Weak Heart

*4.5 stars!

Everything you could possibly want in a book? Weak Heart has it.

Magic? Check.

Mystery? Check.

Romance? DOUBLE CHECK.

Representation? SO MANY CHECKS.

Meet Thomas. He's had strange visions for years, but they've gotten worse recently, bleeding into reality until he doesn't know which is which, paralyzing him with the accompanying migraines. Having tried solutions from therapy to exorcism, all to no avail, Thomas is on the brink of leaving for America to search out a cure when a stranger bangs on his apartment door and launches herself into his life.

Isla is a selkie who has only recently taken human form. She's cold, hungry, miserable...and dead set on discovering what has happened to her best friend. She knows that Thomas could help solve the mystery, if only she could convince him to join her. Unfortunately, Thomas has absolutely no intention of doing so...until she tells him that the person she's seeking might have a cure for his visions.

The problem? The person she's seeking is Kit.

Isla's best friend.

The boy Thomas once loved.

The boy from so many of his visions.

The boy holding the knife.

When Thomas reluctantly agrees and the two set off to the Scottish Isle of Mab, the questions only multiply. What happened to Kit? Why does no one remember Thomas's other childhood friend, Owen? What's going on with the bees? How does Tanis have such amazing arms? (Okay, that one isn't on the Official Mystery List, but it is on Isla's List of Things She Thinks About A Lot)

One by one, they will find the answers and track down Kit...or they'll die trying.

While the mystery and setting of Weak Heart lend themselves to the creepily atmospheric mood, the author manages to seamlessly weave in the perfect amount of humor, romance, and found family. The characters are fully developed and colorful, and I missed each and every one of them the second I was finished. It all pulls together to form a wonderful read that's nearly impossible to put down.

Can be read anywhere, but best enjoyed with a cozy blanket, a hot cup of tea, and - most importantly - some cheesy pasta nearby, because I can guarantee you're going to want some cheesy pasta.