 Contemporary Romance |
DIAMOND'S ALLURE Eboni Snoe BET/Arabesque May 2003 (3) Kakita Floyd |
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PLOT SYNOPSIS: |
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The third title of Snoe's acclaimed Gemstone series finds Sienna Russell wishing for a normal life with Hawk Jackson. As the Last of the Stonekeepers, Sienna must protect gems vital to humanity's future. Now they must confront their darkest fears.
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REVIEW: |
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A DIAMOND’S ALLURE, is the finally story in Eboni Snoe’s Gemstone Trilogy. The gemstone trilogy began with the THE PASSION RUBY (Pinnacle 1995 and BET 2000) and EMERALD’S FIRE (BET 1997). The central plot of the entire trilogy is Sienna Russell’s role as The Stonekeeper of three gemstones crucial to the future of humanity. In her adventures she meets and falls in love with the hunky and intelligent Hennessey “Hawk” Jackson. As the final book in the trilogy, A DIAMOND’S ALLURE, is the story of how Sienna and Hawk come to terms with the “ghosts” of insecurity and self doubt that haunt their relationship and fulfill the Stonekeeper’s legacy with the final gemstone.
We meet up with Sienna and Hawk eight years after their initial meeting. (A reader can see the formation of the relationship in the prior two novels of the trilogy.) Both characters are struggling with their sense of self in the relationship and waiting for the final stage in the Stonekeeper legacy. Hawk, plagued by the return of his recurring physic gift, wonders if he can be the man Sienna needs and wants. Meanwhile, Sienna worried by self doubt, fears that Hawk is in love with Sienna, the Stonekeeper, and not Sienna, the woman.
The struggles within and between Sienna and Hawk, give the story a dose of realism and believability. Conversely, the self discovery and awareness they discover to resolve these struggles is a mystical and spiritual journey wrapped around the legend of the Stonekeeper. It is in this area of the story that Eboni Snoe’s inconsistency as a writer is shown. The Stonekeeper legend and the task to fulfill it are not well integrated into the story. The climax of the legend is almost added as an afterthought. I believe this is because the legend is not actively integrated into the plot. (The lack of attention to the legacy in this novel makes it lack the suspense that was found in THE PASSION RUBY and EMERALD FIRE.) Readers beware if you do not have an open mind toward mysticism you will find this story far past believable.
As the much awaited final book in the gemstone trilogy, A DIAMOND’S ALLURE, is like a classy well designed cubic zirconia. At a quick glance it seems to be gorgeous gem but upon closer inspection it’s just not quite as good as the real thing. It lacks the excitement and sizzling sense of seduction and love that permeated THE PASSION RUBY and EMERALD’S FIRE. For this reason, I would advise readers who missed the first books in the series not to bother. If you read and loved THE PASSION RUBY and EMERALD’S FIRE as I did, how can you not read the conclusion of the trilogy, but be prepared it’s not as great as the others. |
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kakita@romanceincolor.net (30th March 2003) |
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