One Night on the Island by Josie Silver

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Spending her thirtieth birthday alone is the last thing that dating columnist Cleo wanted, but she is going on a self-coupling quasi-sabbatical--at the insistence of her boss--in the name of re-energizing herself and adding a new perspective to her column. The remote Irish island she's booked is a far cry from London, but at least it's a chance to hunker down in a luxury cabin and indulge in some quiet, solitary self-care while she figures out her next steps in her love life and her career.

Mac is also looking forward to some time to himself. With his life in Boston deteriorating in ways he can't bring himself to acknowledge, his soul searching has brought him to the same Irish island in search of his roots and some clarity. Unfortunately, a mix-up with the bookings means both solitude seekers have reserved the same one-bedroom hideaway on exactly the same dates.

Instantly at odds with each other, Cleo and Mac don't know how they're going to manage until the next weekly ferry arrives. But as the days go by, they no longer seem to mind each other's company quite as much as they thought they would...

Written with Josie Silver's signature warmth, charm and insights into the human heart, One Night on the Island explores the meaning of home, the joys of escape and how the things we think we want are never the things we really need.

* Source: NetGalley; ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review

One Night on the Island sees two individuals at pivotal moments in their lives crashing into each other's orbit at a most inconvenient time. Cleo is supposed to be at Salvation Island 'self-coupling'. She's an online columnist who's turning 30 and she and her editor decided that she should go to the island to celebrate that milestone by marrying herself as a way to embrace herself as she enters into her thirties. It's so weird even to Cleo. Then of course Mack shows up to the same cottage that Cleo booked claiming that he's supposed to be there as well. He rented it from his distant cousin so he could immerse himself in his photography while he gives his estranged wife space after she asked for a divorce the year before. Neither he or Cleo are willing to budge and there's really nowhere else to go on the island. Their solution is to draw a chalk line through the house and they can each reside on their own side. Stuck on the island, they have to make do and be civil.

This was a strange kind of romance and I have to tell you, I was on the fence through most of it. I was unsettled by the initial hostility between Cleo and Mack because some of it felt so unnecessary. Cleo seemed to put on tantrums and Mack was so closed off. It just comes down to that fact that I didn't want to encounter this kind of vibe in my reading. Things between them thaw when they start to find some common ground and make peace. And yes, it's weird again how they swing from antagonists to buddy-buddy and start revealing their secrets. Mack is distraught over the breakup of his marriage and still after over a year apart can't accept that it's over. Cleo is finally embracing her single life and keeps lobbing truth bombs Mack's way about the state of his relationship. Her honesty is brutal but one thing that's a no-go zone is is two boys. He adores them and wants everything for them. While he and Cleo get cozy and attraction builds, he's still hesitant to let go of his marriage. Even if it's his wife wanting the divorce and already off with someone else. His vows are sacred to him.

There were times I felt that the book should've been two different books. What Cleo and Mack were going through independent of each other was more interesting to me than their 'thing'. I liked being in on their thoughts and self-analysis when they were off by themselves. I normally enjoy a forced proximity romance, but this didn't get its hooks in me. It just felt that the other person was conveniently there and they thought, why not? It's difficult to explain because there are profound moments between them where I understood the sentiments they shared, but as far as the romance goes, I didn't feel their heat.

I did appreciate the residents of Salvation Island. They're all such engaging characters making anyone feel at home amongst them. I liked how they'd tease Mack and Cleo about their accommodation snafu and hint at any budding romance between them. They all had their own interesting stories and I thought they were absolutely delightful.

I adored Silver's other book, One Day in December because I liked those characters and I liked what they were working through so I was hoping I'd feel the same about One Night on the Island. It's a quiet, subdued story and romance that worked in parts, but this time it wasn't for me.

~ Bel

The Darkling Bride by Laura Andersen

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Three generations of Irish nobles face their family secrets in this spellbinding novel from the award-winning author of the Boleyn King trilogy.

The Gallagher family has called Deeprath Castle home for seven hundred years. Nestled in the Wicklow Mountains of Ireland, the estate is now slated to become a public trust, and book lover and scholar Carragh Ryan is hired to take inventory of its historic library. But after meeting Aidan, the current Viscount Gallagher, and his enigmatic family, Carragh knows that her task will be more challenging than she’d thought.

Two decades before, Aidan’s parents died violently at Deeprath. The case, which was never closed, has recently been taken up by a new detective determined to find the truth. The couple’s unusual deaths harken back a century, when twenty-three-year-old Lady Jenny Gallagher also died at Deeprath under mysterious circumstances, leaving behind an infant son and her husband, a renowned writer who never published again. These incidents only fueled fantastical theories about the Darkling Bride, a local legend of a sultry and dangerous woman from long ago whose wrath continues to haunt the castle.

The past catches up to the present, and odd clues in the house soon have Carragh wondering if there are unseen forces stalking the Gallagher family. As secrets emerge from the shadows and Carragh gets closer to answers—and to Aidan—could she be the Darkling Bride’s next victim?

