Heidi McIntyreReseñas

A young woman is forced to come to grips with her psychic abilities when she starts connecting with someone who lived 300 years ago. It's a delightful read and I really enjoyed it.

"Sea Magic" by Heidi McIntyre transports readers to the charming coastal town of New England, where secrets, romance, and the intertwined lives of past and present collide in an exquisite tapestry of storytelling.
At the heart of the story is Madeline, a warm-hearted woman with a unique gift—she can touch an object and connect with the memories and emotions of its previous owner. With her antique store as the backdrop, Madeline embarks on a journey of self-discovery as she unravels the enigmatic past of Maria, a young and courageous woman living in a time of puritanical beliefs and forbidden love.
McIntyre's descriptive prose and evocative storytelling weave a spellbinding tale that effortlessly bridges the gap between centuries. As Madeline delves deeper into Maria's story, the lines blur between dreams and reality, creating a sense of intrigue and fascination that keeps readers captivated throughout.
The author's meticulous attention to historical detail adds an authentic richness to the narrative, bringing to life the sights, sounds, and customs of the past. McIntyre skillfully captures the essence of the coastal town and its inhabitants, creating a vivid sense of place that envelops the reader in its quaint charm and timeless beauty.
Madeline's journey is not a solitary one, as she is accompanied by Evan, a charismatic history professor whose own quest for knowledge and understanding intertwines with hers. Their burgeoning romance adds an element of warmth and tenderness to the story, beautifully complementing the mysteries that unfold.
"Sea Magic" is not merely a tale of love and secrets; it is a celebration of the indomitable spirit and resilience of women throughout history. Maria's story, inspired by the real-life romance between Maria Hallett and the notorious pirate Black Sam Bellamy, serves as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made and the challenges faced by those who dared to defy societal norms.
Heidi McIntyre's debut novel is a triumph of storytelling, seamlessly blending elements of historical fiction, romance, and magical realism. The seamless transitions between past and present, the intricate character development, and the vividly depicted coastal setting all contribute to the book's irresistible charm.
In "Sea Magic," readers will find themselves immersed in a world of love, longing, and the echoes of the past. McIntyre's ability to evoke a wide range of emotions, from joy and laughter to heartache and yearning, is a testament to her skill as a storyteller.
For those who enjoy historical fiction infused with elements of mystery and romance, "Sea Magic" is a captivating choice that will leave you enchanted long after you've turned the final page. Lose yourself in this beautifully crafted tale of love's enduring power and the timeless connections that bind us all.

I really enjoyed this book. I got a bit cross with the over describing of food and the sex scenes - which were not really necessary as the book was good without them. I felt the book had been written with a lot of research, an whether you believe in the spiritual side of things or not it was very believable.

This book was a really good read. What I really liked about it was that the characters in the past were actual people. I loved the author’s interpretation of what Maria’s life would have been like. Madeline has a special talent and it is finally coming out. She is able to go into the past and see Maria’s life and eventually get to talk to her and help her. This was very interesting and an enjoyable read. I received a free book and the views and opinions are my own.

This is the debut novel for this author and the first in this series. I enjoy dual timelines and weaving of plot elements with historical references. It was interesting to learn that the book’s historical figures were real, which served as inspiration for this book.

This story has adventure, some romance, and elements of the paranormal. If you like time travel & psychic/paranormal happenings with a little romance and history you will enjoy this book.

Throughout this story, our main character, Madeline, comes to terms with her intuitive and psychic abilities after her mother attempted to play down her gift. The interactions with mother and daughter added a human characteristic part to the story. All her characters are well thought out. Madeline--an antique store owner with psychic powers, Evan --a history professor who can verify what she finds and Aunt Phoebe who provides the unconditional love that was lacking from Madeline's mother.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book, it has amazing bones and the potential to be a great series.

