Beltaine’s Song, Book Two: Dark Goddess Trilogy by Kelley Heckart

THE PAGAN & THE PEN BOOK REVIEWS

Title: Beltaine’s Song, Book Two: Dark Goddess Trilogy

Author: Kelley Heckart

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Publisher: Awe Struck Publishing

Genre: Historical Romance/Paranormal Fantasy

Length: 250 pgs.

Reviewed By: Madeline Smoot

Ratings For:

Cover: 3

Presentation: 3

Editing: 4

Story: 2

Writing Ability: 4

Overall Card Rating: 

                                                        

About the Book:

Now king and queen of the powerful kingdom of Dal Riata, Aedan and Domelch have more than just Cailleach’s wrath to contend with. Aedan struggles with being a king and being a husband. Domelch struggles with her beliefs, trying to be the Christian woman Aedan wed, but her heart still thrums with the voices of old gods. They must battle earthly foes—enemy kings and traitorous allies. For the first time, the arrival of spring heralds the sound of a harsh battle horn as their foes close in. Through all this turmoil, can their love survive?

Gartnait, the first-born son of Aedan and Domelch, has lived in secrecy most of his young life to escape Cailleach’s wrath. Fostered in Fortriu, he has earned his first mark of manhood and on his way to becoming a formidable warrior. He grapples with the awakening of his true destiny and the meaning of the appearance of a beautiful maiden in spring only he can see. Does she mean to harm him? For him, spring brings with it the promise of new love and the thrilling sound of the battle horn, putting those he cares about in danger.

The Review:

Aedan and Domelch traverse a world of battles and intrigues on Aedan’s journey to become king of Dal Riata. While he and his allies succeed they also have other obstacles including Cailleach’s wrath and deceit among his allies. Along with all of the outward struggles Domelch questions her conversion to Christianity. Her former being and pagan beliefs lick at the shadows threatening to consume her.

Garinait, Aedan and Domelch’s son and heir, is a footnote in a larger tapestry of a treacherous world. Hidden away for the better part of his life he searches for answers from both the monks and a goddess only he can see.

The story of Aedan and Domelch has the potential to be much more than it currently is, which seems to leave the reader feeling a bit flat. While this is the middle of the trilogy it does not give enough background of the world for the reader who has not read the first book. The love and battle scenes are rushed without leaving time for emotion or real reaction from the participants. 

The deceit and reactions to the underhanded nature of the conspirators is written masterfully and with enough detail to get a sense of the atmosphere in the room, however even here the reactions are not realistic enough.

Overall this story went a bit flat without breathing any life into the characters or the situations that should have made it a modern classic. The author’s talents were wasted in this venture; however with some nurturing of technique she could be one to watch in the future. Unfortunately, this book needs to be sent back to the drawing board.

Pagan Elements: touches on pagan religions, goddesses

As Timeless as Stone by Maeve Alpin

THE PAGAN & THE PEN BOOK REVIEWS

Title: As Timeless as Stone
Author: Maeve Alpin  

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Publisher: Lyrical Press              

Genre: Steampunk Romance

Length: 46 pgs.
Reviewed by: Brandi

RATINGS FOR:

Cover: 4

Presentation: 3

Editing: 3

Story: 3

Writing Ability: 3

Overall Card Rating: 

                                                   

About The Book: In peril for her life, the Priestess Seshat turns herself to stone in ancient Egypt. Centuries later, Ricard, a dashing nineteenth century Frenchman, repairs a broken statue and reads its incantation--unprepared for the gorgeous flesh and blood woman who steps forth.

Seshat is drawn to the brass robots Ricard creates and the glamor of the Victorian age, and most of all to Ricard himself. But the society of his day cannot accept a woman like her. How far will Ricard go to secure her happiness? Is their love strong enough to transcend time itself?

The Review: Maeve Alpin has created a lightly erotic, highly romantic tale in As Timeless as Stone. From the first sentence the reader is gently enveloped in the steampunk genre, due the author’s language style and the plot-drivers of time travel and magick during the Victorian Age. The reader sees the inventions of the age through Seshat’s eyes, and when her initial confusion leads to understanding, the audience begins to comprehend the genre as well.

