Cliff of the Ruin by Bonnie McKernan

Cliff of the Ruin by Bonnie McKernan
Publisher: Abbott Press
Publication date: November 2012
Length: 418 pages
Genre: Historical fiction, fantasy
Editions: Hardcover, paperback, kindle
Source for Review: Netgalley

Synopsis: There are three good reasons why dashing Civil War hero and New York lawyer William Teague cannot tell artist Mae Kendrick he''s in love with her. One, she told him he was dull. Two, she is the niece of an important client. Three, she just hired him to find the man she doesn't remember marrying.

As Will manages this peculiar case, the search for Mae's husband unveils a shocking discovery about her childhood, one that shifts the investigation to the place of her birth--Ireland.

But on the voyage overseas, circumstances become increasingly bizarre. Mae suffers ghost-like visions and further memory loss, and Will is seduced by a beautiful stranger who just might be trying to kill him. When Mae suddenly vanishes like her husband, Will is forced to enter a thin place, an ancient monastic ruin leading to Ireland's Celtic otherworld, in what becomes a race against time to find her.

But are Will''s war-honed instincts any match for the alluring forces of Irish legend? Can he distinguish friend from foe? Can he protect Mae from the apparitions of her past? And how far beyond the breaking point can his secret love be tested?

Review after the jump!

Review: 5 out of 5 stars

Boy, I have really had a string of excellent books lately. I feel so very lucky! This book was one of those where I smile as I turn the final page (or thumb my kindle in this case) and let out a satisfied sigh, heart happy about the romance, the story, and my little reader’s trip to the past.

Ms. McKernan’s book starts us off in New Jersey, post-Civil War, introducing us to the Kendrick family and Mae, the protagonist of this story, and William Teague – Civil War hero, lawyer, dashingly handsome, well-mannered gentleman. The story follows Mae’s journey from her home in New Jersey to Ireland, in search of her husband, whom she has no recollection marrying.

Piece by piece, the book unfolds, keeping you guessing at every turn, things that seem obvious in hindsight so cleverly woven that I kept guessing wrong as I was reading, impatiently turning the pages and gobbling up the story.

Ms. McKernan pulls you in, gently escorts you along, and before you know it, you realize that you just squandered all your sleeping time while lost in her story. Perhaps she even yanked me into the land of Fae while I was reading and I didn’t even know it!

Highly recommended for those like me who love Irish folklore of the good people aka sidhe aka shee, historical fiction, and clean romance that tugs at your heart! Loved it.