Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this review copy. I've tried getting into this book several times but unfortunately the writing style and I don't click, so I'm afraid I have to DNF this one.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this book!

This was a quick, easy read with a nice amount of fluff. I didn't fully connect with it- there wasn't enough depth in some places and it always annoys me when the main characters fall in love after two minutes- but over all if you're looking for a quick, cute m/m romance, give this a try!

I'm generally a big fan of fairy tale retellings, and this story definitely has good bones. There were a few things that stopped it from getting a higher rating though. The biggest issue of which was that it almost read more like a history book. All of the story was there but it just wasn't presented in a super engaging way.

Great re-telling of The Little Mermaid as a m/m story. Loved the two characters, I thought this was well done and retellings can be pretty tricky! Love that beautiful cover!
Thanks very much to netgalley for the arc.

The novel ‘The Harp and the Sea’ by #Lou Sylvre And Anne Barwell is a new wonderful read for us stay at home beach lovers. The story will keep you engaged. My full review is on my Instagram Maddie_approves_book_reviews.


Thank you,
#netgalley,#Lou Sylvre and #Anne Barwell and #Nine Star Press

I thought a historical fantasy M/M romance would be my jam. Perhaps another one will be, but not The Harp and the Sea. Let's put it this way: I got about halfway through and had to put it down for a couple of days. When I came back to it I was completely lost; I remembered that the two main characters had just escaped from a dungeon but whose dungeon, why they were there in the first place, and where they were going had been thoroughly erased from my mind.

Maybe this book won't be so forgettable to another reader, but I can't recommend it.

I received a digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley.

A very sweet story. Easy to read . Nice characters. Recommended. History and magic combine in a gay Highlander.

“But this sea of yours… if it tries to take you back, I’ll fight it, I swear, with everything I am.”

Your mileage may vary on this one. An m/m historical Highlander romance with a dash of fantasy/time travel. One character is cursed, and only finding true love will break that curse. There's a strong connection to music and the sea. Those are a lot of things that I personally love and enjoy, so I kinda gave this book a pass in areas where I might not have done the same for another book. And even so, I feel like the authors missed the mark in the execution many times.

One thing I can more or less solidly praise is the bare-bones, mechanical writing and style. Just in terms of creating a vivid setting and historical atmosphere, this was pretty well written. There were some really pretty descriptions and turns of phrase, and I appreciate that most of the time, I felt solidly anchored in the time period. It always throws me off when there's something really modern in the prose or dialogue in a historical book, and that didn't happen TOO often here. (It did sometimes.)

The drawbacks are manifold. (Mild story spoilers.)

- The way the story is told. The setup to a story is one of the most important parts, and I really didn't like how it was done here, for either character. For both Robbie and Ian, we're dropped right into the middle of a pivotal point in their lives, which I don't mind at all. But then the story dumps a bunch of exposition on us about how they came to that place, things that happened in the near past, and I'm left wondering... why didn't we simply start the story in those places? For Robbie, during the raids, and for Ian, during his conflict with Campbell. Depending on the way it's written, this might lengthen the time before our main characters meet (which the story doesn't need) but I still think it could have been done in a seamless way that flows.
- It's very lacking in character interaction and character development, and the romance was incredibly rushed. I guess this was an attempt at a fated mates trope. If so, it felt kind of flat. The thing is, at the 33% mark or so, there's a love confession that's honestly really heartfelt and touching, and would have meant so much and packed a harder punch if it had come FAR later in the story. But at 33%, we barely know the characters, the characters barely know each other, and it felt like NOTHING had been done to actually deserve that kind of mutual declaration of love. I've said it before; love at first sight CAN be done in a way that makes it enjoyable to read. This wasn't it.
- Some of the finer points of the plot were just... really badly communicated? That could partially be my bad; this was one of those novels where I had a hard time holding on to the thread, and often found myself a bit bored. Several times characters would be talking about something like it was an established fact, and it would be the first time I was hearing of it. And just little things that didn't make sense plot-wise or common-sense-wise. All those moments on the island when they knew they were being pursued, but chose to stay in the same place until the very last moment, and their enemies were upon them. Like... why?

And when it comes down to it, I just didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would when reading the blurb. Others might enjoy it more, especially if the insta-love and plot flaws don't bug you like they did me.

2.5 stars. I waffled a lot on whether I'd round up or down; finally decided on up because I'm still so in love with the idea of this book and what it tried to do. But alas, as I've said. It kinda missed the mark.

This was a really wonderful MM re-telling of the beloved classic The Little Mermaid. Ian and Robbie were likable characters and the storyline was wonderfully engaging. The well-written characters and top-notch world building made for a page-turning read.