While Priestess Seshat and Ricard are interesting and well written characters, the book seems to drag in their interactions together. The meat of the story revolves around Seshat’s adjustment to her new life, and Ricard’s reaction to her; the little time they spend together is filled with dull sexual encounters flowered with silly language and random conversation.

While the middle of the story lacked excitement, the end of the book was wonderfully romantic, with a well-thought out conclusion. The love Ricard and Seshat have for one another becomes apparent and complete with a touching “happily-ever-after” ending.

Pagan Elements: Mentions of Egyptian mythology

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Disclaimer: Due to FTC regulations, any book reviewed on this site was sent for free by the author to The Pagan & The Pen. We are not paid to give reviews by Author or Publisher. Once review has been made, said books are deleted.

What Legends are Made Of by Heather Beck

THE PAGAN & THE PEN BOOK REVIEWS

Title: What Legends are Made Of
Author: Heather Beck

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Publisher: Diamond Dust Books

Genre: romance, horror, fantasy

Length: 143 pages

Reviewed by: Keri Stratton Alley

RATINGS FOR:

Cover: 4

Presentation: 4

Editing: 4

Story: 1

Writing Ability: 2

Overall Card Rating: 

About The Book: What Legends Are Made Of is a collection of short stories that range within the genres of romance, horror, and fantasy. Each story takes the reader into a realistic world where unbelievable events occur. Have you ever experienced a story filled with so much suspense, terror, and romance that you couldn't get it out of your mind? Be prepared to feel all of these emotions because author Heather Beck is about to take you on a journey that you won't soon forget. You're personally invited to tour the halls of Sir Tristan's Estate, a place where ghosts roam freely and fill your dreams at night. Following your stay at the estate, you'll cruise on the Blue Oceana, a perfect ship for sightseeing. With patience and a careful eye you might see the merman that lives in the crystal clear ocean. If you enjoyed watching the odd ocean creature while aboard the ship, you'll love Frank Stanford's Freak Show. There you'll see a unicorn with wings and a talking tree. However, it's the freak show's horrifying main attraction that shocks everyone who sees it. If you can stop shaking after your encounter with freaky Frank, continue on to Karyn and Max Shield's Costume and Magic Shop; just be careful of what you purchase there since the merchandise at the Shield's shop is perhaps too realistic. Some stories make your heart soar, while others make you scream aloud; these stories will make you do both. They'll leave you spellbound and yearning for more. Ready to find out what real legends are made of? Turn the page.

The Review: All through this collection of short stories, I could see what Ms. Beck was aiming to do. She has some interesting ideas, and fresh takes on somewhat traditional story ideas. However, this collection missed the mark for me every time. Each tale read more like an overly long synopsis of a good story, rather than the story itself. I'll address each story in turn.

Sir Tristan's Estate. I think Ms. Beck was going for a mix of horror and romance with this story. The attraction that Skye feels for Tom begins to be developed in their initial meeting, and there is a genuine sense of romantic tension. If the kind of interaction written at the outset could have continued, this might have been a good romance. What's off-putting is when the author simply states an emotional conclusion instead of showing it in a well-worded scene. Here's an example:

“Thank you for all your help!” Skye called out as Tom walked away.

“Have sweet dreams.”

Tom’s wishes for a good night seemed unusual to Skye. Instead of analyzing it, she decided to blame her sleep deprivation on her view of his evasive nature.

As a reader, I don't want to be told that his behavior was unusual - I want to be shown. There was no indication in the preceding conversation that Tom was evasive; quite the contrary. He spent paragraphs telling Skye about the ghost of the Estate and immediately prior to the above excerpt revealed that an heir to the estate had been found. Hardly evasive behavior.

Unfortunately, this pattern continues not only through this first story but throughout the rest of the tales in this collection. The few scenes that are fleshed out enough to be engaging do show a great deal of promise with regard to the author's ability. But there is no consistency with writing style that continues to engage me as a reader.

