Jan 27, 2014

{Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway} of The Howling Heart by April Bostic


The Howling Heart by April Bostic
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

GENRE: Adult
THEME: Werewolves, Romance, Paranormal
RECEIVED: Tour

BLURB:
Paige Donovan is an ambitious college graduate who aspires to reach the top of the corporate ladder. She’s climbing fast when given the promotion of a lifetime at a prestigious fashion magazine in New York City. Her bright future comes to an unexpected halt after news of her father’s death. She inherits his old cabin in the Colorado Rockies, and just when she thinks her luck couldn’t get any worse, she has a car accident in the mountains and awakens in the small, remote community of Black River.

Soon, she’s engulfed in the mystical world of Varulv—wolves descended from 13th century Scandinavia and blessed by Norse gods with the ability to appear human. Paige is desperate to return home, but never expects to fall for her rescuer, Riley Gray, a charming young werewolf from England who offers her an alternate future with his pack.

Now, she must choose between the career she’s always wanted and the love she’s always dreamed.

REVIEW:

I love books on shifters, especially werewolves, I was excited to read Bostics’ take on a different side of werewolves. It was interesting to see the side of wolves turning into human (more wolf than human), instead of the norm of human into wolves, it made the characters more childlike and new to the human world.

The Howling Heart follows Paige, a young woman who fondly remembers her childhood at a cabin in the woods. She encounters a young wolf that befriended her after she ran away from home. Now an adult she goes back to the cabin only to discover that the small town she remembers is full of wolves that turn human. She comes face to face with the wolf she met as a child who is now a man and he only wants one thing, for Paige to stay with him. But will Paige leave her life in the city for the man she barley knows but seems to love more and more each day?

Paige is an interesting character whom since her childhood has been fascinated with her life at her family’s cabin in the woods. After the loss of her father, she travels back and is soon sucked into a whirlwind of discovery when she meets a family and town full of wolves that can turn into humans. It was interesting reading about her journey; she has a lot to take in and is a bit shocked with their existence. She learns of their history, known as the Varulv and their strict life of keeping their existence away from humans.

Riley is the mysterious wolf Paige meets as a child and saves her from an accident in his small town. His love for her has never faded since he was young and he becomes determined to have her stay with him. Riley is young and childish and sometimes I felt needed to grow up and be a man in certain situations. He does grow up when he realizes he could lose the love of his life and it was interesting to see his growth. The romance is sweet but I felt a little too rushed at times. In the end their passion and bond was what kept them both fighting for what they wanted the most, each other.

Overall this was an attention-grabbing shifter love story, with a slight Romeo and Juliet take of forbiddingness. There are some humorous moment with nudity and awkwardness for Paige while she’s learning about the wolf life. Bostic’s writing was well done and she definitely knows how to create a unique world. There are twist and shocking moments that had me worried for the characters and some secondary characters I’d like to read about in the future. I look forward to more from April Bostic and her shifters.


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AUTHOR BIO

April Bostic is a New Jersey-based, Adult Romance author who enjoys unleashing her creativity and letting her imagination run wild. Her love of romance books inspired her to become not just a reader, but also a writer. In December 2008, she self-published her first novel, a contemporary romance with a supernatural twist entitled “A Rose to the Fallen”.

Her first short story, “Right Here, Right Now”, released in January 2012, is an erotic romance with a dash of S&M. The following year, she released two more short stories: a romantic urban fantasy inspired by the Greek myth of Eros and Psyche entitled “Eros, My Love”, and a sexy romantic comedy entitled “Love Addiction”.

After five years, she released her second novel, “The Howling Heart” in August 2013, a paranormal romance that delves into the mystical world of werewolves and Norse gods. To end her busiest year in publishing, April will release her fourth short story in December 2013, a historical paranormal romance entitled “A Dark Scandal”.

Author Links: Site | Goodreads

A pandora bracelet designed by Terri Davis at JewelryforPaws and a signed paperback of The Howling Heart. Prize (US only):


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4 comments:

  1. Great review, Kristen! I really enjoy werewolf books and I haven't read one in a while! I like the sounds of this one - Paige especially sounds like an MC I would like. And Riley like a great love interest and I'm glad he grows throughout the novel. I'm intrigued by the Romeo and Juliet forbidden love comparison, too! Nothing is more of a guilty pleasure to me than a forbidden love story! :)

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  2. Fantastic review! I usually don't read adult books, but you've definitely made me want to read this one :)

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  3. This book sounds interesting! I am always on the lookout for werewolf books that are a bit different from the norm.

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