A River Enchanted

Books, Coffee & Passion
4.5 stars
Jack is summoned home to Cadence. He's not sure why until he reaches the island and is told that young girls are disappearing. Adaira is the heiress of the east. Her role isn't exactly what she wanted for herself, but as the only leaving heir of the laird, she doesn't have much choice. She understands her responsibilities and knows she needs to find the disappearing girls to return them safely to their parents. That means she needs to work with her childhood enemy. Jack and Adaira need to unite their efforts in order to solve the mystery.

Torin, Adaira's cousin and captain of the guard, and Sidra, the clan's healer and his wife, were my favorite characters from the beginning. I loved both of their POVs. Their callings, their relationship, and their character development were done in a beautiful way. I also enjoyed Jack's POV and his own journey regarding his complicated relationship with his mother and the clan. I loved the moments with his sister, and I liked his dynamic with Adaira. The glimpses we had into their past were fun to read. It took me some time to warm up to Adaira. At first, I wasn't sure what to think about her, and in my opinion, her character was a little underdeveloped. It got better as the story progressed. I enjoyed her relationship with Jack and loved her friendship with Torin and Sidra.

I loved the setting! The eerie island vibes were remarkable. The magic system and the isle spirits were intriguing and compelling. The pacing wasn't perfect, a lot was packed in the last chapters but I still loved this story. The writing was beautiful, the mystery kept me invested and I needed to know what was going on! I guessed some of the mysterious details but my enjoyment didn't waver.

A very atmospheric, beautiful, intriguing, emotional tale. Can't wait to read the next book!