Review: Bloodmark by Aurora Whittet - I unexpectedly adored this book!

Series: Bloodmark Saga #1
Source: Netgalley
Format: ebook
Pages: 300
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating: 3.5 Stars 
Publisher: Wise Ink
Release Date: October 27th 2013

Sixteen-year-old werewolf princess Ashling Boru is different from other wolves—she was able to shift to wolf form at birth. Rather than bringing pride to her family, it brings fear, and as a result, she is forced to live in seclusion in Ireland’s countryside. Ashling’s reputation is further blackened when she refuses her betrothed and defies the ancient laws. When her pack’s oldest rivals begin hunting her, she finds herself in the small town of York Harbor, Maine—far from everything she’s ever known.

In Maine, she crosses paths with the dark and rebellious Grey Donavan, and something ignites within her soul. There’s just one problem: Grey is human. Their instant connection turns into a passionate romance, and Ashling begins to believe she can create her own life outside of wolf laws. When she begins to uncover long-buried pack secrets—secrets that threaten to destroy all she holds dear—Ashling’s courage and tenacity are tested. Will she choose her deep and enduring love for Grey, or will she follow Old Mother’s path to her destiny?

My Thoughts...

"I now know the brightest of lights would always attract the darkest of nights, but love would outshine the darkness. If love was allowed in, it would save souls."

What can I say, I adored Bloodmark! While it wasn't wholly original, it was fun with plenty of action, great characters and romance!

Let me just put it out there, Bloodmark is a WHOLE lot like another very popular book. That being said, I don't feel like the author intended it that way, it's kinda hard for a book about werewolves and love (as well as YA) to not be a bit similar. So if you're not cool with reading a book that's very similar to another one, this one isn't for you. 

Let's get to what I liked about this one...

1. The Setting: The beginning of the book starts out in Ireland. Oh and in a underground castle, how cool is that! The story quickly transitions to  Maine, one of my favorite settings for books! 
2. The Prophecy: Yup, this one centers around a prophecy. Without giving anything away, Ashling must overcome some pretty tough odds in this one. 
3. The Romance: Ashling & Grey are perfect together! (Yes, there is a bit of insta-love but it was done oh-so right in this one!)
4. The presence of family: There's a pretty strong family dynamic in this story. Of course they have their ups and downs but in the end they are there for each other. 

Now on to what I didn't like...

1. Super long chapters: I know it's usually not a big deal for me but this author is pretty long winded. In some scenarios it was a good thing, but overall I could have done with shorter chapters. I felt like a few points were talked about repeatedly which were a bit boring. 

All-In-All: I really enjoyed reading this book and am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. I'm wanting to kick myself for waiting so long to read this one! 

I'd recommend to: Anyone who loves YA fantasy with romance and a HEA as the central theme.