Review - The Wild Irish Sea by Loucinda McGary

In this tale you have mystery, romance and some selkie magic - plus an attractive cover too!

The Wild Irish Sea: A windswept tale of love and magic by Loucinda McGary

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (July 6, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402226713
• ISBN-13: 978-1402226717

Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Drawn to a force he can't resist...
Former police officer Kevin Hennessey is running from his past-choosing to battle smugglers instead of dealing with his personal demons. When a desperate, rain-drenched American woman appears on his doorstep with wild tales of danger, Kevin is drawn to helping her, despite his reservations...

She never saw him coming...
Amber O'Neill knew without a doubt that her brother was in mortal danger. Rushing heedlessly to the rocky shores of Ireland, Amber was stunned to find her rescue mission derailed by a gorgeous, but deeply flawed Irishman...

The tumultuous sea, the intertwined fates of the coastal villagers, and unearthly tales of a hidden selkie prince bring Kevin and Amber together in a connection of mind, body, and soul that neither can deny...

Review: This is a good romantic suspense with a touch of Irish magic.
Amber and her twin have a special connection as twins often do.  Their’s is a bit more pronounced than some and has helped them form a close bond with one another but kept them separated from others who often think them freaks.

Amber has come from America to Ireland knowing her brother is in trouble. She shows up on a storming night, dragging herself to the door of this handsome Irishman. Kevin is a former police official who lost his child and had his wife leave him due to his neglect. He has dug himself out of a bottle and shut himself off from the world in the process. But there is still a protector buried deep inside Kevin and Amber draws that to the surface.

Kevin and Amber discover a mental connection as they struggle to find Parker. Along the way, as they dodge smugglers, they get help from a teenage lad, Conner, who gets a bit of a crush on Amber. They also get help, and then some trouble, in the form of a teenage girl, Meriol and her younger brother, Ronan. Amber and Parker are surprised to be able to form mental connections with several of their new friends, but the most surprising is the help they get from the seals. This ties in the selkie lore, especially for young Ronan, and is quite a charming element.

The mental connection between Amber and Kevin enhances their physical connection in a lovely manner. The author manages to transport you to the wet, wild and dangerous setting. This adds to the intrigue, which, along with the interesting characters, keeps the story rolling at a good clip. There is a good amount of romance and that special touch of Irish lore and magic.

Here is a particular line I liked (p 247): “Mentally, Kevin reached for her, felt the tingling comfort of her presence as she settled into that empty space in his mind that only she filled.”
I think you will enjoy this story if you like solid intrigue, warm romance between vulnerable characters, and a paranormal element with an Irish twist.

Thank you to Sourcebooks and Ms. McGary for providing this book to review. See Ms. McGary's guest post and enter the Giveaway for a chance to win one of two books.

Blog Tour with Giveaway! Loucinda McGary, Author of The Wild Irish Sea

Please join me to give a warm "hello" and welcome to
Loucinda McGary – The Wild Irish Sea

Guest Blog

Water Water Everywhere

Not long ago, my critique partner (CP) and I were discussing our current works-in-progress (WIPs). After we finished our line-by-line assessments of each others’ chapters, we started to discuss overall themes and motifs in our work. She made the observation that water figured prominently in all my novels.

My first reaction was denial. Astrologically, I’m a fire sign and I’m not attracted to earth or water signs. And I’m not keen on being wet in my everyday life either. Rain is fine, as long as I’m inside, not out in it. I’ve never been much of a swimmer… okay, I can barely keep myself afloat, and I hate water in my ears or nose! Large bodies of water scare me a little. Confession time – when I’m on a cruise (and I’ve been on sixteen of them), I’m always a bit nervous if I can’t see land.

For an aqua-phobe like me to write about water made no sense. But then I looked at my three finished books and my WIP and saw that she was correct! Every one of my stories contains a strong water related element.

