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Once a Gypsy is a paranormal fantasy romance and is the first book in the Irish Traveller series by Danica Winters. I loved that Once a Gypsy was set in Ireland. It was a beautiful backdrop for a really interesting book. I think the Irish Traveller series is going to be a good one. I can't wait to continue it with the next installment. There were a lot of unanswered questions with Once a Gypsy and a lot of plot lines that still need to be addressed and finished, but overall it was a very strong start to the series.

Once a Gypsy follows Helena and Graham, each of whom have their own special gifts. Even though Helena was initially reluctant, I was very happy that Graham was able to convince her to help him because when their paths intersected the journey got really interesting. There are so many mysteries packed into Once a Gypsy, and not all of them are neatly wrapped up and concluded by the end of this book. It was just enough to whet your appetite and leave you thirsty for more.

Helena starts out as a little shy. As her powers develop and she learns more about them and about herself her confidence does grow, but I am hoping there is even more character growth and development on her end in the next book. I want her to blossom even more. I really like her but she needs to believe in herself more. Graham does a good job helping her in that regard.Another interesting aspect of the story is the Traveller or Gypsy lifestyle. This is a big theme in the book. How can Helena compromise on her family traditions, or does she even want to? I loved all the background and details Danica Winters worked into the story about just what the lifestyle of a traveller means, because I only had a vague sense of the culture when I started the book.

I want to see more development for Helena in the next book and more romance. I am a little undecided on the romance in Once a Gypsy. There was enough other aspects of the story to keep me entertained but I would like to feel the romance more in the second book. (I'm not sure that makes total sense.) Overall, I liked the atmosphere and setting of Once a Gypsy, as well as the mysteries. I liked the characters but there is room for growth and improvement there. I am very interested in seeing where this series goes next.

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs