Customer Reviews

Heart Change

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4 star:		(11)
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Heart Change was a pleasant journey to a favorite world, the wicanish Celta, where magic takes the place of technology and where, if you are lucky, you'll find your perfect love - your Heartmate.

When Signet D'Marigold agrees to aid young seer Vinni's Heartmate, Avellina, through her "passage" - a passage which Vinni `sees' that Avellina will not survive with out Signet's help - Signet suddenly finds her lonely life changing for the better. Not only is Vinni able to finally help Signet identify her formerly unknown yet powerful talent of being a Catalyst who brings positive changes in the lives of those around her but also Signet suddenly finds her home filling up with her young charge and the body guard Vinnie also deems necessary for Avellina's survival - the scarred yet solid Cratag Maytree.

Both Signet and Cratag are pleasant characters and their relationship grows despite Signet's fear of abandonment and Cratag's issues as well. Missing between them is the insurmountable obstacle that many of the former Heartmate pairs have to overcome in order to be together. And since so much of the story is centered around Avellina's passage and bad luck, and with so many other characters having bits of the story, Signet and Cratag don't get a great deal of time alone in the spotlight. This means that they don't get to do a lot of the normal Heatmate things like exchanging Heart Gifts or sharing the Heart Bond.

Overall, Heart Change was an enjoyable enough read with lots of Fams (magical pets), and pieces put into play for future stories, but with most of the focus and the peril not centered on Signet and Cratag, theirs was not one of the most memorable pairings in the series.

At the beginning of the story, Signet is very depressed. Signet's family members are deceased, her friends are gone, her flair is unfocused and unexplainable, and her life seems bleak and futureless. Enter the prophet Vinni, who wants Signet to assist his HeartMate Avellana through her magical passages. Avellana had an accident as a child, and consequently, her brain patterns are damaged. Vinni fears for her life, but with his visions, Vinni sees that Signet can save Avellana. Avellana's family installs her in the mansion and also sees that Signet and Avellana are guarded by Cratag Maytree. Cratag is a diamond in the rough - a strong, supportive man with limited flair, but loyal and a warrior to the bone. Signet quickly realizes that Cratag is her Heartmate. The story is basically about Avellana's crisis with her passage and the love between Signet and Cratag.

Lately, I haven't been reading too much. It seems that my old standby authors are heading in directions I don't particularly care for, i.e., Linda Howard with romantic suspense, and some of my other favorite authors are stretching their series way too far - further than the story can hold your interest, i.e., L.K. Hamilton's Merry series. Still other favorite authors' books seem forced (Nora Roberts) or just plain scattered. Perhaps it's me, but lately, the publishing world doesn't seem to know how to leave the authors alone to tell a really good story. Heart Change is the first book in a while that I started reading and read through within a day or so. It held my interest, and it was a sweet, pleasant story - no overwhelming emo and angst, as some of the stories lately. It was well-written and definitely worth the money and time.

If there are any complaints at all, I felt the ending was rather sudden. I would have liked the story to just continue into the evening and into the Heart Bond. I also would have liked a tad more interaction between Signet and Cratag, but that is a minor complaint. I definitely saw what Signet loved in Cratag, but didn't know what Cratag saw in Signet. He was very focused on her First Family status the entire book, and sometimes I felt that was all he saw, but I still was content that they were in love with each other and felt it was a good match.

What I love about Robin D. Owens is that her books are simply delightful and a joy to read. They are futuristic fairy tales for adults. There is magic, talking cats, precocious children, prophets, teleportation, beautiful clothes, true love and passion. The descriptions of Celta and its people remind me of Impressionist paintings saturated with color and light. Signet is a sweet girl who transforms into a passionate and strong woman. Cratag for all his strength and skill as a warrior finally acts on his attraction to Signet but has to accept himself before he can be truly happy. Avellana, the noble child, is precious without being obnoxious. The danger of her not surviving her First Passage was very real. As the story progresses there is a pervasive sense that there is an unseen danger lurking. It was quite surprising when the source was revealed. I find this series to still be very original and a breath of fresh air. I always look forward to my foray into Ms. Owens' world and I am never disappointed. This volume was no exception and I can't wait for the next installment!
Originally reviewed at Night Owl Romance

Not a review, just a complaint. How does the publisher justify a $12.99 price on a Kindle release for a 2009 publication?? This is just insane!

originally posted at: [...]

I loved this romantic tale about a lonely woman with a battered sense of self-worth finding out not only does she have a future, but her innate gifts will save that which she holds most dear.

Signet is a woman of means, a modicum of status in Celtan society and without purpose. Every person, to one extent or another, has a talent that betters their respective communities and society as a whole. Everyone except Signet and it's wearing her down. Right away the author had me sympathizing with the heroine.

This is the eighth book in the Heart series and it completely stands on its own. Ms. Owens has created an astoundingly vibrant, rich, and busy world populated by Earth's descendants. They don't have technology like we know it. It's powered by psi-talent and incredibly powerful. Because it has become so commonplace, it's become a standard of life and a lot of importance hinges on what kind of talent a person develops. It's eagerly looked forward to and anticipated with a mixture of hopefulness compounded with fear and anxiety of the unknown. Not everyone survives when their talents bloom, like an exploding flower. That is one of the conflicts of Heart Change - a child in her first psi Passage is in danger but no one that they know of can help her and the girl's parents are frantic.

