Author: Jen McConel
Publisher:Bright Fish Press
Pages: 286
Price:$9.54
ISBN:0615684688
Genre:New Adult/ historical
Rating:4.5 out of 5
Source: Review copy @RABT
Buy The Burning of Isobel key from amazon.com
Summary:
When
Lou travels to Scotland, she’s a mess. She’s twenty-six, unemployed,
and unsure of herself. It doesn’t help that she’s traveling with Tammy,
her best friend, who is everything Lou is not.
At
first, the trip pushes Lou towards the brink of depression, but then
she meets Brian, a handsome local tour guide. When Brian tells the
tourists about the countless witches burned in Scotland, Lou starts to
listen. And when she discovers information about Isobel Key, one of the
victims of the seventeenth century, Lou finds renewed purpose.
Lou
has begun exploring the Neo Pagan faith, a dramatic shift from her
wealthy Catholic upbringing. Despite her fears of being too “hocus
pocusy”, Lou turns to her new faith as she struggles to unravel the
mystery surrounding the death of Isobel Key. But faith or not, Lou must
face her demons if she has any hope of righting the wrongs of the past.
Review:
Thanks to my participation in blog tours that are bringing in these genre which I have been hesitant to pick otherwise..The lives of Isobel from the early age and Lou come to a cross road in the most unexpected circumstances..
Isobel is a caring and a kind midwife/healer who lived in the late 17th century..Brought up in a family filled with love and warmth...She is only too glad when she has a baby sister but by twist of fate and horrible choice she spends the rest of her life all alone in a cottage away from the town on her natural talent of healing and being a midwife...With her sister's second pregnancy(both she was not allowed to assist) and her subsequent death ,everything seemed to blur away.. This eventually coincides with the witchcraft being banished by the royal family..But Isobel has nothing to worry about or that's what she thinks...But what if none believe in her innocence..
The other part of the novel is about Lou who has no plans in her life..Quitting her job as a cashier in a bookstore her life looks bleak with nothing around her to push her forward.That is until her best friend takes her to Scotland for New Year..There she meets Brian a handsome guide and the flame ignite and they live happily ever after..Haha no no !!!! I just just kidding the happily ever tale after has to wait until our Lou who has developed an interest in the life after death and her fascination for orbs take her to the story of burning of Isobel Key.. Lou finally finds a purpose in her life a renewed reason to her otherwise dull life...
The book swings from Isobel's life to the present day,though Lou's part had Brian and the picturesque highlands , I loved Isobel's era and her part more..I didn't mean that I skipped Lou's but I rushed through to know what happened to Isobel..
I just loved each and every character of the novel, what appealed to me was the other characters were just as memorable as the main character..Tammy was ever vivacious loving friend who complemented the otherwise shy Lou..When time strikes to take someone with her for an official trip to Scotland,Tammy didn't have to think twice on her choice...Brian the charming and handsome Scottish came along as a soft breeze gentle yet strong..Lou's mother a bossing character who plays a cameo also came as an amusing character...McConel had created a perfect set to stage the lives that gets intertwined after sometime ..The character developed slowly in front of the reader's eye that created a bond between them..Romance too slowly developed and I was thankfull to the author for not overdoing it...I loved it and finished it in a single row..I am already looking out for the sequel..I would definitely recommend to the people who are deep into New adult genre..
About the author
Jen
McConnel first began writing poetry as a child. Since then, her words
have appeared in a variety of magazines and journals, including
Sagewoman, PanGaia, and The Storyteller (where she won the people’s
choice 3rd place award for her poem, “Luna”).
She is also an active reviewer for Voices of Youth Advocates (VOYA), and proud member of SCBWI, NCWN, and SCWW.
A Michigander by birth, she now
lives and writes in the beautiful state of North Carolina. When she
isn't crafting worlds of fiction, she teaches writing composition at a
community college. Once upon a time, she was a middle school teacher, a
librarian, and a bookseller, but those are stories for another time.
DisclosureI am a member of the Reading addiction blog tour and I received a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion..
Hey there! Found your blog on Book Blogs, new follower!
ReplyDeleteGreat review! I like how there is a New Adult genre now to separate the books that are a little more mature.
I'd love it is you checked out mine as well!
http://www.readerswonderland.com/
I'm so glad you enjoyed the story! Look for the sequel, The Key Inheritance, in January 2013! Thanks for hosting me today :)
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