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lfsalden's review against another edition
1.0
I'm not going to finish it. I can see giving it another try if I'm snowed in someday.
kathflynn's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
halynah's review against another edition
5.0
BRILLIANTLY WRITTEN, UNPUTDOWNABLE AND CAPTIVATING BOOK!
Amazing style of writing, intriguing plot and charismatic and colourful characters are only few of the many reasons, why you must read this book immediately. It's been a while since after the first book in the series I was so fascinated, that I started the second one immediatly without a break - and here I am - reading feverishly and greedily the sequel.
I won't retell the plot - it's enough to say, that this book has a gripping mystery, intense romance and chemistry and absolutely perfect writing style. To put it briefly - A MUST-READ!
Amazing style of writing, intriguing plot and charismatic and colourful characters are only few of the many reasons, why you must read this book immediately. It's been a while since after the first book in the series I was so fascinated, that I started the second one immediatly without a break - and here I am - reading feverishly and greedily the sequel.
I won't retell the plot - it's enough to say, that this book has a gripping mystery, intense romance and chemistry and absolutely perfect writing style. To put it briefly - A MUST-READ!
bouldermimi's review against another edition
4.0
Read 1/17/21 - eBook
What a great start to a new series I know I'm going to love. Vampires in this series have control over one of the elements, Giovanni's is fire. Beatrice sure is smart and spunky, what vampire could resist her? I especially love Carwyn, he's a hoot! Going to look for the next book in the series!
What a great start to a new series I know I'm going to love. Vampires in this series have control over one of the elements, Giovanni's is fire. Beatrice sure is smart and spunky, what vampire could resist her? I especially love Carwyn, he's a hoot! Going to look for the next book in the series!
klaragon73's review against another edition
5.0
Review coming later this week! All I can say for now...if amazing.
klaragon73's review against another edition
5.0
A Hidden Fire is saturated with mystery, intrigue, and romance. To be quite honest…this book will make my paranormal romance top ten list of 2011. The characters are enigmatic and brimming with charisma. Every character has a specific purpose in the story, they are important and multidimensional. The romance is slow and builds with a burning intensity throughout the book. And the mystery…well, it just keeps going and going and going…and then at the end, it continues. The sequel cannot come out soon enough for me. A Hidden Fire is to say the very least…intense.
Let’s say hello to the characters, shall we?
Giovanni Vecchio is an Italian god; at least he looks like one. Rich, sexy, and mysterious is a completely accurate description of Gio. His weekly trips to the Special Collections reading room at the Houston University library unearth a long lost collection of letters and poetry. This collection will complicate every part of Gio’s life…as well as others.
Beatrice De Novo is beautiful and intelligent. She is snippy, sarcastic, and made me laugh so hard. Her job at the library entwines her fate with Gio’s. B, as she prefers to be called, has had a difficult life. Her father died when she was young and she is left the haunting feeling that he is still around. She is a strong heroin and will bring feeling to Gio’s heart.
Casper appears to be Gio’s butler; however, the more you learn about Gio, the more you realize that Casper is family. Casper cares deeply about Gio’s well-being and attempts to help him find the life he has always deserved. I loved Casper because he tells it like it is. He doesn’t let Gio pull anything over on him and forces Gio to answer for his actions.
Stephen De Novo found something he shouldn’t of. He paid with his life…in one form or another.
Carwyn, a great friend to Gio, is probably my favorite character. He is a Welsh Priest who has lived a long time. Funny and flirtatious, he is able to give Beatrice some of the answers she is looking for. He believes that each person should tell their own story. He and Beatrice are great as friends…he can read her like a book and knows exactly what to say.
Isadora De Novo is Beatrice’s only living family member. She and Beatrice have become very close since her grandfather’s passing. Isadora has been keeping a huge secret that may bring much unwanted strife to Beatrice’s life.
Tenzin remains a mystery to me. She is very old and powerful. A very close friend of Gio and Carwyn. She fights by their side to obtain something extremely important to Gio. Tenzin is an odd one, but I loved her.
Lorenzo is the pain in Gio’s ass. He seeks power and seizes any opportunity to cause Gio discord.
Elizabeth combined the lore of elementals with the lore of vampires and created an out-of-this-world world. I was extremely interested in the creation of these immortal creatures. Being from Texas, I appreciated the location of the story and became more interested as she took her characters from Houston to Greece to Chili ending in California. The author did a great job of pulling local culture into each of these locations.
The romance that is portrayed is not immediate and overwhelming. It simmers slowly until it engulfs you in its entirety and leaves you a tad bit disappointed, not in the story or the romance, but in the situation. I wanted what Beatrice wanted…I wanted Gio to fight for her. I suspect he has his reasons for his actions, but it doesn’t mean I agree. Ugh…men. There is plenty of humor sprinkled throughout the book to leave you smiling right before the tears come.
For fans of vampires or elementals…I highly recommend A Hidden Fire by Elizabeth Hunter. I don’t believe you will be disappointed.
JUST IN - BOOK TWO WILL BE RELEASED IN DECEMBER. NO LONG WAITS FOR THE SEQUEL!
Two of my favorite quotes:
“Right,” she frowned. “Right. No one would believe me because vampires aren’t real.”…He chuckled in amusement. “Everyone knows that.”
Carwyn rolled his eyes. “Silly B, love is friendship…just with less clothes, which is far more brilliant.”
Let’s say hello to the characters, shall we?
Giovanni Vecchio is an Italian god; at least he looks like one. Rich, sexy, and mysterious is a completely accurate description of Gio. His weekly trips to the Special Collections reading room at the Houston University library unearth a long lost collection of letters and poetry. This collection will complicate every part of Gio’s life…as well as others.
