Review: The Enchanted Island by Ellie O'Neill

Contemporary Ireland and folklore combine in The Enchanted Island a fun and eccentric new novel by Ellie O'Neill, author of Reluctantly Charmed. Maeve O'Brien is a nice girl who does a bit of a nasty (or more to the point, selfish,) thing and finds herself kicked out of her flat and sent back to live with her widowed mother. And if that was not bad enough, her work is sending her off to the dreary island of Hy Brasil to finalise some boring paperwork. But nothing on Hy Brasil is as it seems and Maeve's welcome to the island is less than warm ...

The Enchanted Island is a perfect fit for readers looking for something light, romantic and fun. In many respects, Maeve O'Brien reminded me of a slightly wicked version of Rebecca Bloomwood from Sophie Kinsella's brilliant Shopaholic novels, though through her time on the island Maeve learns her lesson well. The mixture of ancient myth and contemporary Ireland work well--I loved O'Neill's interpretation of the mythical island of Hy Brasil. The writing remains light and easy to read throughout, though it never quite matches the clever, self-depreciating humour of Reluctantly Charmed and felt to me to be a bit rushed in places. (But don't let that put you off--it's a great read as it is.)

The Enchanted Island really is a the perfect novel for those times when you want something a little bit light and you just want to be entertained with a good yarn.

 Recommended.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Australia for my ARC. 

PS Interested in knowing more about the myth of Hy Brasil? Find out more here.

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