Mini FREAK OUT!
Liam MacGregor is cursed. Haunted by the wails of fantastical Bean Sidhes and labeled a demon by the villagers of Dòchas, Liam has accepted that things will never get better for him—until a wealthy heiress named Annabel Leighton arrives on the island and Liam’s fate is changed forever.
With Anna, Liam finally finds the happiness he has always been denied; but, the violent, mythical Otherworlders, who inhabit the island and the sea around it, have other plans. They make awager on the couple’s love, testing its strength through a series of cruel obstacles. But the tragedies draw Liam and Anna even closer. Frustrated, the creatures put the couple through one last trial—and this time it’s not only their love that’s in danger of being destroyed.
With Anna, Liam finally finds the happiness he has always been denied; but, the violent, mythical Otherworlders, who inhabit the island and the sea around it, have other plans. They make awager on the couple’s love, testing its strength through a series of cruel obstacles. But the tragedies draw Liam and Anna even closer. Frustrated, the creatures put the couple through one last trial—and this time it’s not only their love that’s in danger of being destroyed.
There is, by the way, cussing.
For those of you who don't know, Mini Freak Outs are where while reading, I scribble down my reactions and post them along with a 2-3 paragraph review.
1: Chills. I have chills.
5: Oh my God what is this.
17: Liam is sort of adorable. I LOVE HIM ALREADY
39: I want to be all IN YOUR FACE to Miss Ronan right now
40: I sort of don't know WHAT THE HECK JUST HAPPENED but kudos to Anna for not freaking out
44: I LOVE ANNA SO MUCH RIGHT NOW OMG. SHE ISTHE BEST
59: Oh my GAWD. FINALLY
65:OMG IF THIS THING HAS SELKIES IN IT I'M GOING TO PEE MY PANTS WITH EXCITEMENT
67: YES.
77: I love their relationship!!!
90: I think my heart hurts.
98: Giggles. I have giggles. OH LIAM. *giggles*.
100: CREEPINESS
107: OMG SOMETHING'S HAPPENING I JUST KNOW IT
110: Oh my freaking GAWD what the hell just happened?! READING THIS AT 1 AM WAS A BAD BAD IDEA
119: Would I have Anna's reaction or would I be freaked out by a dozen paintings of me?
121: WOAH WOAH WTH. OH GOD
127: THANK YOU, PA. I AM UNBELIEVABLY RELIEVED
133: LIAM YOU STUPID STUPID BOY. DON'T BE SO SUPERSTITIOUS AND DO YOU REALLY THINK ANNA OF ALL PEOPLE WOULD LISTEN TO YOU.
139: EFF OFF NICK. NO. I AM DUBBING YOU DICK. FUCK OFF DICK. OR I SWEAR TO THE GODS IN THIS BOOK I WILL MURDER YOU MYSELF.
149: Anna you are simply the best.
153: Anna rocks.i
156: This book is killing me. In a good way.
167: I am getting increasingly worried. Oh God.
172: LIES. SHUT UP YOU NA FIR GHORM
173: Oh CRAPTASTIC SHIZZLER TWIZZLERS
177: I DENY THAT STATEMENT YOU BLUE SKINNED FISHBALL
182: Oh my God
193: THEY ARE ADORABLE
198: BECAUSE THEY ARE YOU NINCOMPOOP
209: I LIKE YOU BEAN SIDHES
216: I AM CREEPED OUT
220: CRAP. I FEEL SUSPICIOUS.
225: CRAP. OMG. SHIT. OH CRAP. OMG. YGYSEDYUHOKPL WHAT IS SHE COUNTING...
227: She knows...everything.
229-231: Oh effing crap. THIS BOOK JUST. OH GOD
241: SCREW THIS TOWN AND 98% OF ITS PEOPLE
245: Oh screw you effing blue fishball. DON'T YOU DARE HURT MY BABIES. *cuddles Anna and Liam*
253: Crap. Sticks.
262: I love you Francine, but I feel bad for Muireann
268: LIES ALL OF IT. I CALL BS
292: I love them. Have I mentioned that?
297: Poor Anna, so confuzzled!
300: I HATE YOU
316: Blue fish balls? DIE YOU EFFING BASTARDS
325: I. Am. Dying.
344: Oh my fucking God
350-351: What the fucking hell just HAPPENED OH MY GOD. CHILLS.
360: J,GRSRSYVIL,L,LK,
363: THAT BITCH
373: WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH. IS SHE....OR IS SHE...WHAT?! I die. I'm dead. Just. Don't talk to me.
To sum this book up in two words, Ashes on the Waves was most definitely hauntingly unique. The Gothic atmosphere just leaves you utterly speechless and the love story leaves you simply breathless. I absolutely fell in love with the couple and with the world Lindsey has created with selkies (some of my favorite mythical creatures!), Na Fir Ghorm, Bean Sidhes, and more! I loved the Celtic lore mixed in with the Gothic feel, creating a truly original world with all the dark and twisted that an Edgar Allen Poe retelling needs.
