A Hidden Fire by Elizabeth Hunter

Title: A Hidden Fire
Series: An Elemental Mystery
Author: Elizabeth Hunter
Copyright 2011 by Elizabeth Hunter
Released: October 13, 2011
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Synopsis:

"No secret stays hidden forever."

A phone call from an old friend sets Dr. Giovanni Vecchio back on the path of a mystery he’d abandoned years before.  He never expected a young librarian could hold the key to the search, nor could he have expected the danger she would attract.  Now he and Beatrice De Novo will follow a twisted maze that leads from the archives of a university library, through the fires of Renaissance Florence, and toward a confrontation they never could have predicted.

A Hidden Fire is a paranormal mystery/romance for adult readers.  It is the first book in the Elemental Mysteries Series.

5 Stars!!! *Adult Paranormal Romance

A Hidden Fire is saturated with mystery, intrigue, and romance. To be quite honest…this book will make my paranormal romance top ten list of 2011. The characters are enigmatic and brimming with charisma. Every character has a specific purpose in the story, they are important and multidimensional. The romance is slow and builds with a burning intensity throughout the book.  And the mystery…well, it just keeps going and going and going…and then at the end, it continues. The sequel cannot come out soon enough for me. A Hidden Fire is to say the very least…intense.

Let’s say hello to the characters, shall we?

• Giovanni Vecchio is an Italian god; at least he looks like one. Rich, sexy, and mysterious is a completely accurate description of Gio. His weekly trips to the Special Collections reading room at the Houston University library unearth a long lost collection of letters and poetry. This collection will complicate every part of Gio’s life…as well as others.

• Beatrice De Novo is beautiful and intelligent. She is snippy, sarcastic, and made me laugh so hard. Her job at the library entwines her fate with Gio’s. B, as she prefers to be called, has had a difficult life. Her father died when she was young and she is left the haunting feeling that he is still around. She is a strong heroin and will bring feeling to Gio’s heart.

• Casper appears to be Gio’s butler; however, the more you learn about Gio, the more you realize that Casper is family. Casper cares deeply about Gio’s well-being and attempts to help him find the life he has always deserved. I loved Casper because he tells it like it is. He doesn’t let Gio pull anything over on him and forces Gio to answer for his actions.

• Stephen De Novo found something he shouldn’t of. He paid with his life…in one form or another.

• Carwyn, a great friend to Gio, is probably my favorite character. He is a Welsh Priest who has lived a long time. Funny and flirtatious, he is able to give Beatrice some of the answers she is looking for. He believes that each person should tell their own story.  He and Beatrice are great as friends…he can read her like a book and knows exactly what to say.

• Isadora De Novo is Beatrice’s only living family member. She and Beatrice have become very close since her grandfather’s passing. Isadora has been keeping a huge secret that may bring much unwanted strife to Beatrice’s life.

• Tenzin remains a mystery to me. She is very old and powerful. A very close friend of Gio and Carwyn. She fights by their side to obtain something extremely important to Gio. Tenzin is an odd one, but I loved her.

• Lorenzo is the pain in Gio’s ass. He seeks power and seizes any opportunity to cause Gio discord.

Elizabeth combined the lore of elementals with the lore of vampires and created an out-of-this-world world. I was extremely interested in the creation of these immortal creatures. Being from Texas, I appreciated the location of the story and became more interested as she took her characters from Houston to Greece to Chili ending in California. The author did a great job of pulling local culture into each of these locations.

The romance that is portrayed is not immediate and overwhelming. It simmers slowly until it engulfs you in its entirety and leaves you a tad bit disappointed, not in the story or the romance, but in the situation. I wanted what Beatrice wanted…I wanted Gio to fight for her. I suspect he has his reasons for his actions, but it doesn’t mean I agree. Ugh…men.  There is plenty of humor sprinkled throughout the book to leave you smiling right before the tears come.

For fans of vampires or elementals…I highly recommend A Hidden Fire by Elizabeth Hunter. I don’t believe you will be disappointed.

JUST IN - BOOK TWO WILL BE RELEASED IN DECEMBER. NO LONG WAITS FOR THE SEQUEL!

Two of my favorite quotes:

“Right,” she frowned. “Right. No one would believe me because vampires aren’t real.”…He chuckled in amusement. “Everyone knows that.”

Carwyn rolled his eyes. “Silly B, love is friendship…just with less clothes, which is far more brilliant.”

*I was given a free e-copy of A Hidden Fire by the author in return for my honest review.

Thin Air by Lynn Seresin

Title: Thin Air
Series: Thin Air #1
Independently Published
August 7, 2011

Synopsis:

Alice Ayre is no ordinary teenager. She took her first name from a statue in Central Park, pulled her last name out of the air (literally), and she’s actually almost a thousand years old. In fact, the only “ordinary” thing about Alice is that she’s in love.

