YA Paranormal Romance
Date Published: 10/31/2013
.jpg)
Experience THE BALLAD OF TAM LIN like you’ve never read it before…
It has been seven years since Jeanette Sauderheim followed her best friend into Carver Hall Park...and came out alone. Jeanette has never gotten over his mysterious disappearance nor has she gone back into the park. While that traumatic night still haunts her, Jeanette distracts herself by balancing her time between trying to pass Spanish, hanging out with her friends, and reading the latest manga.
But, when a promise to a friend drives her back into the park, she's forced to re-live the memories of that night. Lost and confused, Jeanette crosses paths with Tamrin, whose violent reaction to her provides yet another reason to avoid the park.
Tamrin, a knight of the Summer Court, has been sent to Earth to guard a garden of roses that hold special meaning to the queen of the Summer faeries. When his distraction at meeting Jeanette leads to her picking one of the Summer Queen’s roses, Tamrin vows to right his failure to do his duty.
However, the equivalent of one of the queen’s roses is a human heart and Tamrin’s reluctance to readily exact the sum from Jeanette sets in motion a spiral of love, betrayal, and magic that could mean damnation for them both.
*This is an Upper YA paranormal romance novel with NA and contemporary fantasy appeal.
It has been seven years since Jeanette Sauderheim followed her best friend into Carver Hall Park...and came out alone. Jeanette has never gotten over his mysterious disappearance nor has she gone back into the park. While that traumatic night still haunts her, Jeanette distracts herself by balancing her time between trying to pass Spanish, hanging out with her friends, and reading the latest manga.
But, when a promise to a friend drives her back into the park, she's forced to re-live the memories of that night. Lost and confused, Jeanette crosses paths with Tamrin, whose violent reaction to her provides yet another reason to avoid the park.
Tamrin, a knight of the Summer Court, has been sent to Earth to guard a garden of roses that hold special meaning to the queen of the Summer faeries. When his distraction at meeting Jeanette leads to her picking one of the Summer Queen’s roses, Tamrin vows to right his failure to do his duty.
However, the equivalent of one of the queen’s roses is a human heart and Tamrin’s reluctance to readily exact the sum from Jeanette sets in motion a spiral of love, betrayal, and magic that could mean damnation for them both.
*This is an Upper YA paranormal romance novel with NA and contemporary fantasy appeal.
Buy Link:
Amazon * B & N * iBooks
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review!
What I say (review): I didn't really remember much about the Ballard of Tam Lin before I read A.L. Davroe's reinterpretation of the story. I do remember my Aunt telling me as a child to stay away from the flowers by her house in Devon because the faeries wouldn't like it. I have since gone back to my old folk tales book and found more about the Scottish legend.
For Your Heart is a clever and enchanting version of Tam Lin. It features a very modern teenage heroine Jeanette and a deviously charming hero Tamrin.
Jeanette is different from a lot of other YA heroines because she's a devoted catholic. Her faith is an important part the story and I never felt she was in any a stereotype. I enjoyed Jeanette/Nett/Jean/Lovely's Supernatural and other pop-cultural references, even though a lot of the Manga references went above my head. Jean is extremely likeable (she even worried about turning into Bella Swann - don't we all love?!).
Tamrin had the moody, dark beauty of Julie Kagawa's Prince Ash and the wit and charm of her Puck. On the one hand Tamrin's a huge player used to getting his own way with humans, but in another way he's something of a victim and is treated like a pet by the Fey. I usually get annoyed when the experienced boy goes for the innocent girl but on this occasion it made total sense and I understood exactly where the attraction came from.
For Your Heart is a sweet story of teenage love in a fantasy setting. There are a few unexpected twists but you may want to avoid reading the Ballard before this as it's kinda spoilery. Right I'm off into the woods!
4 Stars in my Sky!
Author Spotlight: A.L. Davroe writes both YA and adult speculative fiction. Her debut YA paranormal romance novel, FOR YOUR HEART, releases October 31, 2013. By day, she lives in Connecticut her two feline hench-creatures. She’s a terrible blusher, has a weak spot for cuddly animals, loves Laffy Taffy and Cadbury MiniEggs, and she’s a huge advocate of alternative healing methods. She also wears Vibram five-finger toe shoes and corsets...Though not always in the same ensemble. She’s a Capricorn, a Hufflepuff, and a few nuggets short of a Happy Meal.
Excerpt:
He bites his lip. “I would like to allow you that boon, Lovely, I would. But I can’t wait that long. I’m sorry. You've got exactly one year.” He stands, his expression determined and resolute. “Until then, you will care for that heart like it is diamond encrusted and I shall make sure of it.”
I stare at him, unmoving as he goes toward my bed, divests himself of his weapons, and stretches across the side I never sleep on. He pluffs up my sushi pillow, shifts into a comfortable position, and settles his gaze on me.
It takes a minute to compute what’s happening and then I push myself up on shaking arms. “No,” I insist with a shake of my head. “You are not staying here.”
“I can't go back to Roxel, she'll want to know about the rose.”
“Go pawn yourself off on some other chick. You don't seem to have any problems with that.”
Tamrin looks around the room. “No, I like it here. I'm staying.”
I feel my jaw drop. “You can't stay here,” I insist. “You can't freeload off of my dreams and then steal my heart!”
He cocks his head, regarding me with thoughtful eyes. “I can pay, if you like. I promise you'll be pleased.” The tone of his voice is far too suggestive.
I blink, then blush crimson. “What? No!” My voice is too high pitched, scandalized as I am. “I'm not,” I struggle for words, “I'm not that kind of girl. I don't do stuff like that. I'm Catholic. You know, virgin until marriage.”
Tamrin frowns and then shrugs. “Suit yourself. But, I'm not leaving.”
I stare at him, unmoving as he goes toward my bed, divests himself of his weapons, and stretches across the side I never sleep on. He pluffs up my sushi pillow, shifts into a comfortable position, and settles his gaze on me.
It takes a minute to compute what’s happening and then I push myself up on shaking arms. “No,” I insist with a shake of my head. “You are not staying here.”
“I can't go back to Roxel, she'll want to know about the rose.”
“Go pawn yourself off on some other chick. You don't seem to have any problems with that.”
Tamrin looks around the room. “No, I like it here. I'm staying.”
I feel my jaw drop. “You can't stay here,” I insist. “You can't freeload off of my dreams and then steal my heart!”
He cocks his head, regarding me with thoughtful eyes. “I can pay, if you like. I promise you'll be pleased.” The tone of his voice is far too suggestive.
I blink, then blush crimson. “What? No!” My voice is too high pitched, scandalized as I am. “I'm not,” I struggle for words, “I'm not that kind of girl. I don't do stuff like that. I'm Catholic. You know, virgin until marriage.”
Tamrin frowns and then shrugs. “Suit yourself. But, I'm not leaving.”
No comments
Post a Comment