I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Eternal Lover
by
Hannah Howell, Jackie Kessler, Lynsay Sands, Richelle Mead
It is part of the , series and is a anthology, paranormal romance in Paperback edition that was published by Kensington Books on April 1, 2008 and has 352 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Eternal Lover, Highland Sinner, Black and White, Dates from Hell, A Quick BIte, The Bite Before Christmas, Love Bites, Holidays are Hell, Succubus Blues, Succubus on Top, Succubus Dreams, Succubus Heat, Vampire Academy, Succubus Shadows, Frostbite, Succubus Revealed, Shadow Kiss, Richelle Mead, Blood Promise, Storm Born, Spirit Bound, Iron Crowned, Last Sacrifice, Thorn Queen, Shadow Heir, Bloodlines, Kisses from Hell, Indigo Spell, Gameboard of the Gods, The Fiery Heart, The Immortal Crown, Silver Shadows, Soundless, The Ruby Circle
Four stories about immortal lovers from the historical to the contemporary in this anthology.
Series
“A Hell of a Time” (Hell on Earth, 2.5)
“City of Demons” (Georgina Kincaid, 2.5)
The Stories
Hannah Howell‘s “Yearning” is a tale of a pregnant lover spurned when he prefers a woman with wealth and land. She curses his line, not caring that the curse will rebound on to her own family as well. It takes hundreds of years before one of her descendants figures out how to break the curse.
It was cute but took some work to get through the Scottish accent. Not much tension. Also in found in His Immortal Embrace.
Jackie Kessler‘s “A Hell of a Time” was different. An ex-succubus who has a difficult time letting go of her demon joys is whisked off by her honorable policeman lover, Paul Hamilton, to a remote cabin in the woods after she’s attacked at a bakery.
I got rather irritated about her keeping her plant troubles to herself — didn’t she consider that maybe her lover might need to know about it to protect himself as well? That aside, it was rather funny how the plants kept attacking Jess and then the hamadryad at the end when she was going after Paul…eek!
Richelle Mead‘s “City of Demons” was bittersweet. Georgina has been stuck on a jury trying the murder of a demon, and since she and Seth were supposed to spend time together, he goes along. But Seth is spending his time at a cafe with a very interested waitress, and Georgina decides to test Seth.
Matters are not helped when Georgina refuses to be bribed into a judicial decision, although it is pretty funny when Mead reminds us of how much Hell enjoys torturing with paperwork. Certainly an interesting insight into demon mentality. In some ways, not too far removed from human.
Lynsay Sands‘ “Bitten” is another historical piece in which a young woman is the only one left alive on a ship after a storm at sea. Rescued by the not-the-Laird, Emily tries to pay him back (and stay in his castle to avoid marrying the wicked earl) by cleaning the place.
It’s cute although Sands glossed over a number of things from just how Keeran managed to get out to a doomed ship and back to Emily coercing villagers up to work at the castle as well as her spending time on her hands and knees…cleaning. Also found in His Immortal Embrace.
The Cover and Title
The cover is teals and blues with a huge full moon and a bare silhouette of tree branches in front of the moon with a short-haired hottie glancing out at us with a question in his eye, his head and naked shoulders all that we can see.
The title refers to four Eternal Lovers in each of the four stories.
