The Enchanted Island in Aussie Readers

Nov 07, 2015 Brenda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2015-release, aussie-authors, sent-by-publisher, contemporary-fiction, read-on-kindle, arc, own-read

Maeve O’Brien loved to shop; to spend every cent she earned and then some. Maxing her credit cards out was a way of life for her, as well as living life to its fullest and having fun. But when best friend Sasha exploded with rage over the line Maeve had finally crossed and kicked her out of their flat, Maeve was lost. She couldn’t work out why Sasha was so angry…

Maeve’s boss at the law firm approached her to do a job for the company on a remote island called Hy Brasil – all she needed to do was Maeve O’Brien loved to shop; to spend every cent she earned and then some. Maxing her credit cards out was a way of life for her, as well as living life to its fullest and having fun. But when best friend Sasha exploded with rage over the line Maeve had finally crossed and kicked her out of their flat, Maeve was lost. She couldn’t work out why Sasha was so angry…

Maeve’s boss at the law firm approached her to do a job for the company on a remote island called Hy Brasil – all she needed to do was get a signature from Sean Fitzpatrick on a form and return to Dublin. Maeve was excited as she knew this was the step up in her career that she needed. She would do this simple job in a day or so and be back earning more money to spend.

But when she arrived on Hy Brasil after a distinctly rocky boat trip across the ocean, to be met by Dan, her contact with the boss, and island organiser, she was astounded to find her accommodation for the duration of her stay was a caravan – surrounded by mud flats. And the locals were unfriendly to say the least. As the days rolled on, her inability to find Sean Fitzpatrick was frustrating – the continued animosity from the islanders, and the strange noises and weird looks were starting to scare her.

Gradually Maeve realised she didn’t miss her make-up, her botox treatments, her selfies on social media – the beauty of the island was starting to get to her. And one local in particular – Killian – was making her heart race. Her determined nature was asserting itself; her attitude changed and her strength built. But there was danger of a different kind on the horizon – what was happening on Hy Brasil? What were the secrets the islanders were determined to keep?

I thoroughly enjoyed The Enchanted Island by Aussie author Ellie O’Neill. I had previously enjoyed Reluctantly Charmed and knew I had to read this one too, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Beautifully written with many laugh out loud moments, the magic and mystery of Hy Brasil is well portrayed. The irritating character that Maeve was at the start soon evolved – she was great! The Enchanted Island is a fabulous book that I have no hesitation in recommending.

With thanks to Simon & Schuster for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
...more

16 likes · Like · see review

Aug 12, 2015 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc-are, netgalley-reviews

The Enchanted Island is Ellie O'Neill's captivating second novel about self discovery, modern day malaise, and magic.

When apprentice solictor Maeve O'Brien is sent to Hy Brasil, a tiny island off the coast of Ireland, to finalise a deal for a client, she's determined to prove herself. Sure, she has made some mistakes, betraying her best friend and burying herself in debt among them, but she's confident that this assignment will help her turn things around. All Maeve needs is a signature from Sea
The Enchanted Island is Ellie O'Neill's captivating second novel about self discovery, modern day malaise, and magic.

When apprentice solictor Maeve O'Brien is sent to Hy Brasil, a tiny island off the coast of Ireland, to finalise a deal for a client, she's determined to prove herself. Sure, she has made some mistakes, betraying her best friend and burying herself in debt among them, but she's confident that this assignment will help her turn things around. All Maeve needs is a signature from Sean Fitzpatrick, so that the client's plans to build a bridge between the mainland and the island can go ahead, but the landowner proves to be elusive, and most of the locals uniformly unhelpful.

Stuck on Hy Brasil, determined to complete her mission, Maeve is initially panicked at the thought of being on her own, but without the distractions of retail therapy and her busy city social life, she begins to reevaluate what she is looking for in life. O'Brien pokes fun at our modern day obsession with packaged beauty, social media and consumerism. I really liked the way in which Maeve changes through the novel, letting go of her shallow obsessions, and becoming a more confident, authentic person.

And while many of the locals, especially the elderly are distinctly unfriendly, Maeve makes some new friends including two stoner app developers, a charming gay couple and the handsome local schoolteacher, Killian. It's not until she finally corners Sean Fitzpatrick though that she learns the secrets of Hy Brasil.

As in Reluctantly Charmed, O'Neill draws on the folklore of Ireland to add a touch of mysticism to this contemporary novel. Hy Brasil is an island of great, almost unspoiled, beauty, rumoured to offer you your heart's desire, but there is an underlying atmosphere of menace that makes Maeve uneasy. The locals are secretive, bone chilling cries rent the night air, and a dark sort of energy seems to lurk unseen.

With an appealing mix of humour, intrigue and romance, this is an entertaining read. Well written, The Enchanted Island is an enchanting novel. ...more

5 likes · Like · see review