Book Faery: Tori's Review: Phoenix Rising by Jo Lynne Valerie

A Note:

6/2/13

I once told myself: IF I am accepted into grad school, this blog would no longer be updated. As it turns out, in April, I received news of my acceptance for the Fall 2013 semester, where I will attain a Master's degree of Science in Nutrition.

Running a blog, as many of you may already know, is a demanding side job once the excitement wears off. And once I fell out of the blogging community's loop (have you SEEN how many blogs there are now? Wow!), it was like the kiss of death. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't get into a blogging routine once this happened due to the disconnect I felt from the community.

So I took a break. I struggled with the loss and with missing my blog. And then I realized I didn't have to run Book Faery to still be a book reviewer; I could read my books and post reviews online. I'm still a book review blogger, just not in the traditional sense.

I'll still be online. You can chat with me on Twitter, where I'll be posting links to my reviews and talking books. I'll also be posting links to nutrition articles. And if you'd like to connect with me where I guarantee I will post reviews, just add me as a friend on Goodreads.

So that's all, folks! It's been a fun and amazing journey, and I thank you all for listening to my thoughts about books. I hope we all can keep in touch elsewhere :)

Tori

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Tori's Review: Phoenix Rising by Jo Lynne Valerie

Holly is a successful, eccentric artist who has given up on love. A best-selling novelist hires Holly, asking her to "Paint my hero, my leading man..."

After Holly paints all day and all night, a face has come to life on her canvas. Imagine Holly's surprise when she meets the man she painted - IN REAL LIFE - just days later.

David is a divorced single father, a wolf biologist. On a deep winter night, their paths converge and passion ignites. David surprises both Holly and himself when he asks her to go away with him and his son, for the holidays...

But Holly is held prisoner by devastating heartbreak and a horrifying secret. Can she trust David with what is locked in the farthest recesses of her heart?

As the trio travels southwest for the holidays, the connection and intensity grows between Holly and David. In an end the reader will not see coming, Holly's mystery is solved at last - and a new path beckons them all.

A story about second chances. About healing the heart. This Winter Solstice, magic happens.

Obtained: Author
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series:
1. Phoenix Rising

My Rating:

My Opinion:
When we think of paranormal, we think of vampires, werewolves, witches, faeries, etc. What we don't think of is real life. That's because the world of the paranormal is, well, magical. It is escape at its finest. When readers open up a paranormal book, they expect it to do what other books might not: completely and utterly captivate us with tales that we wish could happen, or that we could personally experience. So while we might wish all these stories were real, we know deep down that they're not...

Or are they?

Phoenix Rising is a paranormal book, but it's not the typical paranormal book you would expect. There are no super villains with the ability of mind control. People do not transform into furry canines. They also don't have the ability to survive off blood. Well... not that I know of. In this tale, readers witness paranormal, but in a real life setting.

Holly is an eccentric artist. Her past story is quite tragic, and readers are slowly eased into said past as the story progresses. With that said, I'm delighted by the outcome of this tale. It was a real happy ending (though I do feel slightly bad for Holly's niece), one that had me smiling by the end. And it wasn't corny!

I absolutely adored the start of this book. I don't even have words to give it justice, which is weird for me. But I loved it! The tone was also enjoyable. It was like... someone was reading the book to me, and I was able to sprawl on my bed and just listen for once (in actuality, I was sprawled on my bed reading it, but who's keeping track?). The author's voice was soothing, and I actually found myself feeling more and more relaxed as I continued reading.

Usually I'm wary of numerous points of view. If they are done well, they add a new level to a story. Most of the time, not so much, because the author cannot juggle so many different viewpoints. Miraculously, they neither jar, nor distract the reader in this particular novel. In fact, I believe the story would have felt more barren had Jo Lynne simply focused on one or two characters only.

If you are eagerly searching for an action-packed urban fantasy, then this is not the story for you. But, if you'd like a change of pace from typical paranormal books, while still reading about the paranormal, then I highly suggest you give Phoenix Rising a shot. This novel was like a breath of fresh air. My brain wept in relief for the change of pace.