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beastreader's review
5.0
You can say that my attention was grabbed as soon as I cracked open the pages of this book and started reading it. I was swept away by the past and the present lives of Helle, Sam, and Jason. Ms. Belfrage wrote a rich story with developed characters. Yet, as much as I loved this book; I did not feel like I even scratched the layers of the three characters. There is so many more questions that I have that I know will be answered in the second book. Thus the reason I am ordering the second book.
Sam is the evil Prince and Helle's intended match from her past. Yet, as you can guess, she fell for Jason. Now the three are battling for power and love in the present day.
The author did a great job of intertwining the past with the present. Dipping in and out seamlessly. This book is more of the set up to what I expect to be a big show down in the next book. There was not a lot of action that took place in this book. Just the back story of who everyone was/is.
Sam is the evil Prince and Helle's intended match from her past. Yet, as you can guess, she fell for Jason. Now the three are battling for power and love in the present day.
The author did a great job of intertwining the past with the present. Dipping in and out seamlessly. This book is more of the set up to what I expect to be a big show down in the next book. There was not a lot of action that took place in this book. Just the back story of who everyone was/is.
bookswritingandmore's review
5.0
I was completely blown away by Anna's new novel. The characters Helle and Jason had my heart from the very beginning. The heat the words ignite in the readers mind were intense and very realistic. Although the story was about reincarnation and following your soulmate through lifetime and lifetime, I still felt very connected to the plot and the outcome right away.
Helle Madsen comes to her new job in London ready to make an impression. Once Sam Woolf lays eyes on her, he immediately becomes gruff and scary. Helle gets afraid but quickly explains away their first meeting as a fluke. Then she meets Jason, the man she has been dreaming about since she could remember her dreams and although she doesn't get it, she knows she has met him before and she knows she loves him. When Jason tells her their story she is skeptical at best and they fight based on Helle not wanting to believe the preposterous events he describes from century's ago but still she can't stay away......
To say I was captivated by the words, love story, plot etc would not be enough. This book devoured me and wouldn't let go till I finished. Now I want the next book before I go insane. Pick up this book and other books by this author. Her writing is exquisite.
Helle Madsen comes to her new job in London ready to make an impression. Once Sam Woolf lays eyes on her, he immediately becomes gruff and scary. Helle gets afraid but quickly explains away their first meeting as a fluke. Then she meets Jason, the man she has been dreaming about since she could remember her dreams and although she doesn't get it, she knows she has met him before and she knows she loves him. When Jason tells her their story she is skeptical at best and they fight based on Helle not wanting to believe the preposterous events he describes from century's ago but still she can't stay away......
To say I was captivated by the words, love story, plot etc would not be enough. This book devoured me and wouldn't let go till I finished. Now I want the next book before I go insane. Pick up this book and other books by this author. Her writing is exquisite.
thedeathmaven's review
4.0
Every now and then I read a blurb that wholeheartedly captures my interest, which is exactly what happened with A Torch In His Heart. By the end of the blurb I already felt worried about what could possibly happen to Helle. I can’t think of many books that can do that,
Starting the book then I had a strange mix of trepidation and excitement for the story ahead, would it live up to my expectations from the blurb?
Hell yes!
This is a love story within a love story that has lasted through time. I absolutely adored how the time slip moments were woven into the story, how piece by piece they added the layers and complexities of each characters nature.
The love of Helle and Jason is destined to be doomed, throughout time their lives have been ensnared with that of another, Sam. Reborn again and again, Jason has continuously searched for Helle only to lose her again and again. Your heart aching for the repeated pain Jason and Helle endure.
Once again they have found each other, yet the evil Sam is as always in the background casting his evil shadow over their lives. As their current lifetimes begin to merge with their pasts are these three condemned to always relive the same cycle?
A Torch In His Heart is skillfully written and flows in such a way that it becomes all too easy to read another page, then another until you realise that you have read three more chapters than intended. The attention to detail is sublime and these little touches added to the richness of the story.
