See Me

Robyn's eighteenth birthday is approaching and she is eagerly planning for her future. For Robyn, her next step isn't college or a career, instead she is headed to Ireland with her family to meet her betrothed. Robyn's parents are of magical blood, and they serve the Fae. When a powerful fairy queen caught sight of Robyn as an infant, she wanted to take the child but instead agreed to bind her with another of magical blood. Robyn has been eagerly looking forward to meeting McHale since she was six years old. Now on the plane ride over, her mother finally shares an important fact that she neglected to tell Robyn all these years. McHale, Robyn's betrothed, is a Leprechaun. Robyn is shocked and confused and hoping against hope that her fiancé is taller than her knees. Will Robyn be lucky in love?What I Liked:*First, I am delighted to see that Wendy managed to go ahead and get this book out via the self pubbed route. Due to the sudden popularity of all the dramatic, angst laden New Adult books on the market, publishers aren't putting out as many YA paranormal titles. It would be a shame if this charming little book hadn't made it to print. If you are a fan of YA paranormal and you are craving something different, fun and romantic (without love triangles) grab See Me. How can you not want to read a book featuring Leprechauns?*I loved that this book featured all things Irish from Leprechauns to their brethren the Clorychaun as well as Celtic lore, a gorgeous Irish setting and plenty of Fae to shake things up. I especially appreciated that this book introduced me to a new type of wee folk, the Clorychaun, and that it took the familiar leprechaun folk lore and brought it to life. I liked that the leprechauns didn't lean heavily on the worn out tropes we are used to such as pots of gold, wishes and mischief. Instead the leprechaun folk are hard working shoe cobblers making shoes for the Fae. They are a good natured folk who value family, hard work community and they like to throw parties. I enjoyed getting to know the wee folk.*I appreciated that there was a strong focus on family. Robyn's parents are very involved not only with their daughters but in the story as well. They are an important part of the plot and I liked that they were front and center. More often than not in YA books, the parents are absentee and involved. Robyn has a strong relationship with her parents and her sister. I loved the fun sister dynamics between Robyn and Cass. They two girls are very different, but they always have each other's backs. I especially liked the scene where Robyn's future comes crashing down and she immediately runs to those she can count on: her family. The importance of familial bonds shines brightly in this one, and I loved it.*The romance.... this was an interesting love affair as it involves a betrothal. Arranged marriages are not something we see much of these days, at least in Western culture, so it was an interesting twist. I liked that Robyn had always looked on her impending marriage as a gift and not a curse. She was always optimistic and excited, and I thought it was endearing the way she collected gifts for McHale through the years. At first meeting, I worried that it was going to be an insta love/ love at first sight type relationship, but thankfully, it doesn't quite go down that way. There are plenty of obstacles for the couple to overcome, including a spoiled Fairy Princess who wants to interfere. The relationship ends up growing slow and steady, and I liked watching it blossom. It was so refreshing to get a relationship without heavy drama or love triangles.*The ending wraps up all the main story lines neatly and I was pleased at the way things worked out. However, there was one niggling story line involving Cass and I am hopeful that perhaps a sequel is in the works? I would like to see Cass get her happy ending and I would love to catch up with McHale and Robyn down the road.And The Not So Much:*For the most part, I thought the world building was well done, but I thought a tiny bit more detail was necessary. First, I have never heard of the Clorychaun and I was completely confused when the came riding in on a flock of sheep. I ended up doing a bit of research to learn more about them after reading this book. I wished that there was a bit more explanation regarding Clory. I was also left wondering a bit about the Leprechauns. Did they ever go into the human world and interact with humans? Were they capable of granting wishes? Why did they live sequestered away without any access to technology?*I was surprised at the revelations at the end regarding the work of Robyn's parents. I was curious to know a bit more about both of her parents. Where were the grandparents? Siblings? Who arranged their marriage? I wish that there had been more detail on the parents along the way instead of a quick info dump at the end.It isn't clear what Robyn's role as McHale's wife will be. Will she live the rest of her life in the secluded Leprechaun village away from her family? Can she travel home for visits? What will she do other than bear children? Will she have the opportunity to further her education if she so desired?*Cass and Rock were an entertaining couple. Cass was fire and fun compared to her more sedate sister Robyn. She makes some rather bad decisions and gets hurt, but I liked that about her. She is a typical head strong teenager. At least when it mattered, she had her sister's best interests at heart. I was disappointed though that Cass' story was left hanging. I want to know more. Could we have another book featuring Rock and Cass, please?See Me is a delightful and entertaining read that takes you to the heart of Ireland. Come away and meet the Leprechauns and spend the day in the quiet settlement. Be sure to rest up for the big party every night. I loved that this book was original and fun and that it featured Leprechauns and fairies. If you are on the hunt for a book that steers away from the typical tropes of YA books, grab this one. Let's hope that Ms. Higgins is planning on another book is this delightful series!Favorite Quotations:"We don't give or received gifts lightly. To give a girt, no matter how small, tis like giving a piece of yerself. Accepting a gift means you're taking a part of them. 'Tis an honor.""Because I liked him. A lot. He made me feel like a new and improved version of myself.""The bad thing about romantics was they put themselves out there for heartbreak."I purchased a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