Freaky Frank. Another romance, this time mixed with fantasy. I got stuck while reading this one; there was not enough detail in the interactions between Frank and Brittany to keep me interested. Again, instead of showing the reader why Brittany was beginning to trust Frank, the author simply states that she does. I found myself feeling skeptical about the interactions between the two because there was no real depth to their relationship aside from their first few encounters.

Blue Water. I think this was my favorite of the four stories. The romantic tension between the two main characters held my interest and I really appreciated Ms. Beck's alternative merman/mermaid creation story as well as her interesting take on merman/mermaid reproduction needs. Quite inventive. Again, I feel this story could have used a bit more fleshing out, but it was the most complete of the four.

One Stop Horror Shop. A little bit of creative editing could have helped this story. There were two main concepts that converged to make up this tale; the transition between the two seemed choppy and disjointed. I would have appreciated a bit of extra foreshadowing in the first portion and less of the unnecessary interaction between the children at the outset of the second portion. In fact, this may be the only story in which I felt that Ms. Beck did too much interaction between the characters! However, again, the twists in this story were inventive and showed a flair for surprise story telling.            

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Ms. Beck certainly has a flair for imaginative scenarios. However, after the initial scenes, she seems to rush toward the ending. I realize that her goal was to create short stories instead of novellas, but I would gladly have read more words in order to get that literary fulfillment I crave when I pick up a new book. Ms. Beck, please write longer stories. This reviewer would gladly give a more fleshed out story a try.

Pagan Elements: N/A

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Disclaimer: Due to FTC regulations, any book reviewed on this site was sent for free by the author to The Pagan & The Pen. We are not paid to give reviews by Author or Publisher. Once review has been made, said books are deleted.

28 Hours by Mia Brookes

THE PAGAN & THE PEN BOOK REVIEWS

Title: 28 Hours (Print book)
Author: Mia Brookes

Author Site

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Publisher: Solstice Publishing

Genre: Mystery/Suspense  

Length: 215 pgs.

Reviewed by: Jake Latimer

RATINGS FOR:

Cover: 3

Presentation: 3

Editing: 2

Story: 4

Writing Ability: 3

Overall Card Rating: 

                                            

About The Book:

What would you do if you knew that, by this time tomorrow, the world would be destroyed?

Two months ago, astronomers identified an asteroid on a collisision course for Earth and, with the help of the military and governments across all of the continents, they planned a strike against it. They failed. Now time is almost up and, 28 hours from now, the majority of the population will face a global disaster to rival the extinction of the dinosaurs. There is nothing to do but await the inevitable; the panicking has been done and reluctant acceptance of what is to come has settled in.

On the beach, sitting around a campfire, a group of friends look back over the events that have shaped their lives and their friendships and decide how to use those final few hours. With the burden of worrying about the consequences lifted, the remaining hours present a chance to fulfil dreams and fantasies, to repair relationships and to exact revenge, or just to do the one thing that they have always wondered about but never dared to follow through. That night, they meet again on the beach with their families to watch the final sunrise.

The Review: 

From the blurb, this looked like a very promising story. And so it was. As the denizens of Earth prepare for an asteroid strike, Ms. Brookes focuses on a small band of friends on the English coast. The characterizations are strong. The real high points in the story come as the characters struggle with the impending doom of their world and the choices they have made, or refused to make, in their lives. The characters are all given plenty of stage time, and Ms. Brookes does a great job of putting the reader in their shoes and minds. Their motivations are understandable and sympathetic, one notable exception being the tragic result of Vince and Ellie finally admitting their long-concealed feelings for one another.

This story has a great deal of potential, but the biggest hurdle for me to overcome was the editing. 28 Hours was replete with spelling and grammar errors and oddities; as evidence of this I refer you back to the blurb, above. The editor on this particular novel did no service to Ms. Brookes or her story, and the result reads like a quickly tossed-together first draft. The dramatis personae reminded me of the original Beverly Hills 90210 meets Armageddon. This was especially pronounced in the case of surfer Vince, whose character is essentially Dylan McKay with a British accent, right down to having a father in prison at the end of the world. I'm not exactly what you would call a picky reader, but to me, the promise was never fulfilled. It's ironic that I didn't pick up on the fact that two words in the blurb were misspelled until I sat down to write this and my word processor caught it.

Overall, this isn't a complete loss. Some of the characters' choices surprised me; some made me laugh out loud; and some brought me to the brink of tears. The characters could have ended up as cardboard cutouts, but Ms. Brookes' greatest strength in this novel is her ability to infuse them with life. I will say, without giving anything away, that I found the ending highly disappointing and a little rushed. It's worth giving a read, but don't expect anything earth-shattering (pardon the pun). 

Pagan Elements: N/A

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Disclaimer: Due to FTC regulations, any book reviewed on this site was sent for free by the author to The Pagan & The Pen. We are not paid to give reviews by Author or Publisher. Once review has been made, said books are deleted. 

Carnal Connections by Berengaria Brown

THE PAGAN & THE PEN BOOK REVIEWS

Title: Carnal Connections
Author: Berengaria Brown 

Author Site

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Publisher: Breathless Press

Genre: Erotic/M/M/M

Length: 18 pgs.
Reviewed by: Russ Allen

RATINGS FOR:

Cover: 4

Presentation: 3

Editing: 4

Story: 2

Writing Ability: 3

Overall Card Rating: 

                                                 

About The Book:  Three gay guys meet at a gay wedding and spend the night in a hotel having acrobatic sex that leads them to consider a future relationship built on their orgies.

The Review: The above summary reveals the problem with this story: That is all there is.  The significance of its context: a same-sex wedding; is overlooked; the connection between the three men and the happy couple is barely mentioned; there is no real character development of the three main participants.  All we now is that they are gay, come on to each other, and retire to a hotel room for their orgy. 

As with many efforts to describe acrobatic sex, this writer is not able to do so in more than a mechanical way, similar to the way many adult movies get bogged down in 15-minute blowjobs or prolonged and unrealistic non-orgasmic intercourse.  In each case, after a while the reader/viewer is bored and turned off.  A story that wishes to be erotic needs to engage the reader’s imagination in what the participants are doing, otherwise the result is pornography that in times becomes tedious and pointless.  Whatever the intention of this author, gay porn is the result.

The author writes well [not great], and has an ability to imagine what a gay three-some orgy might be like.  Unfortunately, the absence of fuller development of the story before, during, and after the events in the hotel room leaves the reader only with that scene, and its mechanical description of sexual acrobatics fails in the end to engage the reader as the author might have wished.

Pagan Elements: N/A  

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Disclaimer: Due to FTC regulations, any book reviewed on this site was sent for free by the author to The Pagan & The Pen. We are not paid to give reviews by Author or Publisher. Once review has been made, said books are deleted.

Dragon's Angel by Donica Covey

THE PAGAN & THE PEN BOOK REVIEWS 

Title: Dragon's Angel (print)
Author: Donica Covey

Author Site

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Publisher: Champagne Books

Genre: Fantasy

Length:169 pgs.
Reviewed by: yadkny

RATINGS FOR:

Cover: 2

Presentation: 3

Editing: 4

Story: 3

Writing Ability: 3

Overall Card Rating: 

                                          

About The Book: A disembodied voice has Keely Morgan feeling like her sanity is slipping away. Xavier Blake is assaulted with images of black dragons and painful destruction; flashes that seem almost like memories. Then when Keely walks into the bar and heads straight for his table, he suddenly feels complete, even though he's never seen her before.  When a madman attacks Keely, Xavier somehow senses her fear and saves her. Strange forces push them closer together and take them from the world they know to a place where magic exists, unicorns dance and dragons fly. Destiny foretells they will unite and after a hard battle, will reign as King and Queen of Grogan.  But can they overcome the evil that plots to destroy them first?

The Review: Keely is of the Alicorno bloodline known for their unicorn shifting and healing abilities. As she travels her destined journey she discovers more magical abilities she possesses as well a new found confidence and strength to right the wrongs of this strange but wonderful new world.

Xavier is of the Draco bloodline known for their dragon shifting and fire breathing abilities. As he travels his destined journey he discovers his deepest, darkest craving for power and with a little push from an unsuspecting foe he begins the descent into a power crazed oblivion.

