This book was just plain fun to read. I tend to read gothics and angsty stories when I'm looking for paranormals, so this light-hearted tale was an enThis book was just plain fun to read. I tend to read gothics and angsty stories when I'm looking for paranormals, so this light-hearted tale was an entertaining change of pace. By way of setup, Vivienne Jones believes herself to be a minor witch at best. When her romance with handsome Welsh wizard Rhys Penhallow turns sour, she drowns her broken heart in bubble baths, vodka - and a curse on Rhys.
Fast forward to the present day, and Rhys has once again returned to Graves Glen, Georgia. His family founded the town and still tend to its ley lines.When he comes back to recharge them, all manner of disasters unfold and it's obvious that the town is cursed. Vivi comes clean about her hex, and she and Rhys find themselves going on all kinds of adventures to un-curse the town, recapture a ghost and so on.
While the tone of the story is light and humorous, the author brings some wonderful emotion into the story, too. Readers can empathize with Vivi's feelings of rejection and Rhys' frustration with his father and his family. It's the humor that kept me invested in the story, though. I wanted to see what crazy fix Vivi and Rhys were going to land in next - and how they were going to plot their way out of it.
The chemistry between them was wonderful, and I was definitely rooting for the romance to be rekindled. Rhys could have grovelled a bit more, though, and I wondered about the reason for the breakup. Supposedly Rhys had to return to a betrothed in Wales, but whatever happened to that arrangement never seemed all that clear. If you want a fun Halloween romance, spend the weekend with The Ex Hex!...more
B+ so 4.5 stars I dug deep into the TBR (remember when Dorchester was still around?) and pulled out Bewitched by Sandra Schwab. It’s fair to say that B+ so 4.5 stars I dug deep into the TBR (remember when Dorchester was still around?) and pulled out Bewitched by Sandra Schwab. It’s fair to say that I enjoyed this novel a lot more than the reader who wrote AAR’s original review back in 2008. This Regency historical has a touch of the paranormal to it, and some of the plot touches are more than a little bit tongue in cheek. I found it charming and I was totally sold on the HEA by the end, even if things did drag a tad in the middle.
Amelia (Amy) Bourne comes from a magically talented family, but when she accidentally turns her uncle’s home cobalt blue, he reacts by curtailing her powers and sending her to London in the hopes she can snag a husband and settle down. Indeed, Amy finds herself madly in love with Sebastian (Fox) Stapleton – after drinking punch at an event.
The plot thickens when the two become engaged and Amy goes to stay with Fox and his family. Amy’s host sends his unfriendly daughter along and once the party reaches the Stapleton home, odd things start happening. Amy has been stripped of her powers, but not her ability to detect the magic of others. She knows that dark enchantments are at work, but she and Fox appear to be powerless against them.
Bewitched tells a story that starts off feeling whimsical, meanders into a feeling of enchantment, and then accelerates into high action. Each third or so of the book has a slightly different feel to it, and these fit the development of the story.
Even though the leads' relationship didn't quite hook me in the same way the one in Slave to Sensation did, I still flew through this book and enjoyedEven though the leads' relationship didn't quite hook me in the same way the one in Slave to Sensation did, I still flew through this book and enjoyed myself. I can't believe I didn't read this series sooner. I think I must have gotten burned out in the mid-2000s when it seemed like every romance started in a wolf pack.
This tale is another Psy female lead paired with a changling man. I was intrigued by jaguar shifter Vaughn in the first book, so I was thrilled to see this tightly wound mystery man meet his match. At first, I found Faith NightStar a little hard to understand. As an F-Psy, she can predict the future and therefore make lots of money for her clan in the markets. However, her gift comes with the price of early madness, which she is determined to stave off.
Faith fears that she is mentally ill when she starts having predictions not only related to her work, but also visions of violent killings. Her torment over these makes her search for answers. Unlike many F-Psy, she starts looking for answers on the Net and she also slips away from her compound in search of Sascha Duncan, the legendary Psy who somehow dropped off the Net. The search leads her to Vaughn - and things begin to heat up.
