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yodamom's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars
It all started with a day dream, a blue eyed hunk and boob grabbing stone.
Heidi, was just trying to make it through the day and not get fired when the dreams came. If that wasn't bad enough, he walked in the door to her coffee shop. All her control slipped, her memories warred between hate and love. This was only the beginning of her storm to come. She will be dragged into a fight they never wanted any part of. She is betrayed, heartbroken, beaten, and yet there is so much hope and *ding dong* some happiness to be found. She is half Fae, half Were, not excepted by either. Stuck in the middle of the two worlds, a spilt person. Her family was murdered, her twin taken away and her only family is a crazy Fae Aunt who seems to be drifting near death. She is basically alone.
Bridge, a rouge were, son of the pack alpha has been hiding away. He just wants to forget the death of his wife, killed the same night as Heidi's family. He is seen by Heidi but does not recognize her. Something is up and he's trying to find out what while staying under the radar of the new pack leader. He grieves his mate and does not understand why he lived after she died. He wants to know the identity of the wolf that killed his family. He is in for a shock when he finds Heidi in his bed stealing his amulet after a kiss and cuddle session he thought he dreamed.
Then it all begins, everything hits the fan. Backstabbing, lying, death, truths and much more than any of them have time to prepare for. Their story is not an easy breezy love story. It get's dark, twisted, oh so painful. It also is sexy, sweet, funny and exciting. It is one of those 'forget sleeping" reads, you just have to read one more page.....then BAM it ended with me sniffling at one huge cliffhanger.
I am addicted, and NEED to read book 2.
Another go to author.
It all started with a day dream, a blue eyed hunk and boob grabbing stone.
Heidi, was just trying to make it through the day and not get fired when the dreams came. If that wasn't bad enough, he walked in the door to her coffee shop. All her control slipped, her memories warred between hate and love. This was only the beginning of her storm to come. She will be dragged into a fight they never wanted any part of. She is betrayed, heartbroken, beaten, and yet there is so much hope and *ding dong* some happiness to be found. She is half Fae, half Were, not excepted by either. Stuck in the middle of the two worlds, a spilt person. Her family was murdered, her twin taken away and her only family is a crazy Fae Aunt who seems to be drifting near death. She is basically alone.
Bridge, a rouge were, son of the pack alpha has been hiding away. He just wants to forget the death of his wife, killed the same night as Heidi's family. He is seen by Heidi but does not recognize her. Something is up and he's trying to find out what while staying under the radar of the new pack leader. He grieves his mate and does not understand why he lived after she died. He wants to know the identity of the wolf that killed his family. He is in for a shock when he finds Heidi in his bed stealing his amulet after a kiss and cuddle session he thought he dreamed.
Then it all begins, everything hits the fan. Backstabbing, lying, death, truths and much more than any of them have time to prepare for. Their story is not an easy breezy love story. It get's dark, twisted, oh so painful. It also is sexy, sweet, funny and exciting. It is one of those 'forget sleeping" reads, you just have to read one more page.....then BAM it ended with me sniffling at one huge cliffhanger.
I am addicted, and NEED to read book 2.
Another go to author.
whatsmacksaid's review
3.0
2.5 stars. It got very dramatic partway through and then suuuuper violent by the end but was not, you know, horrible. Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but I like the audiobook narrators enough that I'll keep listening.
amym84's review against another edition
3.0
I found The Trouble with Fate from an author's blog that I read. When looking at the product page it looked as though it was getting a lot of positive reviews from many authors whose boooks I read and really enjoy. Based on the reviews and the premise I thought I would give the book a try.
This book follows Hedi who is half Fae and half Were. When she was twelve both of her parents were killed and her twin brother was taken to Merewyn (Fae world). She was assumed to have died and has been in hiding from both the Fae and the Weres for ten years. When her childhood crush, Robson Trowbridge, walks into the Starbucks she's working in she realizes that she can't hide from her past forever. And when her aunt is kidnapped by the Weres she needs Robson Trowbridge's help to get her back.
For the most part I really enjoyed this book. There were scenes that would creep up on me and when I would get to them I wouldn't be able to put the book down because I would want to find out what would happen. But there were also a few scenes that dragged a bit for me and were tough to get through. Also, this being the first book in a series there was a lot of backstory and oftentimes these would be filled with too much description and not enough dialogue to break it all up. I'm hoping that since the backstory has been explained the second book with have more of a driven storyline.
Hedi is a good character. She's nothing too remarkable. She's very average by Fae and Were standards which is refreshing. It gets old and boring to read about heroines who are gorgeous and excell at everything they do. It was nice to see her not know the answers to everything but still try to work her way through her problems.
