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"County Mayo is rich in the traditions of Ireland, legends that Branna O'Dwyer fully embraces in her life and in her work as the proprietor of The Dark Witch shop, which carries soaps, lotions, and candles for tourists, made with Branna's special touch. Branna's strength and selflessness hold together a close circle of friends and family--along with their horses and hawks and her beloved hound. But there's a single missing link in the chain of her life: love... She had it once--for a moment--with Finbar Burke, but a shared future is forbidden by history and blood. Which is why Fin has spent his life traveling the world to fill the abyss left in him by Branna, focusing on work rather than passion. Branna and Fin's relationship offers them both comfort and torment. And though they succumb to the heat between them, there can be no promises for tomorrow. A storm of shadows threatens everything that their circle holds dear. It will be Fin's power, loyalty, and heart that will make all the difference in an age-old battle between the bonds that hold their friends together and the evil that has haunted their families for centuries"--… (more)
User reviews
I… don’t even know where to start. I have no idea where this one went wrong, but it sure as hell
In the finale of the O’Dwyer Cousins series, we see Branna O’Dwyer and Finbar Burke in ways we dreamed of ever since detecting their chemistry and tension. However, they both know there can never be anything more between them than friendship and companionship against Cabhan. The universe – and what happened between their ancestors – are bound to keep them apart forever. Even so, they’re determined to break the dark curse circling above their heads once and for all, if only to make sure their loved ones will be happy and prosper without any more fears in the future…
Seriously, this series was already kinda… not my cup of tea, but this final book? It just nearly made me break down in tears of frustration! It’s bad enough there was way too much research and talking instead of action, but at least in the other two books I had the couples to take my focus away from that. Unfortunately, such was not the case with Branna and Fin.
Allow me to make myself clear right now: IT WAS NOT FIN’S FAULT! The guy was perfect, and if men like him actually exist, can I please have one? I’ll happily and proudly make him my babies’ daddy! A man romantic, selfless, self-sacrificing, always thinking of the best for his soulmate, even building a freaking house the way she would want, hoping against all hope that she would grace him with her presence and notice what he had done for her! He was a homemaker, and a warrior, and a hard-working good friend, all in one temptingly good-looking package (an Irish one, mind you, so yeah, he was 99% perfect IMHO), and what does Branna see when it comes to him?
His cursed mark!
WHY?!
What on sweet Earth, woman?! The poor bloke was practically melting for you, laying everything he always had and will be at your ungrateful bitchy feet, and you can’t bring yourself to see past what he had no say in or could help with? It’s not like he asked for it!
OK, yeah, she somewhat trusted him after TWO books of everyone around her being on her case to finally do so, but that meant squat to me! She was hard to work with, unbearably bitchy and snappy, and she kept unconsciously blaming him for his connection to the dark bastard they had to deal with – you can’t fool me, I just KNOW she did!
Not to mention that, yes, she was boring! BORING! If she wasn’t cleaning or subtly snapping in her unique “iceberg” way, she was cooking. All. The. Time! And don’t get me started on when she talked to Brannaugh – dear ancestor of hers, can you go die for me somewhere far away from this realm? HOW DARE YOU TALK LIKE THAT ABOUT A POOR MAN WHO WAS DENIED WHAT HIS HEART WANTED THE MOST BECAUSE OF SOMETHING YOUR MOTHER CURSED HIM WITH LOOOONG BEFORE HE WAS BORN?!
The only thing that saved this from being DNF-shelved was NR’s awesome-as-always way of writing and her witty, funny dialogues. That and… well, it’s in Ireland! What’s not to love about the place? In any case, I might take a long break from NR, just to make sure that the next time I come back I won’t regret it. It would be a shame, since she’s the one who made me see the beauty of romance in books…
“In my life, you are all I’ve wanted. Above all else.” – Finbar Burke
Years have passed and, at the time of these stories, Fin and Branna have learned to work together. Along with Branna's brother, cousin, and two other friends, they have formed the magical team necessary to defeat Cabhan once and for all.
This series has it all - intense romance, heartbreak, wonderful magic, and a really nasty villain. Fans of paranormal romance will enjoy the way Roberts writes with such emotional intensity.
In the previous two books Dark Witch and Shadow Spell the group has been trying to end the centuries long battle and destroy Cabhan for good. Though they have gotten close, he still lives and torments them all. They have to figure out what has been missing from their attempts before they can try again. There are the three cousins - Branna, Connor and Iona; those who love them - Fin, Meara and Boyle; and also the original three, children of Sorcha, the first Dark Witch - Brannaugh, Eamon and Teague.
Throughout the book the original three make visits to their modern counterparts, sharing information that may help in the quest. Branna realizes that they must find a way to involve those three in the final battle if they are to succeed. As the circle gets closer to finding their answers, Cabhan makes more frequent forays, trying to drive wedges between them. Each visit only makes the group stronger and more determined. There is one interesting twist that changes the balance of the circle and strengthens it further. A second twist is personal to Fin and changes the way he looks at himself.
The buildup to the final confrontation is slow, with much attention paid to each step taken. The intensity increases as the time nears and they wonder if they have everything they need. The final battle involved each one, but Fin's part was the scariest and most intense. It was spectacular and its effects on Fin would change his life.
There were several things I loved about the series. First and foremost I loved the importance of family and friendship. No matter what was going on, they were always there for each other. Each member of the circle found the right person to spend their life with, a bonding that only made them stronger. I loved the magickal aspects of the story, not just when it came to fighting Cabhan, but also the everyday uses. I felt like it added another layer to each of the characters. Lastly, I loved the location of the series. I have visited Cong in Ireland and being able to picture the land and places as I read made me feel as though I was there.
I almost gave myself whiplash from overly violent eye-rolling during the first two chapters (the ones
The rest of the book happens in 2013 and it's not as sappy and rhyme-time, although there's a fair bit of verse as they spell their way through the holidays and prepare for the final showdown. The ending was never in question, it was always going to be a HEA. Which is why I picked up the first book anyway. It felt like there was less action in this final book and a lot more attempts at grand-romance of the true confession kind. More fantasy, less pragmatism.
The romance was ok - while Branna wasn't my favourite character, I did always like Fin so I thought the romance worked, it just didn't work as well for me as it would have if I had really liked both characters.
I closed this book happy that the trilogy was complete. Not sorry I read it, but not sorry there isn't more, either.