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Dark Heart #3
Dark Heart Surrender
ONE GIRL. TWO WORLDS. SHATTERED. Jane's world has changed now that Luca, love of her live, inhabits it, and she's happier than she ever thought she could be. But can an immortal in the human world survive on love alone? When Jane and Luca are befriended by intriguing siblings, Ade and Polly, they are swept into a destructive chain of events that will test everything. They've overcome different worlds. But nothing could prepare Jane for this ...
390 pages, Paperback
First published April 5, 2012
21 people are currently reading
1993 people want to read
About the author
Lee Monroe
5 books259 followersLee Monroe was born in London, but spent a short time living by the sea with her family when she was a teenager. She moved back to the heart of the city as soon as she could, and now lives in Westminster.
Lee was an obsessive reader as a child, and still is. She has worked in publishing and contributed to, and ghost-written, books.
Dark Heart Forever is her first novel under her own name.
Lee was an obsessive reader as a child, and still is. She has worked in publishing and contributed to, and ghost-written, books.
Dark Heart Forever is her first novel under her own name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
July 18, 2012
Popped that blood vessel.
So I understand that he was 'drugged' and that Luca andGinger-Douche (I will never say that chicks name! So help me God! It is like Voldemort to me now! We don't say that shit!) didn't really sleep with eachother-..But that didn't keep me from raging till my head blew off. Luca. Dear, sweet, naive Luca. WHAT THE HELL?
First : Jane is HUMAN. She should've been the one easily pulled in by their tricks, except she actually has this thing called a brain. Luca on the other hand kept eyeing theGinger-Douche? Can someone say 'Lack of Will-Power'? Honestly what was he thinking? Years of intense 'Predator Training' in Nissilum wiped away just cause your in the mortal world for a few months?
[Luca's Dense Mind]: "I love Jane so much to the point that since she won't sleep with me, I'm going to just completely ignore the fact that I KNOW these fox-demon-douches CAN fuck with your mind and start making out with SlutZilla/Ginger-Douche out of pure love for Jane." ..I can so see your logic Luca. Believe me.
[Back to Luca's Dense Mind]: "Then I will feel completely guilty about it - But don't get your hopes up! I only will for that one second at the club and never feel any remorse again. Even though I might of given away my VIRGINITY to an animal and not the love of my life." .. (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻
Second : Jane, may God love ya for the shit you've put up with but I personally would've ATLEAST said something about him being withGinger-Douche all night. Especially since Jane even knew that they 'left TOGETHER' 'by THEMSELVES' from the SlutZilla's brother. I mean sure, I like how the author made Jane to be very mature about it and put those feelings aside to keep what was 'left' of her and Luca's relationship alive - But damnit people. There comes a time in every woman's life when we wait for that slip up so we CAN yell at them! Then there's always when she told him to go back to Nissilum, since she knew it would be SAFER for him. What does Luca do? He tries to act like the VICTIM. "If this is what you really want." ..Your lucky she didn't tell you where else you could go.
Third : I love how at the end of 'Dark Heart Rising' and 'Dark Heart Surrender' Luca TRIES (not very hard) to make up for his mistakes with "You know I never stopped loving you." - DHR "I will spend the rest of my life with you making you happy. And safe. And loved." - DHS ...You can spout all the pretty words you want mister, but words are nothing compared to actions. And he has had enough 'action' for one book.
What can I say? No ones perfect, sure. But I love my main 'Guy Character' to have a good head on his shoulders. He was cute - sure. He was caring - sometimes. He knew EXACTLY WHAT HE WANTED - no to the hell. I feel like in each book she had to keep 'proving' herself to him constantly; when I would've loved to see him prove himself to her once. NOT BY him saving her life as proof. Firefighters and Police can do that shit! Doesn't mean that their trying to prove their love to ya! ..ANYWAYS! I really missed not hearing about Soren in this book. He was the only reason I could get through some scenes in the last one. (• ε •)
So I understand that he was 'drugged' and that Luca and
First : Jane is HUMAN. She should've been the one easily pulled in by their tricks, except she actually has this thing called a brain. Luca on the other hand kept eyeing the
[Luca's Dense Mind]: "I love Jane so much to the point that since she won't sleep with me, I'm going to just completely ignore the fact that I KNOW these fox-demon-douches CAN fuck with your mind and start making out with SlutZilla/
[Back to Luca's Dense Mind]: "Then I will feel completely guilty about it - But don't get your hopes up! I only will for that one second at the club and never feel any remorse again. Even though I might of given away my VIRGINITY to an animal and not the love of my life." .. (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻
Second : Jane, may God love ya for the shit you've put up with but I personally would've ATLEAST said something about him being with
Third : I love how at the end of 'Dark Heart Rising' and 'Dark Heart Surrender' Luca TRIES (not very hard) to make up for his mistakes with "You know I never stopped loving you." - DHR "I will spend the rest of my life with you making you happy. And safe. And loved." - DHS ...You can spout all the pretty words you want mister, but words are nothing compared to actions. And he has had enough 'action' for one book.
What can I say? No ones perfect, sure. But I love my main 'Guy Character' to have a good head on his shoulders. He was cute - sure. He was caring - sometimes. He knew EXACTLY WHAT HE WANTED - no to the hell. I feel like in each book she had to keep 'proving' herself to him constantly; when I would've loved to see him prove himself to her once. NOT BY him saving her life as proof. Firefighters and Police can do that shit! Doesn't mean that their trying to prove their love to ya! ..ANYWAYS! I really missed not hearing about Soren in this book. He was the only reason I could get through some scenes in the last one. (• ε •)
Want to read
November 9, 2011CANT WAIT UNTILL THIS BOOK COMES!!!!!
WOW LOVED THE FIRST 2, shall be a fan of these books untill the end <3
Waiting for April 2012 to come soon :D
Update: Wow...the cover has let me down.....I was expecting something so much better....
WOW LOVED THE FIRST 2, shall be a fan of these books untill the end <3
Waiting for April 2012 to come soon :D
Update: Wow...the cover has let me down.....I was expecting something so much better....
October 30, 2012
October 25, 2012 review
It was an okay book. If this was the last book in the series, I'd totally be really happy for this. Not only did Monroe made Nissilum, but he also made a world for us. Definitely good. Despite the cliches and the really predictable plot lines with a lot of stupid characters, this book was still worth my four hours.
