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The Light Within
At the end of the sixteenth century in Ireland, a Scottish clan took over Dunluce Castle, claiming it for their own in hopes of unifying the Irish and the Scottish. Secrets and lies are held within its walls, but love shook through the cracks, gasping to unleash. Catriona O’Brien is a daughter and a storyteller. Through the tales told by the light of the fire each night, Cat basks in the idea of unseen worlds. When Catriona and her friends share a mystical experience as children, Cat’s life is changed. As she grows older, she frequently ponders the mystery she still doesn’t understand, letting its influence guide her. When a mysterious stranger from the castle comes to hide in her shed, Catriona is forced on a journey that leads her to an understanding of what her heart desires. But her stranger’s secrets run deep. Will their love be enough to break through the deceit? Or will duty and responsibility destroy their love? An enchanting tale of love through an unlikely turn of events that could alter the history of their clan...
356 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 31, 2020
13 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
August 2, 2020
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars
“I could not have her, nor did I deserve her. She was the Goddess of Light and Love, and I was the serpent of death and evil.”
Writing 4 Stars - AL Weston has done a fantastic job crafting her debut novel. The writing is lyrical and flows well, moving from beautiful descriptions of the landscape to deep introspections of the heart.
Characters 4 Stars - Cat and Brogan were both absolutely sweet people who worked well together. Their attraction was believable and their love story sweet.
Plot 4 Stars - The overall plot was strong, but I do feel many scenes were repetitive with a bit too much introspective narrative for my taste.
Setting 5 Stars - An absolutely beautiful, well drawn out setting.
Unputdownable factor 3 Stars - While their journey was interesting, as mentioned above there were some scenes and narrative that made the story feel a bit stagnant.
Dialogue 4 Stars - Dialogue flowed well, I just wish there was more of it. Some of the narrative telling me about their conversations might have worked better (for me) as actual dialogue.
In conclusion, you will love this book if you enjoy well-written, slow burn romance novels that are set in a beautiful, historic location.
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
August 13, 2020
This is a very unique romance! It has a little bit of magic in it, but not really magic. It takes a while to reveal and understand. It has a beautiful story of two people falling in love over time with magnetism from the beginning. A big focus of the story is seeing the light within people (surprise!). I love how it focused on getting to know someone and finding the good that they have inside. Catriona and Brogan are both very lovable characters and there were many side characters that I grew to love too. I'm dying to know more about Brigid's situation! There are some very passionate kisses, but nothing beyond that in terms of sexual content. 3.5 stars
dnf
August 24, 2020The amount of telling vs. showing happening made me want to put it down after 35 pages.
July 28, 2020
I don’t know why, but for some reason I had a harder time getting into the story of this one. The first bit was hard for me, but I did end up liking it.
I liked Cat. Her sense of family was one of my favorite things about her. She knew what was important and she fought for that throughout the whole book. I was a little confused by her gift at the beginning especially. She seemed to be as well, so that was probably okay.
Brogan is the male lead. He’s introduced in the beginning as Liam. Liam is in hiding and the reader doesn’t learn why until near the end of the book. But Cat doesn’t know either. The author did a good job with his secrets.
This one has an interesting cast of extra characters. The reader finds out what happens to a few of them. But I was left wondering what would happen to Brigid. I hope she gets her own story.
As a debut novel, this one was pretty well done. I hope this author continues to write.
I was sent an e-copy of The Light Within as a gift from the author. All opinions are my own.
I liked Cat. Her sense of family was one of my favorite things about her. She knew what was important and she fought for that throughout the whole book. I was a little confused by her gift at the beginning especially. She seemed to be as well, so that was probably okay.
Brogan is the male lead. He’s introduced in the beginning as Liam. Liam is in hiding and the reader doesn’t learn why until near the end of the book. But Cat doesn’t know either. The author did a good job with his secrets.
This one has an interesting cast of extra characters. The reader finds out what happens to a few of them. But I was left wondering what would happen to Brigid. I hope she gets her own story.
As a debut novel, this one was pretty well done. I hope this author continues to write.
I was sent an e-copy of The Light Within as a gift from the author. All opinions are my own.
August 1, 2020
This book is set in 1610 Ireland and follows the story of Catriona and Brogan. Their interactions and romance along with personal growth for both of them was excellent. I was transported back in time each time I picked up the book. This is a wonderful escape to another place and time.
