1.11.2011

Review- Fantasy Lover

Sherrilyn Kenyon
Paranormal Romance
337 pages
Dark Hunter Series prequel
Excerpt
St. Martin's Press


Synopsis:
Being trapped in a bedroom with a woman is a grand thing. Being trapped in hundreds of bedrooms over two thousand years isn't. And being cursed into a book as a love-slave for eternity can ruin even a Spartan warrior's day.

As a love-slave, I know everything about women. How to touch them, how to savor them, and most of all, how to pleasure them. But when I was summoned to fulfill Grace Alexander's sexual fantasies, I found the first woman in history who saw me as a man with a tormented past. She alone bothered to take me out of the bedroom and into the world. She taught me to love again.

But I wasn't born to know love. I was cursed to walk eternity alone. As an ancient Greek general, I had long ago accepted my sentence. Yet now I have found Grace-- the one thing my wounded heart cannot survive without. Sure, love can heal all wounds, but can it break a two-thousand-year-old curse? 



Review:
I am going to be completely honest here, not in a million years would I pick up a book that was titled Fantasy Lover and expect it to be anything more than romantic or erotic fluff; easy story, forgettable but likable characters, little attachment... you get the drift.  But, I've been wanting to get into the Dark Hunter series because so many of my friends include it and it's author Ms Kenyon among their favorites.  So, when I made an announcement that I was diving in, I received a ton of disclaimers "It's not like all the others in the series"  "This one is great, but it's a little gumdrop" and so on.  So maybe it was because of all this that I was so pleasantly surprised. 


Sure, Julian is a love slave who's meant to be the greatest lover a woman can hope for, and sure when Grace kind of accidentally "calls" him she can't bring herself to use him in such a way, and sure that basically changes things for Julian... to be seen as a man for the first time in a thousand years.  Ok, those parts are slightly typical or predictable.  But, what surprised me the most was all the Greek history that's woven throughout the story.  Kenyon really set out to attach you to Julian with his Greek-tragedy-style life.  And me for it completely worked.  Julian's story was original and well designed and surprisingly, I became more attached to the male protagonists than his female counter part... that's new.


At the heart of the book is a slightly chick-lit style plot, but readers will enjoy the fast pace and wont be able to stop themselves from becoming attached.  Kenyon's writing style is smooth and easy to follow.  Its easy to see why so many people flock to her. She also didn't mess up the book will any "fall on your dick" moments, which is what ultimately won my affections. I will definitely be reading more from the series.


3.5 stars

14 comments:

  1. Duuuuuuuude - "not in a million years would I pick up a book that was titled Fantasy Lover and expect it to be anything more than romantic or erotic fluff"
    That is EXACTLY what I said! When my friend gave me the book SWEARING to me that the series was fantastic I was like ooookay! But I was hooked. This was actually my first PNR series to ever read so it was entirely different than anything I'd ever read before.
    OMG this series is chol-full of Greek history and it is so effing fantastic. And just wait! You haven't even MET some of the most amazing characters of the series like AAACHERONNNNNN - but I'm sure you've already heard all about him. Anyway, enjoy the Dark-Hunter journey, it's possibly one of the best PNR series of its kind out there.
    AND LOL at the "fall on your dick moments" omg I am so reusing that.

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  2. If you can get ME to read a book called Fantasy Lover, then you truly are all-powerful :-D

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  3. Pam: FOYD is my faaavorite saying ;) I only charge ¢25 for each use :P

    Kristin As long as you go in it like I did I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

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  4. "Fall on your dick" moments? Jessica, I love you. That was a day-maker right there.

    I've been contemplating entering the Dark Hunter world, but, yeah, the title makes a UF woman wary.

    Chelsea / Vampire Book Club

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  5. Chelsea: TeeHee it's my favorite saying. I was the same way, just do it but def know that this one is a little bubblegum

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  6. lol..I know what you mean about the title. This one really isn't like the other books in the series-it's more of a setting up of the series. Book 3 is when it starts picking up. This series is what got me back into PNR and ready to read UF.

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  8. C: Yeah I've heard that about the 3rd book...really hitting it's stride. I'm excited to get there

    Sinn: Thanks :)

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  9. Julian!!!! You're SO right about getting more attached to the hero than the heroine. I never quite thought of that... You're so insightful Jess. I'm really glad you liked this one and I can't wait for you to read Night Pleasures. I really really liked that one. Really.

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  10. Julie: Julian was great and I can't wait to read more too :)

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  11. FOYD totally tops my CK comment the other day. Great review Jess. I've been meaning to give this series a try for a while and this review plus the FOYD phrase just did the trick. ;)

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  12. Wow! Cool. I wouldn't pick up one of these books expecting any thing else either. But it sounds like there is a lot more than it leads on. Oh, what is the saying, don't judge a book by its cover... oops. :) Thanks for the great review!

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  13. I love this review and how you set it up making me think that you were going to be completely honest because you didn't like it at all...then all of a sudden you break in with the fact that you really did like it! LOL. Love it. First off I've just got to say, can I summon a fantasy lover who can fulfill all my needs with no strings attached??!! That would be awesome. :-P J/K. Anyway, I'm glad you gave it a try and I'm very happy that all the warnings you had before hand didn't actually sway your thoughts in the end, I think they actually improved them!

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  14. Melissa: LOL It's def very Rom, but i really did find value in the greek history and stories

    Deanna: LMAO, I'll work on your fantasy lover in time for Valentines Day

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