Robson was a good hero for the same reasons. He is alpha but instead of readily embracing being an alpha he tries his hardest to reject it. He's also scarred from the past. The same night that Hedi lost her family Robson as well lost his entire family.
I like that both of our characters, by the end, still have things to work out and because of that the romance in this book is a little unconventional. Yes there's romance, but we don't get an instant HEA. It will be something that has to be worked for and I'm very interested to see where Leigh Evans takes our characters in the next book(s).
Even though there were some tough spots to get through I still recommend this book mainly on the basis that by the end it's set up for the next books in the series and I think that makes this book worth it.
This book follows Hedi who is half Fae and half Were. When she was twelve both of her parents were killed and her twin brother was taken to Merewyn (Fae world). She was assumed to have died and has been in hiding from both the Fae and the Weres for ten years. When her childhood crush, Robson Trowbridge, walks into the Starbucks she's working in she realizes that she can't hide from her past forever. And when her aunt is kidnapped by the Weres she needs Robson Trowbridge's help to get her back.
For the most part I really enjoyed this book. There were scenes that would creep up on me and when I would get to them I wouldn't be able to put the book down because I would want to find out what would happen. But there were also a few scenes that dragged a bit for me and were tough to get through. Also, this being the first book in a series there was a lot of backstory and oftentimes these would be filled with too much description and not enough dialogue to break it all up. I'm hoping that since the backstory has been explained the second book with have more of a driven storyline.
Hedi is a good character. She's nothing too remarkable. She's very average by Fae and Were standards which is refreshing. It gets old and boring to read about heroines who are gorgeous and excell at everything they do. It was nice to see her not know the answers to everything but still try to work her way through her problems.
Robson was a good hero for the same reasons. He is alpha but instead of readily embracing being an alpha he tries his hardest to reject it. He's also scarred from the past. The same night that Hedi lost her family Robson as well lost his entire family.
I like that both of our characters, by the end, still have things to work out and because of that the romance in this book is a little unconventional. Yes there's romance, but we don't get an instant HEA. It will be something that has to be worked for and I'm very interested to see where Leigh Evans takes our characters in the next book(s).
Even though there were some tough spots to get through I still recommend this book mainly on the basis that by the end it's set up for the next books in the series and I think that makes this book worth it.
zoe_e_w's review against another edition
4.0
The Trouble with Fate is about Hedi Peacock, or Helen Stronghold from her old life. Hedi has had it rough because she watched both her parents get killed, and her twin brother was stolen by the fae and carried to their dimension while she was left alone in a burning house. Being half fae and half werewolf, she’s a hunted abomination, and so she’s spent most of her life on the run from werewolves, and from humans. Her only companions are Lou, her full fae princess aunt, and Merry, a fae spirit trapped inside an amulet.
Working as a barista for Starbucks, she’s rudely surprised by the return of Robson Trowbridge, a werewolf who she’d had a crush on as a child. His presence leads to her losing her job, and she goes home to discover Lou missing. She learns from the landlord that her aunt has had a nervous breakdown, leading to the police arresting Lou and taking her to the hospital. Hedi returns home, only to discover a werewolf hunting for her. And things get steadily worse from there when the same pack of wolves kidnaps Lou from the hospital. The wolves claim to want Merry, but Hedi sees photos of the amulet they want, and she’s seen it before...hanging around Trowbridge’s neck.
Hedi sets out to steal it and fails, and a raid by the wolf pack forces the two into a partnership. As the story plays out, the two get closer to each other, and closer to uncovering the werewolves’ reasons for wanting the amulet.
For the most part, I enjoyed this story, and I’m already looking forward to reading the sequel, The Thing about Wolves. Hedi is an interesting character, being short and rubenesque instead of the typical thin Minnie PR heroine. Trowbridge is kind of a stereotypical PR bad boy, but at least his reasons for being so broken make sense and help to flesh out his character.
However, there’s a couple things that bugged me about the story. The first is that the world building seems to be all about penalizing supernaturals to make them kind of pathetic. Hedi can’t use her magic without causing herself physical harm, and she can't let humans touch her because "there's a law" that makes it painful for skin to skin contact. Oh, but werewolves aren't a part of this particular law, BUT there is a law on the werewolf side that says fae and wolves shouldn't interbreed. Oy vey.
Werewolves aren’t really that big of a deal either because they have so many limitations. Hedi has even more limitations because she’s a little of both. So for a fantasy, there’s a lot of “no you can’t” that makes the supernatural races less interesting to me. I don't want to imagine being these people. I feel sorry for them being saddled by so many rules that seem to exist strictly to cause more pain. It's like the author thought, "How else can I torture these people? Oh! I've got it! MORE RULES!"
