![\"IMG_5294\"](\"http:\/\/araopenpages.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/IMG_5294-207x300.jpg\")
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Dark Witch<\/strong><\/em> With indifferent parents, Iona Sheehan grew up craving devotion and acceptance. From her maternal grandmother, she learned where to find both: a land of lush forests, dazzling lakes, and centuries-old legends.<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n Ireland.<\/em><\/p>\n County Mayo, to be exact. Where her ancestors\u2019 blood and magic have flowed through generations – and where her destiny awaits.<\/em><\/p>\n Iona arrives in Ireland with nothing but her Nan\u2019s directions, an unfailingly optimistic attitude, and an innate talent with horses. Not far from the luxurious castle where she is spending a week, she finds her cousins, Branna and Connor O\u2019Dwyer. And since family is family, they invite her into their home and their lives.<\/em><\/p>\n When Iona lands a job at the local stables, she meets the owner, Boyle McGrath. Cowboy, pirate, wild tribal horsemen, he\u2019s three of her biggest fantasy weaknesses all in one big, bold package.<\/em><\/p>\n Iona realizes that here she can make a home for herself – and live her life as she wants, even if that means falling head over heels for Boyle. But nothing is as it seems. An ancient evil has wound its way around Iona\u2019s family tree and must be defeated. Family and friends will fight with each other and for each other to keep the promise of hope – and love – alive…<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Review: I picked up Dark Witch<\/i> from the bookstore before my flight back home because I had finished my other novels and needed something to occupy my time on the long flight. I was done with the book barely a few hours in because it was good<\/i>.<\/p>\n Iona is quite the character – strong, yet vulnerable and a little broken. I loved her, and her quiet but sure strength was tremendous. She just wants to love and be loved and accepted – and she finds that in family she barely knows and their friends. I think everybody can identify a little bit with that. Her magic and the enemy she acquires does not stop her from reaching out to people, opening her heart over and over again.<\/p>\n Fin might be my favourite so far. Despite his own heritage, he\u2019s fighting for the light. Fighting for Brenna, mostly. (I called that Fin and Brenna had been a thing, would be a thing from the second they mentioned Fin and Brenna reacted.) I cannot wait for more of their story to be honest.<\/p>\n I adored Connor. Such a sweetheart, such a good-natured flirt. Everything good about Connor to be honest. He\u2019s such a good brother and friend, and I hope he gets his happy ending too, with whoever it may be (MEARA!).<\/p>\n Boyle is an idiot much of the time, but he\u2019s a good man. Strong, if bad with emotions. Protective of his friends and the people he claims as family, but knowing when to let them fight their battles, and fighting by their sides even when he has no powers.<\/p>\n Brenna is an idiot when it comes to trusting Fin (as in that she does not) but then she\u2019s an idiot with a broken heart. When it comes to family, she has such an open heart. So protective and strong, but so scared to let someone in and love again.<\/p>\n Meara is the best. Hands down.<\/p>\n I am so intrigued to know more about their stories, and whether like Iona, Connor and Brenna have flashes to the past of their families. Whether, like I think, Iona is actually the reincarnation of Teagan. The way the past is interwoven with the present, and the way time seems so fluid – everything is interconnected, it makes me want to know so much more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dark Witch by Nora Roberts With indifferent parents, Iona Sheehan grew up craving devotion and acceptance. From her maternal grandmother, she learned where to find both: a land of lush forests, dazzling lakes, and centuries-old legends. Ireland. County Mayo, to be exact. Where her ancestors\u2019 blood and magic have flowed through generations – and where her destiny awaits. Iona arrives in Ireland with nothing but her Nan\u2019s directions, an unfailingly optimistic attitude, and an innate talent with horses. Not far from the luxurious castle where she is spending a week, she finds her cousins, Branna and Connor O\u2019Dwyer. And since family is family, they invite her into their home and their lives. When Iona lands a job at the local stables, she meets the owner, Boyle McGrath. Cowboy, pirate, wild tribal horsemen, he\u2019s three of her biggest fantasy weaknesses all in one big, bold package. Iona realizes that here she can make a home for herself – and live her life as she wants, even if that means falling head over heels for Boyle. But nothing is as it seems. An ancient evil has wound its way around Iona\u2019s family tree and must be defeated. Family and friends will fight with each other and for each other to keep the promise of hope – and love – alive… Review:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[107,23,9,6,108],"class_list":["post-358","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-reviews","tag-dark-witch","tag-nora-roberts","tag-older-reviews","tag-reviews","tag-the-cousins-odwyer-trilogy"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/358","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=358"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/358\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":367,"href":"https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/358\/revisions\/367"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=358"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=358"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=358"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nby Nora Roberts<\/p>\n
\nSometimes I wonder why the world applauds Nora – then I get my hands on one of her books and am reminded why.<\/p>\n