July 29, 2020
I’m always a little nervous about diving in to a new author. The Light Within is A.L. Weston’s debut novel and it was absolutely captivating. The story flows effortlessly and is completely unique, which I love! The characters is this book are complex and layered. The author uncovers those layers bit by bit to allow the reader to really understand their fears and connect with them. The writing style of this book sucks you in and I found myself completely immersed in the story. The romance in this book was sparks and chemistry from the first time these characters laid eyes on each other. I was absolutely aching for these characters to find their happy ever after.
Two things I want to mention as a bit of a “FYI” about this book. One being while this book is not technically classified as a historical fantasy, I felt very much that it read like one. There are references to fairies, the heroine seems to have a gift of a certain kind for reading someone’s “light” and a few other small things that took it more to a fantasy novel than a straight up historical. I was surprised while reading this book when those things popped up, because I didn’t really expect that kind of thing based on the back cover blurb. It definitely played into the story a lot and enhanced the plot line, but I wanted to mention it to give readers a heads up of what to expect.
Second, there is a lot of very passionate romantic scenes in this book. These characters are really drawn to each other and when their barriers start to crumble they share several moments that push the boundaries of what even they are expecting. I will straight up say that they never officially cross the line and compromise by going all the way. However, there are several kissing scenes that are featured where the characters seem to lose a bit of control and it may not be appropriate for younger readers or someone who likes a more “PG” kiss in a romance novel. The author handles the scenes well in that Brogan is always a gentleman, apologizing for getting too caught up in the moment.
I really enjoyed this book. I wouldn’t normally pick up a book from this time period, but it was so well written and the story was so unique that it kept me turning the pages.
Two things I want to mention as a bit of a “FYI” about this book. One being while this book is not technically classified as a historical fantasy, I felt very much that it read like one. There are references to fairies, the heroine seems to have a gift of a certain kind for reading someone’s “light” and a few other small things that took it more to a fantasy novel than a straight up historical. I was surprised while reading this book when those things popped up, because I didn’t really expect that kind of thing based on the back cover blurb. It definitely played into the story a lot and enhanced the plot line, but I wanted to mention it to give readers a heads up of what to expect.
Second, there is a lot of very passionate romantic scenes in this book. These characters are really drawn to each other and when their barriers start to crumble they share several moments that push the boundaries of what even they are expecting. I will straight up say that they never officially cross the line and compromise by going all the way. However, there are several kissing scenes that are featured where the characters seem to lose a bit of control and it may not be appropriate for younger readers or someone who likes a more “PG” kiss in a romance novel. The author handles the scenes well in that Brogan is always a gentleman, apologizing for getting too caught up in the moment.
I really enjoyed this book. I wouldn’t normally pick up a book from this time period, but it was so well written and the story was so unique that it kept me turning the pages.
July 28, 2020
Where to begin... A.L. Weston has her debut book and it blew me away! I am a big fan of dedications and this drew me.. “My inner child, and the fairytale mystic love I have always admired. May you find your own, and may it shine bright throughout all your days”
Catriona spends this book understanding her light within and who she is meant to be while Brogan hides who he truly is while figuring out the next steps in life that are totally different than his dad! Weston is so descriptive and such a good story teller that you feel as though you are there with them. I could not put this book down and had to know how it would end. It’s a book I was sad when it was over. Their friendships with their best friends are incredible and leave you thinking how you can be a better friend yourself.
I’m eagerly awaiting Weston’s next book because she will be an automatic buy for me! I received the ebook as an ARC but as soon as I read it I had to buy a paper copy that I can read over and over.
Catriona spends this book understanding her light within and who she is meant to be while Brogan hides who he truly is while figuring out the next steps in life that are totally different than his dad! Weston is so descriptive and such a good story teller that you feel as though you are there with them. I could not put this book down and had to know how it would end. It’s a book I was sad when it was over. Their friendships with their best friends are incredible and leave you thinking how you can be a better friend yourself.
I’m eagerly awaiting Weston’s next book because she will be an automatic buy for me! I received the ebook as an ARC but as soon as I read it I had to buy a paper copy that I can read over and over.
