Customer Reviews

The Wild Sight

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Wild Sight by Loucinda McGary is a tale consisting of everything you could possibly want from Ireland. A romance, cozy mystery, paranormal all wrapped up into one nice neat package that will entertain you from the first page to the very end. A dapper dashing hero ensnared in intrigue, murder, and hauntings from past and the present must prove himself to all and theirs.

Donovan O'Shea is about as handsome as they come, smart, pleasant and he has the Sight. Plagued from his early years with this gift, his imaginary friends were really true in his eyes. A gift inherited from his Mum, little did he know that it would be the bane of his existence as the years moved on. Donovan is about as Irish as you can get and has a lilting brogue that will caress you like a lover's kiss.

Rylie Powell is a sensually beautiful American in search of her roots of heritage. A woman on a mission, she is bound and determined to find the father she hasn't seen since she was five years old. Rylie has two weeks with little but a birth certificate and a photo to go on but luckily for her she has patience.

Poor Donovan having left Ireland for the States years prior is once again in his homeland and having to face the demons of his past. His da's property is part of an archaeological dig with items being found that date back to the Romans. As Donovan prepares to sell the property that once belonged to his family, an unlikely discovery of a body halts everything. As if that's not bad enough, he is suddenly plagued with a woman who claims to be his half sister. A persistent, luscious American woman that instantly stirs his blood to the boiling point. Talk about Luck of The Irish!!

Rylie, having just arrived in Ireland tracks down whom she believes is her long lost father only to find out that he has had a stroke and is in a hospital some miles away from where he was living. She does however find a tall, strikingly handsome man she believes to be her half brother, but how can that truly be as he stokes the fires in her blood as easily as a witch stirs a cauldron. She ogles his behind thinking of what a nice set of buns he has and it's just her luck that she should be of the same lineage. Darn that Luck of The Irish!!

A body buried some forty years prior and a current murder set our duo out on wild goose chase all around the country side while they try and find the truth of Rylie's parentage. But things are most certainly not what they seem which leads them to question what the body has to do with them that was found on Donovan's families estate. Being caught in unforeseeable predicaments creates sparks that will ignite passions that our characters find too hard to control.

Our author has given us a story rich in history, Irish lingo, scary settings and fantastically imaginative other worldly characters that all interact with our hero and heroine with such ease that it's like putting on a pair of soft comfy slippers. A romance with punch. A cozy mystery that will make you think twice about going out in the dark. A storyline that will most certainly entertain you from the first page to the last and have you sputtering Irish words long after the book ends.

This story was an amazing journey and adventure to Ireland written by first time author Loucinda McGary that I won't soon forget. Romance, mystery and paranormal genres are used together to create a book of magic and intrigue from beginning to end.

An Irish lad trying to forget his 'gift' and an American girl trying to find her father are brought together in a small town in Ireland. As Rylie trys to locate her father, Donovan must use his clairvoyant ability, called "The Sight", to stir up old family secrets that may have been better off being left buried. The twists and turns of the mystery of their family legacy grows as people start turning up dead. The chemistry between Rylie and Donovan is intense it is hard for them to ignore, but would they have to fight these desires if they find they are related? A climatic ending finds Rylie her answers, but Donovan finds things he wasn't expecting to find.

I truly loved this book!! I wasn't sure what to expect with it being a first time author, but the book swept me away to Ireland and had me at the end of the book WAY too soon! It has the perfect mix of genres that doesn't over do it on too much romance or mystery. The author seemed to have done her research on Irish history and lore to be come up with "The Sight" that Donovan had and how it mixed in with the landscape of the story.

I would recommend this book to my friends to read...you can easily read it within a couple days.

Donovan O'Shea has run from his clairvoyance gift. In his eyes, it's a curse. His father's illness has brought him back to Ireland and smack dab in the middle of an archaeological dig where a body is discovered. To add to matters, an American, Rylie Powell, shows up claiming to be his half-sister. He's positive that they aren't related, but she is equally positive his father is hers.

