Celtic Storms (Celtic Steel Book 1)

Delaney Rhodes' writing style is easy to read. The places and people seem so real, they almost become friends. The language seems to be pulled straight from history. I felt that I was right there in the time period. Great book.

I purchased the first 3 books in this series. They were good, BUT she has never released books 4 &5. I had one response from her in Jan 2014 thinking book 4 would be released soon. No more information was every posted on her FB or web page. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME WITH THIS SERIES SHE MAY NEVER RELEASE THE OTHER BOOKS. ALL PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT THE FIRST 3 BOOKS MAY NEVER BE ABLE TO FINISH THE SERIES. THIS IS NOT A VERY PROFESSIONAL WAY TO TREAT FANS OR CUSTOMERS.

As the oldest daughter of the recently deceased O'Malley laird, and with no male heirs to pass the clan to, Darina is being wed to Patrick, the eldest son of the Laird of the MacCahan clan. She knows nothing of Patrick and worries about how he will react to the rather unique situation of the O'Malley clan. Meanwhile, an evil plot to destroy the O'Malley clan is afoot.

The author had some good ideas with this story, and I really liked Darina and Patrick. There were many more things that bothered me, though, than didn't. It seemed like someone ran the book through spellcheck, but didn't bother to beta-read; the wrong homonym was used in several cases, and it was the same throughout the book (waste was used rather than waist, peek rather than peak). The story was confusingly told from several viewpoints that were not those of the main characters; when the story started I wasn't sure whether the heroine was Kyra or Darina. In addition, there is no explanation of the special connection between Darina and Patrick, so it seemed pointless, as if it were an unfinished idea by the author. Finally, the story has no real ending; I understand setting the reader up for a sequel, but this was incredibly frustrating and in no way made me want to rush out and buy the next in the series.

Overall, I wish the author had gone through a real publisher, or at least used unbiased beta-readers, before she released the book for sale. I think this has the potential to be a good story, but it was poorly written and has little continuity. I would recommend skipping this one, at least until it can be edited and revised appropriately.

The general outline of the story is great....sorry the same cannot be said about the grammar, spelling and editing. There also seemed to be some confusion as to whether the characters are Irish or Scottish, with many Scottish words used in an Irish setting. This is finally explained in book two as it rehashes book one and goes into more detail.
I persevered with this book even though it irritated me. I even read the second book, hoping it would get better. Unfortunately
it didn't. I will not be buying book 3 or 4 when they are released.

I agree with other reviewers, this book needs an editor! Wow, the errors are almost laughable. Some chapters don't even fit within the story. Why, who, where, when poisoned our leading lady, what da? How did a terminally asleep, snoring 11 year old go missing from a warrior protected castle? Ok that being said, it's a good story! There is potential here, like a diamond in the rough, if someone could just take this and polish the rough gem. I read the whole book, it practically ended mid-sentence, no ending, nothing, just stopped. I will not continue the series due to the mess this one was, which is sad really, there is a lot to work with here...

When I finished this book, I went immediately to the store to get Book #2. It is not here yet...Oh No!

I liked the storyline and the characters.
'Celtic Storms' was a very good read. I thought the story and the several different characters were described and brought into the plot in a clear and easy to follow way.

I hope the wait for #2 isn't too terribly long. I am anxious to see what happens to not only Patrick & Darina, but also the child Laird who has been kidnapped.

I thought the characters were very well developed, and the back story was interesting. I was intruiged by the elements of revenge, religion, and the obvious chemistry between the characters. However, there were some minor editing gaps although they didn't prevent me from understanding the plot and it ended rather abruptly as if the author simply didn't have time to finish the complete story. I look forward to more of her books simply so I know how the story ends.

Even as a Kindle freebie, buyer beware! The convoluted plot, poor editing, gaps in the story line and inadequately developed characters were bad enough but when a pivotal part of the story was presented as a flashback - immediately followed by what was almost a mid-sentence END to part one in this SERIES, the author lost me completely.

I am a voracious reader who is ridiculously easy to please but I walked away from this one feeling a bit betrayed.