*I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley*

** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley
Reviewed for Divine Magazine

~

The Harp and the Sea (Magic in the Isles, Book 1)
by Lou Sylvre and Anne Barwell
★★★★☆
308 Pages
POV: 3rd person, dual POV
Genre: LGBT, Historical, Jacobite, Fantasy, Magic/Curse, Action
Content Warning: graphic violence and battle scenes, implied off-page assault


The Harp and the Sea is the first intriguing novel in the Magic in the Isles series. Full of mystery, action, romance and adventure, it has everything you could hope for in a historical novel. Historical accuracy, with a touch of fantasy, and characters you fall in love with instantly, allow you to delve headlong into this long-ago period of Scottish History that touched this Scottish lassie's heart.

CHARACTERS

From page one, Robbie was a young, sweet lad of the Borders, caught up in political turmoil, jostling between two rulers and trying desperately to find a way to live while being true to his heritage.
Then Ian came along – a Highlander, and a Jacobite rebel – as a big, strapping lad who had a vital task to complete for his uncle and his country.

PLOT

The minute I read the blurb for this book, I had to have it. I'm Scottish to my bones and proud of it, and I love reading well-written accounts of my heritage. And that's exactly what this was. Unlike some books I've read (and loathed for their mistakes!) this one is so steeped in historical accuracy and attention to detail that I got lost in a world that is both mine and so long ago in my history that it's almost forgotten.
Reading these characters, visiting the isles of Scotland, and taking this journey with Robbie and Ian felt like a homecoming from long ago. The accents were on point. Not your stereotypical “och, th' noo” but true Scots, and appropriate for the characters origins, e.g. Ian's accent being more brogue and thick than Robbie's, as they're from two different ends of the country. The recognition that not every Scot knows Gaelic, the old songs, the tartan/plaid, the clans and the deep love we have for our heritage and our fierce fight for independence that goes back to our very roots in the dirt of this land, is everything I could have hoped for and more.
Yet, the authors didn't shy away from the unfortunate truth of this country's past, either. The fact that so many of our hard-won battles and bloody efforts were ruined by political divide, that we fought more amongst ourselves than with outsiders, and that most of our efforts to save this country from infiltration were sabotages from inside our own walls. They did a great job of capturing the clan squabbles, the internal conflict, and the constant threat of outside forces.

The fact the story included fantasy elements – magic and a curse – only made it better. King James was obsessed with the occult, so it made complete sense that he would have a witch on hand to protect him. It made sense that witch would sense another with magical ability and try to protect him. It made sense that, (though I didn't buy the reason for it), she would curse someone who had wronged her.

Historical issues covered:
The Scottish Border Marches
Bonnie Prince Charlie
Jacobite Rebellion

ISSUES

There are quite a few inconsistencies within the story. As this is an ARC, I'm not counting these towards my rating, because I honestly feel that they're little niggly things that will be picked up in final edits. For instances:
Ian draws his dirk, yet a few pages before (without having moved location) he reaches for it and realises he left it behind.
It states “for more than two centuries” despite only 139/140 years passing between Robbie being cursed and appearing in Ian's timeline.
In centuries – again, implies more than one.
An entire sentence is repeated in Chapter 11
The claim the jewels hidden in Ian's sporran “weigh a hell of a bloody lot” when carried in Robbie's breeks (trousers). However, anything that can fit in a sporran – which the authors admit later is only the size of two fists – can't possible weigh enough for Ian to struggle carrying Robbie. It's not physically possible.
It's claimed late in the story that Robbie was cursed on the Firth of Forth, but it was actually the river Eden. The river Eden is actually part of the Solway Forth, not the Firth of Forth, so this is a geographical issue. (The Firth of Forth is on the East, and the river Eden on the West)
because the size of harp is never specified – the size of a forearm, the size of a man, etc – it's really hard to picture it being lugged about by Robbie like a small backpack. It's either on his back, or tucked under his arm.

There are three big issues, that meant I couldn't give this novel the 5* it truly deserves. Part of me was desperate to find a way to make it happen, but I can't ignore the plotting issues that got in the way.

Issue 1: the Parts of the novel
The plot is divided into 2 parts.
For me, the Part 1 and 2 aspect would have made more sense if it divided the two separate timelines, e.g. Robbie's initial life in 1605, and Ian's appearance in 1744. But, in this case, we get Robbie's 1605 life until 8%, then it switches to Ian's POV in 1744, and we continue to get Ian's POV for another 8%.
There were huge timeline/plot aspects that could have better utilised a Part divide.
The fact the book never encounters another Part divide after Part 2 also makes it feel obsolete.
Because of this odd Part divide, the timeline faces issues. For example, Chapter 1 begins the story in 1605, Chapter 3 jumps ahead to 1744, Chapter 4 jumps to 1745, and then Chapter 5 (the beginning of Part 2) jumps to a few months ahead. Because of the huge timeline jump – 139 years – it would have made more sense for Part 2 to begin with Ian's POV in 1744, the year the rest of the novel takes place.