August 10, 2020
I was really intrigued by the premise of this book and was excited to try out a new-to-me author. Unfortunately, it turned out to be not my cup of tea. I enjoyed the characters in the beginning, especially Catriona's devotion to her family. But it was difficult for me to get into the story since so much of it was ambiguous and mysterious, with no real answers forthcoming. Instead of making me curious, I ended up losing interest. The writing style was mostly telling, in a first person POV alternating between Cat and Brogan. I found it odd that major aspects of the characters stayed a secret when it was told from their inner thoughts. This one ended up being a pass for me.
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)
July 28, 2020
I had a hard time putting this book down! It was a real page turner. When Brogan was brought into the story, I felt that connection between Cat and him immediately. The details written were absolutely stunning, and A.L. Weston seemed to have taken you to a different place and time! My only comment would be that some parts kept my attention, and some did not, but that was very few in numbers.
This book is a lovely read for anyone interested in reading a blooming romance!
Lovely job A.L. Weston!
This book is a lovely read for anyone interested in reading a blooming romance!
Lovely job A.L. Weston!
July 28, 2020
I was thrilled to get the chance to read A.L. Westons debut novel. She has written a world you get swept away in. I loved the beautiful setting, magical characters, and those fantastic kissing scenes. I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next.
July 29, 2020
The Light Within was a beautiful and captivating debut novel by author A.L. Weston. The first page immediately caught my attention and gave me tingles as I wanted so much to know how this story would unfold. I loved the Irish setting and bit of magic this story had to it. The romance between Cat and Brogan was intense in all the right ways. The author had some beautiful thoughts woven throughout the story as she played with the idea of the light within each of us and auras. In many ways this story was hopeful for the good in each of us and the author did a good job bringing in emotion to her story.
I enjoyed this book. The content is overall clean with some passionate kissing and definite desire, but no graphic or inappropriate descriptions. Definitely an intriguing romance.
I received an advance reader copy of this novel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I enjoyed this book. The content is overall clean with some passionate kissing and definite desire, but no graphic or inappropriate descriptions. Definitely an intriguing romance.
I received an advance reader copy of this novel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
July 28, 2023
"This man was beautiful, and it scared me in a deep, earth-shattering way. I feared, for a moment, what this man was capable of doing to a woman's heart. My heart."
*
A. L. Weston's debut novel is a sweet little read with a beautiful story. The main characters were very easy to like and the fanart for them, by the amazing Dominique Wesson, is WOW and helps to bring them to life. I flew through the book very quickly and I really enjoyed the duel POVs, especially during pivotal parts of the story, it was really nice to see how they both felt during those moments.
*
Brogan and Caitriona's story was nice and fluffy and left me smiling long after I finished the book.
I want to wholeheartedly thank Ashley for the ARC of her book in exchange for a fair review. This book will be available this week 31st July!
*
"The only thing that made sense was that my soul was somehow connected to his."
*
A. L. Weston's debut novel is a sweet little read with a beautiful story. The main characters were very easy to like and the fanart for them, by the amazing Dominique Wesson, is WOW and helps to bring them to life. I flew through the book very quickly and I really enjoyed the duel POVs, especially during pivotal parts of the story, it was really nice to see how they both felt during those moments.
*
Brogan and Caitriona's story was nice and fluffy and left me smiling long after I finished the book.
I want to wholeheartedly thank Ashley for the ARC of her book in exchange for a fair review. This book will be available this week 31st July!
*
"The only thing that made sense was that my soul was somehow connected to his."
August 1, 2020
I’ve struggled to write this review because while I wanted to like this book a lot, it just didn’t cut it for me. I often had a difficult time following the storyline and the dialogue, the discussion of different gods but also talking about the Christian God and trinity, as if believing in all the above made sense, and the whole thing with Catriona’s “light” just didn’t make sense to me. I think it was meant to be a bit ethereal or otherworldly, but I just got confused. The writing was a bit choppy and the descriptions sometimes didn��t flow well. The story development and timeline worked and the romance was good. The theme of friendship and love are very strong. So all things considered, I think it’s a three star for me. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it, or even dislike it, either.
Catriona and Brogan (Liam) are interesting. Brogan is pretty confusing and I spent much of the time not sure I even wanted to like him. He was just so brusque and forceful. Catriona doesn’t know what she wants but she learns it over time. I did like that development. I also liked her artistic and empathetic nature and the sacrifices she was willing to make for her family.
