The Lure of Shapinsay

The Lure of Shapinsay
by Krista Holle

260 pages
Published December 16, 2011

This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Ever since Kait Swanney could remember, the old crones of the village have been warning her to stay away from the selkies. They claim that like sirens of old, the seal men creep from the inky waters, shed their skins, and entice women to their deaths beneath the North Sea. But avoiding an encounter becomes impossible when Kait is spotted at the water’s edge, moments after the murder of a half-selkie infant.

Unexpectedly, Kait is awoken by a beautiful, selkie man seeking revenge. After she declares her innocence, the intruder darts into the night, but not before inadvertently bewitching her with an overpowering lure.

Kait obsesses over a reunion deep beneath the bay and risks her own life to be reunited with her selkie. But when she lands the dangerous lover, the chaos that follows leaves Kait little time to wonder—is it love setting her on fire or has she simply been lured?

* * *

It took very little to convince me to read this book: just the knowledge that it took place in Scottland, and dealt with the folklore of the selkies.

Then I saw the cover. Uh-oh, what was I getting myself into? I tend to judge books by their covers, and this one was so not my type. But Ms. Holle assured me the romance was handled tastefully, and I plowed ahead.

Kait is a strong-willed, interesting character who doesn't exactly fit in on the Scottish island. She doesn't believe all the superstitions, she loves to swim in the ocean, and she's not interested in being married off to whatever random guy her twin brother chooses for her.


Overall, I felt the book was well written, intriguing, and gave my Scottish obsession a fix.


You really should check out the trailer for this book. It's one of the best ones I've seen! You can watch it here.

 4/5 stars