TEST
Ms. Shinn is one of my favorite authors. One of her books is a Desert Island Keeper for me. But this new book didn’t work for me on so many levels.
Now thirty-five, Maria Devane has been in love with Dante Romano for fifteen years. She is grateful for the time she can spend with him even though over the years it has become less and less. You see, Dante is a shapeshifter and the amount of time he spends as a human is decreasing more and more. Sometimes he is only able to spend two days a month as himself. Maria spends some of her free time with family and friends, but her priority has always been Dante. She has built her life around his needs and desires. The necessity for privacy dictated that she buy a secluded home in the country. Her diet changes to vegetarian when he is gone for fear that he has been killed in animal form for food. When he is human she drops everything and when he is gone she picks up the pieces again. People pity her and try to fix her up with eligible men but her heart belongs to Dante. The passion and love she has for him has no boundaries. One of Dante’s ancestors expressed it best in poetry – Because the birthday of my life is come, my love is come to me.
While Dante’s sister Christina has more warning of her changes, and his brother William has more control, each year Dante becomes more a victim to his body. As he ages the animals he changes into are larger and larger, putting his life more at risk. Dante views himself and people like him as abominations, so he is shocked to discover that Christina has had a baby. As far is he is concerned his kind shouldn’t procreate. Three years into their relationship Maria made a comment about wanting babies. Dante made it perfectly clear that there would never be babies with him. Since Maria was only twenty-three she quickly agreed. But when Maria turned thirty he sensed her growing desire for a child, so he sneaked off and had a vasectomy to ensure there wouldn’t be any little Dantes running around. Maria still entertains the idea of children even though they won’t be Dante’s. She eagerly tells Christina she would be happy to babysit.
One of Maria’s co-workers, Kathleen is in a physically abusive marriage. She shows up at work periodically with bruises. Maria and the other individuals in the office are trying to convince her to seek help but she is in denial. However, Maria understands that Kathleen truly loves her husband and wants him to love her back. When an individual known to Maria, Kathleen and Dante is discovered dead after being mauled by an animal, the fear crosses Maria’s mind that Dante killed him while in a mindless animal state. As Dante’s absence continues and the body count rises she becomes more and more fearful. Still, she knows that no matter what he does, she will still love him.
Okay, you probably guess by now that Maria is a slobbering slave for love even though Dante rebuffs her attempts to learn more about his life when he is away from her. And when he is human he is irritable, sarcastic and usually they end up arguing. Since Dante is spending most of his time in animal form he no longer has his own place. He has a storage shed that he uses to change into human form and then he returns to Maria. He wears a key around his neck to the shed, even though he risks strangulation when he changes into large animals because he refuses to rely on Maria, telling her he trusts her with his secret, his life, his soul, but that no human being can be everything to another. Good advice – too bad Maria doesn’t listen.
Of course, the writing is good. Ms. Shinn is a very talented author, but her vision of romantic love is so far removed from mine that I kept wondering if she was writing a satire of a romance novel showcasing abusive physical and emotional relationships.
Plus, this story doesn’t reveal her marvelous talent for world building. The story is set in present time with the only fantasy element being Dante and his family’s life as shapeshifters.
Because of the way the hero treats the heroine, his self-centeredness and selfishness and her willingness to accept his crumbs I really can’t recommend this book. It looks like this might be the first in the series. Hopefully the next book will have Ms. Shinn back on track.
Grade: C-
Book Type: Urban Fantasy
Sensuality: Kisses
Review Date: 16/03/12
Publication Date: 2012/04
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.