Twins Ivy and Violet Grant are opposites. Ivy, a hot-tempered redhead, couldn’t wait to get off the farm and see the world. Violet, a quiet brunette, was content to stay home and help their grandmother with the family business. The one thing they have in common is their magic.
Charlie Logan’s sinister obsession with Ivy Grant has ruled his life. When he discovers a book of dark magic during a burglary, he decides to return to Oak Hill and use his newfound power to gain control over Ivy.
Ivy and Violet, with help from their grandmother, need to practice their magic to overcome the evil seeping into their lives. A battle is coming, and Ivy’s life is not the only one at stake.
Purchase: Amazon.com
Goodreads: Dark Designs
Review
*I received a copy for free for an honest review*
Rating: 3 stars
After their mother abandons them, twins Ivy and Violet Grant are raised on a farm by their grandparents. When farmhand Charlie Logan makes inappropriate advances towards eight year old Ivy, luckily her grandfather is there to put a stop to it. Years later, Charlie returns and his fixation with Ivy causes him to turn to dark magic. The twins and their grandmother are gifted with their own light magic and must come together to not only protect Ivy but also their town from the monster that Charlie Logan has become.
I enjoyed reading Dark Designs. It was quite a suspenseful read with likeable protagonists and an interesting side cast. I liked the premise of magic being used in this way and how the twins learned to control their abilities and use it to protect Ivy and the town.
However I did feel that a bit more could have been explained, for example they never did find out what happened to their mother. I started the novel thinking that this was going to be a large part of it and then it just seemed to disappear. Also the ending could have been a little more drawn out. The author took a great deal of time to build her villain and then he was dealt with comparatively quickly.
Overall I did enjoy reading Dark Designs. It is a well-written paranormal/suspense novel with some great main characters and the added twist of magic too!
Shari Sakurai 