Finn is the quintessential older-brother-reads character and I really liked him. It helped that Cat liked him and mostly only ever talked about his good qualities, except for the few times she would mention his white-hot temper, which was always random and not explained well. But seriously, I sobbed over his character. He was made an important enough part in the story that I felt deeply for him.
Brigid is a good friend, another fantastic side character. And I like Cillian for her. He’s a great character! I felt a bit let-down that we didn’t get more of her story and if a book is written about her, I will read it because I wanted more.
Faris and Cat’s sister, Aileen, are not super interesting to me. I was super confused about Aileen’s nighttime trysts, apparently alone? Doing nothing? Doing something they don’t want her father to know but we never find out. Also interesting that she’s painted as a spoiled child in a family of three that have to work desperately hard to support themselves. Did Da and Cat do all the work?
I really like Cat’s Da. He seems intuitive and caring. Magna is interesting. I couldn’t figure her out. She seemed distant, almost cold, but then she was super helpful and caring? I don’t really know.
I believe I’m supposed to hate Chief McDonnell. I mean, I basically do, but there isn’t really any build up for him. We don’t even hear of him for the whole first half of the book. The ultimate villain and we know almost nothing about it. Once we do meet him, all we’ve heard is a few snippets of how Brogan feels about him as a Da. I get the sense that we are supposed to trust Cat’s judgement about the darkness surrounding him, but it’s hard to hate someone you’ve heard nothing of. True, we do get glimpses of his relationship with his son and his manipulative, selfish nature. I guess I just expected to get more about why else he would be so remarkably evil before nearly the end. Also, the battle scene at the end was a bit anticlimactic.
I sound a little like I really dislike the book. I don’t exactly dislike it. It just fell flat for me.
That said however, the romance really was good. Watching Cat and Brogan fall in love was done very well. I liked getting both perspectives on their feelings and watching the relationship progress for both of them. I also liked how strongly you feel about Finn, Brigid, and Da. Those characters and their relationships to Cat are firmly written and you really experience with them. And as mentioned before, I do like the themes of family, light and goodness, and love. Because of those things, I feel like it’s a 3 star book.
Note: a good handful of kissing scenes, most of them super steamy. Nothing more ever happens on page but the passion and desire between them is obvious. There is also an alluded rape, mental illness and homicide.
Thanks to Ashley for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for a review! 💛
Catriona and Brogan (Liam) are interesting. Brogan is pretty confusing and I spent much of the time not sure I even wanted to like him. He was just so brusque and forceful. Catriona doesn’t know what she wants but she learns it over time. I did like that development. I also liked her artistic and empathetic nature and the sacrifices she was willing to make for her family.
Finn is the quintessential older-brother-reads character and I really liked him. It helped that Cat liked him and mostly only ever talked about his good qualities, except for the few times she would mention his white-hot temper, which was always random and not explained well. But seriously, I sobbed over his character. He was made an important enough part in the story that I felt deeply for him.
Brigid is a good friend, another fantastic side character. And I like Cillian for her. He’s a great character! I felt a bit let-down that we didn’t get more of her story and if a book is written about her, I will read it because I wanted more.
Faris and Cat’s sister, Aileen, are not super interesting to me. I was super confused about Aileen’s nighttime trysts, apparently alone? Doing nothing? Doing something they don’t want her father to know but we never find out. Also interesting that she’s painted as a spoiled child in a family of three that have to work desperately hard to support themselves. Did Da and Cat do all the work?
I really like Cat’s Da. He seems intuitive and caring. Magna is interesting. I couldn’t figure her out. She seemed distant, almost cold, but then she was super helpful and caring? I don’t really know.
I believe I’m supposed to hate Chief McDonnell. I mean, I basically do, but there isn’t really any build up for him. We don’t even hear of him for the whole first half of the book. The ultimate villain and we know almost nothing about it. Once we do meet him, all we’ve heard is a few snippets of how Brogan feels about him as a Da. I get the sense that we are supposed to trust Cat’s judgement about the darkness surrounding him, but it’s hard to hate someone you’ve heard nothing of. True, we do get glimpses of his relationship with his son and his manipulative, selfish nature. I guess I just expected to get more about why else he would be so remarkably evil before nearly the end. Also, the battle scene at the end was a bit anticlimactic.
I sound a little like I really dislike the book. I don’t exactly dislike it. It just fell flat for me.