At first the relationship between Faith and Vaughn seemed a little improbable. There's definitely a compelled, fated mates quality to it. This is a paranormal romance trope that normally doesn't work for me, but Ms. Singh writes it so well. Her worldbuilding is multi-faceted and somehow I just get sucked right into the structure of her world.
In this book, the leads' relationship sometimes takes a backseat to the worldbuilding. It made it hard for me to feel compelled by the romance, but I did love digging deeper into the Psy world. We learn that Faith can interact with the NetMind itself, and those interactions are riveting. As readers, we start to see more of what underpins the Psy world and best of all, the writing makes us as readers see things from more than one perspective.
Visions of Heat is an enjoyable installment of the series, and I've already picked up the next one. So glad I have many more to go!...more
Why yes, I do feel like the last reader on the planet to discover Nalini Singh's incredible Psy/Changeling series. I was afraid it wouldn't live up toWhy yes, I do feel like the last reader on the planet to discover Nalini Singh's incredible Psy/Changeling series. I was afraid it wouldn't live up to the hype, but Slave to Sensation was a wonderful read. I flew through this book, and had a blast.
Back when paranormals had a big boom in the mid-2000s, I read quite a few, mostly for review at AAR. I enjoyed some of what I read, but at times the fated mates, packs of shapeshifters and some of the other familiar tropes of these books felt like they were missing some deeper worldbuilding. As I read this book, the tropes felt familiar but fresh all at the same time. I couldn't help but wonder if this book might have been the inspiration for some of what came later.
This novel has plenty of things that will be familiar to paranormal readers but there's a complexity to the worldbuilding that makes it feel fresh. For instance, the pack of shapeshifters isn't just shorthand for "here are the sexy werewolves you'll see in future books," but rather a clan that has its own internal rules and a web of relationships among its members that will slowly reveal themselves as we get to know them better.
I felt pulled into the world Ms. Singh created, and while I could guess at the mystery of why Sascha wasn't entirely like other Psy, I still enjoyed the journey to the solution. I thought she and her hero Lucas were perfect for each other. And while I tend to be one of those readers often left unmoved by sequel bait, I left this book wanting to know more about all the secondary characters, and wanting to see how their lives would turn out. That is definitely the sign of a winning book for me. I'd been a little burned out on paranormals, but I'm making an exception for this series because I love the world created here, and I can't wait to see more....more
Spoiler Note: This review contains spoilers for Shadow Bound, the first book in this series.
This month’s prompt of CW: Rape, sexual assault references
Spoiler Note: This review contains spoilers for Shadow Bound, the first book in this series.
This month’s prompt of “freebies” felt wide open. I didn’t have a craving for a particular genre, so I just reached into my box of books picked up at past RWA conferences. I came up with Shadow Fall, a paranormal by Erin Kellison. I remember reviewing (and liking) the first book in this series about 10 years ago when it first came out. As it turns out, book 2 is also an entertaining, if occasionally problematic, read.
(view spoiler)[Readers of Shadow Bound may recall the death of the hero’s friend, Custo Santovari. This novel takes up 2 years later. Custo is now an angel, but not finding Heaven quite to his liking. He died learning that his best friend (Adam Thorne – hero of Book 1) had a traitor among his ranks, and he wants to get back to warn him. He manages to get back to Earth, where he finds himself once more caught up in the war against the wraiths. The wraiths are soul-stealers who can literally suck people’s souls out of them. (hide spoiler)]
This book deals with wraiths and death, and spends a fair amount of time exploring the boundaries between this world and the next. In that sense, it can often have a dark, eerie feel to it. The world Kellison creates is intriguing and in this installment, she gives readers an action-packed read.
B- at AAR, so 3.5 stars In paranormal romance, vampires, werewolves and shapeshifters seem to dominate. I enjoy these books, but I also find myself inB- at AAR, so 3.5 stars In paranormal romance, vampires, werewolves and shapeshifters seem to dominate. I enjoy these books, but I also find myself intrigued by other paranormal stories. In her debut novel Erin Kellison explores other themes and takes readers into a sometimes creepy world as she explores the fae, mortality, souls and a world growing ever more filled with creatures who have given up their souls and now feed upon others. Though not a perfect read, it is an enjoyable one.