Source: advance e-galley provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review

I originally thought that The Darkling Bride was going to be a ghost story, something out of my comfort zone but so tantalizing that I was willing to try. Turns out it's a little bit about a ghostly legend and mostly about bizarre family events that only add to the legend.

There are three timelines and several points of view working in tandem to bring this incredible story to life. I love a good mystery and so happens I love one that involves uncovering family secrets. Carragh takes on a temporary job to archive the Gallagher family's library before the castle is put in a trust. Aidan, the current Viscount, has no desire to hold on to the castle where his parents were murdered. What few memories he has are too painful and since not everyone in his family is in agreement with his plans, their discord grows as time wears on. Carragh gets to be an unwilling witness to the family's drama but doesn't allow that to distract her from doing the work she was hired to do. She's also doing a bit of her own research into one of the family's most famous ancestors and her perseverance leads her to information that could help resolve not only the mystery of Aidan's parents' deaths but another one from a couple of generations back. 

With so many characters and details involved Andersen has paced the story perfectly with concise chapters and just enough breadcrumbs to keep both the plotline and reader moving forward. The only problem I had was with real life constantly interrupting my reading bliss. The Darkling Bride fits a certain kind of mood and I was craving a mystery like this that would remove me to another setting and time period. I was mesmerized by the story and enjoyed the various characters even when they were at their most vulnerable. If I could make a wish, I'd love to see the detective, Sibéal in another story. Strong and skilled at her job, it would be fun to see her work another mystery but as I said, that's just my wishful thinking. 

~ Bel

Picture Source: Goodreads

Connect with Laura on Facebook and Twitter!

Scintillate Blog Tour & Giveaway

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A mighty flame follows a tiny spark.

Cora Sandoval’s mother disappeared when she was five and they were living in Ireland. Since then, her dad has been more than overprotective, and Cora is beginning to chafe under his confines. But even more troubling is the colorful light she suddenly sees around people. Everyone, that is, except herself—instead, she glows a brilliant, sparkling silver.

As she realizes the danger associated with these strange auras, Cora is inexplicably drawn to Finn, a gorgeous Irish exchange student who makes her feel safe. Their attraction is instant, magnetic, and primal—but her father disapproves, and Finn’s mother orders him home to Ireland upon hearing he’s fallen in love. After a fight with her father, Cora flees to Ireland, both to follow Finn and to look for her missing mother.

There she meets another silver-haloed person and discovers the meaning of her newfound powers and their role in a conspiracy spanning centuries—one that could change mankind forever…and end her life.

Scintillate is the first book in this lush and exciting new trilogy, full of romance, adventure and metaphysical mystery.

The premise for Scintillate is definitely fascinating as the story begins with Cora undergoing a drastic transformation in the aftermath of being violently ill. Her scientist father suspects that it’s because of a mysterious virus going around. While that’s keeping him preoccupied, she’s discovering her newfound ability which is complex and scary, only made worse because she has no one she can confide in. Things progress quickly when she stumbles upon the first clue that gives her some vague idea about what her ability could mean. It’s just enough to kickstart her own research that inevitably leads to more than she can handle.

In the midst of it all, there’s Finn, the gorgeous Irish bloke who has recently entered her life. They’d seen each other around at school but there had been no contact until she became ill. Finn is the entire package if you go for the gorgeous foreign guy with the cute accent, poetic soul and a profound singer-songwriter guitar playing genius. (I dreamed up Jonathan Rhys-Meyers in this scenario.) In a matter of days, he has rooted himself into her life and he becomes a source of contention between her and her overprotective dad. As a reader, I was both beguiled by him and suspicious of him. Cora on the other hand is completely smitten.

When her dad decides to send her to Costa Rica to visit her grandmother just to get her away from danger, Cora seizes the opportunity to escape Ireland instead to search for clues about her mother. When she arrives, she meets someone who is similar to her and it’s the first real break she receives on the path to discovering the truth. However, that also comes with a calamitous welcome to the country. Her sudden bright idea to take matters into her own hands and wander off to the other side of the world doesn’t seem so smart anymore.

I liked Scintillate as a whole but I have mixed feelings about Cora at this point. I can understand her desperation to find answers, however, in her haste, she puts herself and her family in danger. She is so hell bent on defying her father that she just plows ahead without giving her actions any serious thought. Her annoyance with him blinds her from seeing some vital clues in front of her. That being said, I'll cut her some slack for being young, sheltered and frightened.  

I’m still very much interested in knowing the outcome of her story. I think that the events that transpired toward the end of book one have opened Cora's eyes which hopefully means that she’ll tighten up her game plan moving forward.  She'll have to be cautious as the stakes are higher and I imagine we'll see a more grown-up Cora through the rest of this exciting series!

Hey folks, check out the book trailer below and enter for your chance to win a prize pack of your own beautiful key necklace and a signed copy of Scintillate!

~ Bel

Author Tracy Clark modeling the lovely key necklace you soooo want to win!

Trailer Link:

http://youtu.be/HVCOK3fWLx8

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