That said however, the romance really was good. Watching Cat and Brogan fall in love was done very well. I liked getting both perspectives on their feelings and watching the relationship progress for both of them. I also liked how strongly you feel about Finn, Brigid, and Da. Those characters and their relationships to Cat are firmly written and you really experience with them. And as mentioned before, I do like the themes of family, light and goodness, and love. Because of those things, I feel like it’s a 3 star book.
Note: a good handful of kissing scenes, most of them super steamy. Nothing more ever happens on page but the passion and desire between them is obvious. There is also an alluded rape, mental illness and homicide.
Thanks to Ashley for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for a review! 💛
July 28, 2020
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐲
⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐮𝐩 𝐚𝐭 𝟔𝐚𝐦 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝!
Before I start gushing over this book, this cover it is STUNNING!!! It's also currently my screen saver on my phone♡
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭! 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐨𝐟𝐟! 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐦𝐢𝐱 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 & 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧! 𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥! 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬. 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠!
𝑰𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆...
✔𝑯𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒄 𝑹𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆
✔𝑭𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝑫𝒚𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒄𝒔
✔𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝑭𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑𝒔
✔𝑱𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒚 𝑺𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔
✔& 𝑴𝒐𝒓𝒆
𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑰 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒍𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐
𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏
𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝑨.𝑳 𝑾𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝒄𝒐𝒑𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 & 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘! 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰'𝒎 𝒔𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌!♡♡♡
⚠️Content⚠️
Passionate Kisses
Covered Door Romance
(Married Couple)
𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬
"𝐀𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐚 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞, 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐡. 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬, 𝐠𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐡.𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚 𝐎’𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫. 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐂𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐬. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧, 𝐂𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝. 𝐀𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫.𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝, 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬."
⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐮𝐩 𝐚𝐭 𝟔𝐚𝐦 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝!
Before I start gushing over this book, this cover it is STUNNING!!! It's also currently my screen saver on my phone♡
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭! 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐨𝐟𝐟! 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐦𝐢𝐱 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 & 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧! 𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥! 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬. 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠!
𝑰𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆...
✔𝑯𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒄 𝑹𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆
✔𝑭𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝑫𝒚𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒄𝒔
✔𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝑭𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑𝒔
✔𝑱𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒚 𝑺𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔
✔& 𝑴𝒐𝒓𝒆
𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑰 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒍𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐
𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏
𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝑨.𝑳 𝑾𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝒄𝒐𝒑𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 & 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘! 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰'𝒎 𝒔𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌!♡♡♡
⚠️Content⚠️
Passionate Kisses
Covered Door Romance
(Married Couple)
𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬
"𝐀𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐚 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞, 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐡. 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬, 𝐠𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐡.𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚 𝐎’𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫. 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐂𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐬. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧, 𝐂𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝. 𝐀𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫.𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝, 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬."
October 6, 2023
What a unique, charming romance!
When an injured stranger shows up on her doorstep, Catriona and her family take him in and help him heal. Catriona doesn't know about his past or how he was hurt, but she does know that when he does leave, he will be taking a piece of her heart with him.
Brogan has fallen for Catriona and though he knows he should stay away from her because of his dark secrets, he knows he will do anything to help her and his family. When an unexpected journey forces the two to spend time together, the sparks between them turn into fireworks but evil forces are at work to keep them apart.
What to expect:
Wounded hero trope
Little bit of insta love
Force proximity
Dual POV
Hint of magic/faeries
Oh mylanta, the kissing scenes!
Found family
Themes of redemption and forgiveness
Cillian & Brigid
There was something magical about the setting and the characters that drew me in and kept me in the story. I loved the focus on light and goodness, the hint of magic, and oh my, the chemistry between Brogan and Cat practically lit the pages on fire.
This had a bit of Outlander vibes and fans of sweet historical romance will enjoy this one!
CW: kissing/makeouts, fade to black between married couple, battle scenes/injuriess
I received complimentary copy but a positive review was not required.
Note: I read a newly edited version of the book released in 2023.
When an injured stranger shows up on her doorstep, Catriona and her family take him in and help him heal. Catriona doesn't know about his past or how he was hurt, but she does know that when he does leave, he will be taking a piece of her heart with him.
Brogan has fallen for Catriona and though he knows he should stay away from her because of his dark secrets, he knows he will do anything to help her and his family. When an unexpected journey forces the two to spend time together, the sparks between them turn into fireworks but evil forces are at work to keep them apart.
