A River Enchanted: A Scottish-inspired Romantasy brimming with Enemies-to-Lovers Romance, Magic, and Mystery (Elements of Cadence, 1)

This was my first introduction into Rebecca Ross’ work and it did not disappoint. I’ll say that It’s rare to find a book with such a magnificent ensemble of characters. There was not one that I didn’t root for as each one felt very real and genuine. Adaira and Jack, the male and female leads, stood out to me in that they were very mature in their dealings. Thus, you get to enjoy the story and its overarching plot without the unnecessary break-up-make-up drama you often see in this genere. The Scottish inspired lore and backdrop of the story was a plus and executed in a way that is entertaining and original. I also throughly enjoyed getting to experience the main story from multiple character perspectives as it added to its richness overall. If you’re looking for a fun and enjoyable read, I highly recommend this book.

I fell in love with Rebecca Ross' stories after reading The Divine Rivals duology which I found to be fabulous: well written and so full of surprises it left constantly wondering what would happen next. So I was very excited to read her previous work, A River Enchanted duology. The positives first: again, she writes a beautiful, lyrical world well-developed and magical. The characters are also well developed and likable. The fact that Cadence mirrored the lands of bygone Scotland made me swoon. I also liked the fact that almost all her characters have flaws which makes them very human and therefore more relatable. Now the negatives: I got engaged pretty early on (this is a good thing) but after a few chapters I began to feel that something was off and I couldn't figure out exactly what. Then I realized that there was a lot of passive voice throughout the story and frequent head-hopping. A lot of "she realized", "he noticed", that kind of thing. The dialogue was a bit stilted as well and at times it didn't ring authentic to me. Now, my guess is that Ross did this to give the story a more "vintage" (for lack of a better word) feel to the story but for me it didn't work very well. Don't get me wrong I still enjoyed the story and will be reading the conclusion to the duology, but I was a bit disappointed after reading her amazing "Divine Rivals" which read so much smoother. Still a fan, Ms Ross.

What to expect: 🌹Enchanting and beautiful storytelling 🌹Multiple povs 🌹Slow burn romance 🌹Beautifully painted Scottish lore Quotes 💌: "I am but a verse inspired by your chorus, and I will follow you until the end, when the isle takes my bones and my name is nothing more than a remembrance on a headstone, next to yours.” Plot Summary 📚: Jack Tamerline has made his life as a bard, since being sent away from his homeland, the magical isle of Cadance. When trouble brews back on the isle, Jack is summoned home for the first time in a decade. What follows is an epic tale of love, feuds, magic, and betrayal, beautifully intertwined into Scottish lore and landscape. Personal Thoughts💭: To say I adored this book is an understatement. Scottish and celtic lore inspired books are among my favorite, and it has been years since I have read one as well written as this. The storytelling was enchanting, and pulled me in from page one. The plot is intricately woven, and carried out through multiple povs. Characters👥️: Although there are a plethora of characters, this story follows four main povs including Jack Tamerline (the bard), Adaira (the clan heiress), Sidra (a healer and wife to Torin), and Torin (Adaira's cousin and captain of the guard). Each character is so intricately written. Their povs beautifully woven together throughout the book. Enjoyed❤️‍🔥: Like the Letters of Enchantment duology, music and melody are intertwined into the story creating an immersive read. It is packed full of Scottish lore from elemental spirits, enchanted items/magic, to war and strife between clans. The romance was tender, emotional, and just purely beautiful. Critques🤔: I'm not the biggest fan of mid chapter pov changes, and that does happen quite frequently in this book. Overall❤️: If you are looking for just a beautiful, engaging, and transportive read, this is it.

The book reads so well from the beginning. The description of the land with nature as the center of its magic system is what really makes the story captivating; the elements are also characters. All of the characters are well written with their own internal conflicts and their arcs are shared with us in such a relatable yet not boring way. Torin and Sidra’s relationship timeline and healing moments through grief were especially great to read. Adaira is strong yet whimsical, sweet but also matter of fact! I like that the last quarter of the book raised the stakes without comprising the magical realism. Excited for book 2

My overall rating for A River Enchanted is 4 out of 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ One of the aspects I particularly enjoyed about this story was its unique magic system, which seamlessly integrated elements of the land itself. For instance, characters could communicate or summon someone on the island using the wind, or weave enchantments into weapons and clothing. The story predominantly leaned towards a mystery/whodunit genre, complemented by fantasy elements set in an atmospheric island. This island has been divided into two clans, the west and the east, for many years, and these clans held long-standing grievances for various reasons. I found the blend of characters’ point-of-views and the frequent switching between perspectives throughout the book to be an effective way to explore different aspects of the story. Sometimes, these shifts even occurred within the same scene or chapter. One negative note I have is that I found the narrator’s voice to be a bit monotonous. She occasionally shifted her octave when introducing different characters, but there was not much variation in her tone or inflection when narrating each character. For instance, when a character might have expressed shock, hope, or horror, their voice sounded just as monotonous as if they were simply having a quiet dinner by the fire. While I appreciate the narrator’s Scottish accent, the monotonous tone of her voice and the distinctive words and aspects of this world occasionally made it challenging to follow the story. Consequently, I found it difficult to track the narrative solely through the audiobook, leading me to purchase the Kindle version in addition to the Audible copy. Although I won’t immediately pick up A Fire Endless to read next, I do intend to read that book within the next few months to complete the storyline. One other thing I’d like to mention is that if you’re seeking a traditional YA Fantasy novel brimming with action and adventure, this book isn’t the right fit for you. Instead, it’s more of a mystery novel with subtle fantasy elements interwoven throughout the narrative. As long as you approach the book with the right expectations or none at all, I believe you’ll be pleasantly surprised and thoroughly enjoy the journey!