The other problem is the sex. The author goes into explicit awkward detail for sex that goes badly, and yet the follow up encounters that supposedly go better are just two-sentence knock-offs with no detail. It’s frustrating that the writer wanted to show only the lousy sex in all its detail, but then clams up on details about good sex.
These are actually minor complaints, and so I give The Trouble with Fate four stars and would recommend it to fans of paranormal fiction who’d like to read about a heroine who isn’t a stick-thin supermodel. Just keep in mind, the one halfway decent sex scene in the book will dump a bucket of cold water on you right when things were getting interesting.
Working as a barista for Starbucks, she’s rudely surprised by the return of Robson Trowbridge, a werewolf who she’d had a crush on as a child. His presence leads to her losing her job, and she goes home to discover Lou missing. She learns from the landlord that her aunt has had a nervous breakdown, leading to the police arresting Lou and taking her to the hospital. Hedi returns home, only to discover a werewolf hunting for her. And things get steadily worse from there when the same pack of wolves kidnaps Lou from the hospital. The wolves claim to want Merry, but Hedi sees photos of the amulet they want, and she’s seen it before...hanging around Trowbridge’s neck.
Hedi sets out to steal it and fails, and a raid by the wolf pack forces the two into a partnership. As the story plays out, the two get closer to each other, and closer to uncovering the werewolves’ reasons for wanting the amulet.
For the most part, I enjoyed this story, and I’m already looking forward to reading the sequel, The Thing about Wolves. Hedi is an interesting character, being short and rubenesque instead of the typical thin Minnie PR heroine. Trowbridge is kind of a stereotypical PR bad boy, but at least his reasons for being so broken make sense and help to flesh out his character.
However, there’s a couple things that bugged me about the story. The first is that the world building seems to be all about penalizing supernaturals to make them kind of pathetic. Hedi can’t use her magic without causing herself physical harm, and she can't let humans touch her because "there's a law" that makes it painful for skin to skin contact. Oh, but werewolves aren't a part of this particular law, BUT there is a law on the werewolf side that says fae and wolves shouldn't interbreed. Oy vey.
Werewolves aren’t really that big of a deal either because they have so many limitations. Hedi has even more limitations because she’s a little of both. So for a fantasy, there’s a lot of “no you can’t” that makes the supernatural races less interesting to me. I don't want to imagine being these people. I feel sorry for them being saddled by so many rules that seem to exist strictly to cause more pain. It's like the author thought, "How else can I torture these people? Oh! I've got it! MORE RULES!"
The other problem is the sex. The author goes into explicit awkward detail for sex that goes badly, and yet the follow up encounters that supposedly go better are just two-sentence knock-offs with no detail. It’s frustrating that the writer wanted to show only the lousy sex in all its detail, but then clams up on details about good sex.
These are actually minor complaints, and so I give The Trouble with Fate four stars and would recommend it to fans of paranormal fiction who’d like to read about a heroine who isn’t a stick-thin supermodel. Just keep in mind, the one halfway decent sex scene in the book will dump a bucket of cold water on you right when things were getting interesting.
tartbarbie's review against another edition
5.0
I picked up The Trouble With Fate for two reasons it works for a challenge I’m doing on Goodreads & what can I say other then I love the idea of a werewolf/fae. Hedi is not human she’s half werewolf and fae she had the perfect fairy tale childhood until the night her father is murdered, her mother executed and her twin brother taken to the fae realm. Her only choice after being left in the fire by the werewolves is into hiding with her aunt Lou. After ten long years she’s working as a coffee barista when that last person she expects to see walks in.
Ten years ago Hedi had a crush on Robson Trowbridge when he walks into her coffee shop her life starts to spiral out of control. Suddenly her Aunt Lou has been kidnapped by were’s demanding the amulet that Trowbridge wears around his neck. At least Hedi won't have to go it alone she has her own amulet Merry to help her out. When she fails to steal the amulet she creates an unlikely friendship with Trowbridge learning that there is more to him than just a hunky were. With his help saving her aunt she will risk more than just her life, she will risk her heart.
I've been waiting for a werewolf/fae character for so long that Hedi had really big shoes to fill. Hedi exceeds my expectations she’s stubborn, loyal, and overall kick-ass which is my ideal urban fantasy character. Plus she was a coffee barista what’s not to love, I only wish the local shop had a half-breed barista I’d be their every day. I like the chemistry between Hedi and Trowbridge it’s an intense connection that starts out more hate but turns to love. I love the protective werewolf; Hedi needs someone who is strong and willing to fight to the death to save her life.