I loved the depth of the intimacy both emotionally and physically. Helle and Jason’s passion for each other draws you in, their love making is sensual, erotic and sensual. I enjoyed the eroticim of these scenes and the sexual explicitness was fitting for the book rather than gratuitous. I know that this wouldn’t be to everyone’s taste yet I enjoyed reading a main stream paranormal fantasy that include such exceptionally well written and detailed sex scenes. T
The only downside to this book is that it is a start of a series (aaaargh!) meaning that there were more than a few unanswered questions at the end. So frustrating and one of the things I personally really dislike about book series’, on the flip though it means I have a few more books to look forward to next year.
This is a hot, steamy read with a compelling story that just draws you in.
Read the full review at http://lauramorningstar.com/review-a-torch-in-his-heart/
Starting the book then I had a strange mix of trepidation and excitement for the story ahead, would it live up to my expectations from the blurb?
Hell yes!
This is a love story within a love story that has lasted through time. I absolutely adored how the time slip moments were woven into the story, how piece by piece they added the layers and complexities of each characters nature.
The love of Helle and Jason is destined to be doomed, throughout time their lives have been ensnared with that of another, Sam. Reborn again and again, Jason has continuously searched for Helle only to lose her again and again. Your heart aching for the repeated pain Jason and Helle endure.
Once again they have found each other, yet the evil Sam is as always in the background casting his evil shadow over their lives. As their current lifetimes begin to merge with their pasts are these three condemned to always relive the same cycle?
A Torch In His Heart is skillfully written and flows in such a way that it becomes all too easy to read another page, then another until you realise that you have read three more chapters than intended. The attention to detail is sublime and these little touches added to the richness of the story.
I loved the depth of the intimacy both emotionally and physically. Helle and Jason’s passion for each other draws you in, their love making is sensual, erotic and sensual. I enjoyed the eroticim of these scenes and the sexual explicitness was fitting for the book rather than gratuitous. I know that this wouldn’t be to everyone’s taste yet I enjoyed reading a main stream paranormal fantasy that include such exceptionally well written and detailed sex scenes. T
The only downside to this book is that it is a start of a series (aaaargh!) meaning that there were more than a few unanswered questions at the end. So frustrating and one of the things I personally really dislike about book series’, on the flip though it means I have a few more books to look forward to next year.
This is a hot, steamy read with a compelling story that just draws you in.
Read the full review at http://lauramorningstar.com/review-a-torch-in-his-heart/
mpr2000's review
4.0
Can you imagine living one life after another searching for your lover and every time you find her you’ll see her die?
This is Jason’s destiny, seeing her loved Helle killed on the hands of his enemy, he has been cursed to see the fate of her lover again and again till his enemy, the dominant Woolf, will conquer Helle’s heart and win it over him. This is a story inside a story, where centuries of lives are mixed together to create the present one, the definitive story of these two powerful men fighting for the love of Helle; Woolf is ready to kill anyone to have Helene’s heart but Jason is ready to die to save her loved one. Who will win? Of course you’ll have to read this book to discover the truth.
This had been a sensual and hot story, full of secondary characters that make the story more interesting and guessing which will be the next move of our main protagonists; the only problem is that this is the first book of this story, so there’s no ending yet for it and I have to admit that I didn’t know this was just the first part, I prefer when the story is told in just one book, because I would have waited till all the story is published!
This had been an entertaining read, full of passion but at the same time an interesting story to make this an engaging read, the characters are well written, even if sometimes you don’t exactly like their actions, always the motive is love.
There are a lot of open doors and unanswered questions at the end of the book, I hope we’ll know more about the story in the next book, and more about Jason’s mother, a Wanderer’s story is always interesting to discover!
If you are looking for a love story with vengeance, passion and a little bit of history, this book is for you. If you are searching for a different story, take a chance on “A Torch In His Heart”, I am sure it will surprise you!