The other conflict is with Signet and it's mostly internal. At first she's despondent, and then a friend of hers visits with news that proves an exceptional boon to her aching heart. However, this information is a good news/bad news kind of thing. She is charged with a duty that will either destroy her, and others, or will be the realization of a dream she'd thought long dead. In dealing with the situation, Signet exhibits, courage, fear, wonder, elation, love and lust. It's not a simple journey and it forces her to grow as a person as she handles the revelation of what her talent actually is and what it can do. I could relate to a lot of her concerns because Ms. Owens imbues her characters with a real feel, an in-depth connection that reaches a reader's emotions.

On top of that, there is Cratag. He's a tortured man who so desperately wants to fit in and belong. The author let me see into his background to understand where the man was coming from. In doing so, Ms. Owens created another character that grabbed my heartstrings and would not let go. He's fought for so much, and lost pieces of himself along the way. Cratag is a man I wanted to see happy, but with a man like him, I knew it would not be easy. He's gruff and grunted a lot, which I actually liked. It fit his personality. He could be tender and he could be ruthless because he was at heart, a warrior. You wouldn't think a battle-hardened man would be comfortable in a peach colored, pastel filled home and yet his adjustment process was part of his charm that hooked me even more.

The external conflict was foreshadowed, but the author did a great job at being sneaky. She dropped a bit of misdirection, so when the bad guy eventually showed up I was as stunned as the main characters. I stared boggle-eyed at the scene where it was revealed. I love surprise twists and the author sure delivered.

Even if a reader never enjoyed the previous books in the series, all the name-dropping here from characters I've met before will not detract or confuse. The author is a master at balancing the current story with just enough basic info from the past installments to pepper it with flavor but never overpower it. I got to see T'Ash and D'Ash again and Vinnie, who actually plays a key role in this book. There is such a feeling of continuity and community, and I find it makes me enjoy every successive book all the more. The mind of Ms. Owens is a truly remarkable and extraordinary gift and I'm so happy to have a chance to visit the planet Celta and its inhabitants once again.

I think there is another conflict I'm forgetting which has to do with Cratag and his extended family. I knew it was going to be a heartbreaker as soon as Vinnie uttered those words. Talking about tearing a man apart - which duty of his heart would he choose? Could he save them both? Poor guy, Ms. Owens put him through an emotional wringer.

The best part of the whole book is the romance. Signet and Cratag are perfect together and therein lays another conflict. One doesn't think they are meant to be together and the other does, but how do they finally come to an accord? That is the beauty of the story; their journey sees them grow as people along with their love. Love doesn't grow in a vacuum, and the author makes sure a reader has no doubts that their relationship will not only survive but thrive. It's a solid happily ever after with a dramatic ending sure to please.

Heart Change is another guaranteed winner for Ms. Owens. Her writing is complex, bold, emotional and creative. Her characters touched me and made me care about what happens to them. I adore her telepathic cats, her ideas about housefluffs and the fact that houses can talk. I read this book until I finished it into the wee hours of the morning because I simply could not put it down. It was entertaining, exciting and romantic. I highly recommend this book and in fact the whole series. The quality of writing never fails and Ms. Owens is an auto-buy for me. Heart Change is going on my keeper shelf with the rest of the Heart family. It's that good.

This was a solid addition to the Heartmate series. The central story focuses on two characters introduced in previous books and sets the stage and reveals more about what is in store for two younger chracters who have central reoccuring roles in the overall series. If you want to get an introduction to the series this is not the best book to start with but for those who have read some of the others its a nice continuation. The two main charaters are mature, have experienced challenges in life and are a good contrast to the relationship of the younger couple so there is a nice balance of romantic experiences. All in all this is a nice relaxing weekend read and a good continuation of the Celta mythology.

There is something about Owens' strange futurest world that I just can't resist. I find each book unique in its own special way. The characters are different and the situations change with each book. Old characters are reintroduced and are allowed to influence the plot, but she doesn't throw every character in the story. In this one the heroine, Signet, is alone. It seems every friend she makes comes into good fortune and leaves her. Even her parents have died. More alone and for too long than she could handle she thinks of ending her life, thus enters Vinni (the young powerful seerer) with a job for Signet. Apparently Vinni has an idea what Signet's power could be and he believes she is the only one who could save his young and future Heartmate. Vinni doesn't know exactly what needs to be done, but he knows enough to determine that Signet will make a difference and that she needs a protector...Cratag.

This is such a romantic and lovely storytelling. I look forward to each of Owen's books in this series and I would highly recommend them to the romantic at "heart."

I really enjoyed this book. I have read all of the Heart series and found this to be one of the better stories. I like how the relationship is developed between the characters and that they are not both gifted with extraordinary powers.

Another great book in the series. Heart change more than lived up to my expectations. Wonderful characters as always. Great development in Vinni's story. As always, can't wait for the next book!

Robin Owens has done it again. Another tale of Celta, that makes me love my visits there. The romance is great, along with the action. The Fams are always getting into everything, yet always there to help when their humans need them. Too bad we couldn't live there, I'd love to have a residence that cleans itself.