As the book opens, an otherworldly man is falling in love with a very frail woman. Under the rules of his realm, he cannot be with her and yet he longs for her. As he breaks the rules, consequences in the form of an evil creature enter our world, setting the stage for what will come a generation later.
In the present-day, wraiths have started to establish a foothold in our world. These wraiths were once human, but they have lost their identities, becoming soul stealers who steal the souls of victims by kissing them. Adam Thorne’s parents were killed by a wraith, and he started the Segue Institute to study these creatures and learn how they became wraiths, as well as how to destroy them. Unable to kill the wraith who murdered his parents, Adam keeps him imprisoned deep within Segue until he can learn how to finally destory him.
In his studies, Adam comes across a reference in a paper by doctoral student Talia O’Brien which matches something the wraith at Segue screamed about in one of his rants. Convinced that this reference may hold the key to further discovery, Adam sets out to recruit Talia for Segue. It appears he may do so by force if he must. Adam discovers Talia in hiding in the aftermath of a wraith attack that left her roommate dead. The two manage to escape pursuit and get back to Segue. Talia wishes to leave, but Adam is desperate for her knowledge and convinces her to at least stay briefly. While I understood Adam’s desperation, he also has a tendency to be a little too high-handed at first.
I rather enjoyed Cabot's tongue in cheek take on vampire romance. Soap opera writer Meena Harper gets tasked with writing a vampire storyline into theI rather enjoyed Cabot's tongue in cheek take on vampire romance. Soap opera writer Meena Harper gets tasked with writing a vampire storyline into the soap for which she is a writer. She is not a fan of the idea, but orders are orders.
Suddenly, vampires and vampire references are everywhere in Meena's life. And, as it turns out, New York seems to be the chosen location for the next vampire showdown. Of course Meena gets sucked into the action. Since Meena has her own supernatural power (being able to foretell how someone will die), the paranormal gets woven into this book from several different angles.
I liked this book because while the vampire story is interesting, there is also plenty of satire woven into it. I was in the right mood for action with a healthy sense of humor, and this book definitely delivered. The love triangle between Meena, the mysterious Romanian professor, and the Vatican's vampire hunter left me a little cold, but I still enjoyed myself as I read this novel. ...more
B- at AAR so 3.5 stars. Thirst came out in 2017, and it’s the first book in Jacquelyn Frank’s Energy Vampires series. One of my best friends offliB- at AAR so 3.5 stars. Thirst came out in 2017, and it’s the first book in Jacquelyn Frank’s Energy Vampires series. One of my best friends offline is a huge fan of the author, so I thought I’d give her books a try. If you like vampire stories, this one features more originality than the average in the worldbuilding. I’m not sure it’s quite as hot as the cover suggests, but the romance was definitely cooking.
Near the beginning of the book, New York detective Renee Holden is heading home from a long shift at work. A chance meeting with a mysterious Portuguese stranger in a market sets her life on a completely different course. Renee finds herself drawn to the handsome man and even as she repeatedly observes that she would normally never do such a thing, she finds herself agreeing to go out with him. Renee enjoys a fabulous evening with Rafe da Silva, and returns home quite happy.
Unknown to Renee, Rafe is an energy vampire. Instead of sucking blood, these vampires feed on the energy of their hosts. In addition, they cannot feed on just anyone. They need humans who are strong and who keep themselves clean. The very fit, nutrition-obsessed Renee is perfect for Rafe.The other hitch with energy vampires? The humans upon whom they feed don’t have memories of it happening. It supposedly feels amazing at the time, but the human has his/her memory wiped so the only hint of the vampire encounter is a lingering tiredness for some time afterward.
On the one hand, Rafe and Renee so obviously care for one another and build an alliance (of the sort both will remember) very quickly and treat one another as equals, so I could find their story romantic. However, the memory-wiping still bothered me. It’s one thing to consent to let a vampire you love feed off your energy, but if one’s memory gets wiped of the vampire’s, well, vampirishness, then it starts to feel more than a little bit creepy.
