GtPGKogPYT4p61R1biicqBXsUzo" /> Google+ Double Book Review: A Hidden Fire: Elemental Mysteries Book One by Elizabeth Hunter | I Smell Sheep

Friday, March 6, 2015

Double Book Review: A Hidden Fire: Elemental Mysteries Book One by Elizabeth Hunter

A Hidden Fire (Elemental Mysteries #1)by Elizabeth Hunter
320 pages
Published October 18th 2011
"No secret stays hidden forever."

A phone call from an old friend sets Dr. Giovanni Vecchio back on the path of a mystery he'd abandoned years before. He never expected a young librarian could hold the key to the search, nor could he have expected the danger she would attract. Now he and Beatrice De Novo will follow a twisted maze that leads from the archives of a university library, through the fires of Renaissance Florence, and toward a confrontation they never could have predicted.

A Hidden Fire is a paranormal mystery/romance for adult readers. It is the first book in the Elemental Mysteries Series.


JeanieG Review
Renaissance Man to the Max!

If you are looking for a true love story, this just might be the book for you. Never mind that it concerns a 500+ year old vampire and a 22 year old college student...(OK, that doesn't sound really good)...it takes you to a place every young (and old) female would like to be. In the arms of a strong, intelligent, wealthy, sexy renaissance male!

While working in a library, Beatrice meets a handsome professor doing research on ancient books and letters. She is unaware that she has been targeted to become his assistant to help find ancient letters and books that her "deceased" father had a hand in discovering. Of course she also doesn't know that her father has been "turned" while on a trip to Europe and that this handsome professor is also a vampire trying to find her father.

The first half of the book gave you a slow building introduction to both characters until you felt you might go crazy if they didn't come to their senses and recognize their attraction to one another! They are both pretty headstrong and even though Gio has about 480 years more experience in life (well, maybe not actually "life" as we know it), Beatrice holds her own in bringing this somber, structured Demi-God to heel. Gio finally realizes that his attraction is more serious than just a passing thing and it takes every ounce of his willpower to try to stay uninvolved. For her good of course...such a gentleman too!

The supporting characters are very likable and contribute well to the story. They are instrumental in convincing Gio that he needs to take a chance with Beatrice and have his back when things get hairy after Beatrice is taken by Gio's evil son. That's when my infatuation with Gio really began, he became the mighty "warrior", the knight on the white horse, the man who would move heaven and earth for the woman he loves! SWOOON. Such a strong man who still understands that he must put Beatrice's needs and life before his own happiness...SWOON again!

Not a lot of gruesome action or explicit sex scenes for this vampire novel but lots of sexual undercurrent and romance with one extreme annihilation of some nasty vamps.

Even though the premise of being a rare book dealer and the ensuing dialog on the names and types of correspondence he was seeking was a little drab and the family genealogy somewhat confusing, the underlying story still grabbed my romantic psyche and I have now put the next book at the top of my "to read" list!

I give this book 4 sheep.


DeniseB REVIEW
Elizabeth Hunter is a great author and if you have never read any of her books this is the place to start. Hidden Fire is Book 1 in the Elemental Mystery series that follows Dr. Giovanni Vecchio, a very old vampire who is hunting for a manuscript when he meets the lovely Beatrice De Novo. She ignites an instant spark within Gio and he enlists the help of us day man Casper to find out all he can about the beautiful, young lady.

The book is filled with vampires that possess a unique connection to the elements of earth, wind, fire and water which makes them stronger when surrounded by them. As you learn about each character in the book you fall in love with them. Hunter has created characters that you connect with and want to invest your time with. She does not disappoint with the depth of the characters or stories that she writes. I have fallen in love with all of her characters and books and can’t wait until the next book is released.

Getting 5 sheep

About the Author:
Website-FB-twitter
Elizabeth Hunter is a contemporary fantasy, paranormal romance, and contemporary romance writer. She is a graduate of the University of Houston Honors College and a former English teacher. She once substitute taught a kindergarten class, but decided that middle school was far less frightening. Thankfully, people now pay her to write books and eighth-graders everywhere rejoice.

She currently lives in Central California with her son, two dogs, many plants, and a sadly dwindling fish tank. She is the author of the Elemental Mysteries and Elemental World series, the Cambio Springs series, the Irin Chronicles, and other works of fiction.

4 comments:

  1. Two very different reviews. I like that the second tells that the vampires are linked to elements which makes them stronger. That piques my curiosity, and I want to read it. The warning in the first review that it has dull and boring parts, well, that makes me not want to read it.
    I need a third review to make up my mind ...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. lol, sorry to have you confused. But both gave it a high rating. I grabbed a copy since it is free for the kindle/US. If you check out its ratings on amazon...there are over 2000 reviews and it has a 4.4 rating.

      Delete
    2. Sorry for your confusion and thanks for stopping by! This story is definitely a good read and the author does a great job of character development and portraying the use of elements in their supernatural abilities. I will absolutely read the next installment of this series! JeanieG

      Delete
  2. I've read the first two books of this series and I found them both to be excellent. Well worth the read in my opinion.

    ReplyDelete