The concept of the Mystwalker is unique and exciting. The Trouble With Fate captivated me right I was instantly drawn into Hedi’s world right till the end. The storyline is filled with action, mystery, romance and a little coffee shop drama. I love the idea of the werewolves and Fae being at war but her parent’s still found a way. I love the idea that she gets to see how Trowbridge turned out after 10 years, she even steals his heart now that she’s grown up. She’s not your typical perfect body girl either which I felt makes her more real. The way the author creates Hedi’s fae and inner were is a perfect mix of the two, playing on both strengths and weakness. I love the story it was easy for me to get lost and lose track of time. I really loved the story and the characters they left me breathless. I can’t wait to start the next book; I know another sleepless night is around the corner. One of my new favorite urban fantasy series.
Ten years ago Hedi had a crush on Robson Trowbridge when he walks into her coffee shop her life starts to spiral out of control. Suddenly her Aunt Lou has been kidnapped by were’s demanding the amulet that Trowbridge wears around his neck. At least Hedi won't have to go it alone she has her own amulet Merry to help her out. When she fails to steal the amulet she creates an unlikely friendship with Trowbridge learning that there is more to him than just a hunky were. With his help saving her aunt she will risk more than just her life, she will risk her heart.
I've been waiting for a werewolf/fae character for so long that Hedi had really big shoes to fill. Hedi exceeds my expectations she’s stubborn, loyal, and overall kick-ass which is my ideal urban fantasy character. Plus she was a coffee barista what’s not to love, I only wish the local shop had a half-breed barista I’d be their every day. I like the chemistry between Hedi and Trowbridge it’s an intense connection that starts out more hate but turns to love. I love the protective werewolf; Hedi needs someone who is strong and willing to fight to the death to save her life.
The concept of the Mystwalker is unique and exciting. The Trouble With Fate captivated me right I was instantly drawn into Hedi’s world right till the end. The storyline is filled with action, mystery, romance and a little coffee shop drama. I love the idea of the werewolves and Fae being at war but her parent’s still found a way. I love the idea that she gets to see how Trowbridge turned out after 10 years, she even steals his heart now that she’s grown up. She’s not your typical perfect body girl either which I felt makes her more real. The way the author creates Hedi’s fae and inner were is a perfect mix of the two, playing on both strengths and weakness. I love the story it was easy for me to get lost and lose track of time. I really loved the story and the characters they left me breathless. I can’t wait to start the next book; I know another sleepless night is around the corner. One of my new favorite urban fantasy series.
raeanne's review against another edition
3.0
3 Stars. Good with some solid point and I enjoyed the story overall but there’s something holding it back from a higher rating.
PROS
-Liked the world and the world building
-Heidi is interesting and compelling as is Merry
-Not transphobic. There’s a trans character that is treated by the bad guys like shit but Heidi is a decent human being about it. I love this inclusion, this character. Seriously, if Heidi was an asshole about this I would have easily said “Fuck you Heidi, I’m done.”
-Didn’t go the way I thought it would at the end and I liked the mini-reveals of the mystery all along the way
- Standard were and fae except for the Asrai and Mystwalker aspects, which I really liked and want to explore
-NO love triangle!
Cons
-Some moments pinged high on the improbable meter that bugged me
-Some frustratingly stupid actions/decisions
Insta-love justified by soul mates so the whole “I’ll save you!” “No, I’ll save YOU!” sacrifice is there when the relationship is SO new.
-Wanted more of the mystwalker side of things
-It was hard to get into at first, felt very disjointed and chopped full of information dumps but I got into the flow quick enough after the several chapters
Heidi’s family motto was Strongholds hold. After her family was eliminated, she doesn’t have time for mottos because surviving is the name of the game. With a sick and dying aunt to support, little education, and a false identity to protect, life is tough. It’s about to get a whole lot worse when her childhood crush walks into her workplace - dragging her into something she’s been trying to avoid since she was 10.
First delving into the book was a bumpy ride navigating the information dumps, the flashbacks and then being jerked back inside Heidi’s present head. I think having a prologue that goes into Heidi’s daily life before everything goes to shit would have been really helpful for several reasons, particularly the jumping off point. Instead of the three paragraph backstory that gets repeated in the first chapters anyways. When we first meet Heidi she’s having a rough, sleep deprived, work day which just gets more discombobulated when Robson walks into her Starbucks. So yeah, it makes sense Heidi is off her game, spacing out and flipping out but that’s not really a great first impression or introduction. After a couple chapters though it levels out and we get to just get to know Heidi and her now really fucked up life.