I absolutely loved this book. It took me a few chapters to get into it, but once I did I could not put it down. An antique dealer senses a connection with a box she purchases, and the book takes you on a journey that connects the past, the present and the magical with a bit of romance thrown in. It is well written and I can't wait for the next novel to be published.

"What was it about a woman's power that made men vilify her, turn her into something dark, dreadful?"
Madeline knows everyone in the quaint seaside town of Penbrook, and everyone knows her. But this antique shop owner keeps one thing under her vintage hat-her ability to touch an object and connect with its history. After buying an old box at an estate sale filled with rare items, she started having vivid dreams about Maria, a young headstrong Puritan whose "knowing" could get her branded as a witch and whose forbidden love for a poor sailor caused a scandal. Together with Evan, an attractive professor who tempts her to believe in love, she uncovers Maria's story, helpless to stop its trajectory toward tragedy. With Evan's support, maybe she can lay the ghosts of the past to rest-including her own.
The book is mostly about Madeline and her experiences with a couple sections about Maria. I honestly wish that Maria had been a more prominent feature in the book as her story line, in my opinion was more interesting than Madeline's. Madeline has a gift that she goes out of her way to hide, and the book is really just about her accepting her gift and the things it allows her to do. She starts having dreams about Maria and then progresses to the desire to help Maria move on to the other side, with the help of a sailor named Noah. The book got a little strange at points because of a random mermaid plot and Madeline's journey into the middle world.
I wasn't really a fan of the romance elements in this book as I felt that both were rushed and awkward. Maria's romance with Samuel made me a bit uncomfortable because it felt like he was taking advantage of her to an extent. I also felt like the relationship between Madeline and Evan was rushed and didn't feel very real. The book spends a lot of time focused on elements of the story that I imagine will be helpful for future books, but in the process it felt like uncovering Maria's story got lost. I think that if the book had been more balanced with that plot it would have been better. I just felt like Madeline's journey and self-discovery were a bit rushed.
Overall, I think the story was a cool idea and it kinda gave off some Ghost Whisperer vibes, but I just wanted something more. I felt a disconnect with most of the characters and didn't think the story gave us enough of Maria. I think it will be interesting to see where the author takes the series in the future.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book cannot decide what it wants to be. Historical fiction? Yes. Romance? Yes. Paranormal adventure? Yes. Fantasy adventure with some sci-fi thrown in? Yes. I confess it was not what I expected. But having said that, it is well written with a smooth narrative style that makes it very readable. And I thoroughly enjoyed the plot. McIntyre's research is good and the idea of time travel through dreams is interesting. Madeline is an introverted, single woman who runs an antique store along with her aunt. She is satisfied with her life. But a chance find at an estate sale establishes a psychic connection with Maria Hallett, a young Puritan woman from an earlier era. Suddenly Madeline's life is turned upside down as she seeks to understand this connection and what it means for her. There is magic and mermaids and some unforgettable characters as well. And while it is hard to pigeon-hole this book it was a good read (though a bit more romance than I cared for - but that did not detract from the story). And the book has made me curious to learn more about Maria Hallett and Sam Bellamy (two of the characters actually based on historical people).½

Absolutely mesmerizing! From the mermaids tale to the pirate history lesson - I could not stop reading. I can’t wait to share this book with my friends, they are going to love it too!

2.5 stars

I received this book for free, this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

My knowing's neither good nor evil...it just is.

All her life, Madeline has gotten tingling sensations from certain items that lead to intuition that turns out to be eerily accurate. When she buys a box with trinkets from a local estate sale, she suddenly starts to have dreams about a Puritan girl from the 1710s. With the encouragement of her aunt Phoebe and friend Chelsea, she enlists the help of a History professor she had a connection with at a bar one night, Evan, to try and find out who this Maria girl was, and a mysterious old sailor, Noah, helps her explore her unearthly talents.

Normal was a boundary I'd worked hard to live within because it meant being accepted by society and loved by my mom.