They both feel as if they've lost their minds yet they can't fight the feeling of being drawn to one another or to the place of their birth. Keely knows she's the only one who can stop the King, the Seer, and save Xavier, but is she strong enough to do it?

Creatures of all myths and legends come out of the woodwork in this tale of finding love and fighting for what is right. The world building was fantastically imagined with new tribes, languages, customs, and magical abilities to explore. The people of Grogan were both endearing and engaging. I liked the fact that both Keely and Xavier didn't know of their heritage and were able to venture into the unknown together.

Just a couple of things I found amiss... the cover was a little off to me after reading the story. I assumed the woman on the cover is Keely, but it doesn't match with what Keely wore while in the land of Grogan. Beautiful artwork nonetheless. There was also some minor confusion of details missing where the story seemed to jump a little from one point to the next without natural flow.

This is a sweet story and I cried a little as the climax came to a close, but was happy with how the ending turned out. Not every aspect of the story turned out having a happily-ever-after ending, but that just made the story more realistic. The lesson I took away from this story is that home is where the heart is and as long as you follow your heart then you'll always be at home.

Recommended reading for fans of a fairytale fantasy come to life.

Pagan Elements: Spells and chanting are the major pagan elements in this story, which are mostly used by the witch better known as the Seer.

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Disclaimer: Due to FTC regulations, any book reviewed on this site was sent for free by the author to The Pagan & The Pen. We are not paid to give reviews by Author or Publisher. Once review has been made, said books are deleted.

Loving Lydia by Berengaria Brown

THE PAGAN & THE PEN BOOK REVIEWS

Title: Loving Lydia
Author: Berengaria Brown

Author Site

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Publisher: Breathless Press

Genre: Erotic 

Other: F/F

Length: 18 pgs.
Reviewed by: Russ Allen

RATINGS FOR:

Cover: 2

Presentation: 3

Editing: 3

Story: 4

Writing Ability: 3

Overall Card Rating: 

                                     

About The Book:  Lydia, a 40-year-old executive, and Tammy, a younger nurse, meet at a gym and develop a lesbian sexual relationship.  Both have secondary issues: Lydia wants to help women break through the glass ceiling; Tammy wants Lydia to become more spontaneous and less organized. Neither in the end is addressed.

The Review: This is a well-written story that avoids some of the pitfalls of erotic literature. The presentation of Lydia and Tammy’s sexual encounter in the former’s apartment avoids the acrobatic nature in some stories, and thus does not evolve into boring pornography. The same-sex activity comes across as sensitive and caring, possibly supporting the suggestion that the two will now become lovers.

The secondary plot of the story, Lydia’s feeling that she has achieved what she can in advancing up the corporate ladder, and her desire now to mentor young women to move even higher, while well presented, is in the end undeveloped. There is a hint that Tammy might become one of those women but that never happens. Instead, straightforward Tammy’s goal is to move rigid Lydia away from the attitude and approach to life that has in fact brought her such success. Failing to recognize this potential conflict, neither will be ready when it emerges as a real issue.

One of the issues with this type of story is whether it comes across as being real – whether the reader has to suspend his or her skepticism in order to enter into it.  Granted, stories serve many purposes: to entertain or challenge, to inform or expand one’s experience, to arouse or excite.  But for the most part, stories need to convey a sense of the real. 

This story does so up to a point. The sexual activity is believable, the separate professional motivations and personal attitudes are understandable, and even the motivation of each in eventually seeking a relationship with the other rings true. What is lacking in this story is a sense of what happens next. 

Lydia has already had a bad lesbian experience; Tammy, despite her directness, comes across with a level of immaturity and responsibility. Their relationship might well devolve into an impediment to Lydia’s goals, and a challenge to Tammy’s relaxed approach to things.  Do these lie outside the story, or are they important to it?  The author chooses not to go there, and that leaves the telling incomplete.

Pagan Elements: N/A  

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Disclaimer: Due to FTC regulations, any book reviewed on this site was sent for free by the author to The Pagan & The Pen. We are not paid to give reviews by Author or Publisher. Once review has been made, said books are deleted.

