ONLY WITH BLOOD was not my cup of tea. Steep in the history of Ireland in the 40s and the IRA, I had a hard time finishing the book, only doing so because I received the book in exchange for a review. Other than the fact that a good chunk of the story was dedicated to information regarding the IRA, my dislike for the main characters made it difficult for me to draw any attachment to them. Jack Flynn is portrayed as the villain, but in the end, he is the only one with any heart. I didn’t like the character of Donal Kelly because I felt he was manipulative, and obsessive in his attraction to Caitlin—a woman he hardly knew. And Caitlin—who I admit—had reason to be bitter, was so focused on herself and her goals, she never developed as a person. The story dragged, mostly due to the history of Ireland and the IRA. And at times, the writing style was confusing because of the POV shifts that happened quite regularly. Swearing doesn’t bother me, even in Christian fiction when it’s pivotal to the scene, but I felt in this book it was overused and at times unnecessary.
The back of the book portrayed ONLY WITH BLOOD as more of a
love story. I felt it was more of a history lesson. Though I didn’t appreciate
the book, I am sure anyone who is interested in this period of history, or the
growth of Ireland would find it more fascinating than I did.
Book provided for review purposes.