You can call it insta-love, but this is, in the end, a tragic love story--more so than Romeo and Juliet for sure! It's beautiful and mournful and absolutely heartbreaking. The ending was as tragic as one would expect. Not the glowing HEA I was desperately hoping for, but perfect for the story and perfect for a Poe poem. My only complaint was that it was a bit predictable to me, but the romance was absolutely brilliant.
Pages: 387
For those of you who don't know, Mini Freak Outs are where while reading, I scribble down my reactions and post them along with a 2-3 paragraph review.
1: Chills. I have chills.
5: Oh my God what is this.
17: Liam is sort of adorable. I LOVE HIM ALREADY
39: I want to be all IN YOUR FACE to Miss Ronan right now
40: I sort of don't know WHAT THE HECK JUST HAPPENED but kudos to Anna for not freaking out
44: I LOVE ANNA SO MUCH RIGHT NOW OMG. SHE ISTHE BEST
59: Oh my GAWD. FINALLY
65:OMG IF THIS THING HAS SELKIES IN IT I'M GOING TO PEE MY PANTS WITH EXCITEMENT
67: YES.
77: I love their relationship!!!
90: I think my heart hurts.
98: Giggles. I have giggles. OH LIAM. *giggles*.
100: CREEPINESS
107: OMG SOMETHING'S HAPPENING I JUST KNOW IT
110: Oh my freaking GAWD what the hell just happened?! READING THIS AT 1 AM WAS A BAD BAD IDEA
119: Would I have Anna's reaction or would I be freaked out by a dozen paintings of me?
121: WOAH WOAH WTH. OH GOD
127: THANK YOU, PA. I AM UNBELIEVABLY RELIEVED
133: LIAM YOU STUPID STUPID BOY. DON'T BE SO SUPERSTITIOUS AND DO YOU REALLY THINK ANNA OF ALL PEOPLE WOULD LISTEN TO YOU.
139: EFF OFF NICK. NO. I AM DUBBING YOU DICK. FUCK OFF DICK. OR I SWEAR TO THE GODS IN THIS BOOK I WILL MURDER YOU MYSELF.
149: Anna you are simply the best.
153: Anna rocks.i
156: This book is killing me. In a good way.
167: I am getting increasingly worried. Oh God.
172: LIES. SHUT UP YOU NA FIR GHORM
173: Oh CRAPTASTIC SHIZZLER TWIZZLERS
177: I DENY THAT STATEMENT YOU BLUE SKINNED FISHBALL
182: Oh my God
193: THEY ARE ADORABLE
198: BECAUSE THEY ARE YOU NINCOMPOOP
209: I LIKE YOU BEAN SIDHES
216: I AM CREEPED OUT
220: CRAP. I FEEL SUSPICIOUS.
225: CRAP. OMG. SHIT. OH CRAP. OMG. YGYSEDYUHOKPL WHAT IS SHE COUNTING...
227: She knows...everything.
229-231: Oh effing crap. THIS BOOK JUST. OH GOD
241: SCREW THIS TOWN AND 98% OF ITS PEOPLE
245: Oh screw you effing blue fishball. DON'T YOU DARE HURT MY BABIES. *cuddles Anna and Liam*
253: Crap. Sticks.
262: I love you Francine, but I feel bad for Muireann
268: LIES ALL OF IT. I CALL BS
292: I love them. Have I mentioned that?
297: Poor Anna, so confuzzled!
300: I HATE YOU
316: Blue fish balls? DIE YOU EFFING BASTARDS
325: I. Am. Dying.
344: Oh my fucking God
350-351: What the fucking hell just HAPPENED OH MY GOD. CHILLS.
360: J,GRSRSYVIL,L,LK,
363: THAT BITCH
373: WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH. IS SHE....OR IS SHE...WHAT?! I die. I'm dead. Just. Don't talk to me.
To sum this book up in two words, Ashes on the Waves was most definitely hauntingly unique. The Gothic atmosphere just leaves you utterly speechless and the love story leaves you simply breathless. I absolutely fell in love with the couple and with the world Lindsey has created with selkies (some of my favorite mythical creatures!), Na Fir Ghorm, Bean Sidhes, and more! I loved the Celtic lore mixed in with the Gothic feel, creating a truly original world with all the dark and twisted that an Edgar Allen Poe retelling needs.
You can call it insta-love, but this is, in the end, a tragic love story--more so than Romeo and Juliet for sure! It's beautiful and mournful and absolutely heartbreaking. The ending was as tragic as one would expect. Not the glowing HEA I was desperately hoping for, but perfect for the story and perfect for a Poe poem. My only complaint was that it was a bit predictable to me, but the romance was absolutely brilliant.
Pages: 387
Genre: Gothic/Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Philomel
Release Date: June 27, 2013
Rating: 4 stars
To sum this review up in two words, it is definitely caps-locky awesome. (caps-locky is one word, obviously. No space) Ahh I'm not a fan of insta-love but I'm really glad that you loved everything else, and what you said about the ending totally intrigues me :D
ReplyDeleteFantastic review, Nikki! <33