The Lure of Shapinsay By: Krista Holle Review

The Lure of Shapinsay
Author: Krista Holle
Pages: 260
Rating: 2.5/5
***Please Note: A copy of the book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review***

Ever since Kait Swanney could remember, the old crones of the village have been warning her to stay away from the selkies. They claim that like sirens of old, the seal men creep from the inky waters, shed their skins, and entice women to their deaths beneath the North Sea. But avoiding an encounter becomes impossible when Kait is spotted at the water’s edge, moments after the murder of a half-selkie infant. 

Unexpectedly, Kait is awoken by a beautiful, selkie man seeking revenge. After she declares her innocence, the intruder darts into the night, but not before inadvertently bewitching her with an overpowering lure. 

Kait obsesses over a reunion deep beneath the bay and risks her own life to be reunited with her selkie. But when she lands the dangerous lover, the chaos that follows leaves Kait little time to wonder—is it love setting her on fire or has she simply been lured?

     The Lure of Shapinsay is a paranormal romance by indie author, Krista Holle. When Krista first approached me about reviewing The Lure of Shapinsay, I was immediately intrigued by the summary! Not only am I a lover of romance, but I was also excited to learn more about a type of paranormal I haven't read about before- selkies! After just recently finishing The Lure of Shapinsay, I have to say, I'm a little disappointed. Although there were things I did enjoy about the story, there was an equal amount (if not more) that just wasn't doing it for me. 

     To start off, I really want to point out that Krista Holle's interpretation of the selkie creatures was really well done. It was entertaining, interesting, and most importantly different from the regular "mermaid" tale. The mid 1800 setting and unique dialogue between the characters also makes it easy to clearly visualize everything in the story!

     When we are first introduced to the main character, Kait, I immediately thought she was going to be a very strong, female character. Unfortunately my opinion of her steadily went downhill from there. Immediately after falling in love with Eamon, Kait becomes incredibly annoying. Her constant insecurities were repetitive and  her character just became this love sick puppy blinded by "love." I was able to get past the instant-love thing....but what I wasn't able to get past was how being in love dramatically changed Kait's character (and not for the better). With this book being about 50% in Kait's POV, I was going mad from having to read through this girl's brain. *shivers* 

     Ahhh, Eamon....the handsome, selkie, Eamon.....He was probably my favourite character in this book. Although I could have gone without his numerous vulgar "humping" statements, (which was a bit disturbing :P) his character radiated a mystery that encouraged me to keep reading. Not to mention that seeing him make sacrifices to be with Kait was incredibly sweet- I'm a sucker for those sacrifice-rs ;)

     The love story between Kait and Eamon was just, overall, really hard for me to get into. I wasn't able to connect with them very well -which is essentially the reason why I had to give this book such a low rating.   After reading such amazing reviews from fellow bloggers, I really wanted to fall in love with this book but unfortunately that wasn't the case. 

Favourite Quotes...

"What made you change your mind about him? Yesterday you were not convinced you wanted to marry."

"My eyes were opened to certain...qualities. Do you really want to hear the details?"

Blair laughed again. "Not in this lifetime."

~~~~~

"I know nothing of compasses, but I'm drawn to you," I admitted gruffly as my breath fluttered over her hair. "It's a weakness I can do nothing about."

"Loving someone is not a sin in my world, and I doubt it is in yours. Liking me is not bad."

~~~~~

"I love you Kait, even despite myself."

My heart swelled with inexpressible joy. "Oh, Eamon, don't fight it. I've waited so long to hear those words-"

"-and I'd not be returning to the sea. Ever."

Overall...

     Overall, although I gave The Lure of Shapinsay a low rating, that rating is not necessarily a reflection on the author's writing, just on my personal enjoyment of the book. I think those that are interested in a quick read that has both romance and a unique paranormal element might enjoy this novel more than I did. Before I finish off, I want to say a quick thank-you to Krista Holle for providing me with a copy of The Lure of Shapinsay for review! Have you read The Lure of Shapinsay? What did you think about the romance between Eamon and Kait? Be sure to let me know in the comments! Keep Reading!

Your Y.A. Bookworm,

Caitlin <3