My first book, The Wild Sight has a number of scenes in a marshy area called the fens. These particular fens are connected to the largest fresh water lake in Ireland, Lough Neagh. And if that’s not enough (minor spoiler alert), one of the characters drowns in the lake. Yes, my CP was correct. This book had a ‘watery’ connection.


Treasures of Venice Book number two was The Treasures of Venice. The story is set in Venice, Italy which is known for… CANALS! Big DUH moment. All the characters spend quite a bit of time in boats of every description, motorboats, barges, gondolas. In two key scenes (minor spoiler alert), the hero winds up taking a very chilly dip in a canal. No point in belaboring the obvious any further, this book has a major water element.


Let’s move on to my current release, The Wild Irish Sea. As if the title weren’t a big enough no-brainer, there’s even crashing waves on the cover! Um, look a wee bit lower than that open shirt… See?

Once again, the main characters spend a lot of time in various kinds of boats, row boats, motor boats, even a sail boat. As the title suggests, the sea plays a major role in this story both literally and metaphorically. Not only is the sea wild, but it is also mysterious and dangerous, as well as life giving.

My characters in The Wild Irish Sea also interact with marine mammals, namely seals who play an important part in the story. I’ve always had a fondness for seals and sea lions, and I greatly admire how agile and graceful they are in the water, unlike me. Plus there were all those wonderful Celtic legends about selkies. In case you aren’t familiar with selkie lore, here’s a brief explanation by one of my Irish characters:

Parker shifted his weight to a more comfortable position before he admitted, “Actually, I’m not even sure what a selkie is. Can you fill me in?”

The teen looked askance, like he couldn’t believe a grown man could be so ignorant. “Why they’re seals, of course. Enchanted ones who can shed their skins and look like humans.” He crossed his arms and huffed out a dismissive breath. “Can’t believe someone named O’Neill never heard of selkies. Even if ya are a Yank.”

“Clearly my education has been sadly lacking,” Parker said, sorting out this newly discovered information. “Why would a selkie want to be human?”

Connor’s brow furrowed, as if he’d never considered such a question. “I expect they’re curious. Or maybe even bored. The thing is, if you find their selkie skin and hide it, they can’t turn back. They’re stuck in human form, but they pine for the sea forever.”

Parker made a sour face. “Too tragic. Nope, definitely don’t want to be a selkie. I don’t even like the ocean that much.”

The boy appeared unconvinced.

© Loucinda McGary, Sourcebooks Casablanca, 2010

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little glimpse into my watery stories, especially my new release The Wild Irish Sea. Have you read other books with references to water in them? What are some objects or motifs that your favorite authors use?

  

Praise for Loucinda McGary: “A masterful blend of mystery, magic, and romance.”

The Long and Short of It Reviews

Drawn together by a force they can’t resist…

The telepathic image of her twin brother fighting for his life sends Amber O’Neill rushing to the rocky shores of Ireland. Desperate to find him, she turns to reclusive local inspector, Kevin Hennessy.

 

Bound together with a passion as relentless as the tide…

His past full of pain, Kevin has withdrawn from the world. But when the rain-drenched American appears on his doorstep with her wild tales of danger, something more than her sensuous beauty makes it impossible for him to turn her away.

The wildness of the sea, the mystery of a selkie prince, and a dangerous band of ruthless smugglers bring two lost souls together in a connection of mind, body, and spirit that can’t be denied...

About the Author

Loucinda McGary took early retirement from her managerial career to pursue her twin passions of travel and writing. She sets her novels of romantic suspense in some of the fascinating places she has visited. She was a finalist in the 2006 Romance Writers of America Golden Heart contest in Romantic Suspense. She lives in Sacramento, CA. For more information, please visit http://www.loucindamcgary.com/

GIVEAWAY! Sourcebooks is allowing a giveaway of this wonderful book to TWO lucky winners! 

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* This contest will close Midnight (Central) on July 27, 2010. The winners will be randomly selected from all entries.