Customer Reviews

Goddess of Love (Goddess Summoning #5)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

All of P.C. Cast's other books earned four or five stars in my opinion however this one felt a little rushed, perhaps because there were two rather quick love stories going on in here rather than one well developed one. I was disappointed with Venus's romantic interest, he seemed shallow and focused more on appearance than depth. From the beginning he ignored the plain girl and was immediately drawn to the incomparable beauty of Venus. I won't go to much into detail because I don't want to spoil any of the story, but he wasn't a character I liked or could feel any sort of sympathy for and frankly he got a way better deal than he deserved. As for Pea, her story wasn't really the focus of the book and seemed more like a sideline, I really wanted to hear more about her and her love interest. The two "beautiful people" story bores me because it has been done so much it's a cliche. The ending is predictable from about a third of the way through the book, but as long as it is a happy one I don't usually mind that. Some characters are introduced but not rounded out and one is never seen again after the beginning of Pea's story. They say the devil is in the details so to sum up, this book lacked a whole lot of detail which would have made the story more engaging, the characters more likable and dynamic and the story far more rich. Still, I gobbled it up and enjoyed it as what it is, an entertaining afternoon read with just a touch too much fluff and not enough substance. I will still eagerly await her next book and pre-order it as always.

This started out as a great read, a young lady without fashion sense falls for a gorgeous fireman. Then we have the Lady of Love, Venus, come to help her find her self and get togather with our hunky hero. Unfortunately this is not what happens.

Pea Chamberlin is a wonder at her job and at her hobby, dancing. She just can not bring the ability for decorating her home to herself. She has had a crush on a fireman for a yr. When she is around him she constantly looses her cool and stupid embarrassing things happen.

Venus, our Goddess, is bored, she is bored with her life and her marriage of convenience with the God Vulcan. While visiting Earth she is summoned by Pea. Hera has interfered with a spell and so Venus can not return to Olympus until she helps Pea get her man.

Griffin DeAngelo is a fireman, he has helped raise four sisters and seen them thorough marriages and divorces and does not find the thought of finding one woman very appealing.

Vulcan is tired of living with the disdain of the other Gods, he has a limp and so hides himself away in the dark deep caverns of Olympus.

I looked forward to the way VEnus would help Pea and be able to finally see the wonderful man (God) she had married. This is not what happened. Let me only say I was disappointed in the book and I would wait until it came out in reg paperback if I decided I had to read it.

Venus is just not a very easy character to make likeable and caring; she is beautiful, can have anyone mortal or immortal she desires. Yet we are to believe she had rather be seduced by a mortal than loved by a God.

Vulcan was easy to like and you feel a profound desire for him to be happy. Although this happens in the book, the way it happens and how it happens somehow disturbed me.

Griffin is supposed to be not just a fireman but a sculptor. He is however, to my overview very full of himself.

I don't know why I didn't like the way things worked out but I think it would have been a better book if Griffin and Pea had found each other and if Venus and Vulcan could have fallen in love.

I would definitely not buy this book in this size or for this price again. I do not think I will ever want to read it again. My advice is either wait or pass on this one.

Let me preface this review by first stating that I love Ms. Cast's books, and have read them all numerous times. In spite of this fact (or possibly because of it), I was quite disappointed with this one. I was so excited to find a new book out by one of my favorite authors and was eager to get immersed in another of her creative and captivating tales. But this book let me down. I really wanted to care for the characters and their trials and tribulations (particularly with Pea & Vulcan), but something was missing...something that typically binds me snugly to the people/gods/goddesses in Ms. Cast's books. I normally find myself crying and laughing throughout her books, but during this one I felt hollowly expectant - wondering when the real story was going to begin.

I don't know why this book isn't up to the standards set by Ms. Cast's previous books, but in my opinion it's not. It feels rushed and only touches on things I think should have been explored much more deeply. Maybe it's simply too much story for this length of book. I just hope that this is a fluke in Ms. Cast's writing and that her next books are of the caliber of all of her previous ones.

If you'd like to read one of the Goddess Summoning Series (and I highly recommend that you do), I'd skip this one and read Goddess of the Rose - my personal favorite.

I just read the first page of the prologue and I know I'm going to have a problem with this book. Venus, is the Roman Goddess of Love. She does NOT live on Mt. Olympus - the Greek Goddess of Love, Aphrodite does. So much for proof-reading.

While I do realize this is a work of fiction, re-writing ancient history should not be part of the story.

This is not the only book I've read lately that seems to lack genuine review before being published. I guess in an age of spell check and grammer check, there is no need to really *read* the story and see if it makes sense.

I am disappointed, but I'll finish the book since I spent the money on it.