October 30, 2012 review
Originally posted at The Daily Patrick!
This review contains spoilers from the first book and the second book of the series of Dark Heart but will not contain spoilers for Dark Heart Surrender itself. So have your own way;
Dark Heart Surrender is written by Lee Monroe as the third book from the series Dark Heart. The story begins with a specific time after what happened to the previous book, Dark Heart Rising.
The story is your typical YA. The boy is a hero. The girl is an outcast. And they fall in love. Since it was written in the first point-of-view of the girl named Jane, we could hear her thoughts on some scenes and how she is somehow underestimating herself. College was never really easy for her, and time passed by with school. Luca, the half-werewolf from a mystical world Nissilum, had to live with her and her parents in order to be with her. Nissilum banned Jane from their world so the only way they could be together was to let Luca live in Earth away from his family and his world.
The first book of the series Dark Heart contained a cheesy love triangle—Luca, Jane and Evan. Evan seemed pretty normal but he wasn’t. He’s also from Nissilum and was trying to get revenge through her. On the second book, there was Soren. (Evan disappeared, I think) It was really another romantic interest for Jane. Bad news is that Soren is also from Nissilum. He’s half-angel, half-vampire. Now for the third book, which is this, we could see that Jane’s relationship with Luca is on the edge again as two mysterious teenagers enter their lives with a secret agenda and deadly hypnotic presence.
For my review, I rated this book with two stars out of five. Two stars meant it was an okay book. It would have been one star if it sucked but it didn’t. Characters are shallow. The characterization especially of Jane needs a lot of work. Jane seemed like stereotypical when her character is really interesting on how she reacts to events. Luca on the other hand is just really stupid in making decisions. I was yelling at my Kindle, “You dumb ass dog! Make a good decision!” Then follows a few curses.
The writing style was smooth. Not big of a deal. But it is kind of full of adjectives and descriptions, blocking the capacity of the characters to move, you know. But I like Monroe to be honest.
To sum this review up, I’d just like to praise Monroe’s extraordinary plot with a lot of plot holes to explore, interesting but underdeveloped characters unfortunately and its fast pace, making the book impossible to put down. Well, I like the book. It is definitely worth my four hours.
Update
Changed the rating from two stars to three! :)
It was an okay book. If this was the last book in the series, I'd totally be really happy for this. Not only did Monroe made Nissilum, but he also made a world for us. Definitely good. Despite the cliches and the really predictable plot lines with a lot of stupid characters, this book was still worth my four hours.
October 30, 2012 review
Originally posted at The Daily Patrick!
This review contains spoilers from the first book and the second book of the series of Dark Heart but will not contain spoilers for Dark Heart Surrender itself. So have your own way;
Dark Heart Surrender is written by Lee Monroe as the third book from the series Dark Heart. The story begins with a specific time after what happened to the previous book, Dark Heart Rising.
The story is your typical YA. The boy is a hero. The girl is an outcast. And they fall in love. Since it was written in the first point-of-view of the girl named Jane, we could hear her thoughts on some scenes and how she is somehow underestimating herself. College was never really easy for her, and time passed by with school. Luca, the half-werewolf from a mystical world Nissilum, had to live with her and her parents in order to be with her. Nissilum banned Jane from their world so the only way they could be together was to let Luca live in Earth away from his family and his world.
The first book of the series Dark Heart contained a cheesy love triangle—Luca, Jane and Evan. Evan seemed pretty normal but he wasn’t. He’s also from Nissilum and was trying to get revenge through her. On the second book, there was Soren. (Evan disappeared, I think) It was really another romantic interest for Jane. Bad news is that Soren is also from Nissilum. He’s half-angel, half-vampire. Now for the third book, which is this, we could see that Jane’s relationship with Luca is on the edge again as two mysterious teenagers enter their lives with a secret agenda and deadly hypnotic presence.
For my review, I rated this book with two stars out of five. Two stars meant it was an okay book. It would have been one star if it sucked but it didn’t. Characters are shallow. The characterization especially of Jane needs a lot of work. Jane seemed like stereotypical when her character is really interesting on how she reacts to events. Luca on the other hand is just really stupid in making decisions. I was yelling at my Kindle, “You dumb ass dog! Make a good decision!” Then follows a few curses.
The writing style was smooth. Not big of a deal. But it is kind of full of adjectives and descriptions, blocking the capacity of the characters to move, you know. But I like Monroe to be honest.
To sum this review up, I’d just like to praise Monroe’s extraordinary plot with a lot of plot holes to explore, interesting but underdeveloped characters unfortunately and its fast pace, making the book impossible to put down. Well, I like the book. It is definitely worth my four hours.
Update
Changed the rating from two stars to three! :)
January 13, 2015
In my reviews for the first two books of the Dark Heart trilogy, I stated that both of those books are highly forgettable and there's nothing to make them stand out among the countless other YA paranormal romance novels which flooded the YA book market.
But I'd never expected this final book, Dark Heart Surrender, would turn out to be even worse, not only it's just as unremarkable and forgettable like the first two books, but it's also awfully, deadly boring.
Let's do a breakdown:
(1)There're two plot lines in the story, but they are both so thin and barely-there that the whole novel looks very pointless.
(2) The villains totally suck at being evil and frightening: instead they come off like a pair of mean-spirited boyfriend-stealer/girlfriend stealer. Said villains are also supposed to be so very evil, but we never see them actually doing anything awful in the story. Most of the bad things they did are done off-screen, what a disappointment.
(3) Plus said villains are targeting the main couple and their families and friends for one of the lamest reasons I've ever seen: so Luca's family (his grandparents or great-grandparents? Don't remember) had banished the villains' ancestors from the otherworldly realm, and now said villains are going to seek revenge for something that happened before they were even born?! Goodness!
(4) The romance between the main couple is painful to endure.
(5) The author just wouldn't shut up about how awesome and special Jane (the heroine) is, and how much Luca (the werewolf boyfriend) loves her.
(6) To be fair the last 30 or so pages are less boring, but it's still unable to redeem the whole novel. Plus, I appreciated that Jane (the heroine) is the one who's actually using her brain when she faced difficult situations---I'm not saying she's so very bright (she isn't), but sadly no one else in the book has ever done the same.
(7) Last but not least, for the longest of time nothing happens in the book, not a single supernatural thing has taken place.
