19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
I need more explanation, December 5, 2009
This review is from: The Wallflower: A Hunting Love story, Halle Puma Series Book 1. (Kindle Edition)
The story is a light, low-conflict story that I think is suppose to set up a series regarding werecats (pumas, which are typically known as cougars in the US). Dr. Max Cannon has returned to his hometown after a 10-year absence. Drop-dead gorgeous, his old flame plans to trap him into making a public commitment to her. Unbeknownst to her, though, Max is on to her and he has another interest: Max has eavesdropped on a phone conversation and finds himself sexually interested in a woman based on her verbal sass and fire, Emma Carter. Emma, one of the town's wallflowers, isn't conscious of how her spirit and generous curves entice the town's #1 bachelor.
Upon reacquainting himself with Emma (he knew her casually in high school), Max's hormones go into overdrive and he slickly maneuvers her into a date, which ends with him "marking" her his mate and turning her into a werecat.
I wanted to like this book as I really liked Emma. Emma has a sharp tongue and a wicked sense of humor (after discovering Max has "turned" her, she asks him if she needs to stock up on cat litter).
However, I need more insight to Max, the whole concept of were-Pumas, and the town of Halle itself. I ended up with way more questions than answers such as: Why did Max leave 10 years ago and how was he able to hold onto Alpha Leader status during this entire time? Why is Emma "OK" about the sudden and irreversible change to her body that Max made without her consent? If the town has humans and Pumas co-existing peacefully and intermingling socially, why doesn't Emma know about the Pumas already?
I need more information about the town itself: the story rings like a small-town setting with a masquerade being the social highlight. However, it's large enough that not everybody knows of the existence of a sub-society within its midst.
I needed way more explanation of how the were-Puma society functions. Max supposedly fought as a human for the position of pack Alpha, but then he takes off for 10 years without any threat to his position of power. Alphas have an ability to release power to exert their will, but Emma is able to do this with no training or understanding of this power. How is that? One of the reasons Max marks and turns Emma so quickly is to avoid being trapped into a partnering with another woman: this other woman can apparently force him into making a gesture against his will. How?
I also wanted more foundation for a relationship between Max and Emma. It's set-up that Emma's held a torch for Max in high school, but he didn't really give her a second thought (though he admits to a moment of lust). Their relationship seems based on Emma's infatuation and Max's beliefs on what he needs. There's no real "us" to the relationship, so it doesn't work for me at all.
I think the author has potential, I just need more complexity to the story.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good but a little too fast, December 18, 2008
This review is from: The Wallflower: A Hunting Love story, Halle Puma Series Book 1. (Kindle Edition)
Likeable characters and engaging story but the way the main characters suddenly became mates was a little too fast for me. I prefer romances where characters work somewhat to get their happy endings since that aspect makes it more believable to me. Still the characters here are very likeable and the story flowed well. For the price of the kindle book it is a very good buy and worth keeping. I will read the next story in the series and hope Amazon makes the third book available soon. If not the third book is available at booksonboard.com.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I also greatly enjoyed the detail applied to aspects of the characters personalities, March 25, 2009
This review is from: The Wallflower: A Hunting Love story, Halle Puma Series Book 1. (Kindle Edition)
Emma Carter, co-owner of Wallflowers, has been in love with Max Cannon since grade school and is pretty sure he'll never be interested in her wholesome good looks. Boy, was she wrong. Max overhears her voice while at his friend Simon's and is can't believe that the sexy voice making joking innuendos with his Beta and ordering him around is shy Emma Carter. Determined to discover if Emma lives up to her voice, Max gets Simon to bring him along when he drops off his new masterpiece at Wallflowers.
After getting fed up with his ex Livia chasing him all around town, Emma is a breath of fresh air with a delightful sense of humor and oh, yeah, there is just one little thing... she's also his Mate. Max is the Alpha Were-Puma of the local Pride. He breaks it to her quite soon and she takes it with surprising aplomb before he takes her home and promptly divests her of her virginity. Add in best friends who love each other, but won't admit it, ex's who won't give up, and a masquerade where Emma must prove her power as the Curana before the Pride or forever be looked down upon and you have delightful romp of a romance that is just plain fun to read.
I really enjoyed this tale by Dana Marie Bell, the characters were interesting and well written for a shorter story and the explanation of the Were-Pumas was short and sweet which I great appreciated because it let the culture have an active part in the romance without making it the milestone to be crossed as it is portrayed in so many paranormal stories. I also greatly enjoyed the detail applied to aspects of the characters personalities (like the photos on the mantle), that say much of a person without having to spell it out for the reader and the humor which left me snorting in my seat (kitty litter? Priceless).
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