2 ⭐️ Loved the concept but I had too many issues with the execution
"Our love was but a song,
Our dreams could not be wrong,
But it's so lonely round the sea of Innisfail."
WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ irish fae
✨ fantasy quest
✨ unknown family past
✨ strong, independent sea captain FMC
✨ charming, witty landscape architect MMC
✨ grumpy x sunshine
✨ haters to lovers
✨ forced proximity
✨ found family
✨ banter
✨ dual pov
✨ one sex scene with minimum details
My Thoughts:
First off, I wanted to thank the author, Tricia O'Malley, and The Nerd Fam for sending me a lovely PR box with lots of goodies along with paperbacks of the first two books. I really appreciate it.
I was intrigued by the concept of Irish fae, so I eagerly dove into this first book. But sadly, it just wasn't for me.
What I liked:
- The Irish lore
- The concept of heart songs between mates
- Imogen's hero's journey
- Bianca's friendship with Imogen
What I didn't like:
The plot. You're telling me the Prince of all the fae, his best mate/the King of the water fae, and a random fae/human couple are going on a rescue mission to save the Prince's mate, Lily, by commandeering a tourist boat from our heroine, Imogen? Even though the Prince's mother has a whole freaking fleet or he could just offer Imogen money for her boat and skills as a captain?
Then, they have ZERO plan but to listen to Lily's mate/heart song to try to find her? So twelve hours into their quest, they are attacked and seek shelter in a magical cove where a ghost literally says, "The goddesses are willing to reward those who act in pure intent and not out of malice. Your journey thus far has been such. Therefore, I can tell you Lily is being held on the Aran Islands." Okay, well that was easy.
Then, they reach the islands and this band of FIVE decides to take on an army of who knows how many, and they end up saving Lily because SPOILER, the heroine Imogen actually has powers and ends up wiping out the bad fae.
The story was predictable and juvenile. I think if the one sex scene was removed, this would be better for a younger audience (12+) who isn't familiar with intricate fantasy stories.
The world-building wasn't developed enough and what was written wasn't very strong. There's goddesses, fae, ghosts, humans, royal courts, and realms. It's a lot of information. And while I was intrigued by this world, it felt overly complicated and not explained well enough. Also, having the two Fae groups be the Domnua and Danula can be confusing to readers since they both start with D. But, the worst part was explaining how they are colloquially known as the good fae and bad fae. This is another aspect of the story that felt very juvenile.
The romance. I liked Imogen. Nolan was alright. I did like the hate-to-love trope. However, I didn't believe there was any real chemistry. These idiots basically full-on hate each other until the end when they realize they're fated mates. And even though Nolan thought she was a traitor and he completely betrayed Imogen's trust two days before, he's suddenly all about her. I'm happy Imogen took a step back to reflect on everything, but two hours later she's sealing the bond with Nolan and saying 'I love you'. Which, in Imogen's own words, "it seemed impossible". Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. By the way, this one sex scene is at 88% of the book, so if you're here for the smut, you'll have to wait a while.
The writing. The sentences were structured fine. So I was able to read the story quickly. However, the way the characters would ignore relevant information in order to move the story forward while keeping the conflict at bay drove me INSANE and wasn't believable in the slightest. It's one thing to have a predictable story. It's another when the characters, who are supposed to be intelligent beings, are acting like massive idiots.
For example, the fae in this world hold matehood in the highest regard, meaning everyone knows about it and would be able to understand the signs pointing out you've found your mate. But apparently being unusually drawn to someone, feeling their emotions, dreaming about them, thinking about fucking them every second of every day, and losing your magik powers apparently aren't obvious signs that your fated mate is right in front of you! No one would ignore these things, especially in a world that values and understands matehood.
Overall, the story was just too juvenile and there were too many inconsistencies for me to get on board with this story. Maybe if I were younger, it wouldn't bother me as much, but I guess I had higher hopes for this adult fantasy novel.