I received this book for free from the author as a free story in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the author as a free story
"Gerard Demille and Helen Meet"
by
Ilona Andrews
It is part of the The Innkeeper Chronicles #0.1 series and is a urban fantasy in a PDF edition that was published by the author and has 8 pages.
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Other books in this series include [books_series]
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Must Love Hellhounds, Dark and Stormy Knights, Angels of Darkness, Hexed, Fate's Edge, Hex Appeal, An Apple for the Creature, "Magic Gifts", Gunmetal Magic, Innkeeper Chronicles, Steel's Edge, Magic Bites, Magic Burns, Magic Strikes, Magic Bleeds, Magic Slays, Magic Rises, Magic Bleeds, Burn For Me, Night Shift, Magic Shifts, Magic Binds, White Hot, Wildfire, Iron and Magic, Magic Triumphs, "Diamond Fire", "Sweep with Me", Clean Sweep, Sweep in Peace, "A Mere Formality", Blood Heir, "The King of Fire", Sapphire Flames, "A Misunderstanding", Emerald Blaze, "The Cool Aunt", One Fell Sweep, Sweep of the Blade, "Silent Blade", Fated Blades, On the Edge, Bayou Moon, "George and Jack in School", Sweep of the Heart , Magic Tides, Small Magics, "The Wilson Building", "Conlan’s Birthday Text", "Dabwaha", "Don't Fight with Fate", “A Bit More of Roman”, “Getting Distracted”, "Sgt Munoz Had to Go", Ruby Fever, "Regina", Magic Tides, "The King of Fire", Magic Claims, "Sandra", "No Heroes", "Purpose", "A Mere Formality", "I Will Explain Everything", "Sanctuary", "Kind Regards"
A short story, 0.1, in The Innkeeper Chronicles urban fantasy series that is available for free on Andrews’ website and revolving around Maud and Dina’s parents and set in Musk, Georgia.
My Take
This is a frustrating tale — I know that Gerard and Helen are the parents who disappear from Dina’s life, and you’ll have to take some time to figure out what is happening with Gerard. Is he a ghost? Is he alive? What?? It takes some piecing together as well. And it still doesn’t answer my questions!
It’s more like Andrews leaves us with questions. Whether this particular house is Gretchen Hunt or not. If Gerard is the magic-filled person who is an innkeeper. How he got trapped. How long he’s been trapped. Who trapped him.
Andrews uses third person protagonist point-of-view from Gerard’s perspective, and it’s a good thing he can astral project so we catch all the action!
Why does Andrews tell the kids to go upstairs twice?
I love getting the background but there is so little here… It’s as if they wrote a chapter and figured, eh.
The Story
Trapped, Gerard Demille needs a woman. Not just any woman. He needs one who’s malleable, one who can be manipulated into freeing him.
The Characters
Gerard Demille knows magic and is trapped.
Helen is divorced with two children: six-year-old Charlie who will eat a spider for a dollar and a little girl. Charles is her ex-husband.
The real name of Mirabelle Heath, the picture perfect real estate agent, is Shirley Heath.
Colonel Groves built the house in 1859.
The Title
The title is not quite accurate, as it’s more like “Gerard Demille Meets Helen” instead of “Gerard Demille and Helen Meet”.
