Since I loved Born in Ice so much I decided to continue with the next book in the series. The story begins with Shannon Bodine, the mysterious half sister the Concannon girls were looking for, learning about her real father right before her mother dies. Not too soon after that, the private detective tracks her down and presents Shannon with the invitation to visit Ireland and meet her sisters. Shannon initially resents this and fights against this new knowledge. Eventually she gives in and take a leave of absence to go to Ireland to figure out what she wants to do with her life – not to meet or get to know her sisters.
When she arrives, she begins to fall in love with the country. Murphy immediately begins to fall in love with her. Through the book, Murphy and Shannon develop a strong relationship even as Shannon fights it. The majority of the book is Shannon dealing with and learning to accept that she is a part of this country and has a father that would have loved her if he had been able to. This is complicated by the feelings she has about betraying her father, the one that raised her, and her mother while coming to love her biological father and the sisters she has. The relationship between Shannon and Maggie is extremely rocky as Maggie doesn’t believe Shannon will accept the changes in her life or the people she has now. While she is in the country, Shannon takes the time to explore her painting talent. Everyone is blown away by her skill and work and even Sweeney, Maggie’s husband, convinces her to put her work in the local gallery.
This story was very complex and well written, I myself just didn’t particularly like the visions aspect that was wound into it. As soon as Shannon arrives, she begins to have dreams that seemed to be memories of a long time ago and a man that reminds her a lot of Murphy. When she brings them up, Murphy has had the same dreams and is convinced that is how he knows Shannon is going to be the woman he is supposed to marry. She fights that as well.
There is a lot of conflict and emotional turmoil in the book. I didn’t like it as much as Born in Ice because I don’t think I could relate to Shannon as well as I did to Brianna or Maggie. It is however a good book and ends the trilogy rather well. There are a lot of conclusions and endings to issues that were around in the first two books and it was satisfying to have them worked out.
My rating:
Book Mouse 