12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
What a horrific mess, January 21, 2006
This review is from: Catspell (Mass Market Paperback)
Where to start? Where to start? How about this one - don't start. Characters from cliche, a nonsense story, love scenes that tend to put one to sleep. I can say that I purchased this at 25% off and still over paid the balance.
In trying to create "unconvential" characters of her chosen period which appears to be the Regency period, but it is impossible to tell, the writer gets lost, lost, lost. While Napoleon and the Rosetta stone did make Egypt popular, it wasn't until TUT showed his golden face that the popularity the author is trying to insist on existed.
Our 'heroine' Arielle is about as interesting as a sleeping kitten that you see through a hazy window. Something you look at, say how cute and promptly forget.
There are tens if not dozens of shapechanger romances out there that would be much better in terms of time spent.
The secondary female character is stilted, annoying and pretty much as cliched as one could be.
As is pretty much every other character and situation.
Every possible "supernatural" occurence popular in the last couple of centuries pops in, except for table tipping and the Fox sisters.
I would pass this by and head to a Rebecca York, Mary Jance Davidson, Christine Feehan or Sherilyn Kenyon novel for a true paranormal romance with more depth than a mud puddle, in a parking lot, in Texas on a Saturday afternoon in July.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
terrific paranormal romance, December 24, 2005
This review is from: Catspell (Mass Market Paperback)
Lady Arielle Blaylock has lived a somewhat sedate protected upper class life until she wore the Egyptian cat amulet. Now during the day she remains that prim and proper Victorian lass, but at night she dreams erotic seductions that frighten her when she awakens because they seem so real.
In that dream realm where sorcery rules two men desire Lady Arielle. She wants both of them as each somehow holds a lovemaking spell that has ensorcelled her, but she also distrusts Luke and Seth not knowing what either truly desires of her. However, Arielle realizes she is in trouble in this alternate dream world where she may remain forever if she chooses the wrong man; one will help her regain the light of day while the other dooms her to eternal darkness.
This is a terrific paranormal romance that will remind the audience of Frank Stockton's classic The Lady or the Tiger placed in a fantasy realm. If Arielle selects the wrong champion she will have closed the door to her going home permanently. Arielle is a wonderful protagonist while the two males competing for her affection make the dream realm genuine. Colleen Shannon provides a fine thriller that will elate sub-genre readers.
Harriet Klausner
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7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing and confusing, January 4, 2006
This review is from: Catspell (Mass Market Paperback)
I wanted to like this book but... it took over 100 pages for me to even halfway like the main character, Arielle Blaylock! The story begins with Shelly Holmes (a reoccurring character from 2 previous novels) observing Arielle. Arielle's father, the Earl of Darby, has hired Shelly to investigate the scratch marks appearing on her arms while she sleeps. Two mysterious men who are also brothers, Luke Simball and Seth Taub, dance with Arielle at a ball and attempt to seduce her. Meanwhile, dead bodies have been found that appear to have been mauled by a lion. Arielle holds a seance and her dead mother, Isis, tries to warn her about the path she should choose. And did I mention that Arielle, Luke, and Seth are all shapeshifters who can assume the bodies of cats? Shelly is also a shapeshifter- a werewolf. Shelly and Luke fight, resulting in Luke assuming some werewolf characteristics. Eventually, Arielle selects her mate and then through a chant with Isis's ghost, she condemns one brother to death. This book was confusing with the mythology- one minute I was reading about Osiris and the next about Mihos with no connection being drawn. I had enjoyed several of Colleen Shannon's other books but this one stretched even my limits of believability. I gave it 2 stars rather than 1 simply because Shelly was more of a central character and I enjoyed her perspective of events.
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