Review | Dark Witch (The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy #1) by Nora Roberts *6/10 Stars*
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Dark Witch
(The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy #1)
by Nora Roberts
Published: October 31st 2013
Publisher: Piatkus
Source: I received a paperback in exchange of an honest review from the publisher (Thanks Clara!)
My Rating: 6/10 Stars
Summary
Three cousins inherit a gift that will transform their lives ...Iona Sheehan has just taken the biggest gamble of her life.
Leaving her job, her home and her family in Baltimore, she has come to Ireland in search of adventure - and answers. Iona has always felt a powerful connection to the home of her ancestors. So when her beloved grandmother confesses an extraordinary family secret, she can't resist visiting County Mayo to discover the truth for herself. Arriving at the beautiful and atmospheric Castle Ashford, Iona is excited to meet her cousins, Connor and Branna O'Dwyer, for the first time. And when she lands a job at the local riding school she finds herself drawn against her will to its owner - the hot-tempered but charismatic Boyle McGrath. Perhaps in County Mayo she has found her true home at last.
What Iona doesn't realise is that her cousins have been expecting her for a long time. Connor, Branna and Iona have all inherited a powerful but dangerous gift from an ancestor known as the Dark Witch. And they are about to discover that some old legends can return to haunt the present ...
The first in a magical new trilogy, Dark Witch is a captivating story of love, family and destiny.
Leaving her job, her home and her family in Baltimore, she has come to Ireland in search of adventure - and answers. Iona has always felt a powerful connection to the home of her ancestors. So when her beloved grandmother confesses an extraordinary family secret, she can't resist visiting County Mayo to discover the truth for herself. Arriving at the beautiful and atmospheric Castle Ashford, Iona is excited to meet her cousins, Connor and Branna O'Dwyer, for the first time. And when she lands a job at the local riding school she finds herself drawn against her will to its owner - the hot-tempered but charismatic Boyle McGrath. Perhaps in County Mayo she has found her true home at last.
What Iona doesn't realise is that her cousins have been expecting her for a long time. Connor, Branna and Iona have all inherited a powerful but dangerous gift from an ancestor known as the Dark Witch. And they are about to discover that some old legends can return to haunt the present ...
The first in a magical new trilogy, Dark Witch is a captivating story of love, family and destiny.
My verdict
As I've mentioned on so many occasions before, I'm a sucker for nice covers. That doesn't necessarily mean that I judge the content of a book by what it wears. Though I have to admit, one look at a good (or a sloppy) cover does about fifty percent of the deciding for me, whether or not I'm going to pick that book. Let me mention here that this was my first Nora Roberts title, hence I'm not familiar with her previous work.
Enticed by this pretty cover, all those positive reviews out there, then the tempting blurb (and of course the name Dark Witch), I jumped into the story, all giddy with excitement. The plot started off well, with an intriguing prologue, nudging me to want to read further. But as the story progressed, I found a lot was lacking. The main characters' backgrounds for example. I wasn't able to relate that well with either Iona or Boyle. There were parts of the story which I liked a lot, but there were many that I didn't. I frequently found myself getting bored. Left the book. Picked it back up after a while, hoping for something better.
As for the writing, Roberts seems to be one of those few writers whose writing style has made me an instant fan of their work. The language flows, engaging the reader with ease. The problem with this book was mainly that it felt a bit too text-book-ish. The plot and the pacing could have been a bit better.
Overall, I wasn't overly impressed with this first installment in the The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy. Will I read the next book in the trilogy? Probably not. Another Nora Roberts title? I'll be a bit skeptical about it, but yes, I guess I will.
Enticed by this pretty cover, all those positive reviews out there, then the tempting blurb (and of course the name Dark Witch), I jumped into the story, all giddy with excitement. The plot started off well, with an intriguing prologue, nudging me to want to read further. But as the story progressed, I found a lot was lacking. The main characters' backgrounds for example. I wasn't able to relate that well with either Iona or Boyle. There were parts of the story which I liked a lot, but there were many that I didn't. I frequently found myself getting bored. Left the book. Picked it back up after a while, hoping for something better.
As for the writing, Roberts seems to be one of those few writers whose writing style has made me an instant fan of their work. The language flows, engaging the reader with ease. The problem with this book was mainly that it felt a bit too text-book-ish. The plot and the pacing could have been a bit better.
Overall, I wasn't overly impressed with this first installment in the The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy. Will I read the next book in the trilogy? Probably not. Another Nora Roberts title? I'll be a bit skeptical about it, but yes, I guess I will.
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