This is Jason’s destiny, seeing her loved Helle killed on the hands of his enemy, he has been cursed to see the fate of her lover again and again till his enemy, the dominant Woolf, will conquer Helle’s heart and win it over him. This is a story inside a story, where centuries of lives are mixed together to create the present one, the definitive story of these two powerful men fighting for the love of Helle; Woolf is ready to kill anyone to have Helene’s heart but Jason is ready to die to save her loved one. Who will win? Of course you’ll have to read this book to discover the truth.
This had been a sensual and hot story, full of secondary characters that make the story more interesting and guessing which will be the next move of our main protagonists; the only problem is that this is the first book of this story, so there’s no ending yet for it and I have to admit that I didn’t know this was just the first part, I prefer when the story is told in just one book, because I would have waited till all the story is published!
This had been an entertaining read, full of passion but at the same time an interesting story to make this an engaging read, the characters are well written, even if sometimes you don’t exactly like their actions, always the motive is love.
There are a lot of open doors and unanswered questions at the end of the book, I hope we’ll know more about the story in the next book, and more about Jason’s mother, a Wanderer’s story is always interesting to discover!
If you are looking for a love story with vengeance, passion and a little bit of history, this book is for you. If you are searching for a different story, take a chance on “A Torch In His Heart”, I am sure it will surprise you!
thewoollygeek's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting read, this is a love triangle with a twist, it’s full of angst, drama and great characters. Such a good read I want to read the next in the series to see where the characters go from here. Entertaining, fast paced, great writing, one to watch.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
beckymmoe's review against another edition
3.0
A Torch in His Heart is a dark romance in which three people live and re-live the lives they started 3000 years ago, each trying to finally get it right this time. Do they? We don't know for sure, because this one is very much a to be continued...
The two male characters--Jason and Sam/Samion--have a leg up on Helle, because each life that they live they know more about the past ones they've led than she does. Samion, according to Jason, is born knowing what has already happened and is aware of what his goals are and why. Jason always finds out somewhere around his pre-teen years, but Helle, whose POV this story is told in here, has only vague dreams and uneasy feelings about things unless one of the others (this time it's Jason, it's not really clear when or if this particular situation has happened before since their original time around, with all three of them coming into cotact) clues her in about things--which of course, like any normal person, she has trouble believing.
So the reader here is a lot like Helle--a bit behind Jason and Samion, and trying to figure out what is going on, what happened three millennia ago, and how the two are related--and much of the book is taken up with explanations and flashbacks. Samion is very much the bad guy, though, then and now, so in between her "Wait, what???" moments Helle is often running for her life, literally or figuratively. And then just as everything really starts to come together, we're left with a cliffhanger-ish ending. Book 2 is out already ([b:Smoke in her Eyes|44139280|Smoke in her Eyes (The Wanderer Book #2)|Anna Belfrage|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1551159111s/44139280.jpg|68645043]), but book 3 isn't yet, so be warned...
I found it a struggle at times to really like Jason and Helle, the couple we're supposed to be rooting for. He makes some pretty dodgy choices (their original past selves suffered a MAJOR misunderstanding that could have absolutely been solved by his actually listening to her) and she does a whole lot of bouncing around between I-believe-him/he's-crazy and I-love-him/I-barely-know-him which gets to be grating. I honestly don't know if I'll pick up the next book; I was more relieved to get to the end of this one--cliffhanger or no--than anything else.
Rating: 3 stars / C+
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
The two male characters--Jason and Sam/Samion--have a leg up on Helle, because each life that they live they know more about the past ones they've led than she does. Samion, according to Jason, is born knowing what has already happened and is aware of what his goals are and why. Jason always finds out somewhere around his pre-teen years, but Helle, whose POV this story is told in here, has only vague dreams and uneasy feelings about things unless one of the others (this time it's Jason, it's not really clear when or if this particular situation has happened before since their original time around, with all three of them coming into cotact) clues her in about things--which of course, like any normal person, she has trouble believing.
