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"Heart Stings"
by
Jennifer Estep
It is part of the Elemental Assassin #19.5 series and is a dark fantasy in a Kindle edition that was published by the author on May 9, 2023 and has 178 pages.
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Other books in this series include [books_series]
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Spider’s Bite, Web of Lies, Jennifer Estep, Venom, Karma Girl, Tangled Threads, Touch of Frost, Spider's Revenge, Kiss of Frost, Hot Mama, By a Thread, Dark Frost, Widow's Web, Crimson Frost, Deadly Sting, Midnight Frost, Heart of Venom, The Spider, Killer Frost, Tangled Dreams, Tangled Schemes, Spider's Bargain, "Poison", Spider’s Nemesis, "Wasted", "Web of Death", "Web of Deceit", Black Widow, Poison Promise, Cold Burn of Magic, The Spider's Trap, Dark Heart of Magic, Bitter Bite, Unraveled, "Nice Guys Bite", Bright Blaze of Magic, Snared, Kill the Queen, "Winter's Web", Last Strand, Sharpest Sting, "Unwanted", Dirty Deeds 2
A novella, 19.5 in the Elemental Assassin dark paranormal fantasy series, revolving around Gin Blanco, the Spider. The focus is on Lorelei Parker and takes place in Ashland, North Carolina. I suspect that “Spider and Frost“, 19.6, takes place concurrently.
“Heart Stings” was first published in the Dirty Deeds 2 anthology.
My Take
In a switch, “Heart Stings” takes place from Lorelei Parker’s perspective using first person protagonist point-of-view and is an interesting look-in at how Lorelei has refined her skills to be useful as well as a look back at past events in the series. Including Tucker when he opens up about his reasons for joining the Circle and reveals quite a lot to Lorelei. Oh, yeah.
Ooh, mama! That Lorelei can dish it right back! I loved how she fixed Clyde’s wagon, ahem. I did appreciate that she could recognize when she screws up.
I had to laugh at Lorelei’s descriptions of some of the outrageous requests her clients make. More laughter ensued with her thoughts of becoming as assassin, as it would be easier than trying to make people happy.
Estep always manages to include references to the other series she writes.
While Mallory and Stuart’s plans for a second party are sweet, if rather mean, the real story is about Lorelei and Tucker with lots of looks back at the past.
The Story
That first wedding reception, last month, was something of a disaster, and Mallory and Stuart want to have another reception. One without, um, issues.
It’s why they’re having the party while Gin is out of town . . .!
Then more bad news when a vicious criminal sets out to terrorize Lorelei.
The Characters
Lorelei Parker, a “former” smuggler, has a gift of Ice and Metal and has recently taken control of Dimitri Barkov’s shipping yard. These days she finds items for clients. A rose with thorns rune reminds Lorelei of her mother and the danger of beauty. Both dwarves, the +300-year-old Mallory Parker, Lorelei’s many-greats-grandmother, is recently married to Stuart Mosley, who is president of First Trust Bank, and they’re just back from their honeymoon. Lily Rose Pike, an Ice elemental, had been Lorelei’s mother. Renaldo Pike had been Lorelei’s abusive father. Raymond Pike had been her half-brother with a Metal gift (Spider’s Trap, 13).
[The former] Dimitri Barkov’s shipping yard
Dario Valdez is one of the watchmen. Karlotta Valdez is his wife and Lorelei’s personal assistant. Vaughn Construction is Lorelei’s renovation crew. Jack Corbin’s replacement hasn’t yet been hired (Spider’s Trap).
Gin Blanco owns the Pork Pit, a popular barbecue restaurant. She’s also known as the Spider, an assassin, as well as the official queen of the Ashland underworld. Owen Grayson is Gin’s significant other with a Metal gift. Finnegan Lane is Gin’s foster brother and an investment banker dating Detective Bria Coolidge, Gin’s sister. Fletcher Lane, an assassin known as the Tin Man, had been Gin’s foster father and the original owner of the Pork Pit. Eira had been Gin’s mother and with whom Tucker had been in love.
Silvio Sanchez, a gay vampire, is Gin’s personal assistant — and he is so bored in “Heart Stings”, lol. Sophia Deveraux is the head cook at the Pork Pit; she’s also an excellent body disposer. Roslyn Phillips, a vampire, owns the Northern Aggression nightclub.
Jo-Jo Deveraux, an Air elemental, is Sophia’s sister and runs a popular beauty salon. Detective Xavier is Bria’s partner on the police force. Liam Carter, with a mix of giant and dwarven blood, is Silvio’s significant other and provides protection services.
Hugh Tucker, a vampire, had been Mitchell’s right hand man in the Circle — now he’s O’Neal’s. Mason Mitchell, Gin’s uncle and a Stone elemental, had been the longtime leader of the Circle, a secret society of crime and corruption. The Mitchell Mile would have been a disaster (Last Strand, 19). Alanna Eaton had been a cannibalistic vampire (Venom in the Veins, 17). Dierdre Shaw had tried to rob the bank (Bitter Bite, 14). Walter Butler is hiring himself out as a hitman. Emery Slater, a female giantess, had been one of Mason’s enforcers, and she really hates Gin.
Clyde O’Neal, a smuggler with giant and dwarven blood, is one of Ashland’s meanest, nastiest, and most ruthless underworld bosses.
Underwood’s is an expensive, fancy restaurant. The Rhododendron Inn is a luxury resort built by Marisol Patton in the early 1900s.
The Cover and Title
The cover is an electric royal blue from the mansion in the background with its single lit window to the open briefcase in the snowy forefront with its glowing spider rune inside. At the very top is an info blurb in yellow with the author’s name directly below it in a gradated yellow to orange with shadowing. At the bottom, below the briefcase is the title in a blend of yellow serif for the first word and that gradated yellow-to-orange for the second word in a curvier font. At the very bottom is the series info in yellow with a black shadow.
The title refers to those “Heart Stings”, those blends of pleasure and pain that zing through your body.
