The Wild Irish Sea by Loucinda McGary

I liked Loucinda McGary's Treasures of Venice, so when Sourcebooks offered me an ARC of her next release, The Wild Irish Sea, I was happy to accept.  This is another fun, escapist read with a fabulous location that I enjoyed reading.  I think the plot and story are much improved in this book, as well, which leads me to suspect McGary might become an auto-buy for me if this trend continues.

Kevin Hennessy (two n's, two s's) is an alcoholic who no longer drinks and a cop who is taking an extended vacation--very extended--in the remote Irish fishing village of Donegal.  One dark and stormy night, some crazy American woman crashes into his solitary brooding, insisting that her brother is nearby and in danger.  Because he suffers from a hero complex, Kevin agrees to help, discovers the loopy American is telepathic and her brother really is in danger from nasty smugglers.

Here's what I loved about this book:  you know when it's so freaking hot you can barely stand it, and then you pick up a book and feel like you've been given a refrigeration device?  OH YEAH.  This is sooo like that.  I could practically feel the North Atlantic spray against my face and the cool sea breeze.  It was heavenly.  This is definitely pure, escapist, summer reading.

As for the rest of the book, it was pretty silly.  But it made perfect sense within the confines of the story.  In fact, this is the type of book I would really suggest you read in one sitting, because after you put it down, it's very hard to get back into the headspace of the novel.  Luckily, the book is quite short and a quick read, so it's something you could read in a day if you had the free time.

I really liked most of the characters, especially the younger ones--Conan, Ronan, and Meriol were delightful and added a lot of energy and spunk to the story.  The only character I didn't particularly like was the heroine, Amber.  She was just so fainty and panicky and clingy.  Not sure what Kevin finds attractive about her, either, but that's his problem.

This book isn't deep or challenging reading, but it does succeed in what it set out to be, which (have I mentioned this before?) is a light, fun, romantic adventure.  If you feel like you need a vacation from everyday life, I would unhesitatingly recommend this novel.

Strange aside:

This novel reminds me of the movie The Birds.  A lot.  No, there aren't any birds in it--just seals, and they're friendly--so I don't know why exactly it kept picturing Donegal as Bodega Bay, or Amber as Tippi Hedren, but I did.  Was it because animals with a freakish interest in humans creep me out, even if they are helping?  Who knows.

Powered by ScribeFire.

The Treasures of Venice by Loucinda McGary

The Treasures of Venice by Loucinda McGary*

This is a fun, escapist novel filled with romance, set in a great location.  Not exactly literary genius, but it is enjoyable.

Samantha is sitting in a cafe on St. Mark's Square, when suddenly a handsome stranger walks up to her and acts like he knows her!  Intrigued (didn't you ever hear curiosity killed the cat, Sam?), she follows him into the Doge's Palace and learns that the sexy Irishman is named Keirnan Fitzgerald.  How... Irish!  She also gets the sense that he's hiding from someone or someones unknown.  Even though Sam knows better, her libido starts making noises with her mouth, and pretty soon she's showing him where she's staying.

Keirnan leaves and Sam thinks that's the end of their association, but the next night she finds him in her hotel room with a bullet wound!  In short order, she discovers that Keirnan is searching for the Jewels of the Madonna, a legendary treasure, so that he can save his sister's life.

This book is old skool romantic suspense.  In fact, the beginning is almost exactly like the beginning of a Mary Stewart novel I read when I was younger (can't remember which one--they tend to blend together).  But that's mostly what I liked about this book.  It feels comfortable and familiar, and you can just shut off your brain and enjoy the adventure and setting.

I got this book from Meghan at Medieval Bookworm (thank you, Meghan!), and she enjoyed it more than I did.  For me, the story started to fall apart in the second half.  I expected the stakes to go up a lot more than they did, and Keirnan to be involved in a much bigger, sketchier operation than he was, so the suspense started to seriously wane on my end.  I also didn't buy Keirnan and Sam falling in love so quickly or so hard--but then, I skimmed through most of the historical sub-plot, just because it was actually sillier than the contemporary one, and that's what really set the stage for them to have a huge romantic connection.

Even with those drawbacks, however, I did enjoy the book and the setting.  If you like old-fashioned romantic adventure or books set in Venice, this is a good bet.

***

Speaking of the setting, have I mentioned I LOVE Venice, and love books set in Venice?  One of the things I really liked about the novel was that I'd been to most of the places mentioned.  Check out my photo album on Flickr to see a few of the touristy spots featured in the book.

***

Meghan is also reviewing a book today that I sent her at Medieval Bookworm!  Go to her site to see what books we swapped.


*Click on this link & buy because Mama wants a trip to Venice.

Powered by ScribeFire.