Review: Dreamlike & Original Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 2, 2011
Stone Kissed left me scratching my head and smiling at the same time. I didn't know what to make of this particular romantic tidbit. Stevens weaves words together in an almost dreamlike pattern. The story is wrapped in similes and metaphors and abstract personifications that had me reading with my eyes at half-mast feeling as if I was drifting into the story itself. It was a very romantic tale, full of magic, sex, bizarre antagonist behavior and quirky small-town life.REVIEW:Delia Forrest talks to statues and strangely they talk back. Thought as odd by everyone, including her own father, Delia has lived a life hiding behind the stone friends that mean everything to her but keep her separated from the rest of the human population. A fire set to her family homes draws her back to her small town and suddenly in desperate waters. Her father has been burned terribly and his hospital bills are mounting and there is no money to pay for them. So far from her business as a statue cleaner/repair person she can't hold on to her clients and take care of her father. She is desperate. So desperate that when Grant Wolverton, the shark that he is, swoops in to buy her home from her, she has to accept, there is nothing she can do. What she does make sure though, is that she is able to over see the renovations and make suggestions about the direction the house will be taken in.The problem arises when Grant and Delia are inexplicably drawn to each other. Delia thinks Grant is a complete shark, emotionless and a control freak and he thinks she is crazy and a liar - not quite the perfect couple but they can't keep their hands off of each other. Just as Delia and Grant start progressing in their relationship another shark enters the pond. Cecily who claims she is Delia's far removed cousin and she has her sights set on Grant and the house and she'll kill to get what she wants.A quirky little tale full of odd behavior and slippery descriptions, I was sucked in from the beginning. Grant and Delia's romance was charming and realistic. The world setting was quaint and very very different. The bad-girl, Cecily was unhinged and bizarre but very scary. I was very pleased with this particular novel.Some things I have to point out is that the abstract descriptions and softly set scenes while unique and intelligent at some points had me confused and unfocused, I was unsure as to what was happening in the novel. I sometimes felt like the story was narrated by someone with ADD and just couldn't focus, especially when Cecily had the reigns...she was just so off kilter. Whacked out hooker she was! Stevens, beyond a shadow of a doubt, has one of the most unique author voices that I have read lately. I'll definitely be keeping my eye on her.RECOMMENDATIONS:Adults only, this is a romance novel with a smidge of paranormal activity. Fans of authors like Nora Roberts and Jennifer Crusie should enjoy.