and Selkies. Outside Blessings is a must read for those long winter days!
I’ll be careful not to include any spoilers, but I do want to mention some specific things that I connected with as I read. First of all, in chapter four when the seals are wailing, I could picture the scene vividly. Penelope Marzec does agreat job of being descriptive enough to paint a picture without seeming overwrought. Besides her settings, something else that stood out to me in particular was her character building, especially with Neema and Emmett. This brings me to the plot. The plot in this book is a parallel plot. First, there is Neema who is trying to find answers after her sister’s death. Then, there is Emmett who is the complex protagonist. He’s Neema’s reluctant protector, having taken on the role of a lifeguard after the death of his uncle. He’s was cared for by relatives who didn’t really want him, and has the physical and emotional scars to prove it. This is where Emmett and Neema’s stories begin to weave together. They both understand that feeling of not belonging anywhere. They are outsiders, even among their own families. Emmett is trying to come to terms with who he is and what he wants, just as Neema is working to do the same.
Some of the scenes are sensual, but this would be completely appropriate for a YA reader as well as NA or fans of Historical Paranormal Romance. I gave this book 5 stars and would recommend it to anyone who likes Historical Paranormal Romance, especially stories of Halflings and Selkies. Outside Blessings is a must read for those long winter days!
Displaying 1 of 1 review