Holiday Spirits by C. R. Moss

THE PAGAN & THE PEN BOOK REVIEWS

Title: Holiday Spirits
Author: C. R. Moss

Author Site

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Publisher: eXtasy Books

Genre: Paranormal/Romance/Menage (M/M/F)

Length: 69 pgs.
Reviewed by: Keri Stratton Alley

RATINGS FOR:

Cover: 2

Presentation: 4

Editing: 3

Story: 2

Writing Ability: 4

Overall Card Rating:    

About The Book: At the start of the Las Vegas marathon Jenna bumps into a man from her past and embarks on a life changing journey by just the touch of his hand.  As recollections of a former life assail her, she makes a promise that Artim will be an early holiday gift to herself.

After ages of searching for the love he left one fateful day, Artim finally encounters her.  When he realizes Jenna not only remembers who he is and what she was to him, but also the heartache he caused her, he believes it would be for the best if he disappeared again.

Can Jenna keep Artim, her holiday spirit and the present she promised herself around long enough to enjoy?

The Review: This concept seemed fairly interesting: an immortal man searching for the reincarnated soul of his lost love. However, the execution of the story left me feeling unsatisfied.

This story read like a bad porn – just enough plot thrown in so they can use the “plot based” classification, but not enough plot to hide the gratuitous sex. Though well written, the sex seemed to distract from the plot rather than enhance the story. It was also sudden; rather than waiting until after their dates had gone to “pay off the bet” the two male characters immediately retire to a bedroom for sexual shenanigans – without inviting the women along. Methinks they doth protest too much about their distaste for the male-on-male action…

Jenna’s reactions to the supernatural situations seemed unrealistically blasé. The author gave no indication that she had ever been, in any way, inclined towards paganism, magick, or past life regressions. I would have expected someone thrown into such an extreme situation to have at least a moment of doubt, confusion, or anxiety about being crazy. Jenna had none; she simply continued blithely into stranger and stranger scenarios, including stepping far out of her sexual comfort zone.

Pagan Elements: The story is based on the concept of a woman’s past life directing her to a lost love from the past.

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Disclaimer: Due to FTC regulations, any book reviewed on this site was sent for free by the author to The Pagan & The Pen. We are not paid to give reviews by Author or Publisher. Once review has been made, said books are deleted.

Tides of Maryna’s Love by Donica Covey

THE PAGAN & THE PEN BOOK REVIEWS

Title: Tides of Maryna’s Love
Author: Donica Covey

Author Site

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Publisher: Champagne Books

Genre: Fantasy/Romance

Length: 166 pgs.

RATINGS FOR:

Cover: 4

Presentation: 4

Editing: 3

Story: 2

Writing Ability: 2

Overall Card Rating

Reviewed by: Violet Harper

About The Book: "Single Witch Seeks Lonely Mortal" Maryna Duile has challenged her sisters to a find-the-mortal contest. She places an ad in the local paper, but when there are no immediate replies she heads for Olympus and an afternoon with her close friend Eros.

River Braddock is a marine mammal biologist and he's just discovered a new species of dolphin. What he doesn't know is that this is no ordinary dolphin, but Triton, chaperone to Maryna during her stay on earth.

Maryna's first meeting with River is anything but stellar, but the more she thinks of him, the more she needs him and the more she blunders her spells. Once she gets into the flow will she win his heart or be all washed up?

The Review: Maryna is a witch in the Samantha Stevens sense, except instead of twitching her nose she speaks Latin phrases. Tides of Maryna’s Love is a cute story with a lot of drama. At first, Maryna doesn’t care if her mortal lover ends up with a broken heart. After all, making him fall for her is part of a bet she has going with her three sisters. After she falls for River, Maryna has a change of heart, and that’s when things get complicated.

The characters were likeable, if underdeveloped. Maryna seemed a little immature for being a creature with an infinite lifespan and River didn’t seem to know whether he was coming or going. Their dialogue was at times stilted or confusing. 

It’s a sweet story about a woman who learns to find her humanity and a man who is willing to put his heart on the line to save the woman he loves. At the end of the day, it’s those kinds of things that appeal to the romantic in all of us.