5 HUGE stars from me!! I actually wish I could give it more. Honestly, you had me at Irish Folktale (Ireland, Magic, Faeries, Chauns...oh yeah), but seriously, this book is amazing!Truly, this book was magical for me, and I'm completely sure I will not be able to convey how much this story really is, but I'll try. Now that I'm actually finished with the book, I find myself missing the characters and feeling SO sad that I'm done. That tells me how much I really loved it.I was completely sucked in from the first few pages when you meet the world of the Fae, and learn what the future will hold in store for Robyn and her betrothal to McKale. You get an immediate sense of how dangerous the Fae can be when they really want to be, and wonder how it will come into play in the story later on. I was totally taken in with the Chaun way of life, their culture, and their obligation to the Fae people.I would also like to say how much I truly loved both Robyn and McKale. I felt like their first few meetings and the days that followed were a true representation of how it might actually be to meet someone you had never known, who you were going to be spending HUNDREDS of years of your future with. Their was an immediate attraction, but I loved the slow build of that relationship. Nothing was rushed, and I loved the small moments they shared that built that foundation.I really liked Robyn. I liked that she had been excited about meeting McKale since she was a small child and had thought of him often through the years as she collected gifts for him. I liked her strength, her athletic ability, and that she wasn't afraid to immerse herself into the Chaun community, learning their ways, taking on chores, and having fun with them and forming relationships early on in her stay. She was committed to them and I loved that about her.Now let's get down to one of my favorite things in this book, McKale. Seriously, I cannot even begin to share how much I loved his character. I get SO sick and tired of reading about boys that have all cocky confidence, been with every girl, know they are God's gift, blah blah blah. Well take all of that, turn it in reverse and you have McKale. The guy grew up being a giant among his people, and to Leprechauns being tall isn't a good thing. He's been kind of a social pariah his entire existence and has a hard time believing that not only could Robyn actually find him attractive, but that she would want to spend her life with him. He is quiet, he is shy, he is sweet, and she definitely has to crack him out of his shell a little bit. I can't even say how much I loved all of their interactions and seeing him open up to her more and more. There were so many small beautiful moments between them. Here are a few of my favorites:1. When McKale tells her she reminds him of an Irish Hollyhock.2. When he brings her a basket of berries.3. When they go to a club and dance Robyn's way for the first time... (LOVE).4. When she gives him all the gifts she's been saving since she was 7, and shows him the video...5. When they are swimming at the waterfall together.6. The night of the binding ceremony (the first one).And SO many more! True to Wendy Higgins, she weaves some excellent chemistry between her characters, and there are some very swoon worthy scenes in here, even though it never goes too far (for the reader). I loved more than anything the build of the relationship, so once the kissing started, and there are some really good kissing scenes in here, you were so happy for them and what they were feeling that you really wanted it to happen.This book isn't only a love story between McKale and Robyn, it is also a story about love between family and most importantly, sisters. The bond that Robyn and Cassidy have is so endearing. It draws you in from one of the very first scenes when Cassidy comes into Robyn's room the night before they are to leave for Ireland. That bond only grows and their relationship is shown more and more through the story. I loved that so much about this book. How strong their family is really made me like this story so much more.There are some seriously INTENSE situations in here that had my heart pounding for tons of different reasons. Finding out that your betrothed is secretly being courted by one scary Fae is not easy to deal with. Especially knowing that she will stop at nothing to keep him, and knowing that it's almost impossible to stop her. Everything surrounding how they actually deal with it keeps you on your toes. And the way it is resolved is nothing short of pure awesome. And the ending is SOOOOO good! I think I was grinning from ear to ear.All I can say, is if you want something different, something refreshing, some heart pounding moments, sweet romance, love of family and friends, and a little bit of magic, you should definitely pick this one up. I bought the e-version but I will be adding the paperback to my favorite bookshelves VERY soon. I SUPER highly recommend this one. READ IT!

