~ Review: The Lotus Blossom Chronicles ~

THE LOTUS BLOSSOM CHRONICLES - Jax Cassidy & Simone Harlow Parker Publishing/Lotus Blossom 1-60043-0341 March 2008

SYNOPSIS:  THE LOTUS BLOSSON CHRONICLES is a collection of two tales that highlight romance between individuals of different cultures.  While these stories take place in different settings and under different circumstances, the share theme of the lotus flower flows between them.

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE |3+|  La-Tessa Montgomery

REVIEW:   SIREN’S SEDUCTION; Jax Cassidy (3) - Donovan Matthews, or Dove as she is known by her fans, has noticed a very sexy stranger hanging out at her recent performances.  His mere presence has captivated

her so, that she could not let him leave without first meeting him.  Unbeknownst to her, the feeling was mutual.  Niko felt a fierce attraction and instant connection to the beauty with the voice of an angel.  But Niko was there for one reason, and one reason only, to make good on a promise he made to a dear friend.  He did not have time for whatever it was that was going on between him and Dove. But when an expected adventure leaves them to deal with the passion and lust that lies between them, their lives will never be the same.  Both Niko and Dove are nursing some pretty deep emotional wounds; will their love be the salve they need to heal their wounds?

SIREN’S SEDUCTION features two leads suffering from deep emotional scars, but who find solace in each other’s company.  I did enjoy the author’s use of the anthology’s theme, the lotus flower, in this story.  I could understand Dove’s connection to the beautiful and symbolic flower.  However, with that being said, I found this tale to be a bit confusing and hard to follow at times.  I had to re-read some more than a few passages again because I thought I had missed something.  The pacing and transitions were a bit choppy, causing the story to not flow very well.  While I initially enjoyed Dove and Niko, I never really connected to them at all.  Their chemistry felt forced and I had a hard time buying into their actions at times.  I know they both had trust and abandonment issues, but Dove’s reaction to the story’s main conflict was a bit over the top; conversely I found Niko’s reaction to Dove’s decision to be a tad unrealistic.  All in all, I found it a bit hard to suspend reality to really enjoy this story.

CONCUBINE; Simone Harlow (4) - Nyssa Farris is currently in the employ of the Queen as one of her best bounty hunters.  Be that as it may, Nyssa has no love for the Queen; for not only did Queen Tarana kill her lover, the King, to ascend the throne; but she also took Nyssa’s daughter to raise as her own.  While Nyssa does her job by bringing criminals in, she also helps any slave brave and lucky enough to escape Tarana’s confines.  So when the Queen sends her on a mission to return her escaped concubine Asad, Nyssa has no intention of bringing him in.  That is until Tarana makes Nyssa a deal she can’t refuse.  Now with the promise of getting her daughter back, Nyssa is forced to compromise her morals.  With one look at the handsome Asad, Nyssa knows why the Queen is so intent on getting him back.  After a night of shared passion, Nyssa’s heart is torn in two.  Will she return Asad to get her daughter back; or will she allow new found passion to lead her in another direction?

CONCUBINE is a great story that I hated to see end.  I found it to be a very unique and interesting, fast paced tale that was full of action and passion. The author does a wonderful job of painting the scenery and life of that is now post war Kenya in the year 2185.  The setting really adds to the tone and tension of the story.  The leads, Nyssa and Asad, have good chemistry and are great together.  The one small negative point I have about them is that their relationship felt a little forced, but this was probably due to the length of the story.  The secondary characters are great; I especially enjoyed Bakari, Nyssa’s partner and adopted son, so to speak.  I found him to be a very interesting character and I like the edge he brings to the story.  His lifestyle is at odds with what I think boy of his age should be doing. 

All in all, I recommend THE LOTUS BLOSSOM CHRONICLES.   Especially if you are looking for a little adventure with your romance.

reviewer@romanceincolor.com | 17th April 2008