Issue 2: the curse
The blurb is misleading. It states: “He has seven chances to come alive, come ashore, and find true love. For over a century, Robbie’s been lost to that magic; six times love has failed.”
Now: 1) nowhere in the story are we told he has 7 chances to come ashore again. 2) nowhere it is mentioned that “six times love has failed”. In fact, the story mentions Ian is the first man to EVER find the harp: “For the first time in so many that he'd lost count, a man had found harp.” Which means Robbie couldn't have failed to find love before, because there was never a man for him to fall in love with, until now.
The idea of 7 chances and 6 failed loves is never mentioned IN the story. Only in the blurb. In the story, Robbie can't remember how many times he's come ashore, but he was always found by woman, and the novel makes no implication Robbie bisexual, so there is no mention, explicit or implied, that he's ever had the opportunity to fall in love. Perhaps if Robbie had been bisexual, or had been found my men before, I might believe the fact he's had chances to fall in love but never been able to break the curse.
However, due to the lack of consistency between the blurb and the story, there is no sense of why *this* chance is so vital, until Robbie tells Ian this is his last life.

Issue 3: Melisandre
The Melisandre/Fargy aspect was rushed, slowed the pace of the story, and didn't add much we needed to see. I understand we needed to be introduced to the curse, why it was given, and that Robbie had his own magic, but the pages it took to get there felt laborious.
Fargy, as a character, didn't make any sense to the story. He was used as a tool to spare Robbie's life, making the curse necessary, but there were other (better) ways to do this. In fact, I think the story would have been stronger if the whole King James seduction had been ignored, Fargy removed, and those pages used to give more weight to Melisandre's anger at Robbie. Something more substantial would have been more believable. It's hard to imagine a woman as wily and clever as her teaching Robbie magic, knowing she'd have to kill him if he refused her. This ruthless, cunning woman cursed him for such a lame reason. If her curse was possible, why didn't she just make him forget the magic she'd taught him and make Fargy forget Robbie existed?
The fact Robbie went from a feisty, strong young warrior who was willing to die for his cause, defying a King and a witch, to becoming her puppet with blind obedience didn't sit well with me, either. Nor did it come across clearly that it was her magic making him behave that way. I loved Robbie until that part, and then he became a bit of a simpering stereotypical female lead.
I would have liked a lot more internal struggle from him, something to show that he knew he was acting out of character, but that he was unable to fight it, rather than the blatant submission and acceptance of his situation than ran throughout.

OVERALL

The Harp and the Sea took me home to my deepest Scottish roots, and reminded me equally of why I love my country so much, and how deeply we betrayed ourselves in the past. Filled to the rafters with a roaring adventure, magic, mystery, mayhem and forbidden love, it has everything you could want in a historical novel. Clans clash, a harp plays, and the sea drives two man together as often as it tries to tear them apart.
In the end, while there were inconsistencies, and some issues with the plot, I fell in love with Robbie and Ian. Their love, their adventure, and their fight for freedom, victory and the welcome of the Bonnie Prince, grabbed me and refused to let go. The book is a monster, divided between Robbie – searching for a cure to his curse, and lost in the passivitiy of its sway – and Ian – hankering for victory, but willing to put his life on the line for the man he loves.
It has bags of potential to be a re-read, permanent favourite, and I can't wait to read more in the series. I'm looking forward to getting this one in paperback, and seeing what else these two authors bring to the series.

~

Favourite Quotes

Keithen shook his head and blew out an exasperated breath, then concluded, “Live if you can, Robbie. Live for all of us.”

“Whatever fear ye found in your dreams, it’ll nae have ye whilst I hold ye.”

“I do love ye, Robbie. Know that, and take it with ye into your dreams.”

The authors meld Scottish history circa 1745 and the Jacobite Rebellion with a background of Celtic fantasy. Ian, a burly red-headed Highlander, is sent by his clan's Laird to the Isle of Skye to hide a fortune in gems (intended to fund the rebellion) and keep it safe on the remote island.

In 1605, Robbie was cursed by a witch and doomed to a half-life of mystical sleep on a spectral boat that touches land about every 20 years or so. We gradually learn about the nature of the witches' curse and how the elements of the harp and the boat work together. And we discover that Robbie initially had seven chances to finds true love and be released from the curse, but has not found a suitable candidate (i.e. a man instead of a woman) until he washes ashore on Skye.

Ian and Robbie fall into insta-love very quickly but IMHO their compatibility is very lightly fleshed out in the story and we do not really get a sense of their dynamic and what their future could hold in a setting where same sex relationships are definitely not accepted. What we do get is a lot of logistics involving Ian and Robbie hiding from men seeking the jewels (and ending up sleeping in various caves and places around the island) and this considerably slowed down the overall pace of the book. Even the final scenes are burdened with the organization of the battle, Robbie's plans to help and a very long recounting of the results.