The part that I had serious trouble with was the early attraction between Rylie and Donovan. They were kissing and making out before the DNA was collected. Sure Donovan was sure they weren't related, but wonder if he was wrong? And Rylie, she was sure he was her half-brother. Ewe! That was something I couldn't get passed. Even though the mystery of Donovan's mother and her death was well played out and the paranormal flavor added spice to the plot, Rylie and Donovan's early attraction tainted the remainder of the story for me.

Two thumbs up for Loucinda McGary's debut! A wonderful setting, well-developed characters and conflict from page 1 to the very end, you won't be disappointed!

Rylie Powell travels from the US to Ireland in search of her biological father. The information gathered by a private investigator hired by Rylie indicates that the man she is looking for owns a pub in a small town. When Rylie arrives she finds that the man she believes to be her father is now in a nursing home and the pub is being managed by his son, Donovan O'Shea.

Donovan doesn't for one moment believe that Rylie is his half sister, but he agrees to help her with her search. The two are very attracted to each other and the situation becomes even more complicated when a body is found on some property owned by Donovan's family. Donovan has been blessed/cursed with the "Sight", which is kind of a sixth sense with a time travel element and is drawn into the investigation because of his "gift". As Donovan and Rylie cope with their growing attraction and the question of her paternity, they become embroiled in some dangerous family secrets that threaten to put both of their lives in danger.

I'm on the fence about this one. While I liked the concept, it just didn't make for compelling reading. The story started strong then seemed to lose focus, finally picking up some steam in the last quarter or so. I did think that the author did a great job of describing the setting, making the Irish countryside come alive - very vivid and nicely drawn. Rylie and Donovan were well developed characters but their romance was tainted (for me) by the fact that their attraction started when Rylie firmly believed that they shared the same father. I don't know about anyone else, but I don't care how hot a guy is, if I believed we shared some DNA I'm pretty sure I could keep my libido in check!

Finally, the parts of the story dealing with Donovan's "gift" just felt a little awkward. It seemed like Rylie just accepted - too easily - that Donovan had an otherworldly connection. The story might have been more interesting if the author had explored that angle instead of spending so much time on the "we really shouldn't but let's do it anyway" nature of Rylie and Donovan's relationship.

Bottom Line: Decent premise, but the story feels like it's going off in too many directions. The romance didn't work for me and I felt like the paranormal aspect could have been more developed.

Some strong language and mild/moderate sexual content.

Rylie is a young woman in search of her identity. After her mother died of cancer six months previous, she decided to try and find the man who had deserted them both when she was just a baby. What very few clues she has about him--her birth certificate and some photos--lead her to Ireland in search of Dermot O'Shea. Dermot, meanwhile, has had a stroke and can no longer handle his own affairs. Though he left years ago to live in America, Donovan O'Shea has come back to help his sister settle his father's business affairs. This involves selling off a piece of property that has been a source of trouble since his childhood. The fens bring upon The Sight, a legendary form of clairvoyance commonly found in women but noted as a Druidic quality as well.

When Rylie comes bursting into Donovan's world looking for her father he's certain that they can't be siblings. Primarily because his father loved his mother but also because he's intensely attracted to the stubborn Californian. As they try to unravel the mystery of her birth father another mystery falls right into their laps. A body has been found out in the fens. It's an old murder come back to haunt the O'Shea family and as Donovan and Rylie unravel the mystery of her father's real identity, Donovan's own lineage comes into question. Twists, turns and murder most foul lead the might-be-siblings on a dangerous adventure through the history of the fens and Ireland's legacy of violence.

Wow. What a book. I was a little skeptical at first. I've seen a few too many cheesy 'American girl in Ireland' stories. But McGary obviously did her research, knew the customs and histories, that put together a story so real it felt exotic. Being an Irish-American I was quite easily lured into the mythology of The Sight and even just the descriptions of the country itself. I felt a bit like a lost tourist with an overly knowledge-able local as a guide.