An absolute first for me, I abandoned this book at only 13% in. This author bares no talent for storytelling, or else I may have been able to put up with the nauseating amount of spelling, grammar, and storyline errors until I at least reached the conclusion. I'm actually a little surprised that there is an "editor" listed along side the author (don't quit your day job, A. McConnell).

What was wrong with this book beyond the constant errors, you ask? Well, let's see...

Each and every chapter that I read (which was around 4 chapters) jumped to a new person, a new place, a new train of thought... and a new, mind-numbingly boring back-story to accompany them. Not only were these back-stories boring, but they were extremely awkward and stilted in their recounting.

By four chapters in, the only current information we have is that Patrick and Darina are to be married, and neither of them are happy about it... the same information we had at the beginning of Chapter 1. Everything else that has been yammered on about is all either foundational information that would have been better suited to a Prologue (if at all), or relational conflict that should have been more evenly (and subtly) distributed amongst the storyline. This isn't The Da Vinci Code, there's absolutely no need for info dumping... and certainly not in such a painful, amateurish manner.

By the way, no one talks like the characters in this book do - not even in the 1490's. I've heard more convincing dialogue while watching the kids play with Barbie dolls... schucks, I've read more believable dialogue in silent films. And if you're going to write a period piece, you can't just throw in modern colloquialisms whenever you feel like it. Mishmashing modern slang into historical Irish speech sounds worse than a redneck trying to speak Jive.

Needless to say, I couldn't stomach a page more...

(I mean, there were storyline errors within the first four chapters, for pity's sake... she couldn't even get her own story straight from the start!)

What a terrible book. I struggled to get interested in this book even though I usually enjoy this time period. When it finally became interesting , bingo- it just stopped. No warning, no evidence that it was a cliffhanger- nothing. I looked for more pages assuming there was some kind of error. I searched for a 2nd book or anything to indicate there might be a sequel.
Still nothing. I will never read anything from this author again.

I am reading this and have found many grammatical errors. "Waste" for "waist", "he" instead of "him", etc. Also, in the scene where Darina bursts in on Kyra in the bathtub, it says, 'I'll let you get dressed, then we will talk, Kyra,' and with that Kyra left." Darina is the one who left.

I haven't finished the book and am not sure if I will. I cannot stand this type of error when I read. Am I too picky? I don't think so. I think the majority of readers are that picky. I am interested in the story, but this distracts from it so much.

Update: Waste for waist, bare for bear... Please get a new editor. :)

Celtic Storms start off with great detail of the families involved, as well as the living conditions, and the land in which they live. I will say, it makes me long for a trip to Ireland even more then before. It consists of death, curses, an arranged marriage, druids, healers, and two families trying to over come the evil that surrounds them.

Although I enjoyed learning about the two main families invovled- the O'Malleys and the MacCahans, I found myself drawn to learn more about Odetta Burke, the *villian* you can't help but want to read more about. She meddles with magic in a very selfish way, only because she did not get to marry the man she think she deserved to be married to. Now, it is her life long goal to curse that family, and those involved.

As the story progresses, you crave to learn more about the two main characters- Patrick and Darina. There are twists and surprises through out the book that keep you longing for more, making it hard to put this book down- you just *have* to know what happens next! I was able to read Celtic Storms within less then 48 hours. Oh do not worry, it is a long read, but I was not able to stop reading once I began- and only did so when life demanded my attention!
I am, however, disappointed that the Wedding Ceremony is skipped over, and you resume with the storyline six days later. I feel that was a vital part of the story, and we were robbed of that special moment, only to relive it through flash backs at a council meeting.

The ending did not leave me hanging, per say, but it did have me wondering what would happen next. I also hoped to have read more about the Burke Clan. Needless to stay, I have started on book 2!

Although Celtic Storms is a different genre then I am used to reading, I do not regret picking this book up!! It opened my eyes to another style of writing, and I am in love! I highly recommend this book to anyone, and would give it 10 stars if the store would permit me to do so.

