From Publishers Weekly
At the start of newcomer Brallier's gentle paranormal romance, Cecilia "Cecil" Hargrave learns that a distant relation, "Aunt Allegra" (in fact her late mother's younger cousin), has bequeathed her a business and a house. Cecil abandons her empty life in Manhattan for Seal Island, Maine, an isolated community rich with intertwining lives and mystical legends of "selkies" who move between seal and human form. While settling in, she discovers that Allegra has been murdered amid mysterious financial dealings. She must also contend with island curiosity and the lure of three very different men: the affable editor of the local paper, a mysterious lobsterman and an odd neighbor whose animal magnetism sweeps her away. Full of expressions like "glory of glories" and "heaven forfend" and oblivious to e-mail, computers and cell phones, Cecil rings false as a contemporary 28-year-old. Instead, she - and the novel - echo the mode of Mary Stewart, whom the narrative mentions fondly. Still, the book's slightly old-fashioned take on love exudes a leisurely and timeless charm.
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From Booklist
A delicious gothic feel permeates this debut paranormal romance set on a Maine island. The loss of both her job and her Manhattan apartment forces Cecilia to visit the home and business that she inherited from Allegra, a cousin she barely knew. A large bloodstain on the floor mars the cozy seaside cottage, but Cecilia admires Allegra's excellent taste in furnishings, clothes, and jewelry. Not only are their tastes similar but Cecilia bears a striking resemblance to the murdered Allegra. She also likes the people she meets on Seal Island, including lobsterman Tom. She befriends a seal that Allegra had raised from a pup and begins an affair with her strange neighbor, Ronan, a young man with a bizarre sexual magnetism. The selkie lore (a seal who sheds his skin to live as a human) is enticing, and Brallier's book-loving heroine is appealing, although all the major surprises are telegraphed so far in advance one wonders why Cecilia is so clueless.
Diana Tixier HeraldCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved