I enjoyed it but had difficult time seeing how these two "fell" for each other. I didn't see the connection, never believed in them as a couple. Outside of the relationship I enjoyed the story and the other characters, one gets a worst mother award ! I haven't read any other books in this series, it easily stands alone. ( )

I will tell you this about the 3 books in this little trilogy.....it went from wholesome and cute to just shy of 50 shades of gray lol.......i preferred the first 2 over the 3rd but that is mostly because this last book had a lot more to do with witchcraft and soul-less people, not my thing. ( )

meh. not her finest work. ( )

I was really enjoying this little book...dominant hero, a heroine strong enough to keep him on his toes, a little witchcrafty weirdness. Very nice.

And then...the witchcrafty weirdness drained all the cozy intimacy that had characterized this series. No one can know Justine's a witch, so no one gets to really be her friend. Uh. Okay. Heaven forbid the story walk on the wild side and let people in on the witchcraft secret.

...Unsurprisingly, right about then the magic ceased being fresh and interesting and began its sad, boring slog toward Predictabletown. I can only assume that all the book's originality efforts were going toward the sex scenes. Which galloped into the bizarre so swiftly that I cringed while reading them. Maybe their content and focus wouldn't have bothered me between another couple, but there didn't seem to be sufficient intimacy and trust between Justine and Jason to warrant that kind of sex play.

And then.... ::cue long-suffering sigh:: The hero did That Thing. That Thing where he proves himself to be a complete and utter asshat. Which, okay, maybe makes sense for his character. I mean, he is a dominant, play-to-win sort of dude. But isn't Justine supposed to be a make-him-work-for-it kind of gal? How is she angry for a day or three and then allowing him to bully her into doing what he wants as he struts toward the bedroom?

This is especially bothersome because That Thing that he did? He did it for her own good, riding roughshod over her wishes and rights the whole time. Her mother's coven did exactly the same thing and both Justine and Jason agreed that such behavior was Abuse. But when he does it? ::giggles and twirls hair:: "Oh, Jason! Don't you know how angry that makes me? Now c'mere, lover, and let me hang on your arm as we schmooze with your groupies!" (paraphrased)

At that point, I was kinda desperately hoping that one or the other of them would die. Horribly. In some grotesque way entirely suitable for an increasingly grotesque plot.

To my shame, I kept reading. And the witchcrafty weirdness did exactly what I expected it to---not that anyone really bothered to explain how or why it worked. And the hero and heroine decided to be all affianced and giggle and say things like, "Oh you're my devil!" and "And you're my little witchy!" (paraphrased)

Blegh. Bad book. Bad, bad book. ( )

Crystal Cove
3 Stars

Crystal Cove reminds me of the film Practical Magic only not nearly as entertaining or satisfying. It seems to have all the right ingredients but simply falls flat.

Justine starts out as a feisty, take no prisoners heroine but turns into a submissive doormat willing to forgive all transgressions merely because she has the hots for Jason. She is also the worst witch I've ever encountered.

Jason has potential as a tortured hero and his description as "a man without a soul" is very intriguing. Unfortunately, his character is underdeveloped and he ends up coming across as your typical manipulative jerk turned redeemed lover with no real explanation for his transformation other than the "love at first sight" trope, which is completely inconsistent with his characterization.

The elements of magical realism from the previous installments turn into fully fledged paranormal traits and the descriptions of magical potions, rituals and spells is excessive and adds little to the romance.

Zoe and Alex from book #3 have small cameo appearances but the other characters from the series are nowhere to be seen, which is unfortunate, as the sense of family and closeness is missing. The Fiveash family of witches almost compensate for this but it is too little, too late.

Overall, this latest installment in Lisa Kleypas's Friday Harbor series is a disappointment and emphasizes the fact that Kleypas foray into magical realism/paranormal romance is not all that successful. Perhaps she should return to the tried and true genre of historical romance.




( )