Well paced with a wealth of characters that any celtic romance loving reader could hope for is tied up in the package of Celtic Storms.

Darina and Patrick have a long road ahead of them. Darina the eldest of five girls after losing their father discovers she upon his bequest and unknown to her has been betrothed to a man she doesn't know and will be married shortly to him.

All the while a woman Odette Burke of a neighboring clan who was spurned by her father for another has cursed the lot of them with black magic preventing them from giving birth to sons. Having few men of their own the women have learned to fight and build among other things. Odette has it out for the O'Malleys and will stop at nothing till they are destroyed and under her power.

Patrick the eldest of the Macahan clan also discovers that he is betrothed upon the death of Darina's father and he is to be Laird of her clan. Patrick has secrets of his own not to mention baggage of the history persuasion.

As the intrigue and story culminates the night of their wedding Darina is suddenly left alone and doesn't know why. Not until Patrick's brother Payton who was sent to aide the O'Malleys and his brother along with 50 soldiers tells her a truth her trusted family and closest friends have known and kept from her but no longer.

My only frustration was how the story abruptly ended. I thoroughly enjoyed it the romance component wasn't cloying and it was more of a story something I truly enjoy. Now I just need the next one to know what happens. In all "well done".

Celtic Storms surprised me so much! When I first picked this up, I thought it was just going to be a historical romance, which I was fine with because I really enjoy that genre too. But I was super happy when I realized this story has a magical aspect to it.
Darina O'Malley is a strong female character that everyone looks up to but can be a little stubborn too. She has strong magical roots but doesn't want to believe in it because of everything she has gone through in her life.
Patrick MacCahan is a honorable male lead and I fell in love with him the moment he came into the story. Unlike most heartthrobs in some stories, Patrick has a few things that could be seen as a weakness, but to me just adds more to his character and makes him even more charming.
I love that Mrs. Rhodes wrote him like this, instead of making him like every other character in other romance novels. He has such personality and has a little magic mixed in with all that manly goodness!
Besides, these two leads, we have plenty of other characters that will make us laugh, cry, and just want to scream sometimes! I especially like Kyra, Darina's cousin, and I hope to see more in her future too.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone and I am patiently waiting until I can get my hands on the next book. This story does leave off abruptly, but I think that just makes you crave the next book even more!

Celtic Storms (1) by Delaney Rhodes is an excellent read.
This story contains secrets that should not have been kept. Secrets that were intended to save and prevent harm but at the same time caused much harm. This story contains the classic good versus evil story line with a slight twist of mystery, romance, sorcery, and family honor.
The characters were at first seemed a little strange but as the story continued I found I was drawn to how well Delaney Rhodes was able to maintain the characters identity throughout the entire story. By the end of this novel I was very fond on the main characters on the good side and very disgusted by the ones on the bad side.
The only issue I have with this novel is that it has a cliff hanger. I now have another great series that I am adding to my, to-read list.

I did like Patrick, the hero of this historical paranormal romance, very much. He is strong yet vulnerable. I was interested in the concept, and the situation of the O'Malley clan was compelling. I admit that I preferred the heroine's cousin, Kyra, over the heroine, Darina. This bodes well for the sequel which focuses on Kyra.

On the other hand, I disliked the stereotypical villain and the cliffhanger ending. I was already prepared to purchase the sequel. The emotional manipulation of a cliffhanger was unnecessary.

There were a couple of minor historical errors that I could forgive because they had no impact on the plot. My qualms about the scheduling of the wedding because of the symbolism of that date in the ancient Celtic religion seemed to be a more serious issue, but I learned during a web search that it was actually a traditional time for weddings among the ancient Celts. I found that there is pro and con discussion among current Pagan practitioners about the desirability of a wedding on that date. So I no longer have so much difficulty with when the O'Malley clan planned to celebrate Patrick and Darina's marriage.

Despite the drawbacks of this particular outing, I hope to return to the world of the medieval O'Malleys of Ireland soon.

I received this book for free in return for an honest review.

