Customer Reviews

Heart Fate (Celta's HeartMates, Book 7)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I just love the world of Celta, the magical Flair, the Wiccan-ish culture and the promise of a bond with the perfect mate, a Heartmate.

Heart Fate has some very emotional moments, for Lashin, whose married life was a nightmare, and for Tinne Holly (brother to Holm from Heart Duel (Celta's HeartMates, Book 3)) who honorably accepted that he'd lost the chance to pursue his Heartmate and found another woman to marry. But both Tinne and Lashin are now free from those marriages - Lashin repudiates her marriage at the same time as Tinne's wife divorces him. I was probably struck most by the powerful portrayal of Tinne's suffering magnified by his wife's rejection and the emotionally grueling divorce testing which forced him to relive the loss of their love and dredged up his anguish over the death of his child-to-be and his inability to reach his wife past their shared grief. Lashin too is emotionally damaged as she flees her horrific marriage and struggles to overcome the memories of victimization at the hands of her abusive, rapacious husband and his evil spawn. Her emotional ordeal is less concentrated but inspires sympathy and anger at the hopeless helplessness she had to endure.

After the last book I was worried that the series was going to succumb to the "formula trap" that plagues many long running series, but Heart Fate while sharing the world, and featuring some old favorite characters in cameo roles, brings together the HeartMates Tinne and Lashin in a much different way than in the previous books. Instead of an emphasis on an instant physical connection, there was a tentative reaching out as the damaged pair meet and share the sanctuary of First Grove which is granted to only the wounded and shattered of body, heart or spirit. They slowly begin to form a relationship, first with just the barest hint of trust as Tinne approaches the skittish Lashin and shows her not all men are evil. Next they grow into friendship and a caring that sparks an attraction that smolders until Lashin is willing to explore a healthy passion with Tinne and then finally both accept the risk to their newly mended souls to trust the bond that they share in order to accept the reward of love that is the gift among Heartmates.

So even though Heart Fate was less romance-y than the previous books, I enjoyed the story, the relationships with friends and family, and watching both Tinne and Lashin grow into stronger more emotionally healthy HeartMates. Also fun was the mutual taming between Lashin and her dangerous looking fam-dog-to-be and Tinne's more typical relationship with his fam-cat. And, characters in their own right, the Balm-Heal residence fit in with the damaged soul theme and the young Turquoise House, which was well on the way to becoming a self-aware residence, was entertaining and provided some lighter moments amid all of the serious goings on. So merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again when Owen's continues with the next of three books in the series.

Once again the return to Celta was highly entertaining and engaging. This time we learn more about Tinne Holly and his heartmate Lahsin. What is so good about this book is that despite the character driven storyline the reader definitely gets a sense of the world of Celta, the politics driving that world and the many aspects of life on Celta which simply amplifies the quality of storytelling in the book. Unlike so many gritty urban fantasies which model their worlds on a gothic style metropolis with 'tough' but foul mouthed heroines that are difficult to relate to, Ms. Owens has created a futuristic world where magic and technology merge almost seamlessly and yet the people are strong without being urban punk, the cities are beautiful, green and nature-oriented and the heroines reveal their strength without resorting to bad language or amoral behavior. Each addition to the Heart mate series offers an excellent story and Heart Fate is no different. The problems that Tinne and his Heartmate suffer do not come off as conveniently contrived for plot advancement and the reader can almost feel their pain because Ms. Owens presents it so eloquently. This story is not only for fans of paranormal romance, (a genre I am not personally a fan of) but for anyone who enjoys a well crafted story about love. Those who haven't experienced the world of Celta needn't fear that they will be lost. The story provides just enough detail to sketch out the world and the backstory from previous Heart books without going off on tangents or moving too far from the focus of the story. An excellent read and one I highly recommend for romance lovers and new comers to the paranormal romance genre. This book will join all the other Heartmate books on my 'keepers' shelf.

I don't know why this book received low rating that it did. I truly did enjoy this book. Yes it isn't as romantic as the other ones but it still doesn't make it a bad book. I was able to relate fully to both of the main characters in the book.

For all the people that said that Tinne's character was weak or off due to him mourning the loss of his wife, I say that you're wrong. He was mourning the loss of the life he had. He finally got to grieve for the child that he loss and for not being able to make his wife happy after that loss. He was grieving for the not being able to protect his heartmate at all. So I fully understand his character and emotions through out this book.

As for Lashin all I can say is that I am proud of her. She knew that she couldn't stay in that farce of a marriage and that she had to go some place where she would be able to grow. Lashin and Tinne needed each other for comfort and companship. They each needed to know what their strengths were and what they are capable of withstanding (emotionally, mentally, and physically). And last but not least I am sooo glad that there wasn't that much communication and dialouge with the Fams. I love TQ, the baby lisp was too cute!!!!

To take the heat off of his older brother Holm, Tinne chose to marry Genista. He had no hope of his heartmate, since he'd learned she'd been married to someone else. But, a broken vow of honor by his parents drew a curse over the household, causing the death of Tinne and Genista's child and the demise of their marriage.

When Lahsin Burdock was sold as a wife, three years before she was an adult, to T'Yew (who was three times her age), Tinne had hoped the man would cherish her as he would have himself, were he free to claim his heartmate at adulthood. That was not to be. T'Yew raped her repeatedly (told but not shown in detail), beat her, berated her, and allowed others in his household to abuse and berate her...all in hopes that he would have control of Lahsin and her flair when she matured...and in hopes that she would bear a son for him.

