The story was engrossing because I read all the way through but sometimes I felt that it needed a good editor. Sometimes the prose was awkward, some things were very repetitious (how many times can you tell the reader that your afraid of the Voice-- your own, not the show), and the characters were somewhat unbelievable. Although I don't think they are meant to be realistic. But I did finish the book pretty quickly so there had to be something of value there. Probably I just wanted to see how the author untangled the plot. But it wasn't completely untangled because some of the totally unexplainable elements were left to be explained in the sequel. HaH!! ( )

Loved this book! Can't wait to get to library so I can read the next one. I am also looking forward to reading the Magic Series from the same author which is a series about the earlier ancestors of these characters. ( )

Good book with an intriguing storyline. Oz is determined to find his son, who has been gone for a year. Everyone else seems to have given up on finding him. Oz begins receiving mysterious text messages from someone called "The Librarian", sending him on a search for a former teen singing star named Syrene, implying that she's the key to finding his son. He wants to make her the star of his new children's show and use that to find his son. Syrene has left that world completely behind after the death of her young husband and a very public meltdown. She has begun a new life as children's author Pippa James and living in a small town. She wants nothing to do with Oz and his quest.

These two have quite a combustible relationship. Both of them have some serious issues to overcome. Oz is used to getting his way in everything and isn't going to give up now. He's carrying a boatload of guilt because he holds himself responsible for his wife's death and the later disappearance of his son. Pippa is determined to protect her privacy and her sanity. When she sings it brings out extreme emotions in people and she is afraid to use it again. When Oz forces his way into her life she is surprised to discover that, not only is he sceptical of her abilities, her Voice seems to have no effect on him. Oz is equally surprised to discover that Pippa has no problem standing up to his steamroller tactics.

There's definite chemistry between them from the beginning. It's obvious in the intensity of their encounters. I loved their verbal battles, their snarky comments sometimes leading into more physical encounters. As they begin to give in to their attraction, they also begin to get to know each other on a deeper level. I loved seeing Oz start to accept the idea of her abilities even as he works to bring her out of her protective shell. Pippa's fear of causing more harm begins to lessen just a little thanks to Oz's presence in her life. I loved seeing the way that they so quickly became important to each other, though they resisted the idea of a relationship between them.

The mystery that ran throughout the story was very well done. The more they got into the search, the more connections between the kidnapping and Pippa's search for her family appeared. There were some very intriguing twists and turns that kept the journey to the conclusion interesting. The addition of some secondary characters added to the fun. The mysterious "Librarian" is one who is ambiguous at the beginning, as we don't know if he is a good guy or a bad guy. Oz's brother Conan, a computer whiz, was terrific. His occasional geeky obliviousness is offset by his attention to detail in his searches. I enjoyed his verbal battles with Oz. His discovery of the links between Oz's son and Pippa solve part of the mystery, but leave enough unknown for future books to pursue. ( )

This have been on my wishlist for a long time, but I never got around to buy it until now. And I am glad I read it. This is Patricia Rice at her best.

The book hooked me from the start. The California setting felt believable, and I liked how the citizens of El Paso supported Pippa. I liked how they were depending on farmers and tourists, and how it made their economy vulnerable.

And.. Into this Oz storms. I liked Oz, and how he was prepared to do anything to find his son. It would have been easy for Pippa be steamrolled by Oz, but I liked how she stood her ground, and refused. It was intresting to meet the rest of the inhabitants, and Conan. Who was geeky like always.

The plot was fascinating, and I liked how everything was connected. Pippa's past, Oz missing son, the villain. What I also liked was how Pippa slowly started to step out of her shell, and start to heal from the past scars.

So what I didn't like. Sometimes I got confused over when the kidnapping happened, if it had happened when Donal was a baby or when he was older.

( )

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy:
www.allthingsurbanfantasy.blogspot.com

LURE OF SONG AND MAGIC gave a paranormal twist to a familiar contemporary romance setting: the glamor and egos of Hollywood. Though I was intrigued by Rice’s siren mythology, the romance side of things fell flat for me, if only because of the over-the-top personalities of our hero and heroine.

For someone who lives in fear of inadvertently hurting people with her siren’s voice, I found it pretty odd that that Pippa actively trains in martial arts so she can hurt people with her hands. If martial arts had any part in her “calmness and self-control regimen”, I couldn’t see how. Though her emotional breakdowns are explained away as part of her curse, I never quite understood the justification for her physically attacking anyone who got in her personal space. Luckily, our hero’s superpower is being insensitive, both emotionally and physically, so whether Pippa is lashing out with her voice or her fists Oz remains impervious. Both of these characters are painted as brilliant and arrogant Hollywood royalty, very different from us common folk, which may be why I never emotionally connected with them. It’s more likely, however, that I was turned off by their tumultuous courtship. Oz and Pippa butt heads early and often. Though Rice does do a good job of painting her leading pair as individuals who thrive on that dynamic, it was not a situation that I could relate to.

Emotionally connection aside, however, Rice’s writing is solid and the siren mythology is interesting. Enough of the story focuses on Oz’s brother Conan that the seeds for a future hero were also planted. I may have an easier time relating to a computer super-spy than a Hollywood producer, but I’ll reserve my judgment until after I get a glimpse of who Conan’s leading lady will be.

Sexual Content: Explicit sex scenes, references to sexual assault. ( )