Stay away from this book if you don't want to be bored out of your mind.
But I'd never expected this final book, Dark Heart Surrender, would turn out to be even worse, not only it's just as unremarkable and forgettable like the first two books, but it's also awfully, deadly boring.
Let's do a breakdown:
(1)There're two plot lines in the story, but they are both so thin and barely-there that the whole novel looks very pointless.
(2) The villains totally suck at being evil and frightening: instead they come off like a pair of mean-spirited boyfriend-stealer/girlfriend stealer. Said villains are also supposed to be so very evil, but we never see them actually doing anything awful in the story. Most of the bad things they did are done off-screen, what a disappointment.
(3) Plus said villains are targeting the main couple and their families and friends for one of the lamest reasons I've ever seen: so Luca's family (his grandparents or great-grandparents? Don't remember) had banished the villains' ancestors from the otherworldly realm, and now said villains are going to seek revenge for something that happened before they were even born?! Goodness!
(4) The romance between the main couple is painful to endure.
(5) The author just wouldn't shut up about how awesome and special Jane (the heroine) is, and how much Luca (the werewolf boyfriend) loves her.
(6) To be fair the last 30 or so pages are less boring, but it's still unable to redeem the whole novel. Plus, I appreciated that Jane (the heroine) is the one who's actually using her brain when she faced difficult situations---I'm not saying she's so very bright (she isn't), but sadly no one else in the book has ever done the same.
(7) Last but not least, for the longest of time nothing happens in the book, not a single supernatural thing has taken place.
Stay away from this book if you don't want to be bored out of your mind.
October 15, 2017
This was such a fast read! The writing isn't great and the pacing was a little inconsistent, but something about it made me want to keep reading and I flew through this book!
The plot should have been pretty interesting, but I thought that it could have been handled better. The whole messed up situation with Jane, Luca, Polly and Ade just annoyed me to no end. It didn't take too long to work out the truth behind Polly and Ade (the hints were painfully obvious) and it was just frustrating that it took Luca and (especially) Jane so long to realise.
This book definitely could have been shorter. At least 50 pages shorter. There was too much build up in the beginning where not much was happening but then the ending was a little rushed.
I definitely had my issues with this book, but overall it was an enjoyable read and a decent enough conclusion to the trilogy (and I've certainly read some shockingly disappointing series enders).
The plot should have been pretty interesting, but I thought that it could have been handled better. The whole messed up situation with Jane, Luca, Polly and Ade just annoyed me to no end. It didn't take too long to work out the truth behind Polly and Ade (the hints were painfully obvious) and it was just frustrating that it took Luca and (especially) Jane so long to realise.
This book definitely could have been shorter. At least 50 pages shorter. There was too much build up in the beginning where not much was happening but then the ending was a little rushed.
I definitely had my issues with this book, but overall it was an enjoyable read and a decent enough conclusion to the trilogy (and I've certainly read some shockingly disappointing series enders).
January 4, 2021
I own this book.
I could not tell you what the point of this book was. I started this series maybe four years ago and it has taken me four years to motivate myself to read the last book. I think I really liked the first book in this series but the last two have been incredibly pointless. I find Jane's character extremely boring, she literally has no interesting points as a main character. This book basically got two stars because I like Luca. I think as far as supernatural boyfriends go, he wasn't the worst. I disliked this book, it's not for me.
I could not tell you what the point of this book was. I started this series maybe four years ago and it has taken me four years to motivate myself to read the last book. I think I really liked the first book in this series but the last two have been incredibly pointless. I find Jane's character extremely boring, she literally has no interesting points as a main character. This book basically got two stars because I like Luca. I think as far as supernatural boyfriends go, he wasn't the worst. I disliked this book, it's not for me.
June 10, 2012
I am on the edge of whether or not to give this book a 3 and a half rating to be honest. There was just something about this book that didn't hook me in like the previous ones.
I will start with the negatives first and the biggest flaw in this book was how many typing errors there were. In an average book I expect to come across at least 3, maybe 4, tops, but this book had at least 15-20 errors. To me it is probably the worst thing that could happen to a book and it should not have left the editing office until it had been checked over and over again. It was a major turn off for this book and that was part of the reason I was disappointed. Secondly, Jane and Luca's relationship to me felt way too tame when they are supposed to be destined soul mates and all that. Jane makes everything out to be a huge deal when it really isn't and Luca beleives that Jane is the one who has come to him for him to treasure and love until the end of time. It just feels unrealistic at times and I wish it didn't because this series has so many up points to it.
So, what I did like was far more vast than what I didn't like. As much as Jane and Luca's romance can annoy me it does also make me swoon. Who doesn't want to have a boyfriend who is meant for you and comes from another world and is old fashioned in so many ways? Well, not everyone, but I do, I do! Janes parents are another up point in this story as they let Luca live with them. Janes mother knows about Luca and so therefore that is a bonus for both Jane and Luca, but besides that her parents just seem so easy going with their relationship, that scored points with me.
The drama in this book surrounded around the vulpecula, some nasty and evil race of mutant foxes that have the ability to destroy Nissilum if they can get there. It was a good plot for the story, they tried to destory Luca and Janes relationship, mind controlled Janes family, friends and any other person in their way and it was understandably annoying for Jane and Luca after they had figured out who these people really were. I wish it was made to feel a little more dramatic at times though, it felt subdued when it should really have been taken with a lot more seriousness.
Overall I did like Dark Heart Surrender, in some areas it felt weak, in others it was a lot stronger. It was a bit all over the place but still quite a readable story. I don't know how many more books are in this series but I feel like its time should come to an end.
I will start with the negatives first and the biggest flaw in this book was how many typing errors there were. In an average book I expect to come across at least 3, maybe 4, tops, but this book had at least 15-20 errors. To me it is probably the worst thing that could happen to a book and it should not have left the editing office until it had been checked over and over again. It was a major turn off for this book and that was part of the reason I was disappointed. Secondly, Jane and Luca's relationship to me felt way too tame when they are supposed to be destined soul mates and all that. Jane makes everything out to be a huge deal when it really isn't and Luca beleives that Jane is the one who has come to him for him to treasure and love until the end of time. It just feels unrealistic at times and I wish it didn't because this series has so many up points to it.