Much of this is rehash of other books in the series. At the opening of Heart Fate, Lahsin has decided to escape T'Yew's estate before she undergoes her second passage to unlock her flair...and before he can cap her flair with suppressing cuffs. Though the sentient residence isn't willing to let her go, Lahsin shatters all of its defensive spells and runs for her life...to First Grove and Balm Heal, a magical garden that only admits those desperate and in need of healing.

Tinne, on the other hand, is informed by Genista that she wants a divorce. Though commoners sometimes divorce, the nobility never has. Though Tinne knows the scandal of the first noble divorce ever on Celta will stain the family for generations, he feels it would be dishonorable to hold Genista to a marriage that is harming them both. Though the testing is intensive and intrusive, he agrees to it and releases her.

It isn't until the aftermath of his divorce ritual that he learns his heartmate is missing and sets out to track her down. Tinne is devastated by the loss of his child and the divorce, traumatized by several other events in his life/the series. Lahsin is devastated by the cruelty shown her by T'Yew. Neither of them wants a new relationship, but Tinne determines to teach Lahsin to defend herself and to help her survive her second passage, so she might repudiate her marriage to T'Yew and be free from harm. But, are heartmates ever that simple?

We're back to Celta, and it feels like only yesterday that I was reading in this world. As always, Robin Owens' writing is vivid, lush and nearly tactile.

Her characters always have a dark edge, and these characters are no exception to the rule. Their pain is stark and heartfelt. The only complaint I have about the characters is how quickly Lahsin made her final decision to accept Tinne. Other than that, right on the money for me.

As usual, the Fams were a joy! It's a great time when you get to see Fams interact with each other and play one-upmanship. This book gives a great dose of that, with Tinne's catFam (Ilexa) and Lahsin's dogFam (Strother) trading barbs. Anyone who owns animals will appreciate the Fam's personalities. I tend to share cute-Fam stories with my kids, as I read.

Robin makes you cry...and makes you laugh so hard you'll startle your own Fams with the outburst. It's a wild ride of emotion and situation.

Like all the books in the series, it's a keeper and a re-read. It's not my favorite, but Robin's characters are all so wonderful, you'll enjoy the glimpses of them in future books. Can't wait to see whose story we get next!

I love this series and Heart Fate did not dissapoint. Robin D Owens is a fantastic writer. Such imagination and emotion in her stories make the read a wonderful adventure. love love love love.

Robin Owens seems to do a very good job in providing different heros and heroines in each of her books. T'Ash, Tinne Holly, and T-Willow for example are as variant in personality as men can be and yet each make terrific heros.

This book ran in a different vein from the ones before, but thay all have to one point or another. This was a book of healing; man, woman, dog, house, and maybe even cat to a degree; all need to heal, gain hope, and go on.

I enjoyed it a great deal.

Tinne story line grabbed my attention with the first mention that he had married someone other then his heart mate. I had hope that we would get his story, and was excited when I heard about Heart Fate.

Maybe in my mind I built up too much anticipation or this series has just run it course.

The story opens with Tinne's heart mate(Lahsin) running away from her husband. She is about to go through her second passage, marking her as an adult, and she has the right to repudiate her husband. Then we find out that Tinne's wife wants a divorce. They suffered a lost that severely damaged their marriage, and Genista doesn't want to live apart, but wants all ties broken.

The rest of the story is about both Tinne & Lahsin recovering from bad marriages. Neither wants a relationship right now, but Tinne feels an obligation to protect his heart mate.

The story was very readable, and kept me turning the pages. However, it wasn't really a romantic story. There is a lot of angst about their previous hurts, and broken relationships and not enough about the passion between the two couples. Neither seem to feel the need or desire for each other until the very end. Quite different from T'ash story and his need for his heart mate.

One of my favorites in the Heart series. It explores the delicate nature of love between HeartMates when both are suffering, one from loss, another from abuse. Of all the books in the series, this one delves the most deeply into the fragile emotions of the participants, doing an excellent job with how true love can involve selflessly letting go and allowing the other to grow and if need be, to become independent. A page-turner, not only with the action scenes, but with the emotional turmoil taking place. This one had my heart.

Owen followed a different vein in this book from her previous Celta novels. Instead of figuring out murders, thieves, or kidnappings, Owen focuses her conflict on man vs. self. Both Heartmate characters (Tinne Holly and Lahsin Yew) begin the book at the end of a severe life alternating conflict of their own that has been in the background of several books thus far. Lahsin escapes from a three year marriage that was abusive in every way imaginable and worst yet, began at age 14! Tinne begins the story being approached by his wife who ask for a divorce. I know, whoopie, who cares. But if you have been following this story you would know that divorce is all but illegal in this strange world.

As I said, this conflict is all about themselves. How they grow and handle their own problems and situations emotionally, and only after overcoming their own conflicts are they ready to look toward the other for something more. Don't worry, I'm not spoiling the story, how they make it through is absolutely worth reading. It's touching and heartwarming to the extreme. Heck, I even cried by the end.

I've loved every single one of the Heart books from the first one, HEART MATE. Until this one, HEART THIEF had been my favorite. Tinne Holly has been around from the beginning, and it's been fun to watch him grow from a young man to an adult who must overcome such difficult choices. The process to divorce in this rich, evocative world of Celta, was painful to read, but so rewarding because of the way the events made Tinne into a stronger, more mature man capable of dealing with the hurt and heartache of his heart mate, Lahsin, who has run away from an abusive, arranged marriage. The rich tapestry of betrayal and healing makes this one of the best books of the series. Robin Owens is writing at the top of her game.