Review: WHY such a KILLER cliffhanger?
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 29, 2013
Since I've written lengthy reviews for the last two books in this series, I'm going out of the norm for me, and writing one for this book, because readers beware. . . The ending is heartbreaking and doesn't really fit with our heroine' s personality.First off, I am totally addicted to the characters and the world of this series and was overall pleased with this edition. This author literally had this reader hanging on the edge of her seat multiple times and we even have the romantic moment we've all been waiting for.Then, the ending happens and wham. . . Personality shift for Mackenzie? Huh?Spoiler alert and some serious reader angst below. . .I think I'm having some PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) from the emotions the end of this book has made me feel. My heart aches for Corrigan and Mackenzie! It's a powerful gift when an author makes the reader feel so viscerally for their characters, but cliffhangers like this one is just cruel!Good God, Ms Harper, couldn't you have chosen to give us an epilogue or a sneak peak at the fifth book? Something?Ok, so it is what it is.  For whatever reason, some authors make this choice. . Artistic choice or book sales, who knows?  To me, this feels like book sales. . . Why would Mack let people she doesn't trust dictate her love life to her? Nope, doesn't sit with this reader.  So. .  Do I wish for a different type of ending? HECK YES! As a fellow artist, I do appreciate this artistic choice and feel that this book would have been a five star rating.  But, this cliffhanger reads false. If the next book has the same gimmick at the end, great series and author withstanding, I'll lose respect! Fool me once and all that. . .Here are my quick thoughts on the book:This author has proven herself to be consistent with all characters involved (until the last chapter), the world building continues to expand, our heroine persists in her character growth, and the supporting cast always stay true to form.Mackenzie is faced with more problems to solve and the plot continues full tilt through the entire book. There are a lot of LOL moments with Aubreys character, as he adds more color to Mack' s world. Very vivid scenes where the characters are totally fleshed out and the reader can imagine everything as they read on. Totally fantastic! Loving Solus and of course Corrigan. . . MmmmmThere is still room for improvement with the editing. I've continually noticed little grammatical errors, and I'm not a grammar nut either. At some moments, I caught myself rereading a sentence to make sure I got the meaning due to missing punctuation, the wrong word, or a repeated word. Not really a big deal to me, but enough for me to notice. So. . . Editor(s), that's what you are supposed to correct.Whew. . . I'm feeling a little angsty after that killer cliffhanger. Please fix it Ms Harper. And readers. . . Beware, or it will catch you like it did me. (Have some tissues or a punching bag near.)