2.5 stars

CW: murder, drowning, suicide

I originally planned to give this novel three stars, but after a bit of deliberation, I'm sorry to say that there wasn't really anything I liked about it enough to warrant an extra half star.

I did like the eerie atmosphere of Sparrow and the flashbacks to when the Swan sisters were alive the first time. I think the latter added a bit more depth and intrigue to the story. Unfortunately, the list of positives ends there.

First of all, this is described as a witchy read, but it isn't. It's stated multiple times that the Swan sisters aren't witches and they don't have magic, that they're just very beautiful and alluring. That's fine, if a little extreme, but that doesn't make a witchy read. If anything, it felt more like a siren story with an unexplained curse.

I don't want to be mean, but I also can't think of a way to soften this: the characters felt bland and the romance lacked chemistry. Penny, Bo, and the other characters all seemed a bit stereotypical and, in my opinion, had no defining qualities or idiosyncrasies. I'm also not entirely sure why Penny and Bo drifted together, because they never did anything and I don't think they had any common interests, either. Pretty sure their romance existed to further the plot in the second half of the story, sorry not sorry. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The biggest issue I had was that there was no element of surprise - because I guessed both of the major twists.

After two or three days passed in the story with Penny and Bo, no mention of Rose (who Penny was really worried about), I assumed Hazel had taken Rose's body. Then I thought that maybe Hazel hadn't been seen yet because she was in Penny, and what do you know, I was right. However, I didn't start to suspect that she was the sister that killed Bo's brother until Marguerite and Aurora continuously skirted the subject. I think I guessed it a few a few, maybe up to five chapters before the reveal.

Don't get me wrong, they were interesting, but instead of being surprised, I was only proved right. It's not as exciting that way, if that makes sense.

I won't deny that I was disappointed by this novel. Despite that, I'd say there's a good chance I'll pick up Shea's next book, as I think she's an author with a lot of potential.