Balance. It keeps coming back to balance. The magic is balanced - as a fae can’t be super badass doing amazing things without facing the consequences. Fae can’t lie but tell only part of story or need a magic spell. Weres are stronger and heal fast but not immoral, can’t swim and silver is deadly. They can’t transform at will, at least, not now in this world. Humans, well, humans are just weak. Not much known about mystwalkers but they have some clear cut advantages and weakness. The transitions between worlds are deadly. Though I can’t say what drawback Merenwyn has, since it’s basically described as paradise. Threall has clear cut “oh, shit” things about it.
The world is balanced but it’s the flow of the story that doesn’t mesh well. Like Heidi going to Threal but nothing there is followed up on and that thread is left hanging. After all the shit goes down, it feels like the story is suppose to ramp up, move on to handling it, but instead it slows to deal with romance. Then it starts up again. Then there’s the stupid decisions that seem to fly in the face of how down to earth real the characters were.
The main reason for the knock down in stars are the Bullshit! moments. Like walking into a public place with a gun in hand with no one batting an eye until the gun is raised. Or like no one calling the cops after all the ruckus going on in the apartment. Or like worrying being caught on tape being supernatural and then doing impressive shit anyways. Or like the sleeping make-out almost dry humping session. I mean okay, so Heidi did the gun thing for a reason but it was still incredibly stupid. It still didn’t make sense that no one noticed the gun at first either. Then they sit and wait for at least half an hour outside the club and no cops come. Someone was shot, for fucks sake and no one called the cops? Pfffffffffffffft. Pah-lease. Bullshit contamination = Level 1: Get your boots because there’s a leak.
Characters
Heidi is self-deprecating, which I much prefer to egomaniac and adds some flavorful humor; has self-esteem issues (who doesn’t have these?), sarcastic, snarky and snide at times which I enjoyed.I loved her voice and her attitude. She does care and try to take care of those around her. She knows the difference between right and wrong but hey, you do what you gotta do when the tough gets going. I liked Heidi. She’s got actual flaws that make sense. She’s a thief for one. Not only for survival but also for the rush. She’s also a liar but she has to be, again, to survive. She has to stay low key and never let anyone find out the truth about her past. She also does the lying and denying to herself that we all do, involuntarily. Oh, come on, who hasn’t had those reflection moments where we say to ourselves “Really, I didn’t notice this? Really self? You suck.”?
She struggles not only with the warring magic insider herself but also who she is as Heidi. Just Heidi, who she is as the human person at the end of the day. This struggle felt very real and organic. The psychology of Heidi makes so much sense to me and seems so authentic. I may not have liked every aspect of her or every decision but being inside her head worked and was done well. Now, if you don’t like Heidi it may be a bumpy ride but with her past I get why she is the way she is.
The impulse control is part of her that I struggled with a lot since I’m the exact opposite. Like completely - I think, plan and worry so much about things sometimes stuff just doesn’t get done. She does have some good ideas when she thinks things through but man did we clash on some actions. Because of my disagreement with her style, at these moments of impulse she comes off stupid to me.
Merry the Arasai in the amulet was an interesting character. The personality and communication that came from Merry was great. It was just changing colors and movements with her gold vines but it really works. I had a problem properly visualizing it in the beginning where I had to keep looking at the cover to get the base image and alter from there. However, again, after adjust I got used to it. I think it was just never having read about such a thing before that threw me. I loved the idea and I think it was well executed so the problem was just my mental gymnastics.
Robson Towbridge, aka Bridge, is....the fallen golden boy turned black sheep, the condescending jerk who’s really a great guy if you just put the work in, the much needed reality check for Heidi, the over protective overbearing stubborn demanding alpha male so common in were-love stories. I didn’t hate him, and I did understand him, but I’m not loving him as a love interest. I just wasn’t moved by his switch from “you’re such a stupid little kid who creeped me out when you followed me around like a puppy” to “I love you. I’ll protect you no matter what and risk everything for you”.
Aunt Lou is described as loopy in the blurb (which I think gives the wrong impression) and crazy throughout the book by Heidi. This is one of those things where I didn’t like Heidi. Aunt Lou is only loosing her mind and the grip on reality because she is sick and dying. The fae version of Alzheimer’s disease and I just think Heidi is a jerk for calling her crazy. She wasn’t crazy or loopy before the illness, though by no means was she a nice person. She’s got a thing against weres and is homesick. She’s old with her power fading and her mind slipping after taking care of a child that’s part were (which reminds her of all the terrible things they’ve done to her family) and part-fae (which is giving her powers greater than Aunt Lou’s current capabilities). I don’t like her but I understand her. Saying she’s “crazy like a fox” would be different but no one seems to recognize how strong, independant and crafty she was.