What to expect:
Wounded hero trope
Little bit of insta love
Force proximity
Dual POV
Hint of magic/faeries
Oh mylanta, the kissing scenes!
Found family
Themes of redemption and forgiveness
Cillian & Brigid
There was something magical about the setting and the characters that drew me in and kept me in the story. I loved the focus on light and goodness, the hint of magic, and oh my, the chemistry between Brogan and Cat practically lit the pages on fire.
This had a bit of Outlander vibes and fans of sweet historical romance will enjoy this one!
CW: kissing/makeouts, fade to black between married couple, battle scenes/injuriess
I received complimentary copy but a positive review was not required.
Note: I read a newly edited version of the book released in 2023.
July 29, 2020
This books was so good I wanted to read it late into the night. BUT I also wanted to slowly read it so I could savor ever moment. I didn’t want the end to come! 🥺
The characters were real, and I loved the way A.L Weston was able to portray honest sexual tension between Catriona and Brogan without going overboard. The writing left you craving more, but also solidified the characters astounding qualities.
My only complaint is that the end needed more meat to it. Everything came together, I just wish there was a few more chapters to explain the ending scenes in more depth. I feel like adding more detail would of been the cherry on top of an already stunning novel. And if I’m being totally honest I wasn’t ready to let go of Catriona and Brogan😉
Overall I would give it a rating of 3.75 stars. I did receive an ARC of this book.
The characters were real, and I loved the way A.L Weston was able to portray honest sexual tension between Catriona and Brogan without going overboard. The writing left you craving more, but also solidified the characters astounding qualities.
My only complaint is that the end needed more meat to it. Everything came together, I just wish there was a few more chapters to explain the ending scenes in more depth. I feel like adding more detail would of been the cherry on top of an already stunning novel. And if I’m being totally honest I wasn’t ready to let go of Catriona and Brogan😉
Overall I would give it a rating of 3.75 stars. I did receive an ARC of this book.
July 31, 2020
I came into this book a little apprehensive due to its genre. Love stories have never really been my thing. I had full confidence in A. L. Weston’s ability to construe characters who blend and reflect each other, as well as a setting that is true to the time period the book depicts. If anything, I was surprised at how well the book brought me to sixteenth century Ireland, unlike many series that remove the accents or clothing or cultural norms for their romanticized version of it. The book opened wonderfully. A. L. Weston’s broad vocabulary immersed me; I read the entire book in a matter of hours without setting it down. I would (and am) recommending this book to family and friends. I am looking forward to any upcoming novels!
September 2, 2023
A tamer Outlander with equally lovely characters
I really like Ashley Weston's style of writing. This is another slow-burn with realistic and loving characters.
This book felt like a tamer version of Outlander but that is not a detriment to the story. I love the world Weston has created here, she paints such a vivid view of medival Ireland that I wanted to stay in forever.
I was engrossed in the beginning but toward the end I found myself scanning pages due to a drawn out ending and foreshadowing from the beginning.
I think this is a perfect starter book for someone who might like something like Outlander but isn't ready for such intense and graphic scenes.
I really like Ashley Weston's style of writing. This is another slow-burn with realistic and loving characters.
This book felt like a tamer version of Outlander but that is not a detriment to the story. I love the world Weston has created here, she paints such a vivid view of medival Ireland that I wanted to stay in forever.
I was engrossed in the beginning but toward the end I found myself scanning pages due to a drawn out ending and foreshadowing from the beginning.
I think this is a perfect starter book for someone who might like something like Outlander but isn't ready for such intense and graphic scenes.
August 1, 2020
This book was delightful. For fans of Outlander and Historical Romance, grab some popcorn and turn on your favorite Celtic tunes because this book was a wonderful mood. Weston’s debut novel was as much captivating as it was adventurous, with small elements of fantasy surrounding her main character Catriona. I also was swept up in the romance with Brogan, which was tasteful but still had me on my toes. This totally got me out of my reading funk and highly recommend you pick it up as well.
August 1, 2020
This debut novel was a lovely escape. I really enjoyed Catriona’s character and found the family dynamic in this story so compelling. This book is at its core a love story and the relationship between Cat and Brogan was incredibly tender and sweet. I recommend this if you enjoy closed-door, historical romances that whisks you away.