3.5 stars I can't believe it took me so long to read this one! This novel is Liu's debut, and while the worldbuilding is a little rough in places, I g3.5 stars I can't believe it took me so long to read this one! This novel is Liu's debut, and while the worldbuilding is a little rough in places, I got pulled into the story and rather enjoyed it.
The story begins with Dela Reece in Beijing (for reasons never entirely clear) and being persuaded to buy an old puzzle box. When she solves the puzzle and opens it in her hotel room, out pops a 7 foot tall man, Hari, who has been enslaved in the box by an evil magi. Hari has endured thousands of years of abuse and of being forced to commit unspeakable acts. He quickly figures out that Dela is different and she awakens in him a new feeling - one that starts as loyalty, then builds into friendship and then love.
There's a lot of setup of backstory in this book as we learn about the agency Dirk & Steele, and the magical powers of its various members. We also learn from Hari about how shifters used to roam the earth. He is himself a tiger shifter, but lost his ability to change forms when he was enslaved by the magi.
The result is something of a slow burn romance. The first love scene doesn't take place until near the end of the book. However, the plot in this story is packed with action as assassins are stalking Dela and Hari helps protect her. The actual mystery gets solved rather quickly in this book and there is a bit of the sagging middle, but overall I enjoyed the story. I also liked meeting some of the members of Dirk & Steele, and I could see coming back for their books.
One note in case anyone is interested in a spoiler about the love scene that's a little bonkers in here- (view spoiler)[Just as an FYI, the love scene in this book is pretty wild. The hero regains his ability to shift and he shifts into tiger form while they're in the act. (hide spoiler)]...more
The book starts with a strong prologue that drew me right in. That, and an interesting premise kept me going for a few chapters. I just couldn't make The book starts with a strong prologue that drew me right in. That, and an interesting premise kept me going for a few chapters. I just couldn't make myself get all that interested in the main characters. ...more
Online Romancelandia has more than once observed the proliferation of painfully good, sweet heroines who could not possibly offend even the most delicOnline Romancelandia has more than once observed the proliferation of painfully good, sweet heroines who could not possibly offend even the most delicate of sensibilities. If you are in the camp that has bemoaned this development, Julie Hall of A Grave Calling will definitely stand out for you. I can honestly say that I’ve not encountered anyone like her. In a genre where many protagonists tend to be middle class (or billionaires), Julie is a recovering alcoholic with PTSD who works at a gas station and lives in a trailer. She’s also clever, funny and a lot stronger than she thinks she is.
We learn early on that Julie has an unusual gift that has brought her more then a few difficulties. She is a dowser. However, instead of finding water sources as most with her talents do, her dowsing rods lead her straight to bodies, a gift which makes Julie a person of interest to FBI agent Garrett Pierce. Pierce is haunted by the disappearances of three young women, and he wants to stop a serial killer before any more are taken. So haunted, in fact, that he recruits Julie to help.
What ensues is a mystery both chilling and very engaging. I liked the deeply flawed heroine, and as the work she does for Pierce triggers old memories and forces her to face demons of her past, I found myself rooting for her even if I did question her judgment on occasion. When someone close to Julie betrays her by letting her secret out to the press, she has to go into hiding in order to survive – and that’s when the plot really heats up. The killer starts to get closer and closer to Julie and the suspense builds at an ever-increasing pace as Julie and Garrett crisscross the rural Washington landscape in pursuit.
4.5 stars If you're looking for a paranormal series that is genuinely eerie and creepy, Graveyard Queen would certainly be one to try. As the seri4.5 stars If you're looking for a paranormal series that is genuinely eerie and creepy, Graveyard Queen would certainly be one to try. As the series moves along, I find myself starting to think about the books and they do seem to get creepier and creepier. This one was a fantastic Halloween read.
In this latest installment, the romance running through the books in this series has largely been put on hold after what happened with Devlin in the previous book. It's obvious throughout this story that he is not entirely out of Amelia Grey's mind, though. Amelia has left Charleston to restore a cemetery and perhaps nurse her broken heart a bit. Things don't get off to a smashing start for her. As she works in the Seven Gates Cemetery, she makes a chilling discovery. Outside of the main cemetery area lie several graves protected by cages meant to discourage grave robbing - but one of them appears to have been used to keep a young woman trapped after being buried alive.
