Awakening the Dullahan

by Amber McCain

501 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 14, 2026

Reviews

[Ragen Rollins]

Let me first start off by saying this book should be read after her book called Restoring Destiny. The ending would make so much more sense. Yes, I read this one then went and bought the other and read that one then Awakening The Dullahan. This is a new to me author. I found her on tik tok.

This story starts off with our fmc, Ember who is a small child getting hurt by another female child. Her brother, his friends and the mmc, Donavan see it. The mmc makes a promise to the fmc to protect her. The story progresses.

The fmc tells the mmc how she feels and he pushes her away. The mmc goes to another and the fmc goes to college. She meets someone who she thinks is good. However she makes a choice that turns horrible and has consequences that change her life.

Do I recommend? Absolutely after her other book Restoring Destiny.

This author may be a newish author but she can write a story so damn well. Pay attention to detail. Make the mmc so damn awful and then make us change our minds. I still prefer the other personality. The characters are well written and make you care about them.

Cannot wait for the next book. Definitely buying ever copy of her books will make a beautiful collection #arcreader.

[Ashley]

First of all, thank you for allowing me to ARC read this in exchange for my honest opinion!

This was a good read overall. I really enjoyed Ember and Donovan—their dynamic kept me engaged, and I found myself rooting for them throughout the story. And let’s not forget Dullahan… 🔥 definitely a standout.

That being said, I did find myself a bit confused toward the end. The shift in that last chapter—from human to something else—felt a little abrupt and left me trying to piece things together. I’m not sure if it was meant to be a twist or something that will be explored further, but it did throw me off a bit.

The characters themselves were well written, and the story was gripping for the most part. It kept my attention and had me wanting to see how everything would unfold. However, I did feel like the mafia aspect was a bit lacking compared to what I was expecting.

Overall, though, this was my first time reading this author, and I think it was a solid introduction. I’d definitely be interested in seeing more from them in the future.

[Amy Frye]

The story was there, it was good. However there was a lot of repetition, like full paragraphs that were the exact same words just different spacing. There was a lot of unnecessary filler as well. Maybe 100 less pages worth between the filler and repetition. Again the story was good, really good in fact. I love Ember and Donovan/Dullahan's love, connection, resilience. It was beautifully dark, heartbreaking, strength of connection and love over coming all obstacles. There was sadness, joy, friendship, loyalty, betrayal, hope, despair and love, always love. I will also say the last chapter doesn't really fit the rest of the story and feels like its from another book. It has no connection to the mafia storyline other than the names used. Without all the extra fluff and continuity issues it would be a great 5 star book.

[Stef]

When you are an Irish mobster’s child you learn that the lines between protection, violence, and tradition blur with love, devotion, and duty; and still the ONLY thing above business is FAMILY. The suspense had my heart racing, the anticipation had me talking out loud to myself. These characters and the story absolutely consumed my heart and mind; book two can't get here soon enough!! @ambermccainauthor did it again with Awakening the Dullahan