Thank you to @weston for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to @weston for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
October 7, 2024
5 stars. This book has so much heart. A historical Irish romantic adventure, I couldn’t put it down. There is so much wisdom woven into this story. And also the romance was so so so swoony, I cannot even handle it! Brogan is sexy as crap (😉) and Catriona captures your heart with her loyalty and quiet confidence.
July 30, 2020
Lovely debut novel, with a dash of mystery and magic. The plot of the book was enjoyable, and the characters enchanting.
This is a closed door historical romance, but the kissing scenes are beyond steamy.
This is a closed door historical romance, but the kissing scenes are beyond steamy.
August 4, 2020
A beautiful journey!
What a beautiful book! I loved every page! I was immediately pulled in to a beautiful place with enchanting people and was taken on a journey that I didn’t want to end!! I can’t wait to see what comes next!! Amazing!!
What a beautiful book! I loved every page! I was immediately pulled in to a beautiful place with enchanting people and was taken on a journey that I didn’t want to end!! I can’t wait to see what comes next!! Amazing!!
February 22, 2021
A clean historical romance that had me hooked from the first page! I read this story in one sitting!
April 3, 2023
A beautiful, clean, sweet love story set in a Scottish setting. Dazzled with a touch of magic, this story was warm and had just enough escape to be enjoyable for any romance reader.
Want to read
December 27, 2021At the end of the sixteenth century in Ireland, a Scottish clan took over Dunluce Castle, claiming it for their own in hopes of unifying the Irish and the Scottish. Secrets and lies are held within its walls, but love shook through the cracks, gasping to unleash.
Catriona O’Brien is a daughter and a storyteller. Through the tales told by the light of the fire each night, Cat basks in the idea of unseen worlds. When Catriona and her friends share a mystical experience as children, Cat’s life is changed. As she grows older, she frequently ponders the mystery she still doesn’t understand, letting its influence guide her.
When a mysterious stranger from the castle comes to hide in her shed, Catriona is forced on a journey that leads her to an understanding of what her heart desires. But her stranger’s secrets run deep. Will their love be enough to break through the deceit? Or will duty and responsibility destroy their love?
An enchanting tale of love through an unlikely turn of events that could alter the history of their clan...
Catriona O’Brien is a daughter and a storyteller. Through the tales told by the light of the fire each night, Cat basks in the idea of unseen worlds. When Catriona and her friends share a mystical experience as children, Cat’s life is changed. As she grows older, she frequently ponders the mystery she still doesn’t understand, letting its influence guide her.
When a mysterious stranger from the castle comes to hide in her shed, Catriona is forced on a journey that leads her to an understanding of what her heart desires. But her stranger’s secrets run deep. Will their love be enough to break through the deceit? Or will duty and responsibility destroy their love?
An enchanting tale of love through an unlikely turn of events that could alter the history of their clan...
October 20, 2020
Oh. My. Goodness!!! This novel was CRAZY wonderful!! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!!! It far exceeds as one of my new favorites. It has the elements that I adore within a great novel: romance, faith in God (though it wasn’t as pronounced as I would’ve liked), family, friendship, hardship, redemption, amazing characters, relatability, it takes place in Ireland, is written in multiple perspectives, etc. The romance was great, but it gets pretty steamy so I would recommend that younger readers research that aspect better before they venture into it. I can’t wait to see what else A.L. Weston comes out with in the future! Her writing style reminds me a lot of one of my favorite authors, Melanie Dickerson, but also very different. All the more reason why I was captivated. Thank you SO VERY much, A.L. Weston!! I loved it!!!
August 21, 2020
I give this novel four stars until the last fourth of the book; then, I slap it with two. I found the mixture of fairy magic and pieces of history to be a fun twist to this novel about a farming girl who knows how to read and write. In fact, everyone seems to have skills uncommon during the 17th century. I didn't quite appreciate how steamy the descriptions of romance could get - I skipped through most of the ending due to the unbelievability that crept in. Cat falls from a horse who is frightened during a stampede. The next day, and ever after, our amazing hero seems to forget and roughs her up with passionate embraces, etc. Cat doesn't even flinch when he grabs her, pushes her, and whatnot. She allowed him to heal for weeks, yet he forgets almost immediately about her physical well-being!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2022
Pretty good story.
Fairly clean read. No sex scenes, but a handful of passionate kissing. Characters were likeable and had a good arc.
Fairly clean read. No sex scenes, but a handful of passionate kissing. Characters were likeable and had a good arc.
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