Pagan Elements: Maryna is a witch, but not in the Pagan sense. She casts spells, but it’s not a spiritual act.

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Disclaimer: Due to FTC regulations, any book reviewed on this site was sent for free by the author to The Pagan & The Pen. We are not paid to give reviews by Author or Publisher. Once review has been made, said books are deleted.

Magic Season Series by Jacqueline Paige

                       THE PAGAN & THE PEN BOOK REVIEWS

Title: Magic Season (series): Beltane Magic, Solstice Heat
Author: Jacqueline Paige

Author Site

Buy Links:

Beltane Magic

Solstice Heat

Publisher: Amira Press

Genre: Paranormal, Romantic Suspense

Length: 175 pgs.
Other: M/F

Pagan & Pagan Elements: Yes

Reviewed by: Violet Harper

About the Book:

Beltane Magic: A serene woman who calls to the elements with a thought. A man of youthful charm who carries healing in his touch. Both vowed to spend their lives alone and safe, until they-re brought together by the touch of Beltane magic. Can they survive their pasts to be together as they struggle to find a killer before the wheel turns again?

Solstice Heat: A shy innocent woman with the brightest magic. A man of strength with a darker force hidden carefully within. Separated by two different life styles yet their passion and magic ignite sparks hotter than the Solstice heat. Can they work out a way to be together as they try to stop a killer from striking again?

The Review: They read like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants meets Twilight. There are eight main characters. The author chooses an omniscient viewpoint, which works to make the reader like all of the characters, but it comes at the expense of actually bonding with any of them. Each of the first two books—I’m assuming more are to come—focuses in on one of the couples. They pair off in the first book, Beltane Magic, even though they aren’t all aware of it. 

The writing style is friendly and conversational. When the eight get together, which happens often, almost every movement is described. It gets to be a little much at times.  Most of the verbs are passive tense, which draws attention to the fact that there is very little action, and the same verbs are used often. In one instance, I saw the word ‘struggled’ four times in five sentences. Many of the character ‘smirk’ at one another, which is a jolting thing considering they all like one another. Smirking isn’t a nice way to smile. It’s full of arrogance and malice.

Both novels are punctuated by moments of brilliance when the description draws the reader fully into the Magic Season world. At those moments, the characters are intriguing, interesting, and fully realized. It’s those moments that carry the reader through the novels. 

A serial killer strikes in Beltane Magic. I kept expecting for that mystery to be solved in the first book, but it is not. Solstice Heat is a continuation of the story. The only significant change is that Leena and Owen are a couple, so it focuses mostly on Chris and Kasey. I think both novels would have been so much stronger if the stories were told from Leena and Owen’s points of view in Beltane Magic and from Chris and Kasey’s points of view in Solstice Heat.

The dichotomy of each relationship works. Leena and Owen both have scars from their horrific pasts. They heal one another. Chris and Kasey are polar opposites. He has done some bad things, and she is nothing but energy and light. Together, they strike a perfect balance. Ms. Paige does a phenomenal job of pairing the couples in a way that helps them to grow as people and to find true happiness, and the erotic scenes are both sweet and hot. In that way, this romance is a fulfilling read. As a murder mystery, it’s frustrating that the mystery isn’t solved in either novel, and it leaves the reader wanting a resolution.

If you’re looking to spend a lot of time with a likeable group of people, I recommend this series. If you crave plot closure, I’d wait until the series is finished before reading it.

Pagan Elements: The eight main characters function like a coven. The author does a great job of illustrating the differing beliefs that exists within the Pagan community, and the way those beliefs work to bring diversity and open-mindedness into our daily lives. There are multiple circumstances in which the group performs rituals, from using magic as a way to find a killer to using collective consciousness to soothe souls. Even for those skeptical about the concept of magic, it was a remarkable look at the spiritual side of things. 

Cover (Rated 1-10): 9- I liked both covers. The expression of the woman on the cover of Beltane Magic is mysterious, inviting a closer look. The swirling symbols promise adventure. Solstice Heat has similar things going for it.

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