So, what I did like was far more vast than what I didn't like. As much as Jane and Luca's romance can annoy me it does also make me swoon. Who doesn't want to have a boyfriend who is meant for you and comes from another world and is old fashioned in so many ways? Well, not everyone, but I do, I do! Janes parents are another up point in this story as they let Luca live with them. Janes mother knows about Luca and so therefore that is a bonus for both Jane and Luca, but besides that her parents just seem so easy going with their relationship, that scored points with me.
The drama in this book surrounded around the vulpecula, some nasty and evil race of mutant foxes that have the ability to destroy Nissilum if they can get there. It was a good plot for the story, they tried to destory Luca and Janes relationship, mind controlled Janes family, friends and any other person in their way and it was understandably annoying for Jane and Luca after they had figured out who these people really were. I wish it was made to feel a little more dramatic at times though, it felt subdued when it should really have been taken with a lot more seriousness.
Overall I did like Dark Heart Surrender, in some areas it felt weak, in others it was a lot stronger. It was a bit all over the place but still quite a readable story. I don't know how many more books are in this series but I feel like its time should come to an end.
April 6, 2017
So, Dark Heart Surrender. Otherwise known as The Book in Which the Author Recycled the Plot from Book One Rather Than Writing Something Original. Or in other words, same shit, different cover.
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
Jane is idolised by just about every male creature in the entirebook series. And now that I think about it, that applies to most of the female creatures too. Even though, you know, she acts like a petulant child most of the time. And is stupid. Incredibly stupid. So fucking stupid. Who else would nearly die after getting in a car with someone who set her alarm bells ringing in book one, only to nearly die AGAIN after getting in a car with someone who set her alarm bells ringing in book three? Especially when said person had threatened her only like half an hour before. How stupid can you be?
The steadfast Luca is treated like a pariah at the slightest suggestion he may have thought about another girl WHILE UNDER MIND CONTROL. I really don't understand this because Jane was attracted to at least three other guys - all murderers to boot - that I remember throughout the trilogy and no one seemed in the slightest bit concerned by this.
The inclusion of Olivia's story in Dark Heart Surrender is half-hearted. There is no real explanation of how she is finally found. And has Monroe never watched a police procedural? A girl is found buried alive on an old military base; shortly after this the protagonists visit the scene of the crime. There are no signs whatsoever of investigation or surveillance and no one seems to have noticed they were there. For that matter, no one contacts the hero about the attempted murder even though he was known to have been working on the base during the time the girl was there. And the victim is put in a hostel for a few days before likely ending up on the streets even though she told the police her kidnappers were local and at large. Why is she not in protective custody? It's no wonder the villains weren't scared of the police!
Like Dark Heart Rising and, to a lesser degree, Dark Heart Forever, no one seems to have edited Dark Heart Surrender. Never mind plot inconsistencies, I'd settle for spellcheck!! The amount of errors is really quite embarrassing.
I'm not going to pussyfoot around this. Monroe's Dark Heart series is really bad. I would not have bothered to finish it, had I not been packing to move house and unable to get to much of my library.
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
Jane is idolised by just about every male creature in the entire
The steadfast Luca is treated like a pariah at the slightest suggestion he may have thought about another girl WHILE UNDER MIND CONTROL. I really don't understand this because Jane was attracted to at least three other guys - all murderers to boot - that I remember throughout the trilogy and no one seemed in the slightest bit concerned by this.
The inclusion of Olivia's story in Dark Heart Surrender is half-hearted. There is no real explanation of how she is finally found. And has Monroe never watched a police procedural? A girl is found buried alive on an old military base; shortly after this the protagonists visit the scene of the crime. There are no signs whatsoever of investigation or surveillance and no one seems to have noticed they were there. For that matter, no one contacts the hero about the attempted murder even though he was known to have been working on the base during the time the girl was there. And the victim is put in a hostel for a few days before likely ending up on the streets even though she told the police her kidnappers were local and at large. Why is she not in protective custody? It's no wonder the villains weren't scared of the police!
Like Dark Heart Rising and, to a lesser degree, Dark Heart Forever, no one seems to have edited Dark Heart Surrender. Never mind plot inconsistencies, I'd settle for spellcheck!! The amount of errors is really quite embarrassing.
I'm not going to pussyfoot around this. Monroe's Dark Heart series is really bad. I would not have bothered to finish it, had I not been packing to move house and unable to get to much of my library.
May 9, 2012
I had read the first two books in this series (Dark Heart Forever and Dark Heart Rising) and thought they were fab so I was looking forward to reading this one. Part of the reason I love this series is because they are not just based on one supernatural creature but lots of them – werewolves, vampires, witches, angels and shapeshifters.
I definitely enjoyed this book as much as the previous two, it was written in such a way that I just couldn’t stop reading. Every page kept me interested and left me wanting more so I ended up reading it in one day.
This story followed on from book two where Luca had gone back to the human world to live with Jane and this book sees them trying to adapt to their new life but somehow they end up facing yet another danger that threatens to tear them apart. It seems that trouble follows them wherever they go and I get the feeling that they may never be able to have a normal life together which is a shame because I really want things to work out for them.
I found this book to be exciting and intriguing, there were so many questions raised like who was the mystery girl who lost her necklace, and who or what the mysterious Polly and Ade might be.
The only negative thing I would say about this book is that I found Jane’s reaction to something Luca did quite unbelievable. I don’t want to give away what he actually did so I won’t say too much but I felt that she would have questioned him more about it – I found myself waiting for the moment that she would ask him more about what had happened, but that moment never came and this just didn’t ring true for me because Jane seemed like the kind of girl who would want to know all the details.
This exciting and dark story had me engrossed from start to finish and I’m hoping for more from this series.
I definitely enjoyed this book as much as the previous two, it was written in such a way that I just couldn’t stop reading. Every page kept me interested and left me wanting more so I ended up reading it in one day.
This story followed on from book two where Luca had gone back to the human world to live with Jane and this book sees them trying to adapt to their new life but somehow they end up facing yet another danger that threatens to tear them apart. It seems that trouble follows them wherever they go and I get the feeling that they may never be able to have a normal life together which is a shame because I really want things to work out for them.
I found this book to be exciting and intriguing, there were so many questions raised like who was the mystery girl who lost her necklace, and who or what the mysterious Polly and Ade might be.
