Shadow Spell (Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy, #2)

by Nora Roberts

In the enchanted woods of County Mayo, a young woman must fight the one thing she fears the most - her own heart.

Meara Quinn is in trouble. Fiercely independent and scarred by a tough childhood, she is convinced that love is for other people. She is certainly not going to fall for Connor O'Dwyer - her best friend's brother. He may be drop dead gorgeous, with a good heart and a wicked smile, but he's never taken his relationships seriously. Safer for them to stay friends, share the odd pint - nothing more.

And loving Connor would be a dangerous business. With his sister Branna and his American cousin Iona, Connor has inherited a dark gift, passed down through generations. The cousins use their powers for good, but they are being hunted by evil. An evil that is determined to destroy them - and everyone they care for...

• ISBN10: 0749958618
• ISBN13: 9780749958619
• Publish Date: 19 November 2015 (first published 25 March 2014)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 11 March 2022
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
• Imprint: Piatkus Books
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 400
• Language: English

Reviews

[Kim Deister]

Shadow Spell Much like the first, Dark Witch, I loved this next book in the Cousins O'Dwyer trilogy! The stories are so engrossing and sweep me away to another place and often another time.
 
This book focuses on Connor and Meara. I love both of these two, and much like Iona and Boyle in the first novel, one is a witch while the other is not. I love that Meara, although without powers of her own, is a fierce warrior women. She is loyal and strong and always fighting to protect those she loves. But she has been hurt and it shows. That part of her story was so relatable and I loved the vulnerability that it gave her character.
 
Connor is the book boyfriend. He's charming and funny, caring and compassionate, loyal and passionate... and Irish! He is so patient with her, pushing her to acknowledge her own feelings without forcing it upon her before she was ready. I love that he refused to give up and kept at with charm and humor. As laidback as his character tends to be, however, he has a fierce streak of passion against any who would hurt his own. A pretty sexy trait!
 
The weaving of the story through time and with the Dark Witches of the past mae made for a rich read. The old and the new, the mythology, the magic... all of it created a novel that I could not stop reading!! I can't wait to start the next, and last :( , in the trilogy.
 
Things to love...
 
--Connor. His patience, kindness, and compassion were all delivered with charm and humor! --Meara. Despite her "warrior woman" persona, she was vulnerable and sweet when it mattered most.
 
My Recommendation
 
You definitely have to read Dark Witch first, but this is a fantastic series.

[wyvernfriend]

Overall I loved it but she almost lost me with potatoes in Ireland in 1268 on page 9. NONONONONO. It wasn't until 1570 that the Spanish brought them back to Europe and I found that link in 2 seconds.

It's entertaining but nothing deep.

[kimbacaffeinate]

Five Reasons to Grab a cup of Coffee and Curl-up with Shadow Spell:

1. If you liked tales of prophecy, witchcraft and fate. The Dark Witch gave her powers to her children, and told them “their blood, her blood” would one day defeat Cabhan the evil sorcerer who took her life. He killed their father and sent them into hiding and away from their beloved home in County Mayo, Ireland. The time is now. Three cousins of their blood have gathered along with their friends and formed a circle to defeat him and fulfill their destiny.

2. If the friends to lovers’ trope is a favorite, you are sure to enjoy the romance that develops between Conner and Meara Quinn. Conner is tall and strong with a twinkle in his eye. He walks comfortably in his shoes and speaks to his hawks. He is patient and loyal, and you cannot help but adored him. Meara tends horses, does horseback tours and cares for her elderly mother. She guards her heart after it was damaged, but she is loyal and loves her friends. From that first jolt of electricity that ran through them when fear opened the door to their feelings I felt their connection.

3. If small-town settings make you want to get cozy by the fire then Shadow Spell will delight you. I loved how Roberts brought the Ireland countryside to life. She gives us a sweeping view and I long for the fields, the forest and gardens. The O’Dwyer cousins have surrounded themselves with good friends, and I loved the plotting to destroy Cabhan and intimate “family” dinners. Their friendships are strong and enviable.

4. While there is predictability in both the plot and the romances, Roberts’ weaved in hair-raising spells, strong friendships and an overall story arc filled with danger and suspense. I could feel the fog rising, taste the power of their spells and smell their fears. We even dream travel and get to meet the three children of the Dark Witch. The tale of destroying Cabhan is front and center as Roberts’ creates twists and danger. She continues to flesh out her characters and the story while serving up a delightful side of romance. Providing just the right amount of heat to curl your toes.

5. It’s rural Ireland, and I loved the language to their way of life. I suddenly have a need to go Hawking, ride a horse, and eat Guinness stew and then perhaps partake in some dancing. I also have to teach my hubby those Irish terms of endearment Conner whispers in Meara’s ear..*swoon*!

[EBookObsessed]

When we finished Dark Witch, the three O’Dwyer cousins, Branna, Connor and Iona along with their friends, Meara, Boyle and Fin, had cause the evil Cabhan a great deal of pain, but they were not successful in killing him.

A few months have past and Cabhan is back and wielding a shadow spell which keeps him lurking and protected in the shadows and where he has started making sneak attacks on our witches in an attempt to destroy their circle. When he almost succeeds in dealing a death blow to Connor, Meara and Connor realized that they have stronger feelings toward each other which have been lurking beneath the surface for some time. As Connor’s interest in Meara grows, Cabhan takes more a notice of her as both a weaker target of attack (since Meara has no magic) and also as a way to destroy Connor.

After several attacks are directed at Meara, the group decide that they need to stop waiting around to defend against Cabhan’s attacks and prepare their own offensive. After they manage to wound Cabhan in one of his shadow attacks, they have his blood to use against him in a spell of their own. But will it finally be enough to destroy the evil which gives Cabhan his power?

THOUGHTS:
This was of course my favorite type of story – friends to lovers. Can’t help it. Love them! There no shocker that since this is book 2 of a trilogy, we will not defeat Cabhan in this book, and although I am interested to see how they defeat him (and I believe there is a strong hint how they will ultimately succeed), what I am really, really dying to find out the story behind Branna and Fin.

We have had hints that they fell in love as teenagers and many hints that they still hold strong feelings for each other (especially poor Fin) but that once Branna learned that Fin was a blood descendant of Cabhan, she turned him away. She is still resentful of the fact that they became lovers before Fin allowed her to see the mark on his body showing his was Cabhan’s descendant. So she felt deceived and she has been slightly untrusting of him and allowing him to participate in their circle. I think Fin was just hoping that if Branna loved him enough, she wouldn’t turn on him once he told her, but it didn’t work out for poor Fin. Personally, I can’t wait to see the sparks fly between them in Book 3.

If you are reading this series, come back when you are done and we’ll talk about the possibilities of how to defeat Cabhan.

Received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.