I hate to say it but I often see the twists before they come and that's always frustrating. With The Wild Sight I was plenty surprised. If you love a good plot twist this has them so seamlessly woven in you won't know them until they hit you upside the head. The dialog could have been an issue but McGary did well in keeping things as clear and concise as possible while still keeping the Irish feel. My only real beef with the book is spoilerific so sorry, I can't share! While I wasn't fully happy with how the story tied up (a few loose ends annoyed me) romance fans will enjoy the HEA factor. If you're looking for loads of paranormal elements this one might not be up your alley, a bit of ghosty goodness and Donovan's clairvoyance were the sum of it. All in all a pretty entertaining read, perfect for one of those late nights when you can't sleep because you'll keep thinking "okay one more chapter then I'm going to sleep" and next thing you know you'll be done!

While I really liked the premise and setting of this book, I wasn't enthralled by the romance. The Irish backdrop was beautifully depicted and made me want to book my ticket immediately,the paranormal subplot was interesting and well-written, as was the intrigue and mystery. I also liked that the author undertook all of these genres in one book; I just wasn't drawn in by the romantic connection by the two leads. It didn't bother me that at the beginning there was the potential of a serious roadblock (that might have been highly inapropriate) to their romantic relationship, they overcame that by clearing the waters with the father of the male lead before they moved forward. They were both likable enough (and of course, attractive)I just didn't think that was the author's strongest angle. I would recommend this for light reading if you don't want to tax your thinking too much. I do realize this is a new author and I think she really has some talent, I would like to continue reading what she writes and see what she is capable of.

Publishers Weekly reviewed "The Wild Sight" describing it as a "smashing romantic suspense... sizzling romance..." I know because I read the words on the cover. And it is an interesting cover. The girl on the shore---of the sea, of a fen?---with flowing hair and white dress could be ancient or modern, but the guy's chest seems to be appearing from a thoroughly modern shirt. A curious mix.

And the book is a delightful mix too, with a wealth of intersecting stories: Rylie is looking for the father who deserted her in the States when she was a child; Donovan is trying to sell the family home without triggering the visions that sent him fleeing long ago; the professor wants to dig up old treasures, which naturally send Donovan back into the past, both recent and distant. And there's a body, guns and a Druid.

I loved the way the author depicted Donovan's "sight." The switches between worlds were very smoothly done, touched with fear, loyalty, excitement, and even fun. Meanwhile Donovan and Rylie fight against the possibility of falling in love, afraid that they might in fact be brother and sister. The tension between them is neatly and powerfully handled, and I particularly loved their decision to resist temptation until there might be "no regrets."

Ah, but what kind of regrets did they mean. The answers reveal themselves through past and present, giving the reader a wild exciting ride through recent and ancient Irish history. And true love wins through.

This really was a fun book. I'd certainly recommend it.

Loucinda hits it out of the park with this one! I loved it!! Naturally the main characters are fab. Who would not want the stunningly gorgeous Donovan O'Shea, Irish hunk extraordinaire? But, the best part, to me, was the mild paranormal elements and murder mystery intrigue. It was an easy read, not too convoluted or dragged out, but exciting and edge-of-the-seat. I powered through it in a couple of days as I could not bear to put it down! Thanks Loucinda. Hurry up with more.

I must be fecking mad because I didn't enjoy this book as much as other reviewers. I really should have paid more attention to the word "romance" in the description. I don't mind a bit of romance. However, I don't like seeing the words libido and small heaving perky breasts on every few pages. Of course the two main characters are physically flawless, so they can't even look at each other without wanting to hop in bed.

The thing that really bothered me though was the whole "Sight" thing. It just seemed completely random and out of place in this novel. I seriously laughed at how there were ancient Celtic warrior ghosts battling each other in a wetland. Really?

The parts I did enjoy in this novel were the family drama, murder mystery, etc. I think the author just tried to cram in too much with the whole Sight thing.