When we ran our guest review contest, we knew there was a chance one of the winners would end up getting a book she did not like. That meant writing a not-so-favorable review. It's one thing for us here at PBR not to like a book and say it. We have a mission statement that promises honest reviews. Along with that, we have a deeply ingrained view that open discourse about books and craft is good for the romance genre. To ask a guest revier to abide by those parameters seemed a bit, well, harsh. After all, it was supposed to be a fun contest. We did not want or intend to put anyone in an awkward position.
When Cathy turned in her contest review for Devour by Melina Morel and expressed some reservations about the book, we felt like we put Cathy in a difficult position. Then we realized Cathy wasn't complaining. She read. She reviewed. She wrote what she really felt. She was not nasty or personal. The book just didn't work for her. Simple. We admire that.
So, thanks to Cathy for being part of the contest and checking out Devour. Bigger thanks to her for keeping with the philosophy at the site.
**GUEST REVIEW**
First off, here is the blurb on the back cover: Set in modern-day New York City, Devour weaves a spellbinding tale about a woman who will journey into the heart of danger to fulfill her destiny…
The Hunter - She has one reason for coming to Manhattan. It is her fate. The latest in a long line of werewolf hunters, she has come for him.
The Werewolf - Dashing Pierre de Montfort has rarely had trouble hiding his cursed heritage. But now, with his secret about to be revealed, he is willing to do anything-and savage anyone-in order to stay alive.
The Vampire - Beautiful and intrepid Catherine Marais has no qualms about her destiny. Nothing will stop her from destroying the last Montfort werewolf-not even Ian Morgan, the two-hundred year old vampire whose electrifying touch could tempt Catherine to indulge in a
forbidden darkness from which she may never return.
We have human werewolf hunters, a vampire, a secret society, an evil werewolf, and it sounds like there is a good romance story going on here too, all the elements I look for when I grab a paranormal book. So what was it about this story that had me putting it aside half way through? Definitely, if you are looking for a sympathetic werewolf, you won't find that in Pierre. He is a savage killer, and we know this from the first time we meet him. In fact, those very descriptive killings bumped this story more into the horror category for me.
That left me anticipating a good romance story, and the author has actually given us two couples to care about, but the fact is I just never did. Both romance storylines fell flat for me when I couldn't feel any sexual or emotional connection between the lovers. Catherine comes across as cold, stiff and formal, and I just didn't see what the big attraction was for Ian, and therefore didn't care about where or how their relationship progressed.
There is whole other romantic storyline that involves another werewolf hunter, and a woman who ends up with ties to both Pierre and Ian, but again no real romance. I actually read right over the fact that they had become lovers, it was all handled in a couple of sentences.
I freely admit I am a paranormal romance junkie, and I wanted to care about these couples as we learn about their lives in this world that Melina has created, but neither the plot nor the characters ever really captured my interest. I could see that this story might appeal to those looking for more of a paranormal/horror/thriller storyline, but it just didn't work for me.
You can visit Melina here (sort of) and buy this book here and here.