Ok, so I am about finished with this book and being a big P.C. Cast fan and having read all her books, I have to say that I am not as enthralled with this book, and am a little disappointed.

I liked the characters pretty much and did identify with the main character Pea, in her feelings of being invisible and "not put together", but I felt that she didn't have the depth that characters in Ms. Cast's previous books had.
As I stated I haven't finished this book yet but pretty much know what will happen, and that is a let down..that I could figure it out half way through the book, is this book that transparant?.
My biggest beef with this book is the sexual encounters...in her past books, the laisons were romantic, hinting, leaving something to the imagination...with this book it seems to go the way of most regular 'bodice ripper' books...more explicit, almost raunchy. Don't get me wrong I am not a prude by any means and given the fact that we have a Goddess of Love character, I can see the need for more sexual encounters..but to me they didn't have much to do with Love, more towards the characters just "getting their rocks off" unfortunately..
I miss the romance, intrigue, the flirty bantering that was in her past books.

I think if I had not read this book I wouldn't have missed it....I loved Goddess by Mistake and Goddess of the Rose, and her other Goddess summoning books were all fun to read.. flirty, sexy, amusing at times, but not so "in your face" raunchy.. when I see a new P.C Cast book out I am looking forward to a witty, sexy, flirty read...and this book didn't deliver it.
I hope the next book doesn't go the way this book has..I may just give up on Ms.Cast's books.

Goddess of Love is really two love stories in one, which is where I think the author PC Cast went wrong. The couples are Venus and Griffen and Pea and Vulcan. Venus is the Goddess of Love and Vulcan the God of Fire. They married each other, but it is a marriage in name only. Pea invokes Venus' aid to help her win her crush Griffen, local Fire Captain. Unfortunately, Venus and Griffen spark instead of Pea and Griffen. Vulcan is looking for a replacement so he can go to the constellations. He sees Pea and immediately feels a kinship with her.

In my opinion, Vulcan and Pea story should have been the main focus. Who cares if the Goddess of Love find love? Isn't that her whole purpose? The few times Cast wrote from Vulcan's perspective where the most enjoyable parts of the book. I really liked his character and I think the author should have flushed him out and made him even more real. Unfortunately, he is the character given the least amount of time.

Pea was so-so. She was supposed to be Plain Jane, but in reality she was just clueless about herself and all that needed to be done was for her to quit brushing her hair. I do not have curly hair, but even I know you don't brush it. Seriously? No one has ever told Pea not to brush her hair in her 30 so years of life? The beginning of the book she was seriously whiny and insecure, suddenly she has an epiphany and she is Miss Confidence with a side of Seduction. She was a much more enjoyable character afterwards.

Venus was shallow. I also found it really hard to get around the fact that half of her conversations where either cursing the gods private parts or asking about orgasms. I also find it really hard to comprehend how the Goddess of Love has never been in love.

Griffen was also so-so. It is hard to like a guy who can't remember Plain Jane Pea even though he met her three times the same day.

Overall, Goddess of Love is an uncomplicated story lacking in complex characters and dialogue. This is an excellent choice for the book that you don't want to concentrate to hard on. If you are looking for depth and characters you can sink your teeth into, try again.

All the characters were so shallow in this book. The humor and humanization of the greek gods and Goddesses that I enjoyed in the first few books of this series were completely lost amidst pointless sex and makeovers in this newest volume.

Wish I hadn't bothered buying or reading this title...

Dorreth "Pea" Chamberlain was tired of being forgettable. All she wanted to do was catch the eye of hunky fireman, Griffin DeAngelo. Instead, she once again embarrasses herself in front of him. Using an incantation from a book, she invokes the aid of the goddess Venus. With a little help from Hera, Venus now finds herself bound to Pea until Pea finds happiness. Little does Venus realize but she'll also be helping herself....

Pea Chamberlain is a hoot! Her evolution from a shy, somewhat dorky character into a woman full of self confidence in both her inner and outer beauty is stunning. Who couldn't help but cheer for Pea as she begins blossoming into her own version of a goddess?

P.C. Cast does a phenomenal job at character development. Not only is Pea vividly portrayed, but so are Venus, Griffin, and Vulcan. I loved each and every one of these individuals and was thrilled that P.C. Cast figured out the perfect happily-ever-after for them all. Vulcan's story particularly touched my heart as one can easily imagine his pain at having a so-called "imperfection" and being so very different among all the perfect gods and goddesses of Mt. Olympus.

P.C. Cast never fails to enchant with her mesmerizing tales of love. GODDESS OF LOVE beautifully intertwines the modern day world with the mythology of the gods and goddesses. This captivating tale is pure magic! GODDESS OF LOVE is on the spicy side as this sensuous tale truly explores every facet of both the emotional and physical side of love. Once again, P.C. Cast scores a hit with GODDESS OF LOVE.