As with other books in the series, The Sinner has a Southern Gothic feel to it and the author uses that to great effect in this book to really amp up the creepiness factor. As I read, I could almost feel the other world Amelia Grey lived and fought with daily and I'll admit I found it unsettling at times. Amelia has evolved over the course of the series from simply seeing ghosts to becoming something of a detective of the dead.
As Amelia works with local law enforcement (in the person of the rather gorgeous Detective Kendrick), it becomes obvious that something supernatural and deeply evil is at play. The pacing in this book was top notch, and while I longed for a little more insight into what was going on with lost love John Devlin, I greatly enjoyed this book. I can't wait for the next installment!...more
This is one of those books I've been meaning to try for ages. So many people I know have really loved this series. I just couldn't get into it, thoughThis is one of those books I've been meaning to try for ages. So many people I know have really loved this series. I just couldn't get into it, though.
I basically liked Charley Davidson, the narrator, and I did find myself laughing at her quips as I went through the book. However, she reminded me strongly of Stephanie Plum and pretty much every other sarcastic first person narrator I've encountered in fiction. Reyes held just about no appeal for me, and as a result, I think I just had trouble staying interested in the story....more
I gave this a B- at AAR, so 3.5 stars. For my old school challenge, I decided to dip into my stash of older category romances. I was feeling nostalgicI gave this a B- at AAR, so 3.5 stars. For my old school challenge, I decided to dip into my stash of older category romances. I was feeling nostalgic for the now-defunct Silhouette Shadows line, so I picked up a 1994 novel by Amanda Stevens (author of the Graveyard Queen series) called The Perfect Kiss. Though not my favorite Shadows book, this one was a fun read. I also like that it’s a standalone. Unlike many of the current crop of paranormals, the Shadows line had mostly standalone books and featured many different kinds of paranormal plots ranging from ghost stories to gothics to the more-familiar werewolves and vampires.
This story is a vampire tale with a bit of a gothic feel to it. The story opens as a popular young model, Anya Valorian, gets seduced and then turned by an evil vampire. Now fast forward ten years later. Anya lives in seclusion, and the hero, Zach Christopher, seeks her out to be the face of the advertising campaign he believes will rescue his family’s floundering cosmetics empire.
As I read, I found myself wavering between irritation and enjoyment. On the one hand, Zach pursues Anya pretty aggressively and I found him incredibly insensitive to her and overbearing on occasion. He comes off as cocky as he assures Anya that he just knows she will come around. In addition, while the story has a gothic feel, the narration does get laid on a bit thick at times. Oh, and since it was written in the early 90s, some of the fashion descriptions (Anya is a model, after all) will probably make readers snicker a bit. I certainly did.
However, Anya’s struggle feels poignant and real at times. She has no illusions about what she is and what vampires do, and yet she fights it. And as the story wound along, I found myself caught up in the drama and wondering if Zach and Anya would somehow find a way to beat the odds and end up together. If I hadn’t spend so much time wondering if Zach would also find a way to overcome his personality, I probably would rate this higher, but as it is, I’d still give it a B-.
I'd give this a B+, so 4.5 stars This fourth installment in the Graveyard Queen series is a fantastic, eerie read. As those who follow the series I'd give this a B+, so 4.5 stars This fourth installment in the Graveyard Queen series is a fantastic, eerie read. As those who follow the series know, Amelia Gray is based in Charleston and works restoring old cemeteries. And she draws ghosts to her. She has lived her entire life with this inherited gift/curse and the rules her father has drummed into her to keep her safe and keep her sane.
This time around, Amelia has been hired to work on Kroll Cemetery, outside of the city. Kroll is notorious because it serves as the resting place for members of a cult who all died together in an event that no one seems 100% sure was suicide. On the eve of her job, Amelia starts finding clues and feeling presences related to the cemetery and the family that owns the land. While it makes her deeply uneasy, she's also drawn to the place.