Irish Folklore is not very often portrayed in Young Adult Novels and this is what makes See Me so interesting. It shows how being different leads to discrimination and brings lack of self esteem as a result.Robyn is the oldest of the two Mason sisters. Instead of going off to college like all her other friends, she is leaving the US to go to Ireland. Not on an adventure but by obligation. Failing to do this could bring danger to her family.McKale is a Leprechaun. Being taller than the rest of his clan makes him feel left out. He has grown up as a loner for lack of confidence and the feeling of not being able to fit in with the rest.Robyn is from magical blood since her parents work for the fairies. When she was an infant, the consort to the king of the fairies took a shine to her and gave her parents no choice in a proposed binding. Coming up to her eighteenth birthday, Robyn is ready to honour this obligation. Although her parents have prepared her from a very young age, she only finds out about McKale's nature on their way to Ireland. Dread sets in, as she is very tall and being betrothed to a Leprechaun is not what she expected.When McKale first meets Robyn, his shyness stops him from showing his reaction. He has always believed that his betrothal is a duty and his duty lies with his clan. However, as he gets to know Robyn, he realises that she is different from what he had imagined. Romance starts to blossom but the Shoe Mistress who is a fairy has other ideas, she wants McKale for herself and she always gets what she wants. She turns vicious and her threats can't be ignored. What she has in mind is completely ludicrous and selfish. Instantly McKale and Robyn are at a disadvantage and have to find a way to twart her plan.The fairies treat the humans very badly and brainwash them in becoming slaves. They use their powers as a means of control.This is an easy to read and beautiful story. It has love, laughter, loyalty, heartache and fun. The difficulties which Robyn and McKale have to face make their emotions feel real. I like the loving relationship in Robyn's family and her interactions with her sister, Cass. The Leprechaun's way of life gives a different insight to the modern world. I really enjoyed reading this novel and hope that we get to read the story of Cass and Rock!

Seventeen year old Robyn travels with her parents and sister Cassidy to Ireland for her arranged marriage with McKale that she has always known will take place and, instead of taking a rebellious attitude as you might expect from a teenage girl in this day and age, has always looked forward to. It is a magical fairytale story that made quite a change from the books I usually read, but it somehow appealed to that part of me that, as a grown up woman, still likes things like Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and I really enjoyed the story. It tells how she arrives and meets her future husband and adapts to life with him and his family. I won’t spoil the surprise by going into too much detail about them here, but it turns into a story full of charm, magic, drama and romance. However, there is a cloud on the horizon as someone very powerful wants McKale for herself and a tug of love then ensues.We know there is going to be a Happy Ever After, this is a fairytale after all, but the fun is in getting to that HEA. It really made nice reading, and I especially enjoyed the parts of the book which showed the differences in culture. Robyn’s lifestyle is about to change completely and I would love to read more about how she does or does not adapt to her new surroundings and a way of life that is totally different from what she is used to. Similarly, I enjoyed the side story involving her sister Cassidy, and I would love to know what happens to her next. It would make a really nice sequel.

Interesting read, characters have depth, and well written.Would recommend reading this.I found the relationship between McKale and Robyn refreshing, relationships take work, I liked that it wasn't 'love at first sight' or 'plain sailing because they were just meant to be' I find that type of love story highly predictable and tedious. This however was like a breath of frets air especially Rock - can i have one of him please? :)

I loved this book and I'm loving this author's style of writing. Once I start reading I find it hard to stop.See Me's story and characters sucked me right in and I love the relationships in the book. The characters seem to act natural and realistically so the story moves along nicely. I don't want to let any spoilers slip but I think McKale and Robyn are perfect and I even wish I had a sister like Cass.I actually really liked the way it explained the set up and the layout of the land/magical world and I loved the little olden times bubble.Now I want to know what happens next? I would love to read more about these characters.

I brought this book as a holiday read... it was supposed to last the week, it lasted a few hours.such a cute love story, I found myself giggling and crying at certain parts of the book.I am very much into vampire books, so the idea of lepracorns seemed silly to me. just saying, this book has completely changed my mind!Poor little Rock, I was so upset with his fate. ah well, you can't have it all.