The only negative thing I would say about this book is that I found Jane’s reaction to something Luca did quite unbelievable. I don’t want to give away what he actually did so I won’t say too much but I felt that she would have questioned him more about it – I found myself waiting for the moment that she would ask him more about what had happened, but that moment never came and this just didn’t ring true for me because Jane seemed like the kind of girl who would want to know all the details.
This exciting and dark story had me engrossed from start to finish and I’m hoping for more from this series.
May 7, 2013
it has been a while since i read dark heart rising so i want sure if id need to recap or not, as it turns out i didnt. There were references to the previous two books that triggered as reminder which was helpful.
Really enjoyed this book wasnt as much romance in it as the others which was good if you, like me dont care for it.
The villans in this book are a creature called the vulpecula who have a thirst for revenge. Their characters are quite enigmatic and strong, perhaps more so than the two major characters and their mind games keept me engrossed wanting to know their next trick.
I also found Dot to be quite a humorous litttle character that lifted the book up when i felt it getting deep with negativity.
I found janes mother to be rather annnoying throughout the book i just kept thinking if i were jane id tell her to leave me alone and stop treating me like a child, in particularly when luca and jane were lingering in the car and she came out to bring them inside i just thought WTF. But she is the only character i didnt like.
There were two issues with the book.
1. I am terrible with grammar etc and know to expect in in my writing as im not published by an agency that is meant to clear up mistakes. So when reading this i couldnt help but think lee monroe could use a better editor, the story is written in first person for jane and 3rd person for luca and there were a few times where it hopped to third person in janes POV.
2. After lucas incident at the dance with polly, i think jane should have found out via the siblings as they are percieved to be all cunnning and cruel, but it got swept under the rug like it never happened. I was expecting there to be hell raising fury or....something not just a few 'a feeling of dishonesty passed over me' or whatever was put.
Other than that a really good and quick read. And if that was the last of the dark heart series it was very well written. With lovely covers to compliment lee monroes work.
'
Really enjoyed this book wasnt as much romance in it as the others which was good if you, like me dont care for it.
The villans in this book are a creature called the vulpecula who have a thirst for revenge. Their characters are quite enigmatic and strong, perhaps more so than the two major characters and their mind games keept me engrossed wanting to know their next trick.
I also found Dot to be quite a humorous litttle character that lifted the book up when i felt it getting deep with negativity.
I found janes mother to be rather annnoying throughout the book i just kept thinking if i were jane id tell her to leave me alone and stop treating me like a child, in particularly when luca and jane were lingering in the car and she came out to bring them inside i just thought WTF. But she is the only character i didnt like.
There were two issues with the book.
1. I am terrible with grammar etc and know to expect in in my writing as im not published by an agency that is meant to clear up mistakes. So when reading this i couldnt help but think lee monroe could use a better editor, the story is written in first person for jane and 3rd person for luca and there were a few times where it hopped to third person in janes POV.
2. After lucas incident at the dance with polly, i think jane should have found out via the siblings as they are percieved to be all cunnning and cruel, but it got swept under the rug like it never happened. I was expecting there to be hell raising fury or....something not just a few 'a feeling of dishonesty passed over me' or whatever was put.
Other than that a really good and quick read. And if that was the last of the dark heart series it was very well written. With lovely covers to compliment lee monroes work.
'
July 10, 2012
Lee Monroe's enjoyable trilogy comes to a close with 'Dark Heart Surrender'. I was looking forward to reading this one and finding out whether or not Jane and Luca would get their happy ending. The two have had many ups and downs throughout the series and obstacles have constantly been put in their way but regardless of that it's always felt like they were destined to be together.
Two new characters are introduced early on in the book, a brother and sister pairing called Ade and Polly. There's a lot more to them than first meets the eye and at times I found them really creepy and quite unsettling.
I think my only criticism of this book would be that the ending was a little abrupt. Without spoiling anything I kept waiting for a big romantic moment between Luca and Jane which never really came. I found it a bit disappointing because I'd invested so much in their relationship.Saying that though, the final few chapters were very exciting and full of intrigue and suspense.
Two new characters are introduced early on in the book, a brother and sister pairing called Ade and Polly. There's a lot more to them than first meets the eye and at times I found them really creepy and quite unsettling.
I think my only criticism of this book would be that the ending was a little abrupt. Without spoiling anything I kept waiting for a big romantic moment between Luca and Jane which never really came. I found it a bit disappointing because I'd invested so much in their relationship.Saying that though, the final few chapters were very exciting and full of intrigue and suspense.
May 10, 2012
I enjoyed this in the end but had a shaky moment half way through where I had to push myself to finish it. It seemed to take the characters ages to see what was going on and then even when they knew what was going on they still kept bimbling around, but it picked up in the last couple of chapters and saved itself from a DNF.
April 4, 2012
Bought the buk 2 days after it came out,
I LUVED everysingle bit of it
U can't put the buk down because its sooo addictive! Massive fan. Cnt wait for buk 4!!! Mindblowin!! :)
I LUVED everysingle bit of it
U can't put the buk down because its sooo addictive! Massive fan. Cnt wait for buk 4!!! Mindblowin!! :)
April 23, 2014
Jane and Luca are now living together at Jane's with her family I think that is sooo cute. I was not disappointed with this final book in the Dark Heart series.
June 13, 2016
I'm surprised I completed this appalling YA series, but, what can I say, I was a young 'un. :D
March 16, 2023
it has been a while since i read dark heart rising so i want sure if id need to recap or not, as it turns out i didnt. There were references to the previous two books that triggered as reminder which was helpful.
Really enjoyed this book wasnt as much romance in it as the others which was good if you, like me dont care for it.
The villans in this book are a creature called the vulpecula who have a thirst for revenge. Their characters are quite enigmatic and strong, perhaps more so than the two major characters and their mind games keept me engrossed wanting to know their next trick.
I also found Dot to be quite a humorous litttle character that lifted the book up when i felt it getting deep with negativity.
I found janes mother to be rather annnoying throughout the book i just kept thinking if i were jane id tell her to leave me alone and stop treating me like a child, in particularly when luca and jane were lingering in the car and she came out to bring them inside i just thought WTF. But she is the only character i didnt like.
There were two issues with the book.