Alice was a sylphid—a winged air spirit—when she spotted Daniel Field camping in the Adirondacks and lost her heart to the handsome NYU student. Intangible to the human senses, her only hope of winning his heart resides in becoming mortal, even though transmutation is forbidden by Paralda, ruler of the air. Risking punishment, however, seems a small price to pay for a chance at true happiness.

Tracking down Daniel in New York City ends up being surprisingly easy. Getting noticed by him for all the right reasons is another story, especially when the human world keeps tossing challenges in Alice’s path. Just when she’s mastered zippers and buttons, she catches herself dropping a sugar packet into her coffee and mistaking a photo of John Lennon for one of Daniel’s relatives. Her eccentricities raise the occasional eyebrow with Daniel and his friends, but her quirky charm, sweetness, and sincerity win out. Before long, she lands a job, begins a relationship with Daniel, and starts settling into her new life—until her past comes after her.

Enraged over Alice’s departure, Paralda has sent transmuted assassins to pursue her into the human world. A near-fatal fire on a camping trip and the murder of a look-alike employee at the club where Alice works convince her they are closing in fast. Alone with her secret–who would believe her?—Alice must elude a nameless, faceless enemy sworn to destroy the happy, new life she’s risked so much to achieve.

Welcome back for day two of my participation in the Thin Air Virtual Book Tour. Today I bring you a review of an amazing and unique book. I hope you enjoy! You can find yesterday's interview with the author, Lynn Seresin, HERE...along with details about the giveaways. Tomorrow's stop will be...The Bursting Bookshelf. Don't forget to attend every stop so you can enter to win the grand prize.  

I cannot tell you how much I adored this book, especially Lynn’s characters. They are an amazing group of individuals that are bound by friendship and comradery.  As you know, I always like to tell you a little about the characters so you know who you are reading about, so here they are…

• Aeris – (AKA…Alice Ayre) is a sylphid who chooses to risk everything she has ever known for the one she loves. She is beautiful, talented, and…well, lonely as a sylphid. She must leave the only life, the only home, she knows to complete her life.
• Terra – is a good friend to Aeris; although, they have little interaction in this book, I truly enjoyed the small role he played in Thin Air and hope to see more of him in Friendly Fire. 
• Tempesta – is Aeris’s well-meaning sister who fears for her safety and happiness when it comes to love.
• Paralda – is the demanding and vengeful king of the Air Elementals.
• Gob – is the king of the Earth Elementals. He is the only one that can give Aeris what she needs to become human.
• Daniel – is a young man of the human breed that Aeris gives her heart to.
• Delilah – is, well, a bitch! I just can’t describe her in any other way. Even Daniel, her boyfriend, knows she is a terrible example of a human being.
• Rose Quartz – is a lovely woman who helps Aeris, now Alice, find her way into the human world.
• Ignid – is a great help to Alice – assisting her in finding her one true love, Daniel.
• Dante – is my favorite character ever. He is extraordinarily fabulous. He is charming, witty, funny, and a true friend to Alice. Actually, Dante is a true friend to everyone he cares about.
• Shane – is Dante’s other half. They appear to be inseparable. He is loving and supportive of Dante’s singing career and his studies. Shane also helps Alice with some much needed guidance in her new world.
• Wren – is a blind young woman – dating Nicki – who befriends Alice. Wren has a certain “sixth” sense about trouble and is quick to warn Alice when trouble arises.
• Nicki – is Wren’s boyfriend.
• Giovoni – owns the “palace” that is home to Daniel, Shane, Wren, Nicki, and eventually, Alice.
• Ray – is a friend of Dante and Daniel. Ray is the owner of a bar that the gang frequents. He has plenty of his own secrets to hide. Could he be friend or foe? One can only guess.

Now, here are a couple of my favorite passages:

“With Gob having narrowed their search to New York City, Paralda’s assassins will kill every woman who resembles you in the hopes that they’ll eventually find and destroy you. Humans have a special name for murderers of this sort – serial killers, they’re called.” – Ray

“I slid my leg over his and frowned at the rough feel of denim against my naked thigh. “I liked it better when you weren’t wearing any pants.”…Laughing softly, he kissed my forehead. “That can easily be arranged.” Without another word, her reached down and began to wriggle out of his jeans, thrashing against the confines of the sleeping bag as he did so…”

(Sorry, am a sap for a good love scene, and nope…I’m not telling you who said that quote! You will just have to read the book.)

So now that you know something about the characters, I suppose we should talk a little about the story.

I have read plenty of books about Fae and even a couple that mention Elementals; but, Thin Air is enticingly different from any other novel I have read. 

The beginning of the book felt more plot driven and seemed a little sluggish to me; however, by the time Aire meets Terra and starts her voyage to find Gob, I was completely consumed. At this point the book shifts to a character driven adventure and things really come to life. Alice begins to meet all these wonderful characters who create a loving and sometimes turbulent world.

Lynn does an excellent job of bringing her characters to life. I had premonitions of how I should feel about the characters, and for the most part, my feelings were dead on. However, the jury is still out on a few of these “well-meaning” or is it “menacing” works of art. 