Review for Celtic Storm by: Delaney Rhodes

Celtic Storms is the first book in the series by Delaney Rhodes. I felt that there were a lot of characters to take in, and each was given their own point of view. To me this made the story seem to be a little choppy. I also felt that the story was a little rushed. There was a lot of great potential that, if expanded, could have made the story great, but instead for me it was just good.

That being said, I have to say that I really loved Patrick's character. He kind of starts off as an underdog, being just a blacksmith with a stammer. As his story is told though, he really comes into his own and you see such a drastic change in his character. Darina is a strong female character as well. She is tough, but allows her weakness to shine through from time to time. Darina and Patrick's tale is one that really makes you feel for them. They are set to be married, even though they are complete strangers. I wish the wedding would have been told more as it was happening, rather than as a flashback, but it was still done very well.

All in all, this was a good, and quick read. Since the book left off with a bit of a cliff hanger, I will be reading the second one once it is released. Hopefully, there isn't a feeling of the story being rushed.

I really liked Celtic Steel, although there were some typographical and grammatical errors that sometimes made reading the book difficult. I saw a lot of negative reviews on the book prior to reading it, but it was very entertaining, and I could really connect with Darina and Patrick. I felt so bad for Patrick with his stammering, you could tell throughout the book that it really bothered him and made him self-conscious. The first couple of times Darina was in a scene, I couldn't really connect with her the way I could with Patrick, but as the book went on, I found myself being drawn to her. She is a very strong woman, and that is something you don't really find in books anymore. She wasn't dependent on a man, which is more of what you find in a book that is from this era. I really enjoyed reading it, and found that after awhile, the errors didn't bother me, and I didn't even notice them. Like someone else said on these reviews, I am the type of person who reads to escape into a book, not to critique every little thing. I am a huge paranormal fan, and this book, while being a little on the paranormal side, didn't make it extremely obvious, and it wasn't the focal point of the book. I am definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series!

***SPOILER ALERT***Celtic Storms is very well written and it's obvious that Ms. Rhodes has spent a great deal of time and energy researching this particularly tumultuous time in the history of Ireland. Her characters are well developed and I particularly appreciated that although they meet the standards of romantic historical fiction, they are far from stereotypes. The best example of this is Patrick MacCahan, the male romantic lead. Patrick is a fine physical specimen of a man, tall, muscular, gorgeous down to his long flowing hair but handicapped by a partially functioning right hand which was seriously injured when the boy Patrick defended his mother in the fight that took her life. Patrick is additionally hampered by a stutter that is at its worst when he is speaking under stress.
A neighboring clan, the O'Malley clan has been quick to recognize the ability of its females and has trained them in every trade, including that of soldiering. The O'Malleys have prospered and are known to be the wealthiest among the clans. However, their success will be challenged because no male children have been born into their clan since Dallin O'Malley spurned marriage with Odetta Burke to marry for love. In retaliation, Odetta is believed to have cursed the O'Malleys with an inability to bear male children. Darina, Dallin's eldest daughter would be competent to lead the clan but the other clans with whom they trade would never accept a female laird. When Dallin O'Malley dies, Darina is told that she will be wed to Patrick, the eldest son of the laird of the MacCahan clan. Patrick has worked hard to overcome his handicaps but believes them to have made him unsuitable to wed, so you can imagine his surprise that a secret agreement between his father and the O'Malley laird requires his presence at Darina O'Malley's wedding - to him. The union will provide the O'Malleys with the male leader they require and will provide the MacCahans with badly needed riches and trade.
To benefit his clan and please his father, Patrick agrees to marry and settle permanently as the O'Malley laird. With him he takes a small party that includes his beloved foster brother Braeden MacTierney. Only three people know that the eleven year old boy is actually the rightful heir of the O'Malley clan, smuggled to safety from the Burkes at birth. However, before Patrick and Darina's wedding is consummated, the boy, Braeden is abducted by the Burkes who need a young male sacrifice for a black magic rite. Since Darina believes Braeden to be Patrick's bastard, she is furious at being left and petitions for an annulment, citing abandonment before consummation. At the annulment hearing, she discovers not only that she has a brother but that that Patrick has left her to find him. Darina is not a woman to wait at home for her man to solve her problems.
This book is a very fast read, full of mysticism, superstition, Druids, and a passionate mind connection between Darina and Patrick. The erotic connection played out in their minds is a better read than many graphic physical love scenes. It was a little bit of a stretch accepting that one clan would actually train their women in every type of trade and skill while another clan would allow the eldest son to leave his own to rule another, particularly when they had younger and marriageable sons available. Although Celtic Storms is a good read, most of the book is spent introducing characters and setting the stage for future books in the series. Increasing the length to resolve at least one of the many subplots would have made the book much stronger and left me far more satisfied.