So the reader here is a lot like Helle--a bit behind Jason and Samion, and trying to figure out what is going on, what happened three millennia ago, and how the two are related--and much of the book is taken up with explanations and flashbacks. Samion is very much the bad guy, though, then and now, so in between her "Wait, what???" moments Helle is often running for her life, literally or figuratively. And then just as everything really starts to come together, we're left with a cliffhanger-ish ending. Book 2 is out already ([b:Smoke in her Eyes|44139280|Smoke in her Eyes (The Wanderer Book #2)|Anna Belfrage|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1551159111s/44139280.jpg|68645043]), but book 3 isn't yet, so be warned...
I found it a struggle at times to really like Jason and Helle, the couple we're supposed to be rooting for. He makes some pretty dodgy choices (their original past selves suffered a MAJOR misunderstanding that could have absolutely been solved by his actually listening to her) and she does a whole lot of bouncing around between I-believe-him/he's-crazy and I-love-him/I-barely-know-him which gets to be grating. I honestly don't know if I'll pick up the next book; I was more relieved to get to the end of this one--cliffhanger or no--than anything else.
Rating: 3 stars / C+
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
kjharrowick's review
2.0
Why I picked up this book:
I stumbled across a random Twitter ad from this author and was immediately drawn to the idea of a love triangle that lasted through several lifetimes. I'm a sucker for a romance so strong, it can connect characters through multiple lives, so I immediately started hunting around on Goodreads and read some of the reviews.
One of the things about the book blurb that had me hesitant to pick it up was I couldn't tell if the story was contemporary or set in a fantasy world. I really wanted the latter, but couldn't shake the idea of this amazing love triangle, so I finally broke down and borrowed the book on KU.
DNF at 22%
This review contains spoilers.
What I loved:
I'm a sucker for a good villain, and Sam Woolf's character delivered right from the start. His dark personality and obsession with the heroine Helle really lit a spark between them and created a lot of character chemistry and tension, which made the book engaging from the first page.
Why I stopped reading:
This was another story I wanted so much to love, especially with the idea of two heroes following the heroine through many lives. But there was just too much imbalance in this trio that I couldn't suspend enough disbelief for.
First (content warning) - Sam Woolf was deliciously dark without the rapey elements. In fact, there was so much breadcrumbing about his intended raping of Helle, that it's possible there is an on-page rape scene later. I honestly don't know... but the breadcrumbing toward it was heavy. The first several chapters spent so much time focusing on Sam and Helle that it really made me think this is their story--either it's not a romance or it's a dark, bad-boy romance. These elements didn't bother me as a reader, but I kept circling back to the book jacket copy of 'love triangle' and it didn't connect since a true romance should start with the H/H pairing. But the fire between Sam and Helle was so strong I wanted to continue.
Jason, who I gather is the actual hero & romantic interest, baffled me on several levels. He's got a girlfriend/engaged and it's mentioned at the beginning, but then isn't brought up again as he starts spending all his time with Helle. But here's where the story started to fall apart for me: Jason is in love with Helle, so much that he's spent several lifetimes looking for her across the continents. But when he finally sees her for the first time, he does nothing. In fact, he continues to do nothing, then sends her a creepy necklace with no note. After this (and knowing she's working for his biggest nemesis), he leaves the country. I could not for the life of me wrap my head around these decisions. Jason is in love with her, burns for her, aches for her, and yet his actions tell an entirely different story.
Which brings me to Helle. I'd already read in several reviews for this story that she was an iffy heroine, so I was ready. But as soon as she met Jason, all her fire and gumption and desperation to protect herself disappeared. She had this wonderful potential to be a beautiful, complex character, but around the hero all her complexity disappeared and she became a meek 'yes, sir' character. There was just no fire between her and Jason the way there was between her and Sam.
So as a reader, this 'love triangle' felt really off-balance, enough that I wouldn't call the story a romance. This might be my desire as a reader for strong, really complex characters that constantly trigger and antagonize each other, but it was still enough that my feelings toward the story started to turn negative.
Overall:
I LOVE the premise of this story and the idea of lovers & enemies traveling together through multiple lives for different outcomes, and the small hitchings to ancient mythical characters was wonderful. However, the imbalance of the lovers and the lack of any world building in the story eventually left me disconnected. However, I'd recommend this story for contemporary readers who love deep roots in past lives, historical mythos, and anyone who loves cinnamon roll heroes and little to no world building.