The Love
I get why Heidi is in love with Bridge and why she falls for him now. I do not get Bridge’s feelings for her. There were a switch between him being condescending and insulting to her for being a kid, to finding her stupid, stubborn and thinking she was creepy as a child for spying on him. Then his were-instincts kick in and he’s all head over heels in love. The justification is the whole soul mates/fate but man, does that seem really weak when put after all the drama. At this point, I’m thinking the problem with fate is that fate is just stupid. It may yet grow on me but right now the love = meh.
Sure, there were interactions and moments I liked. There were even some things specifically tied to the romance aspect and the twist this causes at the end is great but it really felt lackluster throughout the story in general. I don’t really care or feel their connection or love. Robson/Bridge is actually the main source of Heidi’s stupidity. I really wish we could’ve seen her before this all goes down, when she was handling things and supporting her and Aunt Lou. I think that balance of what was and what is going on now is missing. As it is in The Trouble with Fate Heidi comes off like a drooling-no-self-control-moron at times to me, which I wasn’t fond of considering how independent and stand up she’s been.
The Sex Scene - In other reviews there’s mention of a specific scene where Heidi is losing her virginity. I’m actually surprised to see so many not liking this scene. It’s a first time that doesn’t fit the mold in books of perfectly perfect amazing fun time. I liked it. Not in the “I wish this would happen to me” or anything but because it felt real. Losing one’s virginity is a big thing usually. Her thoughts and struggle about what she was doing, why and wondering about what’s in his head is particularly compelling to me. It was a touching/poignant moment after things went supernaturally bad. It’s a unique twist, I must admit. It’s definitely a personal intimate moment and it really showed who Heidi is. We’re inside Heidi’s head so it only makes sense. If this moment wasn’t included or discussed I think it’d be hard (or harder) to connect/get/mesh with Heidi. Of course, if you already don’t like or don’t care about Heidi (especially this far into the book) it might be hard to read.
The specifics behind just want happened makes me worried a bit about the implications but I’ll hold off on judgement til the next book. I could see it going either way.
PROS
-Liked the world and the world building
-Heidi is interesting and compelling as is Merry
-Not transphobic. There’s a trans character that is treated by the bad guys like shit but Heidi is a decent human being about it. I love this inclusion, this character. Seriously, if Heidi was an asshole about this I would have easily said “Fuck you Heidi, I’m done.”
-Didn’t go the way I thought it would at the end and I liked the mini-reveals of the mystery all along the way
- Standard were and fae except for the Asrai and Mystwalker aspects, which I really liked and want to explore
-NO love triangle!
Cons
-Some moments pinged high on the improbable meter that bugged me
-Some frustratingly stupid actions/decisions
Insta-love justified by soul mates so the whole “I’ll save you!” “No, I’ll save YOU!” sacrifice is there when the relationship is SO new.
-Wanted more of the mystwalker side of things
-It was hard to get into at first, felt very disjointed and chopped full of information dumps but I got into the flow quick enough after the several chapters
Heidi’s family motto was Strongholds hold. After her family was eliminated, she doesn’t have time for mottos because surviving is the name of the game. With a sick and dying aunt to support, little education, and a false identity to protect, life is tough. It’s about to get a whole lot worse when her childhood crush walks into her workplace - dragging her into something she’s been trying to avoid since she was 10.
First delving into the book was a bumpy ride navigating the information dumps, the flashbacks and then being jerked back inside Heidi’s present head. I think having a prologue that goes into Heidi’s daily life before everything goes to shit would have been really helpful for several reasons, particularly the jumping off point. Instead of the three paragraph backstory that gets repeated in the first chapters anyways. When we first meet Heidi she’s having a rough, sleep deprived, work day which just gets more discombobulated when Robson walks into her Starbucks. So yeah, it makes sense Heidi is off her game, spacing out and flipping out but that’s not really a great first impression or introduction. After a couple chapters though it levels out and we get to just get to know Heidi and her now really fucked up life.
Balance. It keeps coming back to balance. The magic is balanced - as a fae can’t be super badass doing amazing things without facing the consequences. Fae can’t lie but tell only part of story or need a magic spell. Weres are stronger and heal fast but not immoral, can’t swim and silver is deadly. They can’t transform at will, at least, not now in this world. Humans, well, humans are just weak. Not much known about mystwalkers but they have some clear cut advantages and weakness. The transitions between worlds are deadly. Though I can’t say what drawback Merenwyn has, since it’s basically described as paradise. Threall has clear cut “oh, shit” things about it.