Beatrice De Novo is beautiful and intelligent. She is snippy, sarcastic, and made me laugh so hard. Her job at the library entwines her fate with Gio’s. B, as she prefers to be called, has had a difficult life. Her father died when she was young and she is left the haunting feeling that he is still around. She is a strong heroin and will bring feeling to Gio’s heart.
Casper appears to be Gio’s butler; however, the more you learn about Gio, the more you realize that Casper is family. Casper cares deeply about Gio’s well-being and attempts to help him find the life he has always deserved. I loved Casper because he tells it like it is. He doesn’t let Gio pull anything over on him and forces Gio to answer for his actions.
Stephen De Novo found something he shouldn’t of. He paid with his life…in one form or another.
Carwyn, a great friend to Gio, is probably my favorite character. He is a Welsh Priest who has lived a long time. Funny and flirtatious, he is able to give Beatrice some of the answers she is looking for. He believes that each person should tell their own story. He and Beatrice are great as friends…he can read her like a book and knows exactly what to say.
Isadora De Novo is Beatrice’s only living family member. She and Beatrice have become very close since her grandfather’s passing. Isadora has been keeping a huge secret that may bring much unwanted strife to Beatrice’s life.
Tenzin remains a mystery to me. She is very old and powerful. A very close friend of Gio and Carwyn. She fights by their side to obtain something extremely important to Gio. Tenzin is an odd one, but I loved her.
Lorenzo is the pain in Gio’s ass. He seeks power and seizes any opportunity to cause Gio discord.
Elizabeth combined the lore of elementals with the lore of vampires and created an out-of-this-world world. I was extremely interested in the creation of these immortal creatures. Being from Texas, I appreciated the location of the story and became more interested as she took her characters from Houston to Greece to Chili ending in California. The author did a great job of pulling local culture into each of these locations.
The romance that is portrayed is not immediate and overwhelming. It simmers slowly until it engulfs you in its entirety and leaves you a tad bit disappointed, not in the story or the romance, but in the situation. I wanted what Beatrice wanted…I wanted Gio to fight for her. I suspect he has his reasons for his actions, but it doesn’t mean I agree. Ugh…men. There is plenty of humor sprinkled throughout the book to leave you smiling right before the tears come.
For fans of vampires or elementals…I highly recommend A Hidden Fire by Elizabeth Hunter. I don’t believe you will be disappointed.
JUST IN - BOOK TWO WILL BE RELEASED IN DECEMBER. NO LONG WAITS FOR THE SEQUEL!
Two of my favorite quotes:
“Right,” she frowned. “Right. No one would believe me because vampires aren’t real.”…He chuckled in amusement. “Everyone knows that.”
Carwyn rolled his eyes. “Silly B, love is friendship…just with less clothes, which is far more brilliant.”
katyanaish's review against another edition
4.0
It definitely has potential. Going to read more in the series, see where it goes!
mollywetta's review against another edition
5.0
So I work in a library. I'm a bit of a nerd. I also enjoy vampire fiction (though my taste is discerning side and I'm not the read-anything-with-fangs variety).
I thought this book was the perfect blend of mystery, romance, and fantasy. It was definitely a new and clever take on vampires with an interesting and unique mythology--and even better, the heroine is a librarian! The mystery is bookish!
I love that Beatrice is not your standard white girl. She's a kick ass Latina, and the glimpses into her culture such as the Dias de los Muertos festival rounded out her character.
Gio is a bit broody, definitely stand offish, most definitely mysterious and very sexy. He's got just a touch of bad boy and a big scholarly streak. He's my kind of guy.
[a:Elizabeth Hunter|5251202|Elizabeth Hunter|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1510179283p2/5251202.jpg] has created a fanastic work with quirky characters that you'll want to immerse yourself in! This is a quick, fast-paced book that I found hard to put down, and I eagerly awaited the sequel, [b:This Same Earth|13034683|This Same Earth (Elemental Mysteries, #2)|Elizabeth Hunter|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1344493907s/13034683.jpg|18198263].
I thought this book was the perfect blend of mystery, romance, and fantasy. It was definitely a new and clever take on vampires with an interesting and unique mythology--and even better, the heroine is a librarian! The mystery is bookish!
I love that Beatrice is not your standard white girl. She's a kick ass Latina, and the glimpses into her culture such as the Dias de los Muertos festival rounded out her character.
Gio is a bit broody, definitely stand offish, most definitely mysterious and very sexy. He's got just a touch of bad boy and a big scholarly streak. He's my kind of guy.
[a:Elizabeth Hunter|5251202|Elizabeth Hunter|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1510179283p2/5251202.jpg] has created a fanastic work with quirky characters that you'll want to immerse yourself in! This is a quick, fast-paced book that I found hard to put down, and I eagerly awaited the sequel, [b:This Same Earth|13034683|This Same Earth (Elemental Mysteries, #2)|Elizabeth Hunter|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1344493907s/13034683.jpg|18198263].
librarycatnip's review
2.75
The premise sounded so good. But the male lead is so tall, dark, and handsome and stoic that he basically has no personality. Character development on the female lead is also lacking. I thought we were looking at an academic vampire renaissance mystery, and really all they do is sit in a room and we're not getting the academic mystery.
mamabears_fabulous_book_finds's review against another edition
5.0
Sigh...I so loved this book. Gio and Beatrice...wow... love the idea of vampires who can control the elements. Very cool. Really like Carwyn and tanzin ... damn cliffhanger at the end though