Ok I agree with previous reviews that perhaps the author should have had his book edited better, but he can always update it and have it republished I think. Anyways on to the book... it is a well written (aside from the previously mentioned errors) with fluidity that keeps the pages turning...many times I realized I was skipping ahead because I was so sucked into the story. I loved the characters Patrick and Darina, although I am positively bias towards strong female characters and Darina does not disappoint. This is a love story mixed with beautiful fantasy and magic. Celtic Storms drew me in and I was unable to put it down...I can't wait to continue with this series.

Celtic Storms by Delaney Rhodes is the story of three clans in 15th century Northern Ireland. This story is told about the three clans simultaneously by jumping back and forth from one clan's happenings to the next. Two of the clans are preparing to form an alliance and the third clan is hoping and preparing for war in the hope of taking over the O'Malley clan. As part of their clans' alliance, the two primary characters Patrick and Darina are betrothed to each other despite never having met. Patrick is strong and handsome, but has a few issues remaining from a childhood trauma. Darina is beautiful, yet strong and stubborn. She too carries burdens from her life so far. This story is full of romance and adventure with a little bit of magic and drama rolled in as well.

Overall, Celtic Storms moved quickly for me and I was interested in seeing the connection between Darina and Patrick. However, I felt like there were too many characters introduced in a short time. I kept having to remind myself who was who and how they all fit together. As this book is the first in a series of five, I wonder if the author could have started with fewer characters and added more as the series progresses. I would like to have learned more about the wedding and the beginning of their marriage. I felt like everything was left hanging. If asked, I would recommend this book to a friend provided she was planning to read the next book too.

Celtic Storms is a fantastic beginning to what appears to be a promising series. It is centered around two characters who form a union through an arranged marriage, and while that could end up very badly it is quite a romantic pair. This book is filled with interesting characters who keep you captivated with multiple stories going on. It has a neat spin on women especially when it is occurring 500 years ago and these women defend themselves, very modern. I agree with other reviewers who say the story ended abruptly, but I felt like it was similar to great TV series I enjoy watching who know they will have another season...it just left me thinking...how will I make it until I read the second book? So I cracked open the 2nd book in the series '

Beginning in 1457 with two Irish clans- the MacCahan and the O'Malley's, we are brought back in time to learn about a curse.

The o'Malley's are almost exclusively women, supposedly due to a curse. This has led to a remarkable group of women including Darina, the eldest daughter of the now deceased Laird. She should have been made Laird but her young age and gender precluded that right.

Patrick is the eldest son of Laird MacCahan but works as a skilled blacksmith with not intentions of marrying due to a deficit in his hand and a severe stammer.

These two strong individuals are put together and must learn to live and love each other while also fighting off the curse. This book also has evil magic and a magical storm to captivate the reader. Ending with a cliff hanger, I will definitely be waiting for the next one!

I enjoy Celtic romance novels. The story line here is great but it jumps between clans too much without enough of a start/stop. Also the person that transferred this book to digital format made numerous errors with punctuation causing me to have to re-read sections for correct interpretation. All in all a good book being it was free to download to my kindle.

Source: Provided by NetGalley for an honest review.
Reviewed by: Book Babe at (...)

Quickie Review:
This novel is riddled with grammatical errors, contained copious pages of narrative and description most of it unrelated to the immediate story, and only a hinted at a plot through chapter five; which is point where I deleted the story from my Kindle.

