I don't know about you, but if I see ONE MORE paranormal book where the heroine is a passive little twit, I'm going to throw up my garlic pizza. HEARTBLAZE is a refreshing change.
Right from the start, author Shay Roberts serves notice that
this is not going to be an ordinary paranormal romance. Yes, there are vampires
and werewolves in the story, but there’s also a richly detailed paranormal
world, where there are rules and reasons for what happens. Then there’s the
setting—Rhode Island, a place steeped in history that comes alive, particularly
in the sections of the book set in Emma’s past life. That past life element is
very appealing, especially since there are “real life characters” woven into
the tale. (Watch for a great bit involving the birth of the national anthem.)
Written in a briskly cinematic style—we’re plunged right
into the action as heroine Emma Rue finds herself acting in inexplicable ways
for reasons she doesn’t understand—and told from multiple points of view across
two timelines, HEARTBLAZE delivers on all levels. There’s a vampire hierarchy,
complicated clan politics among the shifter characters, and a vengeful ghost
who has an agenda related to the larger world. And there’s a romance that’s
deepened not just by conflict, but by intelligence. Emma is not a silly little
girl and her pursuit of the truth about herself, about who she was and who she
is, draws us in. And bonus points for the spooky old mansion! Both Gothic and
contemporary, this book is a treat for readers who are tired of the
same-old/same-old.
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