A River Enchanted absolutely captivated me. I would have devoured this quicker had I not been participating in a read along on Instagram in preparation for the release of A Fire Endless. (I procrastinated in reading this as my TBR pile is toppling over!) Rebecca Ross weaves an enchanting world based on Scottish culture and a magical world of her making. The wind essentially being a character of its own is described so beautifully as it carries secrets around the island of Cadence. I loved the magic and the old world combined together. I especially loved the weaving of secrets in the plaid. What some authors make boring and drawn out, Rebecca spins details so cleverly that I hung on every word. There were so many details that could have seemed pointless and useless but nearly every back story she included made more and more sense as the story progressed. The character development of both Jack and Torin were splendidly done. My only SMALL disappointment was the relationship between Jack and Adaira. I think they are wonderful together once they get there but it wasn’t really enemies to lovers. They almost barely knew each other as kids and Jacks departure to the Mainland happened when he was so young it’s hard to imagine they had much of a relationship when they were children. Once they developed true and beautiful feelings for each other I was able to easily dismiss that but I wish their relationship was built on a little bit more of a backstory. 4.5 Stars

I loved this story by Rebecca Ross! Maybe not quite as much as her other duology, Divine Rivals, but this was a really good one as well. I love her ability to build a unique fantasy that is so different from anything you have read before. Both of these books are very slow burn, so it did leave a couple of periods where I was dragging a little bit to get through but they didn’t last long and would pick back up. I absolutely love Adaira and Jack and their whole rivals to lovers love story 💕 For me they were both perfect charcters. Adaira is fiery and passionate; Jack is more calm, quiet, and loving but they complement each other perfectly. I like Sidra and Torin’s story as well. My only complaint is I feel like Torin had to learn the same lesson in both books, so his character arc is very long coming. Overall this story drew me in, made me fall in love with all of the scenery and the characters and I’m so sad it’s over! I would definitely recommend them!

Rebecca Ross once again has moved my emotions in the best way! The story was so easy to get into and I loved the multiple povs throughout the chapters! And the timing of events and introduction to new characters' povs was well written. This story has so many moments of vulnerability and mystery and also secrets secrets secrets secrets! I started reading the story thinking I had it all connected to this one particular point, but then by the end: It was like I was so caught up in one thing, that when looked down, I realised I was bleeding. And when I looked up, I saw that my future self had stabbed me. Past me died and new me now lives. I honestly did not expect to cry reading this one, but oh my godddd the last few chapters really got me!! This story left me with an ache of yearning and acceptance that I can feel will morph into determination and triumph in the next book!

From enemy to love type of romance, and love after marriage. And fighting is not always about using swords.

“𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘶𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴.” ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ Anyone who knows me well, knows I love a fantasy novel, and this being really popular, I just had to check it out. And wow. Wow. Wow. I am obsessed, crying at the ending, but still obsessed. I’m going to go and open book number two now which I was gifted from the publisher. Eeekk! This story was really atmospheric. The world-building was spot on, and I could just imagine this island back when there was no technology, and I loved the idea that all you had to do was talk into the wind to call someone. This book truly was enchanting and honestly, I couldn’t put it down. I was drawn in to the tale from the very beginning. Obsessed and invested. Will probably make Rebecca Ross an auto buy author from here on out.

I am honestly so happy that I decided to read this book. It is enchanting and whimsical, but still full of plot twists and darker themes. I absolutely adore this book

“It will be you and me and the truth. And that is all that matters in the end.” How much I loved that book! This time, I read it in tandem ebook/audiobook and couldn’t put it down. Rebecca Ross’s writing style is fluid, full of metaphors, flows to carry us in a fantastic world, to dive into it. And what a world it is! Her world building is complex and original, with Scottish folklore dancing as a foundation (the audio narrator is such an implement in this regard). The roads that change, the disease looming over people crafting magical objects, the food, the legends and lore, the ancestral rivalry between both parts of the Island… all that is a canvas for the story’s themes, like wounds linked to identity (or its lacks) and the feeling of belonging –in many different ways– as the characters try to honor or simply find their roots. That theme resonated deep inside me, and made this book even more precious to me. And the characters. They’re all wonderful and complex. It’s difficult talking about them without risking spoilers, but I loved how proud and strong Aidara and wounded and estranged Jack were the perfect mirror to each other with their roles and responsibilities “sliding” through time; but the exact same can be told about Torin the warrior and Sidra the healer. I loved that in regard of their evolution, but also to see not one but two love stories unfold during the duology. This was a truly great story. You get carried away by the words, the research of these missing kids. You get lost (in the most perfect way) into the lore. You root for both a bit atypical couples who are searching themselves as individuals and as a pair, are a reflexion of each other. They grow, you grow. And you want more.

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