Sea Magic started off as an intriguing fantasy mystery, mentions of the Penbrook Mermaid, Madeline's dreams that start off more watching a film observant but morph into time travel, veered into Historical Fiction, and then ended in the metaphysical. I liked the beginning mystery aspect of searching out who Maria was for Madeline. I am someone who went through a Golden Age of Piracy phase, so when Maria's full name (Hallett) popped up, I got my own tingling sensations and then when her suitor introduced himself as Samuel Bellamy, I knew all the spoilers. I still enjoyed Madeline working with Evan to put the puzzle pieces together and the tidbits about the Whydah incorporated into the story. However, at the midway point, that whole puzzle is parsed out and the second half went more into the metaphysical and began to lose me.

What was it about a woman's power that made men vilify her, turn her into something dark, dreadful?

There was a lot of co-opting different cultures spiritual practices (Evan's totem is a mermaid, Madeline does Shamanic conscious dreaming) along with characters adopting pseudoscience (astrology). The second half and especially the last 20% went metaphysical with Madeline's goal shepherding Maria's wandering soul into the afterlife, guided by Noah. It tied into Madeline's magical gift of intuition but not really the first half tone of searching out who Maria was mystery. The story was told from Madeline's point-of-view (the dreams start off from Maria's) making her the most filled out character but I felt all the other characters needed to be flushed out more, especially Evan since he had a romance with Madeline. The romance ended up feeling underdeveloped because it was pushed to the side and Evan's character just never developed for me. They kiss and have an open-door scene but it was dry more than emotional.

I enjoyed the historical fiction aspects with the Whydah (Screecham sisters get a shout-out, too) and the connection to Madeline searching out the mystery of who Maria was but the romance didn't evolve the emotions I was looking for and the metaphysical turn at the end lost me.

I received an ARC eBook, thanks to the author and to Library-Thing. From the cover to the content, this book has all the ingredients to become a winner. I was very excited to read this book, it had all the elements that I love. It didn't disappointed me. It was magical!

Madeline has a precious gift, she can see and feel things that only a few can think of but that she dismisses. When she purchases a box on a State Sale, she will find herself immersed on an adventure that few will experience and many will dream of. I felt a strong connection with her, since I was a little girl I experienced a similar gift, but like her I refused to embrace it.

She will learn to live with this gift and use it to help others. Was not an easy road to travel, but she had the support of family, friends and the "others".

There is more than one love story in this book and the author skillfully intertwine both stories into one. Mingling together fantasy and history into a spectacular story. She never dragged the story with unnecessary angst or miscommunication issues more than needed. It was the perfect balance of tragedy, soul-mates and magic.

I was already intrigued with the story of Black Sam and Mary when I watched a docuseries of Pirates. Heidi McIntyre give the story closure, I can see the pirate doing the right thing, he was an honorable pirate after all. I know this sounds conflicting, but history recount the story of a man who was merciful with the ones he took from and generous his crew.

Simply un-put-downable!

Story that takes place in present day and early 1700's. History, pirates, interesting information about the New England area, and good characters in the book. It was a very interesting story and not at all hard to follow even going back and forth between times. While I liked the book overall the mystical part in the latter part of the story was a bit much for me but if you like historical fiction this book will appeal to you.

I received this book as an advance copy for free and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

This book was absolutely amazing. It drew me in from the very first page and didn't let go until I finished it. The author masterfully wove the story, going back and forth between the present day and Puritan New England. While the story was fanciful, it was told in such a way that it seemed absolutely plausible. I'm looking forward to the next book.

I won this book as an Early Reviewers’ copy, and fell in love with it from the first page. It’s a great book, well written, and the characters are people I’d love to meet in real life. I really enjoyed the story, and I am so happy I had an opportunity to read it.

This is a whimsical intriguing story that I didn’t want to end. You get involved in Madeline’s life and watch her grow and learn as a person with extra abilities. I really enjoy reading something that you enjoy and gets you interested in learning other things like that part of the country and pirates! Looking forward to other stories by Heidi McIntyre.