Wrecked

by Lisah Jayne Walden

When grief-stricken influencer Conor Sullivan flees to Ireland after the death of his parents, he hopes to escape the life he left behind. Instead, he finds himself trapped within the estate of his enigmatic uncle, Jonathan. Perched on the rugged coast of Tramore, the sprawling manor seems idyllic at first glance. Yet strange rules govern the house, whispered warnings follow him through its halls, and the people living within its walls are not what they appear to be. Among them is Brianna, a fierce young woman who wants nothing to do with Conor, especially when he bears the name of the man responsible for so much suffering. But as dark secrets surface and forbidden feelings grow between them, Conor begins to suspect that his uncle's obsessions run far deeper than anyone realizes. As the truth behind the estate unravels, Conor must decide how much he is willing to sacrifice to save those trapped within it.

Genres: Fantasy

277 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 28, 2026

Reviews

[Linda Hamelin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story caught me by surprise. I really enjoyed the interwoven folklore and intensity of the story. The ending was unexpected, and now I must read the next book in the series. I sense the author has a lot more the offer in the next book.

Loved it, keep it up Lisah Jayne Walden! Well done. Thank you!

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good story! It’s a story about grief at its core, something experienced both by Connor and Brianna, although they are grieving for different reasons.

The author had such a lovely way of writing. It was clear, efficient, and oftentimes poetic. She also managed to weave Irish mythology into the story while making it feel natural and part of the story, rather than being shoehorned in for no reason.

The characters are complex, and at first you’re unsure whether you will be sympathetic to Connor. We meet others along the way who have mysterious motivations and we’re unsure as to who to trust.

I enjoyed the ending of the book, but I am left with so many questions afterwards. Not to say that is a bad thing; in fact in my opinion it means that the author has done such a good job with world-building and with developing the characters. This book is apparently part of a series, so I’m very interested to see what’s in store!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Constance M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book took a few turns that certainly added character and intrigue to the story.
There’s some sort of saying about power corrupts, and a few characters in the book fell into that trap.
Justifying selfishness leads to many incorrect decisions, and the suffering of those who trusted them.
There were a great number of heartbreaking moments, and it made this reader waffle between liking and feeling sorrow for a couple of the characters.

This could be a deep read, as you try to sort out the emotional tension and decisions of the characters.

[Rachel Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this book completely by chance after seeing the author share a little about her story. I offered to give it a read without really knowing what I was getting into and if I’m being completely truthful… a few chapters in I was wondering why I’d done that when my TBR was already overflowing. 😅

And then something changed, pretty early on I was intrigued. I had suspicions, but because I genuinely had NO idea what kind of story I was reading, I couldn’t decide if I was onto something or completely wrong.

I wasn’t wrong, I’m a fantasy/horror girly, I know the signs, suddenly I couldn’t put it down.

And then it ended with “To be continued…”

EXCUSE ME?! 😩😂

I did not expect this book to get its claws into me the way it did, and now apparently I’m waiting for book two.

And that’s about all I’m telling you, because I went into this completely blind and I think you should too.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

“How many people live in this house?” “Two.” 👀

Wrecked follows Connor, a disgraced influencer whose life unravels after the loss of his parents and a social media scandal. He reaches out to his Uncle, his only remaining relative and a successful author, and goes to visit him in Ireland. He pulls up and is amazed by the extent of his uncle’s wealth, but quickly finds this estate is full of strange rules and mysterious staff.

The mythology was by far my favourite part of this book. I loved discovering the different creatures and learning more about Irish folklore. As someone who’s always loved ocean mythology, this was definitely the highlight for me.

I enjoyed how the mystery unraveled but the ending didn’t quite work for me. After all the build-up, it felt like there were still quite a few loose ends, so I guess I will have to wait for book 2…

If you enjoy mythology, I’d still recommend giving this one a read.

⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to BookSirens and Lisah Jayne Walden for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Ginger Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about grief, folklore, and two young people in a creepy estate. After a tragedy, Conor moves to Ireland to live with his rich uncle. There he meets the feisty but mysterious Brianna. But she's not the only mystery. What is going on with his uncle and his estate?
I liked the character work with Conor. Some of the things he did at the beginning were quite terrible, but he did eventually begin to grow on me. I also liked the way his relationship with Brianna developed over the story. The setting of Ireland and the sea were described beautifully, and the estate was appropriately creepy. I also really liked the inclusion of folklore. It almost read like a long, creepy fairytale. I received a free copy of this story and write this review voluntarily.

[Jen R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wrecked by Lisah Jayne Walden
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/5

From a high school bully who is quickly taken by the throes of grief, Conner gives up his life in New York to reunite with an uncle in Ireland. There, he finds himself in quite a strange predicament. But he does find love.

Had a little chuckle over the enchantment of making TikTok videos with a cellphone. However, don’t be fooled. This is not a happy story and will leave you wrecked on a cliffhanger. Totally worth it.

This is a pretty fast read. Lots of good details. Excellent writing. Dark fantasy.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conor Sullivan has lost both parents and needs a change, so he flees to Ireland and is trapped in the estate of his uncle, Jonathan. He feels like he might be losing time or possibly his mind and falls for the maid Brianna. Brianna wants nothing more than to escape, will they make it out or be trapped there forever?

Lovely tale interwoven with folklore and the mysteries of what was truly going on at the estate. Starting with the grief and desperation of a young man and his experiences of finding himself along the way. Wonderfully complex characters that develop throughout the book and complete unpredictability from the characters as well. The cliffhanger ending leaves you just aching for the next one in the series!

[Katie · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

The premise of this book was very unique and intriguing for sure. I enjoyed seeing the development of Conor over the course of the book as well as delving into the other characters. I would have loved more build up with Brianna for sure but I loved her character as well. The story takes us through so many different types of grief as well. The cliffhanger at the end leaves me with so many questions (in a good way) and I am very intrigued to know what happens next!

I received this as an ARC, all opinions are my own.