Thin Air is filled with love, heart-ache, drama, and danger. The pace of the book was perfect to keep me flipping the pages well past bedtime. If you are a lover of mythology or tales of fae…I believe you will more than love this book – you will covet this book.

Recently, I have read several books that include characters that enjoy an alternative lifestyle and I truly appreciate authors who embrace this element. Lynn made Dante’s and Shane’s relationship seem so effortless and surrounded them with people who truly appreciate them as the wonderful people they are.

You can purchase your copy or find more information about Thin Air at any of these places...

Goodreads | Lulu | Barnes and Noble | Amazon | Facebook

*I was given a free e-book by the author of Thin Air in return for my honest review.

Supernaturally by Kiersten White

Title: Supernaturally
Author: Kiersten White
Publisher: HarperTeen
Copyright by Kiersten White 2011
Kiersten White's Official Website
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Synopsis:

Evie finally has the normal life she’s always longed for. But she’s shocked to discover that being ordinary can be . . . kind of boring. Just when Evie starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s given a chance to work for them again. Desperate for a break from all the normalcy, she agrees.

But as one disastrous mission leads to another, Evie starts to wonder if she made the right choice. And when Evie’s faerie ex-boyfriend Reth appears with devastating revelations about her past, she discovers that there’s a battle brewing between the faerie courts that could throw the whole supernatural world into chaos. The prize in question? Evie herself.

So much for normal.

Where to start, where to start. Well, first and foremost…I miss Lish! Why did Viv have to bleeping kill her…UGH! So moving on…

• Evie – Well, aside from having a normal locker and a vampire roommate, not much changes in Evie’s incredibly fascinating and odd life. She still spends much of her time hunting rogue vampires, clueless werewolves, and the occasional troll; but there are many more utterly impossible and exceptionally dangerous assignments that could leave her lost forever.
• Lend – Oh, I really want a sexy waterboy! He is so sweet and cares so much about Evie. Let’s all just hope that she figures this out in time. Lend is away at Georgetown University attending classes so he can save the world, paranormals and all.
• Jack – Hey-Oh, what is there to say about Jack except that he is one crazy guy. I imagine he was hot to the max, but can you say ADHD and then some. Evie was always finding him turning flips off things, cart-wheeling down the halls, creating entrances and traveling Fairy Paths – without being Fey! He turned up at the most inopportune times…like the girls dressing room during Evie’s gym class.
• Arianna – The moody vampire roommate finds herself feeling lonely and, I think, a little betrayed. She spends most of her time in the apartment necromancing Zombies on the computer. I was entranced by her horrific tale of becoming a vampire. It was one of my favorite parts of this book.
• Raquel – The IPCA guru, is back. I wasn’t sure whether to trust her at first but her concern about Evie sold me. I am still wondering what she was thinking by hiring Jack though.
• Reth – You guessed it. He hasn’t gone away into the realm of wherever! He continues to torture Evie on a regular basis. What is up with this guy? Will he never learn?

Well, that is a breakdown of the most important characters involved in Evie’s adventures. So, I loved the book, and I mean everything about it. Kiersten’s storytelling is beautiful. She created characters and paranormals that are so different from anything else that you cannot help but be hooked. Her writing flows perfectly and allows you to experience their feelings in a most unusual way.

Poor Evie. I had hoped that her life would slow down a little bit, but I suppose that would not have made a very interesting book. She has a locker (the one thing she always wanted) and is living a “normal” teenage existence…well, sort of. Her gym teacher hates her (really), her best human friend falls in and out of love daily, her boyfriend is away at college, and her roommate is the epitome of EMO. It seems like there are more and more unusual characters showing up where she lives, including one very strange boy named Jack.

I fell in love Jack. He was so silly that I just couldn’t help it. He was raised by Fey and it certainly showed. He is truly a heart-breakingly broken boy. He was talented in ways he shouldn’t have been. Completely capable of following fairy paths and creating entrances to all types of interesting and sometimes dangerous places, he was the perfect solution to Evie’s mistrust of the Fey.

Evie has been keeping Lend’s immortality a secret from him, causing a lot of turbulence in their relationship. She will have to learn to trust him or things may go awry, permanently. Evie has a substantial amount of stress in her life. Not only is she going to school, hunting paranormals, and attempting to get accepted into Georgetown University so she can be with the love of her life; she is also being kidnapped by Sylphs, threatened by an Uber-Vamp, and dealing with a crazy partner. Then there is Reth, who has one humongous surprise for Evie. Just gotta love those fairies.

Arianna is doing her best to live her life and help Evie; but things just are not going well. Evie becomes so busy and trapped in multiple places because of some unreckoned force that Arianna is left believing that Evie doesn’t care and doesn’t need her, which is completely untrue.

If you love paranormal romance but are looking for a “different” kind of paranormal, you should most definitely check out the Paranormal Series by Kiersten White. In fact, you should check it out even if you are not looking for something different.