Hi, everyone,it’s Sher today. A little late because I was busy writing my book review earlier. Traveling is fun, especially because I get to read more than at home. But there are always lots of chores to do when we get home. So I took care of the animals and started the laundry first. Now is the time for books!
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Overall, Hidden Fire was an exciting read with a fully developed plot, a worthy successor to book 1. I had no trouble picking up the thread of the story without feeling dragged down by backstory. Lady Auriella is England’s unappreciated watcher, getting into trouble for causing damage via her fiery battles. This time, the writing pulled me into her head better because others described her rather than breaking her point of view. A nice improvement.
The characters were great. I couldn’t help but love the male Scottish trio and Baby. You’ll just have to meet these guys to realize there’s not much contest between old and new loves except in Auriella’s imagination. That very predictability was my biggest hindrance to complete enjoyment though, especially because I recognized the real bad guy long before the denouement. However, meetings with old friends I loved from book one mostly made up for that.
Of course, as an editor, I notice problems others might not. The repetitive sentence structure often pulled me out of the story. At one point, I even started counting sentences between opening clauses. Yet I think there was more variation than in book 1, and I hope book 3 will continue the trend. Editing was uneven, but compared to fast pacing, this was a minor irritation.
If you like romance mixed with plenty of action and adventure with some mystery, this series is for you. If you dislike incomplete story arcs, this series is for you. Both books went far enough to complete a story, and this one even began the next. The final destination made a great reward in spite of the sad circumstances. The pictures came from the author to me in everlasting color. Bottom line: if you love cinematic books packed with fully developed characters, you have to read this book. 4 of 5 stars. I would have no qualms with tweens reading. I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
