Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Short Paranormal Romance/Fantasy
Short Paranormal Romance/Shape Shifter
eBook and Trade Paperback
Rating: 4.5
Meriel Byrne was happy, healthy and had a great career, if still trying attract the attention of the one man she loved. When a fluke accident at a party sends her plunging into the sea, an ancient curse is fulfilled and Meriel becomes a Selkie.
Ronan Burbank had it all. He was a successful business man with a large and steadily growing company. Until an incident at a party at his home casts suspicions on him and he loses everything he held dear.
Seven years later, Meriel is back. When she rescues a drowning sailor she is shocked to find Ronan, her dream man. Ronan has changed though, grown bitter over what has happened since Meriel’s disappearance. Now they have one day to overcome seven years of pain and yearning. Can they overcome their pasts to find love and break the Selkie curse? Only the Heart of the Sea can be certain…
I’ve not read anything by Sela Carsen before but I was intrigued by her story about a Selkie Curse, Heart of the Sea, and felt the urge to read it. I am glad I did! What a wonderful tale! With a new, modern twist on an old legend, Sela Carsen has made magic. I fell in love with Ronan and Meriel and couldn’t put the book down.
Ronan blames Meriel for everything that happened to him and has a very hard time letting go of the past. His journey from anger and bitterness to tenderness and love make for a heartwarming story. Meriel never wanted the curse thrust upon her by her ancestors and initially rails at her fate. Later she comes to grudgingly accept her new life, even though she longs for humanity once more. Both Ronan and Meriel have many hurdles to overcome and feelings to accept before they can be happy. Their story is a moving one and you can’t help but be swept along with them.
I am fascinated by the legends of the Selkie and enjoy reading different takes on the stories. Sela Carsen’s concept is fresh and new while maintaining those key components of the legends, though she handles them in a slightly different way. Heart of the Sea has just about everything I look for in a fantasy romance and I am very glad I decided to pick it up on a whim. Thanks Sela for providing me with a story to whisk me away to my own fantasy world for a little while. I look forward to reading more books by this talented author.
© Kelley A. Hartsell, March 2008. All rights reserved.