The world is balanced but it’s the flow of the story that doesn’t mesh well. Like Heidi going to Threal but nothing there is followed up on and that thread is left hanging. After all the shit goes down, it feels like the story is suppose to ramp up, move on to handling it, but instead it slows to deal with romance. Then it starts up again. Then there’s the stupid decisions that seem to fly in the face of how down to earth real the characters were.
The main reason for the knock down in stars are the Bullshit! moments. Like walking into a public place with a gun in hand with no one batting an eye until the gun is raised. Or like no one calling the cops after all the ruckus going on in the apartment. Or like worrying being caught on tape being supernatural and then doing impressive shit anyways. Or like the sleeping make-out almost dry humping session. I mean okay, so Heidi did the gun thing for a reason but it was still incredibly stupid. It still didn’t make sense that no one noticed the gun at first either. Then they sit and wait for at least half an hour outside the club and no cops come. Someone was shot, for fucks sake and no one called the cops? Pfffffffffffffft. Pah-lease. Bullshit contamination = Level 1: Get your boots because there’s a leak.
Characters
Heidi is self-deprecating, which I much prefer to egomaniac and adds some flavorful humor; has self-esteem issues (who doesn’t have these?), sarcastic, snarky and snide at times which I enjoyed.I loved her voice and her attitude. She does care and try to take care of those around her. She knows the difference between right and wrong but hey, you do what you gotta do when the tough gets going. I liked Heidi. She’s got actual flaws that make sense. She’s a thief for one. Not only for survival but also for the rush. She’s also a liar but she has to be, again, to survive. She has to stay low key and never let anyone find out the truth about her past. She also does the lying and denying to herself that we all do, involuntarily. Oh, come on, who hasn’t had those reflection moments where we say to ourselves “Really, I didn’t notice this? Really self? You suck.”?
She struggles not only with the warring magic insider herself but also who she is as Heidi. Just Heidi, who she is as the human person at the end of the day. This struggle felt very real and organic. The psychology of Heidi makes so much sense to me and seems so authentic. I may not have liked every aspect of her or every decision but being inside her head worked and was done well. Now, if you don’t like Heidi it may be a bumpy ride but with her past I get why she is the way she is.
The impulse control is part of her that I struggled with a lot since I’m the exact opposite. Like completely - I think, plan and worry so much about things sometimes stuff just doesn’t get done. She does have some good ideas when she thinks things through but man did we clash on some actions. Because of my disagreement with her style, at these moments of impulse she comes off stupid to me.
Merry the Arasai in the amulet was an interesting character. The personality and communication that came from Merry was great. It was just changing colors and movements with her gold vines but it really works. I had a problem properly visualizing it in the beginning where I had to keep looking at the cover to get the base image and alter from there. However, again, after adjust I got used to it. I think it was just never having read about such a thing before that threw me. I loved the idea and I think it was well executed so the problem was just my mental gymnastics.
Robson Towbridge, aka Bridge, is....the fallen golden boy turned black sheep, the condescending jerk who’s really a great guy if you just put the work in, the much needed reality check for Heidi, the over protective overbearing stubborn demanding alpha male so common in were-love stories. I didn’t hate him, and I did understand him, but I’m not loving him as a love interest. I just wasn’t moved by his switch from “you’re such a stupid little kid who creeped me out when you followed me around like a puppy” to “I love you. I’ll protect you no matter what and risk everything for you”.
Aunt Lou is described as loopy in the blurb (which I think gives the wrong impression) and crazy throughout the book by Heidi. This is one of those things where I didn’t like Heidi. Aunt Lou is only loosing her mind and the grip on reality because she is sick and dying. The fae version of Alzheimer’s disease and I just think Heidi is a jerk for calling her crazy. She wasn’t crazy or loopy before the illness, though by no means was she a nice person. She’s got a thing against weres and is homesick. She’s old with her power fading and her mind slipping after taking care of a child that’s part were (which reminds her of all the terrible things they’ve done to her family) and part-fae (which is giving her powers greater than Aunt Lou’s current capabilities). I don’t like her but I understand her. Saying she’s “crazy like a fox” would be different but no one seems to recognize how strong, independant and crafty she was.
The Love
I get why Heidi is in love with Bridge and why she falls for him now. I do not get Bridge’s feelings for her. There were a switch between him being condescending and insulting to her for being a kid, to finding her stupid, stubborn and thinking she was creepy as a child for spying on him. Then his were-instincts kick in and he’s all head over heels in love. The justification is the whole soul mates/fate but man, does that seem really weak when put after all the drama. At this point, I’m thinking the problem with fate is that fate is just stupid. It may yet grow on me but right now the love = meh.