First Line:
"Patrick! Patrick!" repeated the annoying sound from the castle grounds.

Summary:
Darina O'Malley watched the sun set in the bay from the great tower in O'Malley castle. She said a silent prayer for her cousin, Kyra, hoping the message that was delivered to the MacCahan's did not spell sudden doom for her and her people. If what her Uncle Ruarc had told her was true, she was to be married to a stranger in nearly a fort night, and her world would turn upside down.

The realization that her clan held secrets which could destroy them forever - chilled her blood. Who was this son of a Laird that she was betrothed to and how would he react when he learned the truth?

What worked for me:
*I found the cover enticing enough to request the novel from NetGalley to review.

What didn't work for me:
The following are true for the first five chapters of the novel. I did not, could not, read beyond that point and cannot speak to the remainder of the book.

*The first two chapters introduce no less than TWENTY FIVE characters, most of which were in no way central to the story.
*Copious backstory. I define backstory as the narrative retelling of events that take place prior to the start of the story.
*The first five chapters, sans the backstory, narrative, and description could have been condensed into two scenes.
*There is no hint of a plot line.
*Poorly edited.

Other thoughts:
*The premise of the story could have worked in the hands of a writer skilled in the craft of writing.
*This novel was not ready for publication.
*Take advantage of the preview feature offered by the store prior to purchase.

Rating:
DNF (Did not finish)

A Really good book. I guess some people are stuck on the grammatical errors, not me. If it weren't for spell check many of us would have grammatical errors. It was a quick read and very interesting, I believe in giving authors a chance. It's extremely difficult to write a book. The author did a good job. Worth a one time read.

Celtic Storms by Delaney Rhodes
Celtic Steel Series, Book 1
ARC provided by NetGalley

After Darina O'Malley's father dies, she learns she is to wed Patrick MacCahan. Though she is adverse to the idea, her clan depends on her--and they need a man to lead them. Bringing a husband and additional soldiers into the family is also necessary. The O'Malley clan is cursed. No males have been born into their clan for over 20 years.

Patrick MacCahan is the oldest son of the MacCahan clan. He's a large, handsome man, a trained soldier and talented blacksmith, but is scarred from the death of his mother. He believes his damaged right hand and inability to communicate without stuttering make him an unsuitable husband for any woman.

The news of Laird O'Malley's death spreads beyond their borders to the Burkes, a long-feuding clan of the O'Malleys. Old vendettas and plots for revenge threaten to destroy the O'Malley clan. Darina and Patrick must find common ground and establish their relationship if they are to survive a dangerous secret that's been kept in order to ensure the future O'Malley laird's safety.

First, let me say I loved the cover. It led me to believe I was probably going to read a historical novel with paranormal elements. Well, I did--sort of. The general idea for the plot is, I think, as I've summarized above. Unfortunately, it didn't quite follow that path of logic.

As a reader, we're introduced to Patrick. He is a grown man. He's handsome. Has learned to fight as well as any soldier--in spite of¬¬ an injury he received as a young man. That's a laudable trait, a testament to his character for determination. He also suffers from night terrors and stutters. These are the result of watching his mother die in a horrific and tragic manner. Again, psychologically acceptable. I viewed these handicaps as being issues Patrick would overcome as part of his character arc.

In the process of learning these things about Patrick, all of the information is delivered in large chunks of back story. Details are given about everything in a scene, and while some details are important, too much of the story was lost in extraneous things that didn't add to the story.

Darina is portrayed as a strong, independent 17-year old woman. She stands second in command to her father, but cannot lead the clan because she is a woman--yet the O'Malley clan is the wealthiest clan in Ireland. Each of the sisters possess a different talent that makes them the best at what they do in Ireland. They hunt, sew, weave, mediate, fight...even wear pants on the docks to work, as there aren't enough men to do "male" oriented jobs. In short, the O'Malley clan is perfect--except for the curse. They can't have male children.

