Review: Unique & Fantastical Read With a Drool-Worthy Hero
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 19, 2013
Katalina Leon has created a sensual and fanciful story combining elements of the paranormal, past life events, ghosts, and the enduring power of love.  From its melodic feel of the Irish countryside to the bloody and heart-pounding sense of death during battle, Ms. Leon pulls readers in to this romantic yet frightening world where the lines between the past and present are blurred.  The only thing for certain is that love will show the way to a HEA no matter how hard the heroine fights it.Maeve has just ended an awful marriage to a man who took away her faith in love.  To help herself heal, and to get a fresh start by putting the past behind her, she comes to a castle long a part of her family to study her ancestor's pasts.  From the moment she arrives she feels an intense connection to the castle and its surroundings.  To further her education she's introduced to a mysterious man who bears an uncanny resemblance to a heroic ancestor who she feels an instant electrical connection to.  Within one day she's had a sexual encounter with a ghost, been put in the middle of a bloody battle with her life in jeopardy, and numerous other romantic life events from the past between her and her love Ronan.  Soon she's not sure what's real and what's a dream as each event becomes more lifelike with the outcome becoming increasingly important.Ronan is a very sexy and honorable man with unbelievable secrets surrounding him.  At first glance he appears to be a bit of a homebody with an uncanny knowledge of his family's past.  He's immediately drawn to Maeve and is desperate to spend as much time with her as he can in one day.  There's a sense of desperation to their time together that he eventually reveals the meaning behind.....He's been a protector of the castle for centuries in griffin form biding his time until his long lost love returns to say the words to return him to human form permanently.  He has one day to convince his love of their past and the importance of their entwined hearts before he'll vanish back into a griffin forever.  It's a heartbreaking and powerful story about the true power of love to move mountains and with the sweet and sensual wooing that Ronan enacts to win over Maeve I was completely immersed in their bittersweet relationship.  It brought tears to my eyes how much he wanted a normal life, he wanted to end the limbo he was condemned to and to have the possibility for happiness right in front of him was painful to witness at times.The mythological events in this story were intriguing but got a bit too overwhelming at times.  The rules Ronan had to live by occasionally became blurred as did his understanding of modern items (he knew what a condom was) in some instances but confusion with other things.  Maeve's place in the past was also blurred as at times she was merely an observer while an active participant at other times with no explanation.  While I adored Ronan and his sweet and sexy nature (he's a true romantic at times), I was occasionally left frustrated by Maeve.  I know she was hurt in the past but she let it taint what she felt for Ronan.  With so many truths staring her in the face she was still willing to hold back out of fear which led to a dicey conclusion.  Overall I enjoyed this story and its hodgepodge of themes nicely balanced with steamy sexual interludes.  Ms. Leon has penned another satisfying story and I look forward to what she has planned for us next.