Sure, there were interactions and moments I liked. There were even some things specifically tied to the romance aspect and the twist this causes at the end is great but it really felt lackluster throughout the story in general. I don’t really care or feel their connection or love. Robson/Bridge is actually the main source of Heidi’s stupidity. I really wish we could’ve seen her before this all goes down, when she was handling things and supporting her and Aunt Lou. I think that balance of what was and what is going on now is missing. As it is in The Trouble with Fate Heidi comes off like a drooling-no-self-control-moron at times to me, which I wasn’t fond of considering how independent and stand up she’s been.
The Sex Scene - In other reviews there’s mention of a specific scene where Heidi is losing her virginity. I’m actually surprised to see so many not liking this scene. It’s a first time that doesn’t fit the mold in books of perfectly perfect amazing fun time. I liked it. Not in the “I wish this would happen to me” or anything but because it felt real. Losing one’s virginity is a big thing usually. Her thoughts and struggle about what she was doing, why and wondering about what’s in his head is particularly compelling to me. It was a touching/poignant moment after things went supernaturally bad. It’s a unique twist, I must admit. It’s definitely a personal intimate moment and it really showed who Heidi is. We’re inside Heidi’s head so it only makes sense. If this moment wasn’t included or discussed I think it’d be hard (or harder) to connect/get/mesh with Heidi. Of course, if you already don’t like or don’t care about Heidi (especially this far into the book) it might be hard to read.
The specifics behind just want happened makes me worried a bit about the implications but I’ll hold off on judgement til the next book. I could see it going either way.
lynseyisreading's review against another edition
4.0
Joint read/review with Janice.
What a fun read!
This was great, fun, sexy Urban Fantasy. Hedi's voice was immediately engaging as a protagonist, and you got the sense that she was talking directly to you, which I thought was great. It had some standard UF fare with the werewolves and Fae taking centre stage, but it definitely managed to put its own spin on even those regular staples of the genre.
And also some great new ideas as well. There were plenty of interesting plot developments and action to keep the reader glued throughout, and there was even quite a substantial amount of romance in there too! This was actually my only slight problem area. Not that I didn't like the romance - I did. I just felt at times it was moving too fast for me to keep up with. But then, I'm one of those strange people who doesn't mind being made to wait several books for a romance to form, especially in my Urban Fantasy series. I'm sure other people will be more than happy having things moving as quickly as they do.
I'm definitely going to be reading the next one as I liked the world building, the characters and the plot twists despite my minor issues with the romance. Can't wait to see how things pan out in book two: The Thing About Weres, when it releases in July 2013.
What a fun read!
This was great, fun, sexy Urban Fantasy. Hedi's voice was immediately engaging as a protagonist, and you got the sense that she was talking directly to you, which I thought was great. It had some standard UF fare with the werewolves and Fae taking centre stage, but it definitely managed to put its own spin on even those regular staples of the genre.
And also some great new ideas as well. There were plenty of interesting plot developments and action to keep the reader glued throughout, and there was even quite a substantial amount of romance in there too! This was actually my only slight problem area. Not that I didn't like the romance - I did. I just felt at times it was moving too fast for me to keep up with. But then, I'm one of those strange people who doesn't mind being made to wait several books for a romance to form, especially in my Urban Fantasy series. I'm sure other people will be more than happy having things moving as quickly as they do.
I'm definitely going to be reading the next one as I liked the world building, the characters and the plot twists despite my minor issues with the romance. Can't wait to see how things pan out in book two: The Thing About Weres, when it releases in July 2013.
lizzy_22's review against another edition
4.0
The Trouble with Fate: A Mystwalker Novel While I was reading this all I kept thinking was this is not your usual UF novel. It's gritty and messy and full of feelings and the consequences of realizing your destiny. It shows the 'ugly' side of Faerie more than the pretty, the bloody brutality of a Were pack's hierarchy and the painful cost of magic. And it also gives us an unconventional romance which developed in such a fulfilling way, because even though Hedi fancied herself in love with Trowbridge since she was a little girl, being in love with him brings a whole different level of vulnerability and self- sacrifice to her baser natures. I loved it!
Luckily the next book comes out next month because we leave Hedi in quite a tenuous situation. I can't wait to see the consequences play out as what happened at the end of the first part of the story comes to fruition in book two.
Luckily the next book comes out next month because we leave Hedi in quite a tenuous situation. I can't wait to see the consequences play out as what happened at the end of the first part of the story comes to fruition in book two.
greenldydragon's review against another edition
3.0
If you are a fan of urban fantasy fiction, then you'll enjoy this book. Leigh Evans takes a fresh look at the way fantasy characters could interact in modern times. The language and some of the scenes were a bit too.... intense for my taste, but the characters kept my interest hostage anyway. I'll definitely be reading the sequel (whenever that comes out).