Then there's the paranormal element of druids and magic introduced into the storyline. The curse is a spell cast over the O'Malley clan by Odetta Burke, a spurned female from the Burke clan. Odetta isn't a druid, but she's learned to use the spells and wreak havoc with her power hungry bitterness.

Darina has also been trained in the ways of the druids and can speak with her mind to her sisters. Interesting...and mighty handy I would imagine. Though Darina denies her druid powers to others. When Patrick arrives, he is able to speak with Darina through their minds as well. Now this is a big development in the story. But Darina doesn't freak out or ask how or why...just gets angry at him for being in her head.

Patrick was also portrayed as a man that never spoke with women and rarely spoke with men. He didn't like to communicate because of his stutter. Then he meets Darina and is immediately talking to her in her head and in person. He's smooth and seductive and there was no building of a relationship between Darina and Patrick. We just arrived at the "I'm into you and I know you're into me" stage without any real development between their two characters.

Then we have the O'Malley secret. Braeden McTierney is an orphan that's fostered with the MacCahan clan. He was accompanied by a nurse named Mavis--except Braeden is not an orphan. He's an O'Malley. The rightful heir and laird of the O'Malley clan. Mavis is really Raelyn Burke, Odetta Burke's sister. Yes, this is a spoiler, but these are great twists in the storyline. Unfortunately, what were very interesting elements got lost in the shuffle of confusing scenes, head hopping and unclear points of view.

Finally, I must address the ending. As a reader, I love to read a series. An overarching conflict is woven into every novel of a series obviously. However, each individual book should have its own plot filled with conflicts that are resolved. I read the entire novel, and the conflicts were not resolved and the book ended with a major cliffhanger. It left me very frustrated and disappointed. I'm sad to say, unless a different approach is taken with subsequent books, I will not be reading the rest of this series.

I started my Labor Day weekend early with 'Celtic Storms, Book 1.' Ms. Rhodes makes you feel as though you have been transported to 15th century Ireland. There are strong men (and equally strong women) as well as clan intrigue, mysterious ancient Pagan rites, and even a bit of falconry. Very exciting read for a summer "staycation."

Dekaney Rhodes has quickly become one of my favorite new authors this year; I am a sucker for a good romantic, adventurous book and that is exactly what this author has provided. There are a few grammatical errors, but when you only have to pay 3bucks for a book I don't mind so much. I am a writer myself and I love to support up and coming authors. I think this book is definitely worth your time and I really do recommend this book and author!

Celtic Storms by Delaney Rhodes is the first book in the series and it does what any good start to a series does...it leaves you wanting more. It is the story of Darina and Patrick, who are being forced to marry each other to bring two clans together. I loved the characters and how easy the book was to follow despite the time period it is set in. I normally have great difficulty getting into books that are set any farther back in time than the past 10 years or so but Delaney caught and kept my attention from start to finish. I really found myself getting lost in the story because of how descriptive everything was but not in an "over-the-top" sort of way. The details were vivid and I could picture everything as it was occurring which I love in a book. I think the only thing I didn't like about the story is that I have to wait to find out what happens next!!!

The story jumps from character POV so often I was unsure through half the book whom the lead characters were supposed to be. I've never read a period piece that decided to become PNR half-way through either. The dialog drags, and the flow of the book is off-putting. There were moments where I literally fell asleep while reading this book. I am not a hard to impress reader either, I enjoy simple romance novels and period pieces normally. The lead character Patrick has a studder, which is meant, I assume to be endearing, but just comes off as annoying. This books only saving grace in my eyes was the genius story telling of how the entire clan is under a spell and no male children have been born in several generations, leading the female populace to assume male dress, and male roles. I'd love to see this idea explored further, in another manner. Overall I have to recommend my fellow romance readers to skip the Celtic Storm.

Good concept but needs more work! I truly enjoy reading historical romances but generally the author takes the time to at least give the reader some insight into the two main characters but that did not happen in this book. I enjoyed reading it as a quick and easy afternoon read but it is one of those books that I would read and forget about and would not be excited about reading anything else by this author.