1. I am terrible with grammar etc and know to expect in in my writing as im not published by an agency that is meant to clear up mistakes. So when reading this i couldnt help but think lee monroe could use a better editor, the story is written in first person for jane and 3rd person for luca and there were a few times where it hopped to third person in janes POV.
2. After lucas incident at the dance with polly, i think jane should have found out via the siblings as they are percieved to be all cunnning and cruel, but it got swept under the rug like it never happened. I was expecting there to be hell raising fury or....something not just a few 'a feeling of dishonesty passed over me' or whatever was put.
Other than that a really good and quick read. And if that was the last of the dark heart series it was very well written. With lovely covers to compliment lee monroes work.
'
Really enjoyed this book wasnt as much romance in it as the others which was good if you, like me dont care for it.
The villans in this book are a creature called the vulpecula who have a thirst for revenge. Their characters are quite enigmatic and strong, perhaps more so than the two major characters and their mind games keept me engrossed wanting to know their next trick.
I also found Dot to be quite a humorous litttle character that lifted the book up when i felt it getting deep with negativity.
I found janes mother to be rather annnoying throughout the book i just kept thinking if i were jane id tell her to leave me alone and stop treating me like a child, in particularly when luca and jane were lingering in the car and she came out to bring them inside i just thought WTF. But she is the only character i didnt like.
There were two issues with the book.
1. I am terrible with grammar etc and know to expect in in my writing as im not published by an agency that is meant to clear up mistakes. So when reading this i couldnt help but think lee monroe could use a better editor, the story is written in first person for jane and 3rd person for luca and there were a few times where it hopped to third person in janes POV.
2. After lucas incident at the dance with polly, i think jane should have found out via the siblings as they are percieved to be all cunnning and cruel, but it got swept under the rug like it never happened. I was expecting there to be hell raising fury or....something not just a few 'a feeling of dishonesty passed over me' or whatever was put.
Other than that a really good and quick read. And if that was the last of the dark heart series it was very well written. With lovely covers to compliment lee monroes work.
'
December 2, 2020
Alright, so finally I’ve finished the series...I’ve had so many problems with this book; well actually all of them. I didn’t like them and If I have to rate the whole series it would be 2 ⭐️... it’s sad cause I like reading about creatures and stuff but I think it wasn’t for me at all.
January 3, 2022
This was definitely my favourite of all the three books and is the only reason I'm not going to give the series away. Seeing how the mind games and manipulation was happening was so very interesting, I really enjoyed it.
August 27, 2012
These see all my updates
Jane is still in college, Luca is now living with her family and working with Pete in construction. There's a new girl, kind of gothic redhead, bossy too, named Polly and her brother Ade. While working, Luca found a necklace covered in blood at the old military base.
Polly wants Jane to find her brother a date so she talks to her friends the twins Ashley and Emma (A & E) Ashley agrees. Jane n Luca go along. Luca didn't like the guy right away, soon neither does anyone, Ade has an Attitude. Him n his sister are adopted n their mom is sick. Luca goes back home cus it's his sister Dalya's bday, n he wants to talk to his dad about the necklace, n foxes.
The Vulpecula are evil foxes that put a trance in people, Luca thinks Ade and Polly might be foxes. While working with Pete, Luca hears noises n then finds Pete unconscious. Pete's daughter Lydia believes Luca might have had something to do with the accident. Now Luca is questioning himself. Mean while a girl is trapped underground at the military base. Pete's other daughter Eva, has been missing for over a year now. She had a daughter that she put up for adoption when she was a teen.
Jane agrees to go to a club with Polly, Ade, Ashley and Luca. Ashley gets drunk and mad at Jane and Ade. Luca stays and dances with Polly, letting her kiss him. He kisses her back falling into her spell. He takes a drink that he thinks is water and passes out. Police found the girl that was trapped. What I don't like about this books is that they let people talk badly to them, and they just stand there. what the hell.
Jane finds herself back in the other world, see's Dalya and speaks with Ulfred, Lucas dad, they agree Ade n Polly are foxes. Luca wakes up in the back of Ades car with Polly telling him they did something. He doesn't tell Jane. After what happened he conveniently left out how he was grinding and making out with Polly. It's never brought up again. Ade appears all beaten up on the road saying some guys jumped him, I wonder what really happened there. Jane tells Luca he has to go home. Its announced that the girl was found, her name is Olivia, she doesn't remember anything. Luca might have her necklace.
Together they find a space underneath the military base. They won't go to the police they want to figure things out themselves. Like always. Olivia is claiming to be related to Ade n Polly making then angry. Pete dies. Ashley is with Ade. Jane fights the spells of Ade but some how the big bad wolf of Luca can't fight Pollys, he's always been this sissy guy, arg. Jane tells Luca to go home.
Luca talks to his family about the problems. Jane goes to a school party where she knows Ade will be at. The lights go out, and Ade appears, she basically told him she knows everything about him. He gives her a ride "home". Olivia escapes from the hospital to find her aunt Lydia but runs into Polly, she remembers Polly n Ade. Polly tells her they tried killing her and that they killed her mom.
Ade picked up Polly and Olivia and drives to the military base with Jane in the car. Luca feels something is wrong so he goes to find Jane. Polly and Ade transform into animals. The girls run, Jane manages to make fire with matches, distracting the foxes. Luca comes fights Ade, pushes Polly into the fire, killing her. Janes catches Ade on fire, Killing him, Luca gets hurt but his dad and sister come.
Luca gets better, They go to Pete's, Ade's and Pollys funeral. They tell Lydia that the hut caught on fire killing the siblings. Olivia now has a family, she didn't tell her aunt about her mom Eva being dead. She also knows about the wolves and the foxes. Luca and Jane plan on staying together.
This book was similar to the first one. It was obvious who the bad guy were, and what was going to happen. I feel that there was still alot that wasn't said. Jane never questioned why she felt she couldn't trust Luca. Luca never told her about what happened with Polly. And what really happened to Ade, was he really beaten up by a group of guys. Even though I don't really care about back ground characters, what happened to most of them. I remember in the second book something about Raphael going to try and find his dad, what happened there. Jane kept mentioning Baron the vamp, I thought he was going to show up, we read that Lowe likes someone, in the last book he was an announces, now we hardly heard about him. It felt rushed like it wasn't a proper ending, like it needs a little more. What happens to Nissilum? Does her dad and sister every find out about it? What happened to Gabriel? Did he really die? What happens with Janes friends when they hear about Ades death? Will Luca get along with his mom and brother? Do Jane and Luca live together in the mortal world or do they choose Nissilum? What happens with them? I guess we won't know.
