Calla left her life behind, haunted by a curse she cannot control. She seeks refuge in the land of a thousand hellos, Ireland, for a fresh start—a place where no one knows who or what she is.
Colm fled from Clonmara seven long years ago, but now it’s his father’s birthday, and the clan has gathered to celebrate the ould one. Each day brings back the memories that ruined him.
Saoirse dwells in the shadows of a lost love, unwilling to move on and unable to forget. The crystals say one thing, but the cold, hard truth tells another.
Ciarán walked away from the woman he loved for the fun, for the craic. He didn’t realize that one rash decision would impact the lives of so many, least of all his own.
Four broken hearts, brought together by the thread of love.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Where Desire Feels Inevitable and Love Refuses to Stay Innocent
I finished The Scald Crow with the lingering sense that some connections are never entirely chosen—that they exist before we recognise them, and once awakened, they cannot simply be set aside. What begins as a story shaped by grief and return gradually unfolds into something far more consuming, where attraction deepens into obsession and intimacy takes on a life of its own.
The novel wastes little time establishing the intensity between Calla and Colm. From their earliest interaction, there is a pull between them that feels immediate and instinctive, as though something has already begun before either of them fully understands it. Their first true moment together—occurring in a space that exists somewhere between waking and dreaming—captures this perfectly. Though neither moves in the physical world, what passes between them feels entirely real, setting the tone for a relationship that refuses to follow ordinary rules.
As the story progresses, that connection only deepens. The shared dreams they experience are not fleeting or symbolic, but vivid and emotionally charged, creating a space where restraint no longer applies. These encounters blur the boundary between reality and something more fluid, allowing their connection to grow in ways that feel both intimate and unsettling. When that same intensity carries into the waking world, it becomes more difficult to contain. Moments of closeness emerge suddenly, often in places or situations where they should not, giving their relationship a sense of urgency that feels almost beyond their control.
The narrative moves with a steady sense of escalation. What begins as attraction develops into something far more consuming, with each interaction carrying greater emotional and physical weight. The boundaries between control and surrender begin to blur, leaving both characters—and the reader—uncertain of where one ends and the other begins.
Beneath the intensity of the romance lies a deeper exploration of connection itself. The novel suggests that love is not always gentle or stabilising, but can be disruptive, transformative, and at times overwhelming. It raises the question of whether true connection is something we choose, or something that claims us regardless of our intentions.
The Scald Crow is of course more than a romance book, for their is wonderful fantasy element as well, which makes things all the more complicated for the protagonists! I enjoyed this book and I think it will certainly appeal to fans of this genre.
Hanna Park
I began my writing career in the pre-dawn of a winter morning while my husband snored like a train. We could call my husband the catalyst. If it weren’t for him, I would never have gone to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee, feed the cat, and sit on the loveseat in front of the fire. It was there, in those moments of wondrous quiet, that I did something I had never thought possible. I opened my laptop, and while the coffee went cold, I wrote a story. My husband had no idea that these sojourns to the loveseat in front of the fire would become a daily occurrence, that writing would become an obsession, but the cat knew. She knows everything.
I write stories that make you laugh, make you cry, and make you love. Thank you, friends, for reading!
In the beginning, there was an empty page.
I am a writer who lives in Muskoka, Canada, with a husband who snores, a hungry cat, and an almost perfect canine––he’s an adorable little shit.
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A heartfelt thank you for your thoughtful review and for being part of today’s tour.
ReplyDeleteSo grateful for your support and for shining a light on this book. Every share, every word—it all matters more than I can say. ✨
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