Helpful Score: 12
Marked as paranormal romance - but more of a fantasy with many romantic elements. I really really enjoyed the writing in this book - very richly detailed and imaginative. The story starts out with Neva on a business trip in Wales. She's at a bar when she encounters a young man who often has young women trying to get his attention. When he tries to pry himself away from perhaps the 10th one, Neva feels compelled to step in and pretend to be his girlfriend. This starts some weirdness in the air. From there Neva begins to lose track of reality. When she goes home to seaside Alabama she keeps having visions of falling through a pond into another world, and her sister is ready to commit her. Around Mardi Gras, Neva has begun to accept her madness and decides she knows where the pond she sees is - her grandparents farm. Jumping in, Neva finds herself in another world - she meets fairies, a talking raven and stag, and March - the young Welsh man at the bar. They tell her that she has to save the Eternal Youth and send her on a quest. March is surly and resigned, as if he has been here before, and has no reason to hope. Neva finds his attitude annoying but feels compelled to finish the quest and go home, so sniping at one another they trek through a wildly created land. Many fairytale and mythical elements make appearances and a reader has many "whoa.. what's happening now?" moments. I really enjoyed how unexpected the story was and the growing relationship between March and Neva. I also liked that March and Neva use modern speech when they argue as it contrasts greatly with their surroundings. The only complaint .. I wish this story was longer! The four stars is because the ending felt a smidge incomplete to me.. I would have felt more content with two more chapters and a better idea of what really happened in the gap before the final happy chapter, and yet it is not a bad ending at all. I just want more time with the story and characters. I wanted to turn the book over and open it to the first page to reread it as soon as I finished.
Helpful Score: 3
Decent book, but I thought the ending seemed rushed and confusing.
Helpful Score: 1
A decent plot and storyline, and very imaginative. However, the book was "rushed" and I had to keep turning back pages to see if I missed anything.
Helpful Score: 1
Just finished this novel and have to admit to being confused through most of it. The plot seemed well-hidden and I never liked the "hero", March. Maybe this just wasn't the right book for me since others seem to enjoy it. I had to force myself to finish it.
I do agree the phrasing was great, the imagery was wonderful in how she presented it, and I always give kudos to an author who sneaks in a Dr. Who reference. She obviously researched her settings because the tiny details were very realistic. It was something bigger that kept me from getting into the book. It was confusing and I was bored.
I do agree the phrasing was great, the imagery was wonderful in how she presented it, and I always give kudos to an author who sneaks in a Dr. Who reference. She obviously researched her settings because the tiny details were very realistic. It was something bigger that kept me from getting into the book. It was confusing and I was bored.
This should never have made it to print. To start with, did anyone proofread this? Grammatical errors, typos, etc. (e.g. 'to toward', used 'contentedly' should have used 'content' and the list goes on). How did the editor ever achieve that title? There's no flow, no explanation for why the lead character has to collect a lock of black hair and a lock of white. Even at the end we have no idea how this requirement ended the curse.