NOTE for readers: When I say world building, this story focuses a lot of detail on what characters are wearing, brand name items, and all the intimate details of their eye colors. However, apart from the story taking place somewhere in the UK, there was no immersion with what the surroundings looked like or how the characters immersed and interacted with their setting. Just noting as some readers love minimalistic settings while others (like me!) need to feel like we're inside the character's skin.
I stumbled across a random Twitter ad from this author and was immediately drawn to the idea of a love triangle that lasted through several lifetimes. I'm a sucker for a romance so strong, it can connect characters through multiple lives, so I immediately started hunting around on Goodreads and read some of the reviews.
One of the things about the book blurb that had me hesitant to pick it up was I couldn't tell if the story was contemporary or set in a fantasy world. I really wanted the latter, but couldn't shake the idea of this amazing love triangle, so I finally broke down and borrowed the book on KU.
DNF at 22%
This review contains spoilers.
What I loved:
I'm a sucker for a good villain, and Sam Woolf's character delivered right from the start. His dark personality and obsession with the heroine Helle really lit a spark between them and created a lot of character chemistry and tension, which made the book engaging from the first page.
Why I stopped reading:
This was another story I wanted so much to love, especially with the idea of two heroes following the heroine through many lives. But there was just too much imbalance in this trio that I couldn't suspend enough disbelief for.
First (content warning) - Sam Woolf was deliciously dark without the rapey elements. In fact, there was so much breadcrumbing about his intended raping of Helle, that it's possible there is an on-page rape scene later. I honestly don't know... but the breadcrumbing toward it was heavy. The first several chapters spent so much time focusing on Sam and Helle that it really made me think this is their story--either it's not a romance or it's a dark, bad-boy romance. These elements didn't bother me as a reader, but I kept circling back to the book jacket copy of 'love triangle' and it didn't connect since a true romance should start with the H/H pairing. But the fire between Sam and Helle was so strong I wanted to continue.
Jason, who I gather is the actual hero & romantic interest, baffled me on several levels. He's got a girlfriend/engaged and it's mentioned at the beginning, but then isn't brought up again as he starts spending all his time with Helle. But here's where the story started to fall apart for me: Jason is in love with Helle, so much that he's spent several lifetimes looking for her across the continents. But when he finally sees her for the first time, he does nothing. In fact, he continues to do nothing, then sends her a creepy necklace with no note. After this (and knowing she's working for his biggest nemesis), he leaves the country. I could not for the life of me wrap my head around these decisions. Jason is in love with her, burns for her, aches for her, and yet his actions tell an entirely different story.
Which brings me to Helle. I'd already read in several reviews for this story that she was an iffy heroine, so I was ready. But as soon as she met Jason, all her fire and gumption and desperation to protect herself disappeared. She had this wonderful potential to be a beautiful, complex character, but around the hero all her complexity disappeared and she became a meek 'yes, sir' character. There was just no fire between her and Jason the way there was between her and Sam.
So as a reader, this 'love triangle' felt really off-balance, enough that I wouldn't call the story a romance. This might be my desire as a reader for strong, really complex characters that constantly trigger and antagonize each other, but it was still enough that my feelings toward the story started to turn negative.
Overall:
I LOVE the premise of this story and the idea of lovers & enemies traveling together through multiple lives for different outcomes, and the small hitchings to ancient mythical characters was wonderful. However, the imbalance of the lovers and the lack of any world building in the story eventually left me disconnected. However, I'd recommend this story for contemporary readers who love deep roots in past lives, historical mythos, and anyone who loves cinnamon roll heroes and little to no world building.
NOTE for readers: When I say world building, this story focuses a lot of detail on what characters are wearing, brand name items, and all the intimate details of their eye colors. However, apart from the story taking place somewhere in the UK, there was no immersion with what the surroundings looked like or how the characters immersed and interacted with their setting. Just noting as some readers love minimalistic settings while others (like me!) need to feel like we're inside the character's skin.
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