Jane is still in college, Luca is now living with her family and working with Pete in construction. There's a new girl, kind of gothic redhead, bossy too, named Polly and her brother Ade. While working, Luca found a necklace covered in blood at the old military base.
Polly wants Jane to find her brother a date so she talks to her friends the twins Ashley and Emma (A & E) Ashley agrees. Jane n Luca go along. Luca didn't like the guy right away, soon neither does anyone, Ade has an Attitude. Him n his sister are adopted n their mom is sick. Luca goes back home cus it's his sister Dalya's bday, n he wants to talk to his dad about the necklace, n foxes.
The Vulpecula are evil foxes that put a trance in people, Luca thinks Ade and Polly might be foxes. While working with Pete, Luca hears noises n then finds Pete unconscious. Pete's daughter Lydia believes Luca might have had something to do with the accident. Now Luca is questioning himself. Mean while a girl is trapped underground at the military base. Pete's other daughter Eva, has been missing for over a year now. She had a daughter that she put up for adoption when she was a teen.
Jane agrees to go to a club with Polly, Ade, Ashley and Luca. Ashley gets drunk and mad at Jane and Ade. Luca stays and dances with Polly, letting her kiss him. He kisses her back falling into her spell. He takes a drink that he thinks is water and passes out. Police found the girl that was trapped. What I don't like about this books is that they let people talk badly to them, and they just stand there. what the hell.
Jane finds herself back in the other world, see's Dalya and speaks with Ulfred, Lucas dad, they agree Ade n Polly are foxes. Luca wakes up in the back of Ades car with Polly telling him they did something. He doesn't tell Jane. After what happened he conveniently left out how he was grinding and making out with Polly. It's never brought up again. Ade appears all beaten up on the road saying some guys jumped him, I wonder what really happened there. Jane tells Luca he has to go home. Its announced that the girl was found, her name is Olivia, she doesn't remember anything. Luca might have her necklace.
Together they find a space underneath the military base. They won't go to the police they want to figure things out themselves. Like always. Olivia is claiming to be related to Ade n Polly making then angry. Pete dies. Ashley is with Ade. Jane fights the spells of Ade but some how the big bad wolf of Luca can't fight Pollys, he's always been this sissy guy, arg. Jane tells Luca to go home.
Luca talks to his family about the problems. Jane goes to a school party where she knows Ade will be at. The lights go out, and Ade appears, she basically told him she knows everything about him. He gives her a ride "home". Olivia escapes from the hospital to find her aunt Lydia but runs into Polly, she remembers Polly n Ade. Polly tells her they tried killing her and that they killed her mom.
Ade picked up Polly and Olivia and drives to the military base with Jane in the car. Luca feels something is wrong so he goes to find Jane. Polly and Ade transform into animals. The girls run, Jane manages to make fire with matches, distracting the foxes. Luca comes fights Ade, pushes Polly into the fire, killing her. Janes catches Ade on fire, Killing him, Luca gets hurt but his dad and sister come.
Luca gets better, They go to Pete's, Ade's and Pollys funeral. They tell Lydia that the hut caught on fire killing the siblings. Olivia now has a family, she didn't tell her aunt about her mom Eva being dead. She also knows about the wolves and the foxes. Luca and Jane plan on staying together.
This book was similar to the first one. It was obvious who the bad guy were, and what was going to happen. I feel that there was still alot that wasn't said. Jane never questioned why she felt she couldn't trust Luca. Luca never told her about what happened with Polly. And what really happened to Ade, was he really beaten up by a group of guys. Even though I don't really care about back ground characters, what happened to most of them. I remember in the second book something about Raphael going to try and find his dad, what happened there. Jane kept mentioning Baron the vamp, I thought he was going to show up, we read that Lowe likes someone, in the last book he was an announces, now we hardly heard about him. It felt rushed like it wasn't a proper ending, like it needs a little more. What happens to Nissilum? Does her dad and sister every find out about it? What happened to Gabriel? Did he really die? What happens with Janes friends when they hear about Ades death? Will Luca get along with his mom and brother? Do Jane and Luca live together in the mortal world or do they choose Nissilum? What happens with them? I guess we won't know.
April 24, 2012
Giveaway of books 1-3 in this series at Pen to Paper
At first, I think it must be said, that I was a little disappointed with this instalment in the series. This, though, is not because the story in this book is uninteresting, but rather because the story doesn't really lead on from Dark Heart Rising. The only thing that is continued from the previous book is Jane and Luca's relationship, but I was hoping that the storyline would also be developed and continued.
I thought that Raphael's story in Dark Heart Rising was really interesting, and we were left with a definite sense of having something more to come from him and his personal quest, but even a book later, we still know nothing new about what is happening with him.
I also really wanted to see more from Soren, and of course from the fabulous Vanya, who remains my favourite character in the series. But we saw nothing from either of them.
That however, is my only real complaint about the book - it was still a really great read in its own right. We get to see Jane and Luca's relationship tested to absolute breaking point, which is always interesting, and satisfying when they overcome the seemingly unsolvable problems they're faced with.
I think what I enjoyed most about this story was the amount of creativity behind it.
Without giving too much away, when the characters started talking about supernatural, evil, mischievous foxes, I immediately though that I was going to be faced with some kind of variation of a Kitsune (a Japanese Fox-Spirit), but what it actually turned about to be was a little more unique than that, which was amazing!
It also added a whole new, and certainly more dangerous twist to the whole series, as we now know that Jane and Luca are still going to have to face danger, even away from the creatures of Nissilum.
Like in Dark Heart Rising, the point-of-view that we're reading from switches from character to character - this time from Jane (obviously), to Luca, and to an entirely new character, Olivia. I enjoyed this in Dark Heart Rising, but it was even more effective in this book!
I loved the confusion that was apparent from both Jane and Luca, and that there appeared to be no reasonable explanation for this (apart from the presence of the mysterious siblings, Ade and Polly). It felt so real to me, mostly, I think, because we get to see each character's confusion and altering emotions first-hand (thanks to the switching point-of-view in the chapters), and when a character had a sudden change of heart, the reader becomes momentarily confused as well.
