Carol Maschke’s Witches of the Gaelic Moon returns to Cullamore, Ireland, where American psychic Mary Kelley has awakened the Gaelic Moon, inheriting the role of High Priestess. Sean, her ghostly lover, can now become corporeal far more easily, leaving the couple to discover what their changed abilities mean as Mary begins learning the magic tied to her new position. The rebuilt Gaelic Moon pub is nearing its reopening when Nora Byrne, interim leader of Cullamore’s local coven, arrives to recognize Mary as the witches’ true leader. Elsewhere, Maggie remains imprisoned in the magical Dagda Penitentiary, furious over Mary’s place in Sean’s life. Maggie believes something was taken from her. With old magic stirring across Ireland, Mary soon finds that awakening the Gaelic Moon has brought responsibilities reaching far beyond the pub.

Carol Maschke’s Witches of the Gaelic Moon is a fantastic paranormal fantasy, and Mary is a heroine whose dry wit makes her likable. The author fleshes her out as someone who takes her role seriously, such as when she gives Cullamore’s coven members research assignments after admitting how much she still has to learn. Maggie is a brilliantly volatile antagonist, and the author shows us how quickly jealousy can steer her magic when she begins scrying on Mary for Lucky. Where the author truly shines is in her descriptions of settings, from a hidden tunnel beneath Boa Island where red magic exposes a concealed door, to Tech Duinn, where Sean steps through a doorway cut into rock and enters the realm of Donn. Well written and absorbing, readers who enjoy Irish paranormal fantasy will adore this book.

Things have been different since the explosion. Neither Mary nor Sean has been the same since. Sean has gained the ability to be corporeal with less effort, with stronger psychic abilities, and the ability to journey farther. Mary’s abilities have also grown stronger. As the High Priestess of the Gaelic Moon, Mary was more than just a woman learning druidic spells. Some people looked up to her as the true leader. Even their dog, Braveheart, was not spared; an aura of purple now surrounded him. It seems the enhanced abilities came at an opportune time. With the rise of an evil power that threatened a magical war, Mary, Sean, and their friends would need all the help they could get to stop it. That might require them to seek out the resentful, dark witch, Maggie. Will they succeed in stopping the rise of the Crusader? Read Witches of the Gaelic Moon by Carol Maschke to find out!

Mary Kelley and Sean Calhoun have the love story for the ages. A love that even death could not keep apart. The fact that their relationship grew stronger with every challenge these two faced had me envious of them. Reading Witches of the Gaelic Moon, it was so easy to get invested in a story filled with so many interesting characters: spirits, a dark witch with a past, and a complicated villain. The book enthralled me from the very first page, and it left me with a lot to think about even after I had finished. The story was written in such a way that the pacing was just right, and it allowed me to be caught up in this interesting fantasy world filled with druids, spirits, familiars, witches, and others. I definitely recommend it to paranormal romance fans looking for a unique love story with an intricate plot. I look forward to more from Carol Maschke.