A review by filosophicfoton
Needed in Garoureve by Elle M. Drew

emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

She has her life together. Like, really. She attended college, graduated to become a Nurse, then further trained to become a Nurse Practitioner. And then the American dream - she worked long hours at a steady, challenging job to chisel away at her student loan debt. She’s always had her feet firmly on the ground, she’s just that type of person - good in a crisis. 

The day arrived when all her discipline and effort came to fruition: her educational and financial goals were accomplished. Thus, Scarlett began looking in a different direction. Why not leave behind the hectic, stressful, high-paced, anonymous patient care of the urban ER and find a rural, private practice, where she could learn patient names and faces? Where she could establish relationships with patients to ensure their long-term health and wellness? Isn’t that why she wanted to become a NP in the first place? 

You know what they say, Scarlett? Be careful what you wish for. 

She comes across an advertisement. The opportunity to take over a retiring physician’s clinic seems perfect: she accepts, gives her two weeks’ notice, and starts packing. There is the tiny matter of Garoureve not existing on any map that she could find, but - it’s a small town. She’s sure plenty of small towns have been misplaced. Right? … She finds the town - somehow - and is immediately enamored with its quaint appearance. It’s night, and she heads over to the bakery, where the lights are still on. 

Their chemistry is instant; they make silent eye contact. 

The air bubbles of a soufflé could expand in the vacuum stillness of the moment, of their stares. Their souls collide and slide past one another, like oil and water - smooth and slippery contact, all of one surrounding all of the other. They converse, they drink, they eat. That is, until the temperature rises and they explode into effervescent electricity, all baking soda and vinegar. 

They soon learn that chemistry and passion, when left to sauté on high, can and will combust into flames, changing the compounds, charring them. 

Elle M Drew’s sophomoric publication brings new and returning characters to life in the town of Garoureve. Along the course of Scarlett and Mardoc’s developing relationship, more of the town’s magic is unveiled to the reader. Beyond its nonexistence on a map and the apparent sentience of its boundaries (blocking those who wish to exit and issuing entrance to newcomers), the reader learns more about the town, its abilities, the townsfolk, and the shifters. 

Through Scarlett’s eyes, we are reintroduced to Ari, Cole, and Mardoc. What kind of mate will make Mardoc as soft and sweet as his signature brownies? A no-nonsense, logical, disciplined woman of science who knows what she wants, will pursue it, and can withstand taste-testing New Relationship Recipes while exploring the balance between his bitter and her sweet. They complement each other well; Mardoc quiets her mental monologue, blending her thoughts until smooth and Scarlett, in turn, melts Mardoc’s hardened exterior into softened butter. However, when conflict occurs, they discover that “soulmate” is not synonymous with “inevitable HEA.” 

Drew takes the clichéd trope and writes it into a realistic, messy relationship (complete with some organic, high-end spices, if you catch my meaning) of two complex characters figuring out how to navigate one another. We all have scars. Some of us can count more scars on the outside, some only on the inside. Scars have sealed over, but past trauma and the fear of loss can drive us to act in ways of fight, flight, or freeze. Will Scarlett and Mardoc be able to move past their issues? Or will they dice each other’s hearts? What is the binding ingredient their recipe needs? Will they learn how to keep the vinegar and baking soda in the bedroom and bring the eggs and milk - or rather - the lemons and lavender, to their interpersonal communication? 

I admire Scarlett: her strength, her level-headedness, her drive, her compassion. I’m excited to see how her role in the village changes over the next few books in this series, because she is definitely “Needed” in Garoureve. 
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