The Howling Heart
by April Bostic
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Tone: Adult
Heat Level: High
Elements/Tags: werewolves, norse gods, shapeshifters, wolves
Publisher: Eternal Press
Publishing Date: 08/08/2013
Format: eBook and print
Words: 89,533
Synopsis:
Paige Donovan is an ambitious college graduate who aspires to reach the top of the corporate ladder. She’s climbing fast when given the promotion of a lifetime at a prestigious fashion magazine in New York City. Her bright future comes to an unexpected halt after news of her father’s death. She inherits his old cabin in the Colorado Rockies, and just when she thinks her luck couldn't get any worse, she has a car accident in the mountains and awakens in the small, remote community of Black River.
Soon, she’s engulfed in the mystical world of Varulv---wolves descended from 13th century Scandinavia and blessed by Norse gods with the ability to appear human. Paige is desperate to return home, but never expects to fall for her rescuer, Riley Gray, a charming young werewolf from England who offers her an alternate future with his pack.
Now, she must choose between the career she’s always wanted and the love she’s always dreamed.
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* An eARC was provided in exchange of an honest review
Immediately after I read the synopsis I just had to read this book. The story line seemed so good and I love wolf stories so it would be a win-win situation. Fortunately for me, the author had a book tour still open for reviews. I jumped on the boat and started reading right away.
The first 55% of the book was amazing. Riley was adorable and Paige was a little annoying and air headed, but I could deal. From that point on the details in the story became disturbing, fast. I can't even comment on the why's. All I'll say is that with those I can't deal.
Riley was consistent character wise and attitude wise throughout the full novel. I just loved that Paige described him as having a "mole on the upper left corner of his mouth". He was gentle and understanding with Paige. A little too understanding if you ask me.
Paige was an air head. In her mind, the world revolves around her and everything that goes wrong in Black River is because she was there. It was pretty annoying having her repeat this over and over and over again. I found it weird that even after she decided to stay she never called her workplace and told them the news or her b*tch of a mother for that matter. By the end of the book she was so whiny and lifeless that I wanted to throw her off a bridge for letting her mother control her.
Dominic came to add to the plot. He made me want to pull out my own hair because everyone patted him on the head. After I discovered what he had done to Quinn I would have killed him myself if karma hadn't gotten to him first (FYI poor Quinn, she didn't even get her happy ending....).
Her mother is strange. One moment she's the frigid, cold-hearted b*tch who doesn't give a crap about her daughter and the next she calls the Black River police and a complete stranger says to her "her daughter made her choice" and comes running to a rescue no one asked for.
I also had a huge problem with how the wolf community was run. I am very pro-feminism so anything that goes against equal rights for women and men will get a raise out of me. I understand the a wolf community is very hierarchic and macho, but I've read other books that portrayed it differently. With that being said, the wolf community was a sexist society. The one law that ruined the whole thing for me was that if one male wanted to mate with one female, but another male comes along and wants to claim her as well, they dual until death and if the male the female doesn't want wins she has no right to tell him no. What law can be more sexist than that?
For all of the jabs this book received in this review, I still enjoyed it to a point where I wanted to finish it. I truly cared about the outcome of the hero that was Riley. Hello! He was a described as a "norse god", how can I not want to know what happened to him at the end? It's impossible not to xD
Favorite Quotes:
"Once we're bonded to someone, we're loyal until death."
"Money, success, high fashion, and designer labels meant nothing to him, and I didn't feel pressure to acquire those things."
"Because males are stupid and they like to fight."
*For more information on the other tour stops please click here C;*
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Author Info:
April Bostic is a New Jersey-based, Adult Romance author who enjoys unleashing her creativity and letting her imagination run wild. Her love of romance books inspired her to become not just a reader, but also a writer. In December 2008, she self-published her first novel, a contemporary romance with a supernatural twist entitled "A Rose to the Fallen".
Her first short story, "Right Here, Right Now", released in January 2012, is an erotic romance with a dash of S&M. The following year, she released two more short stories: a romantic urban fantasy inspired by the Greek myth of Eros and Psyche entitled "Eros, My Love", and a sexy romantic comedy entitled "Love Addiction".
After five years, she released her second novel, "The Howling Heart" in August 2013, a paranormal romance that delves into the mystical world of werewolves and Norse gods. To end her busiest year in publishing, April will release her fourth short story in December 2013, an 18th century paranormal romance entitled "A Dark Scandal".
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**GIVEAWAY**
One Grand Prize of one digital $10 Amazon or B&N gift card (winner's choice), and one digital copy of The Howling Heart in EPUB or PDF format (winner's choice).
Please see the Rafflecopter widget for Terms & Conditions.
Thank you for participating in my tour and reviewing my book.
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