Kissed by a Dark Prince Eternal Mates, Book #1
By Felicity Heaton
ISBN# 978-1909306806 Author’s Website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Vanessa
Synopsis:
Olivia thinks it’s her lucky night when a dangerously handsome unconscious fae ends up on her inspection table. He’s her chance to redeem herself with her employer, the demon-hunting organisation, Archangel. But when the tall, dark and deadly immortal warrior awakes, she gets much more than she bargained for…
Attacked by his enemy in the elf kingdom, the last thing Prince Loren expects when he comes around is a beautiful angel watching over him and medical technology of the mortal realm. Hazy from his injuries, all he can focus on is the pulse ticking in her throat and the sweet allure of her blood.
One single bite reveals she is his eternal mate, triggering a bond between them that will leave him weakened until it is complete… or broken, and pulling Olivia into the crossfire of his ancient feud.
To protect his people and his mate from the machinations of a madman, Loren must risk everything by working with Olivia at Archangel to find a way to break the bond blossoming between them.
But will Loren be strong enough to place duty before desire and give up the one thing he has waited millennia for and craves above all others—his eternal mate? And will Olivia be able to resist the incredible heat that burns between them and the temptation of her dark prince’s kiss? (Goodreads)
Review:
This is the first book I have read by Felicity Heaton and my opinion on her work is still yet to be determined. I am not one to toss out an author if my first impression is less than ideal. Ultimately I was neutral on this book. There were parts that I enjoyed and parts that I detested.
What I really enjoyed about this book was the author’s vivid world building as well as her new take on the traditional supernatural beings within the paranormal romance genre. There are touches of elements we have seen in previous PNR’s such as bond mates, destiny and a couple thrown together from two very different (and opposite) worlds. However prepare yourself for some things you don’t commonly see, such as a blending of paranormal races combined. (Including fairies with vampiric tendencies)
I also enjoyed the back story of Loren and his brother Vail and the realistic drama that unfolds between two siblings at odds with one another. We slowly learn more about Loren’s world and his abilities as Olivia does. We also get to see his internal conflict between his familial bonds and his duty, which does give his character some emotional depth (that in my opinion was otherwise lacking). We also experience the conflict that both Loren and Olivia feel about their blossoming bond. Each has their own reservations as to why the bond is bad for them, however that ultimately leads them further into each other’s arms.
As far as the characters go, I found myself rather annoyed with both Olivia and Loren. Something about each of them just rubbed me the wrong way, especially Olivia.
One of my biggest problems with this book was the overt sexuality. Now don’t get me wrong. I am an avid fan of passionate and steamy PNR’s, however I just found myself bored with Loren and Olivia. Not only were the characters immediately drawn to one another, but the overwhelming sexual reactions from Loren were just too much for me. We didn’t have any time to really build an emotional connection to the characters because Loren and Olivia were already insanely sexually drawn to one another.
Also Loren’s descriptions of his constant erection and desire for Olivia were a turn off. It just seemed like the author was trying too hard to show how much desire there was between the characters. Sometimes subtly goes a long way in creating tension and excitement. This story definitely borders more on erotica then romance but perhaps I’m not the target audience. I’ve never been a fan of the overly possessive male who knows practically nothing about the female heroine.
Being the first in a series, this is definitely setting up for the next book which I assume will focus more on newer characters and their romantic dilemmas. Although I wasn’t too impressed with this book, I am definitely willing try another book from Felicity Heaton. If you enjoy a sensual and erotic PNR then this book is for you, as there is not shortage of either!
