Wednesday, November 27, 2013

[Blog Tour Review]: "Curse Keepers" + Giveaway!

The Curse Keepers by Denise Grover Swank
Publisher: 47North (November 19, 2013)
Series: The Curse Keepers, 1
Genre: Paranormal Romance

The wall between our world and that of vengeful spirits has protected humanity for more than 400 years. It’s about to come crashing down.


Ellie Lancaster has lived her whole life by the site of the mysterious Lost Colony of Roanoke, the Virginia settlement that vanished without a trace around 1590. Only the descendants of the two men who banished the spirits of an enemy tribe from the material realm know what really happened to the colony. Ellie is one of those descendants—a Curse Keeper. Her father took pains to teach her what he knew of the curse and the responsibilities of its guardians. He taught her that if the two Curse Keepers ever meet, the curse will be lifted, the gate will open, and the raging Native American spirits will be unleashed to seek their revenge.

Despite her father’s seriousness, Ellie has always taken the legend for a harmless fairy tale. Until she meets the darkly handsome, but downright infuriating, Collin Dailey and realizes everything she was told is true. For when they meet, it’s like the air is sucked from the room. Collin’s presence is electrifying… and it’s not just attraction Ellie feels, but the inexorable pull toward her destiny. The prophecy is real, and now Ellie and Collin must battle supernatural forces and their loathing—and passion—for each other to set things right.


The Curse Keepers are all that stand between the world and its destruction.



Where to Buy*:
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My Review:




I am very glad I picked up this novel. Just when I fear that I am “paranormaled out”, I find a rare gem in the genre, such as The Curse Keepers; a fresh, new paranormal story. I enjoyed the mystery of Roanoke Island—interesting and unique!



I loved Swank's voice and creativity. She combined Native American lore and one of history's greatest mysteries with her own imagination, giving birth to this intense and captivating story.



Collin is definitely a mystery, a bit of a bad boy, yet we come to find out that he's not as bad as it seems, especially when it comes to Ellie. They spend the first few days of their journey fighting each other, and their attraction. But we all know how that turns out! ;)




"Our door is less than fifty feet away," he growled against my chest, "yet I want you so much I'd fuck you right here if I thought no one would see us."

My stomach tightened and I groaned, urging his mouth back to mine. "Collin." I took control with my tongue, showing him how much I wanted exactly the same thing he did. 





I really felt their connection, the great sexual tension that bubbled up for so much of the book before finally escalating in a mind-blowing sexy scene—perfection! The chemistry between Ellie and Collin was great; I was a bit flushed while reading, partly from the pure heat Ms. Swank puts in the story, and partly from the connection I had with this couple. I believed in them, and felt like they were more than just two people thrown into bed for the sake of the storyline.




"What protects you?" I finally choked out.

He turned around to face me, raw lust in his eyes. "Nothing can protect me, Ellie. I was a goner the minute I met you."





To be honest, I did find parts of the timeline of the story to be a bit unrealistic. Perhaps it is just me, but if I found out I had 7 days to save the world (literally!) I would be constantly fretting over it, not just continue on with my life with a shrug and an “Oh well, we will figure it out in the wee hours before the seventh day” kind of attitude. I just didn't get that. This story takes place over seven days, so things move fairly quick, but at the same time Ellie and Collin didn't seem to be moving fast enough considering the looming deadline. I recall the first two chapters being a bit slow, and I wondered where the story was going, but after that the story took off quickly, and the pace stayed fairly constant for the remainder of the book. My attention never wondered after that, I was hooked by both the story and the chemistry.



But the ending! Warning, it will surprise you, hurt you, and leave you upset, as it is a cliff-hanger. Well done, Swank, I am now eager to get my hands on the next book, though I admit I was a bit pissed when it ended so quickly! I have to know that everything is going to be okay . . .




A perfect example of how the paranormal genre should be --- new, fresh ideas combined with great writing, great characters, and smoldering chemistry, plus a mild dash of wit in the right areas! I can only hope the next book will be just as captivating! I highly recommend The Curse Keepers, especially if you are about to give up on paranormal romances. There's still hope for this genre yet, as long as authors such as Ms. Swank continue to imagine outside the box.

 

4 1/2 STARS! 



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I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest opinion.

*Note: The quotes used belong to Denise Grover Swank; TBQ's Book Palace does not claim them.

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a Rafflecopter giveaway









I can't believe how great this book was -- I've already ordered a copy for my keeper shelf, and I'll be passing it on to friends. If you want something new (and you can handle a cliff-hanger!), grab this book! If you can't handle the cliff-hanger, perhaps hold off until book 2 is available, but you still need to read this book! :)


What was the last paranormal romance  (or Urban Fantasy/Fantasy) that earned a "Wow!" from you? 





Enjoy!


Until Next Time,

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  *TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!

4 comments :

Kat1126 said...

I really enjoyed Denise's books that I have read and can't wait to check this one out ... will be looking after the holiday for this one to add to my "collection"

The_Book_Queen said...

I hope you enjoy it! This is my first time reading her books, but it definitely won't be my last.
Enjoy,
TBQ

Anna@herding cats&burning soup said...

OOo hadn't seen this one yet. I've read very very little paranormal the last 6 months. I guess I overdosed a bit on them but I still do love them now and again. Will have to check this one out.

The_Book_Queen said...

I know that feeling! :) Great book, highly recommend. Just finished another PNR (really more steampunk, set in historical England) that I also **highly** recommend -- Shadowdance by Kristen Callihan. :)
Enjoy,
TBQ