And then there are the romantic complications of the story. Amelia's lover, John Devlin, is back in the picture and the two are very much together. However, John is undergoing pressures of his own from his mysterious, old moneyed grandfather. There are hints of John being drawn into a society with dark secrets and frightening responsibilities. However, it's obvious that most of these details will be fodder for a future book. Most of what we get here are simply the effects that this tension has on John and Amelia's relationship - and it does lead to some moments of evocative romantic tension indeed.
However, the main focus in this story is on ghosts, danger and mystery out at Kroll. I enjoyed this book even more than some of the earlier books in the series because Stevens does a great job of doling out clues and keeping readers guessing even as she fills her story with ghostly details that leave one quite on edge. I can't wait for the next book!
Note: These books are best read in order, so if you haven't read any yet, don't start here but pick up The Restorer instead....more
It’s been a while since I read a paranormal that felt fresh. For that reason, I was especially happy to read Hunting Human as I dove into the paranormIt’s been a while since I read a paranormal that felt fresh. For that reason, I was especially happy to read Hunting Human as I dove into the paranormal side of “paranormal or romantic suspense” for this month’s TBR challenge. This book is a 2011 release from Carina Press, and after reading it, I was rather disappointed to find that author Amanda E. Alvarez has apparently not released any other books. That’s a real shame because even if Hunting Human isn’t perfect, I’d give it a very solid B. My romance picks don’t often haunt me, but this book both made me smile and made chills run down my spine.
The chilling part starts early as we meet heroine Lizzy Williams in eastern Europe with her best friend Rachel. As they leave a bar and head for their hostel, the sense of foreboding increases. The reader just knows that something horrible is about to happen to these two happy young women, but reads on, powerless to stop it. When several men they encountered at the bar kidnap the duo and throw them into a van, my heart sank. I was horrified, but also so gripped by the story that I just couldn’t turn away.
Love Your Entity is a tricky book to grade. Most of the time, it walks that fine line between adorable and annoying as readers get to follow the latesLove Your Entity is a tricky book to grade. Most of the time, it walks that fine line between adorable and annoying as readers get to follow the latest round of antics in Chicago's Vamptown. However, since I got more eyerolls than chuckles out of this one, it's not something I'd recommend.
Sierra Brennan comes to Chicago for a reason time honored in Romlandia: She has to live in a dead relative's house in order to collect under his will. Said house has defeated more than one claimant before her, so one would think that Sierra might have some idea of what she's in for. She is nevertheless surprised to learn that her house is haunted. Sierra can see and communicate with ghosts, so living in a haunted house, particularly when one of the ghosts in question is obviously hostile, poses its own set of problems for her.
Then there's the unexpected roommate. When Sierra arrives, she is met by a very naked Ronan McCoy - and he's not exactly happy to see her. As Ronan tells her, he has a prior claim to the house and he wants her out. Of course, Ronan can't exactly tell Sierra that this was his family home back before he was turned into a vampire but he does manage to cook up enough trouble to convince Sierra to agree to a temporary truce. Each will occupy one floor of the home until Sierra's lawyer is back in town to sort things out.
The idea of a vampire enclave living peacefully in the middle of a big city has its appeal, and at times the interactions between Sierra, Ronan, and the neighbors can be humorous and fun. Ronan's quest to find a mysterious key in the house in time to save his sister, as well as Sierra's need to fulfill the terms of the will also gives the story a sense of urgency that takes things beyond humorous banter and slapstick. At times I found myself hoping that this light paranormal would work, but it just never came together well enough.
I gave this a B- on AAR, so 3.5 stars. With First to Burn, military romance plus a foray into the paranormal proves to be a winner for the most part. I gave this a B- on AAR, so 3.5 stars. With First to Burn, military romance plus a foray into the paranormal proves to be a winner for the most part. Anna Richland takes her immortal warriors and blends the Beowulf legend with modern-day military conflict for a story that certainly caught my attention. Even with the dreaded sagging middle, it's still strong enough for me to recommend giving it a try.
As the story opens, we are confronted with the mystery of Sgt. Wulf Wardsen. Seriously injured in Afghanistan, he somehow heals miraculously en route to the hospital. The discrepancy between the report from the field and Wardsen's condition upon arrival catches the attention of Army doctor Capt. Theresa Chiesa, and she is determined to investigate. Theresa is no idiot, so her investigation and ability to piece together parts of Wardsen's history that just don't add up threatens to expose him. He takes action by seeking out Theresa directly and Wulf's attempts to cover himself lead to flirtation, and it's obvious that there is an attraction there.