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

Who would have ever thought the Goddess of Love herself was still looking for a love of her own?

"Pea" Chamberlain is very unlucky in love. She's had a crush on sexy fireman neighbor Griffin for a while but he doesn't even know she's alive. It certainly doesn't help then she gets all silly and fluttery when he's around, embarrassing herself in some way or another. So when Pea invokes Venus with an incantation she never expected to work, Venus is more than happy to help Pea find love.

However, Venus never counted on falling for the sexy fireman herself. What's a Goddess to do when she's sworn to help an innocent human at the risk of her own happiness? Good thing the god of Fire, Vulcan (who just happens to be Venus' husband in a marriage of convenience) sees Pea in his pillar of flame and falls for her himself! Can two of the great Olympians find happiness with the humans who have stolen their hearts?

Every time I read a book in the Goddess Summoning series I am amazed yet again at the way PC Cast blends ancient mythos with the modern world and Goddess of Love is no exception. Only she can take her own brand of humor and give us a rip-roaring good time when we meet the great gods. I laughed out loud many times over Venus' escapades in "the kingdom of Tulsa." One especially memorable scene is a meal shared by Venus and Persephone in a restaurant the first time Pea and Venus meet. Why is it so hilarious? Well you'll just have to find out for yourself.

Of course, any story starring the "Goddess of Love, Romance and the Erotic Arts" is bound to be a sexy one and Cast turns up the heat ten-fold in Goddess of Love! This story is hotter than the fires Vulcan controls so be ready to fan the flames. The passion found between both reluctant couples is positively electric and more than once you'll need a nice tall glass of ice water to cool off.

One thing I absolutely loved is that in spite of being gods, Venus and Vulcan are, well... human in their insecurities and fears. Vulcan has never fit in with all the golden deities on Olympus, from his unusual dark coloring to his twisted leg that causes him to always walk with a limp. So when he sees outcast Pea he can't help but feel a connection with her because they are so much alike. Then there's Venus. She spends so much time making sure everyone else finds the love they deserve that she neglects herself, and the emptiness growing inside. When she meets Griffin, suddenly Venus realizes what she's missing in her immortal life. The guilt she feels over falling for the man she's supposed to be helping Pea to win endears her to us even more as we see how much she is suffering over her unrestrained emotions for the man her friend desires.

Pea is a delightful character. She has so much love to give, as is evidenced in the affection she shows for her friends and Venus and the love she has for her pets, including her very own "Scottie-cat" who steals the show every time she puts in an appearance. Pea starts out as a stumbling, bumbling, nerdy, and easily embarrassed dancer but with the help of Venus, she comes into her own. As she slowly gains confidence in herself, her entire demeanor changes until she finally meets the one man who can set her soul on fire. Everyone can relate to Pea. For who doesn't have their own insecurities? No matter how good we may be at some thing or another, there is always something that turns us into a babbling fool.

Goddess of Love is a sexily enchanting read that I couldn't resist. I look forward to our next foray into PC Cast's Goddess Summoning world.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, May 2007. All rights reserved.

For eons, Venus has been in a convenient marriage to Vulcan, but she is bored with her life. Eternity is seeming very long, so she pays a visit to Peresphone, Goddess of Spring, who now makes her home, part of the time, in Tulsa. Little does she know that while she and her sister goddess are enjoying a day shopping, one mortal will act to change her destiny. Pea Chamberlain is gawky and has a terminal case of foot in mouth disease, but she wants to have a better life. With that in mind, she uses a spell found in a bestselling book to summon Venus' aid; no one is more surprised than she when she gets it. Because the spell had a bit of help from Hera, Venus is bound to stay in Tulsa until Pea gets the happiness she longs for. However, Venus does not find this a chafing experience. Once she convinces the mortal that she is who she says she is, Venus finds herself reveling in her task, enjoying the simple joys of mortality and of helping this unusual young woman. Playing Henry Higgins to Pea's Eliza is the easy part. Finding love for her, without magic, is tough. The most obvious solution is Griffin DeAngelo, a hunky fireman Pea has a crush on, but he has eyes only for Venus. His feelings are returned, even though she knows it's not right. However, Venus is not the only immortal on Earth, and the other one might have his heart set on Pea.

**** P.C. Cast is an expert at writing fun romances that you can't help but smile over as you read. Pea is such an every woman that readers will identify with her vicariously with ease. Ms. Cast has taken mythology, Cinderella, a bit of Shakespeare, and a dash of Shaw and mixed them with her own style of comedy for a winning read that is as heartwarming as it is funny. ****

Amanda Killgore