Review: Scintillate (The Light Key Trilogy #1) by Tracy Clark Roer ★★★★

A mighty flame follows a tiny spark.

Cora Sandoval lives an insulated, unexciting life. Mostly, she blames her dad. Her mother disappeared from Ireland when she was five and he’s been a human handcuff ever since. Cora’s life suddenly propels into the extraordinary when she begins to see colorful lights around people. Everyone, that is, except herself—instead, she glows only a brilliant, luminous silver. Cora has reason to believe that someone is hunting and killing people like her—if there are any others like her who are still alive…

While investigating the danger associated with these auras, Cora is inexplicably drawn to Finn, a gorgeous Irish exchange student. Their attraction is instant, magnetic, and primal—but her father disapproves, and Finn’s mother abruptly orders him back to Ireland. As mysteries add up, Cora realizes that the small life she’s always known was a lie. On the run from a supernatural killer, she flees to Ireland to look for her missing mother and learn the truth about herself. There she meets another silver-haloed person and, amidst threats and danger, discovers the meaning of her newfound powers and their role in a conspiracy spanning centuries—one that could change mankind forever…if it doesn’t kill her first.

Review:

Scintillate

Waking up in a hospital bed after being so sick with fever it was unsure she'd recover, Cora Sandoval is understandably a little disoriented. This is only exacerbated by the fact she's suddenly seeing strange colours around everyone. Putting it down to lingering symptoms, she leaves the hospital, but the visual anomaly persists.

To add to this worrying development, she suddenly finds herself the centre of hot Irish exchange student, Finn's, attention. It's quite overwhelming, but not at all unwelcome. After all, he's gorgeous, his Irish brogue is so adorable it should be illegal, and he makes her feel things she's never felt before. He also reminds her of her mother's side of the family, since she was also Irish.

Speaking of which, she hasn't seen her mother for 12 years. She disappeared, and the one person who knows why - her father - won't spill the beans. Naturally this causes some resentment between them, and when Finn's exchange period is over, it's not long before she finds herself on a plane to Ireland as well.

From here the book really takes off. There's revelation after revelation, as well as a few shocks and, sadly, a betrayal or two within the pages of SCINTILLATE. And of course, romance! I loved all of the developments and the magic and worldbuilding they were built upon. I also liked the addition of new character, Giovani, at this stage, who has a strong connection to Cora. This brought some interesting conflict for her in the romance department.

Overall I found SCINTILLATE to be a well-paced, interesting read which built to a thrilling and unexpected conclusion. It had a great story line, a sweet romance, interesting magic, and left me wanting to know what will happen next for these characters.

4 Stars! ★★★★
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.