Book Shelf: The Connelly Boys (Celtic Witches #1) by Lily Velez

The Connelly boys are practically royalty at St. Andrew’s Prep. Popular, wealthy, and devastatingly beautiful, the four brothers have long cast a spell over their classmates and over the sleepy seaport town of Rosalyn Bay, Ireland.

There’s just one problem: they’re also cursed.

...Or so the rumors say.

Seventeen-year-old newcomer Scarlet Monroe has never been one for rumors, but when she inadvertently banishes a demon while trying to help eldest brother Jack Connelly, the most breathtaking of the boys and the one to whom she feels inexplicably drawn, she quickly discovers there may be more to the local superstitions and folklore than she originally thought.

Before long, the Connellys pull her into a dark and mysterious world filled with ancient magic, powerful spells, kidnapped souls, and deadly enemies. But none of it compares to Scarlet discovering the truth of who she really is...or what she’ll have to become to defeat a rising evil older than humankind itself before she loses everyone she loves—that is, of course, if she can survive the world of the Connellys long enough.

More info on Goodreads......


Review: 

The Connelly Boys is Lily Velez’s debut novel and is a YA fantasy tale rich in Irish mythology and Celtic folklore that is equal parts action and mystery.

Seventeen year old Scarlet Monroe is still grieving the loss of her mother when she moves to Ireland from America to live with her estranged father. Though she hasn’t seen him for years, Scarlet is determined to make things work with her dad, but nothing can prepare her for the trouble coming her way. Beginning at a new school, Scarlet finds herself drawn to the dark and mysterious Jack Connelly, one of four brothers who are seen as cursed by the small seaside town of Rosalyn Bay. Then Scarlet saves Jack’s life from a demon and finds herself drawn into an ancient world of magic and spell craft. As witches, the Connelly brothers possess powerful abilities, but something dark and deadly is happening within the witch clans and Scarlet quickly discovers that she has a role in it and a destiny she never expected…..

The Connelly Boys is a hard novel for me to review; mainly because I can’t quite wrap my head around the way I feel about the story. Having been offered the opportunity to read an eARC thanks to the author, I was super excited to read The Connelly Boys. To begin with, the cover is absolutely stunning and the description really made me excited to dive into the story, yet even though I did ultimately enjoy The Connelly Boy’s there was something missing from the novel to take it to the next level.

From the very beginning of the novel Lily Velez draws you in effortlessly. The detailed and flowing writing is spot on and precise; the dialogue sharp and intelligent. Velez takes inspiration from a lot of Irish mythology and weaves it’s folklore and history into her story with beautiful results; creating a detailed storyline that offers readers a glimpse into a world of witches with a rich and vivid history seeped in Celtic history.

I feel like Lily Velez put a lot of thought and effort into creating the world within The Connelly Boys. I can’t fault her world building and the backstory she has created, but I still felt somewhat disconnected from the characters and even the storyline at times. The Connelly brothers reminded me of the raven boys from Maggie Steifvater’s Raven Cycle so I appreciated their aura of magic and mystery but I was still waiting for that extra spark.

As the protagonist, Scarlett fits her role well but also seemed very cardboard cut-out as a main character. Lily Velez writes Scarlett as a very normal teenage girl drawn into a world of witches and witchcraft who has a destiny she never expected. Personally I’m hoping to see a lot more growth in Scarlett but given what she has faced already I do feel she is holding her own.

Overall, even though I had difficulty connecting with the story, The Connelly Boys was worth a read. As a first novel it does a lot to set up the storyline and explain the history of its world and I do feel the series has potential. Well written but with a languid pace, I’m interested to see what Lily Velez does next and am hoping that I may connect a little bit more a second time around and I feel there are a lot of readers out there who will truly adore this novel.

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by author (Thank you Lily!)
Publisher: Published independently
Format: Kindle ebook
Release Date: September 12th 2018
Purchase: Amazon
Final Thoughts: Despite a few concerns I had with this novel I am interested in reading the second novel to see what happens next.