And that's just the point where this book gets difficult to evaluate. Wulf is enlisted and Theresa is an officer, and thankfully they don't just breeze by the fraternization rules as I have seen in other military romances. The issue is a real one for them, and it's something they need to grapple with. Unfortunately, it also greatly slows down the development of the romance so one must wade through a lot of mutual lusting before there's ever the hope of them getting together. On the plus side, there is a lot more going on in this book and some of it gets very interesting. The characters must deal with an unstable situation in Afghanistan and it also becomes apparent that the immortal Wulf has an enemy from his past to uncover and confront. So, even if the romance develops slowly, the action certainly doesn't.
I gave this a B- at AAR, so 3.5 stars. At first glance, The Magic Between Us looks like one of those books that could go one of two ways. It could endI gave this a B- at AAR, so 3.5 stars. At first glance, The Magic Between Us looks like one of those books that could go one of two ways. It could end up being a cute, sweet story or saccharine enough to make a reader's teeth hurt. Thankfully, readers will find a lot more of the former in this tale of star-crossed lovers caught between Regency England and the land of the Fae.
Cecelia Hewitt has grown up in the land of the fae expecting that she would marry Marcus Thorne, her childhood sweetheart. However, we soon learn that Marcus is only part-fae, and he has a mother and father in the human world. Even worse for Cecelia, Marcus is the oldest son of an aristocrat in that world and so he must take up the responsibilities of his position and produce an heir. A human heir. The book opens with Marcus bidding farewell to Cecelia in a scene that convinces readers of Cecelia's heartbreak.
Six months later, Marcus and Cecelia meet once more in the human world. This time around, Cecelia has been sent on a mission and it is there that her path crosses with Marcus once more. Not surprisingly, she still feels very hurt over Marcus leaving as abruptly as he did. Not long after seeing Cecelia again for the first time, Marcus begins to realize just what he has given up. However, his sense of duty to his human family and his lingering love for Cecelia fight with each other in his mind and he just does not see how things can work out between the two of them.
Given the rules of the human world and the land of the Fae, the tension between Marcus and Cecelia feels believable. I thought Cecelia was a little quick to forgive Marcus, but given that the author makes it clear she never stopped loving him, I could accept it. The fact that Marcus and Cecelia make an endearing couple probably went a long way toward that, as I enjoyed seeing the two of them together.
Trancehack introduces readers to a dark and intriguing paranormal world, and as paranormal romance, it works. However, underneath the paranormal overlTrancehack introduces readers to a dark and intriguing paranormal world, and as paranormal romance, it works. However, underneath the paranormal overlay, this book also ends up being something of a police procedural at heart - and it's not half bad at that either.
Set in a future United States, Clark envisions a world in which those with magical powers live under laws which force them to live in urban ghettos and which limit their ability to marry, to move outside their "zones", to hold certain types of jobs, and so on. They must inhabit a distinct underclass in American society and most people steer clear of them. Calla Vesper, a witch, makes her living creating jewelry and cultivating other, more secret, skills in her zone.
Calla's world collides with that of the Normals one day when Detective Nathan Perez starts making inquiries in the zone. A powerful doctor has been killed and his death appears linked with the zone and with drugs known to be manufactured there in various forms. Since this doctor had been responsible for separating magic-born children from their families and sequestering them in zones, Calla and her neighbors don't exactly mourn his passing and they are deeply suspicious of a Normal poking around their neighborhood and asking questions.
Things between Calla and Nathan start off slowly and believably. Calla does not trust the Normal world and Nathan truly does not understand the magical one. It's Nathan's willingness to admit he does not understand this other culture that not only moves the story forward but also makes Nathan much more approachable and likable as a character. Nathan wants to solve the crime and he knows that he needs help from Calla in order to navigate the world he investigates. She doesn't exactly welcome him with open arms, but grudging tolerance turns to reluctant respect and keeps moving into warmer realms.
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