While I like the foundation of the story and the combination of history and fantasy, the pace of the book and the lengthy cat and mouse escapades around the island really sapped the strength of the story for me. 3 stars for "The Harp and the Sea" but I would recommend readers check out this book if they have an interest in Celtic fantasy.

Disclaimer: I have voluntarily reviewed this book after receiving a free copy from the publisher via NetGalley, thank you!

The premise of this book had me hooked from the moment I realized it's not straight. It sounded delightfully like a kind of a sailor/pirate story of sorts with witches, curses as ships. It definitely wasn't.

Robbie Elliot, cursed by a witch to spend his life on the sea, only coming ashore from time to time to find true love washes ashore on the Isle of Skye. It's his seventh attempt and he is slowly losing hope but on the island, he meets a handsome Highlander, Ian, who may just free him from the curse.

What I enjoyed about this book was the premise - the curse idea almost feels like from a fairytale and Ian's part of the story with the treasure he was guarding promised some more action. Reading the synopsis I was convinced it would be a straight romance but when I got to Ian's name I immediately decided that I wanted to read it. It just seemed too good to be true.

Another thing I liked is how the Scottish accent was incorporated into the dialogue. I didn't realize at first the book took place in Scotland. Most of the books I read are sadly very American-centric so it was nice to read something with a different setting. It did make it a bit harder to read at times, as I had to process what the characters were saying but once I've gotten used to it, it didn't bother me anymore.

There was, however a ton of stuff that just didn't do it for me.

This book had one of the most underdeveloped and rushed romances I've ever read. The characters are confessing their profound love for each other around 30% into the book after like 2 days of knowing each other. I feel it'd had happened earlier if not for the fact that in the beginning, the book set up their separate backstories that lead to their current circumstances. And maybe I wouldn't even mind it at much if the characters had any kind of chemistry with each other. Sadly from that point, any conflict that arose was just a random drama fuel that didn't have any point or sense because there was nothing to root for between Robbie and Ian. Overall, both of their personalities even separately were one-dimensional and I couldn't bring myself to care for either of them. Didn't help that while Ian was described as muscular, big man, Robbie was long-haired and very passive, often referred to as weak and in need of protection despite his military background. That's just not really what I like in any kind of romance. Power couples all the way.

Another issue was that pacing felt really weird in this book. It was super slow most of the time and had me skim the pages looking for something to happen. It was kind of like reading a draft, I suppose. I think it may be just a me-thing but if I can't connect to the characters or focus on the plot I usually don't like the book as much as I hoped I would.

All in all, this sadly wasn't a book for me. I'm sure others would find much more fun with it though if they don't mind slower going plots.

Even if it's well written and the world building is interesting I couldn't connect to the story that fell flat.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this eARC
Loved it! Ian is banished by his uncle to Skye to protect the jewels that will support their fight against their enemies. He is hunted by those that do not support his clans fight and is constantly on his guard. But being on Skye is lonely until he comes across Robbie who was cursed by a with over 100 years ago. Robbie has to find true love to be free of this curse and he hopes that finally Ian may be the one to help him. Ian and Robbie are captured by their enemies and then escape headed towards Ian’s clan all the while protecting the jewels.
There were a few parts where the story became a bit long winded but overall there was always something happening that kept me turning the pages. The slow building romance between Ian and Robbie was great and although expected still held a few twists as Robbie is continually called back to the sea.

A historical romance set in the hills of Scotland! I loved the magical elements to the plot... the curse that has made Robbie a slave to the ocean and to finding the love of his life... made for an interesting read. Through a strange twist of fate Ian and Robbie (cursed) end up on the run together.

There are lots of fight scenes in this book, a smoldering sexual relationship between the two main characters. I loved the way that the author translated the Scottish brogue into text... it brought back the sounds of the accent for sure.

I did find that I wanted a bit more movement in terms of the speed of the book... the pacing was a little slow for me at times. But I genuinely liked Robbie and felt for him. He was stuck with a horrible curse.

I had a hard time fully decided how I felt about this book. Parts of it made me want to put it down, but then something really great or cool happened and I was hooked again. I definitely liked Robbie more than Ian most of the time, but I also just enjoy magical elements in stories more so that was probably it. I loved how this felt like a fairytale and a pirate story (it isn't, but that's the vibe). I think in all, I liked it, but it definitely has pacing issues.

This book takes you on a journey of an adventure filled with magic!
Robbie has been cursed by a witch and has seven chances to to come alive and ashore. He has one last chance to fall in love and save his life.
Be ready to embark on a quest of a lifetime with Robbie and Ian and fall in love.

The premise of this story is like the re-telling of The Little Mermaid but if offers so much more.
I really enjoyed reading this one. If you like adventures, curses, magic, ancient gods and and embarking on a quest to find true love, you will love this one!