It was because, on occasion, I felt the same bewilderment as Jane and Luca, that it became suddenly more real to me.
This is just a small thing, but I also really enjoyed seeing Dalya (even as briefly as we did) in the novel, because we get to see her transforming from a little girl into a woman. It was brilliant to see her finally beginning to fill out and fit her mental age - she's been extremely mature since book one.
I can't wait to see what becomes of here in later books.
I'm definitely hoping to see more in this series - but what I would really love to see from the next instalment, is a continuation of the storyline that was left off at the end of Dark Heart Rising. I just feel as though there needs to be a little more continuity throughout the series.
Plus, I'd love to see much more mischievous fun from Vanya!!
At first, I think it must be said, that I was a little disappointed with this instalment in the series. This, though, is not because the story in this book is uninteresting, but rather because the story doesn't really lead on from Dark Heart Rising. The only thing that is continued from the previous book is Jane and Luca's relationship, but I was hoping that the storyline would also be developed and continued.
I thought that Raphael's story in Dark Heart Rising was really interesting, and we were left with a definite sense of having something more to come from him and his personal quest, but even a book later, we still know nothing new about what is happening with him.
I also really wanted to see more from Soren, and of course from the fabulous Vanya, who remains my favourite character in the series. But we saw nothing from either of them.
That however, is my only real complaint about the book - it was still a really great read in its own right. We get to see Jane and Luca's relationship tested to absolute breaking point, which is always interesting, and satisfying when they overcome the seemingly unsolvable problems they're faced with.
I think what I enjoyed most about this story was the amount of creativity behind it.
Without giving too much away, when the characters started talking about supernatural, evil, mischievous foxes, I immediately though that I was going to be faced with some kind of variation of a Kitsune (a Japanese Fox-Spirit), but what it actually turned about to be was a little more unique than that, which was amazing!
It also added a whole new, and certainly more dangerous twist to the whole series, as we now know that Jane and Luca are still going to have to face danger, even away from the creatures of Nissilum.
Like in Dark Heart Rising, the point-of-view that we're reading from switches from character to character - this time from Jane (obviously), to Luca, and to an entirely new character, Olivia. I enjoyed this in Dark Heart Rising, but it was even more effective in this book!
I loved the confusion that was apparent from both Jane and Luca, and that there appeared to be no reasonable explanation for this (apart from the presence of the mysterious siblings, Ade and Polly). It felt so real to me, mostly, I think, because we get to see each character's confusion and altering emotions first-hand (thanks to the switching point-of-view in the chapters), and when a character had a sudden change of heart, the reader becomes momentarily confused as well.
It was because, on occasion, I felt the same bewilderment as Jane and Luca, that it became suddenly more real to me.
This is just a small thing, but I also really enjoyed seeing Dalya (even as briefly as we did) in the novel, because we get to see her transforming from a little girl into a woman. It was brilliant to see her finally beginning to fill out and fit her mental age - she's been extremely mature since book one.
I can't wait to see what becomes of here in later books.
I'm definitely hoping to see more in this series - but what I would really love to see from the next instalment, is a continuation of the storyline that was left off at the end of Dark Heart Rising. I just feel as though there needs to be a little more continuity throughout the series.
Plus, I'd love to see much more mischievous fun from Vanya!!
March 24, 2013
Dark Heart Surrender
Lee Monroe
Amazing!!!!!!! I so love this book! I never regret the day I found the book 1 of this series in the bookstore! I never thought that the series could get any better specially after Luca and Jane left Nissilum. Everything was unexpected, I was thrilled and moved by the story. It amazed me how the book got me interested that fast given the fact that I am so not pro Jane and Luca from the start. The idea of Luca and Jane in the mortal world living together bored me at first, then something unexpected happened. The next thing I knew was I was so in love with the story.
I was just wondering how the love story will end. I mean, if it's Jane end up with Soren Balzac (the vampire from the second book), I'm sure that Vanya or Soren himself, will convince Jane to be a part of their family and she'll be a vampire in the end. But since it's not, I wonder if Luca will die like the 'curse' their referring to if you fell in love with a mortal girl, or he will remain as an immortal being. If that so, he'll be lonely in the end, cause Jane will get old and eventually will die. How's that? I wonder if there's a way for Jane to become immortal too.
Anyway, it's highly recommended! It's not overly sweet and romantic but you will be able to feel the love and commitment. :)
Lee Monroe
Amazing!!!!!!! I so love this book! I never regret the day I found the book 1 of this series in the bookstore! I never thought that the series could get any better specially after Luca and Jane left Nissilum. Everything was unexpected, I was thrilled and moved by the story. It amazed me how the book got me interested that fast given the fact that I am so not pro Jane and Luca from the start. The idea of Luca and Jane in the mortal world living together bored me at first, then something unexpected happened. The next thing I knew was I was so in love with the story.
I was just wondering how the love story will end. I mean, if it's Jane end up with Soren Balzac (the vampire from the second book), I'm sure that Vanya or Soren himself, will convince Jane to be a part of their family and she'll be a vampire in the end. But since it's not, I wonder if Luca will die like the 'curse' their referring to if you fell in love with a mortal girl, or he will remain as an immortal being. If that so, he'll be lonely in the end, cause Jane will get old and eventually will die. How's that? I wonder if there's a way for Jane to become immortal too.
Anyway, it's highly recommended! It's not overly sweet and romantic but you will be able to feel the love and commitment. :)
May 25, 2013
Spoiler Alert! At the end of Dark Heart Rising, it was revealed that Soren was the son of Vanya and Gabriel and half brother to Raphael. Raphael discovered that Gabriel was still alive somewhere in the mortal world and vowed to find him. Luca chose to be with Jane over his parents and decided to move to the mortal realm to be with her. In Dark Heart Surrender, Luca is living with Jane and her parents and earning his keep working for Pete in the construction business while Jane goes to college.
When Jane is asked to counsel a troubled teen by the name of Polly, she accepts but soon finds herself out of her depth when she agrees to set Polly’s brother Abe up with her friend Ashley. Jane senses something strange about the two siblings who seem to have a hypnotic presence but she can’t explain why. Luca finds a bloodied necklace at the construction site and is unnerved enough to return to Nissilum and seek his father’s advice. Luca learns of his families’ enmity with the shapeshifters, Vulpecula, half human half fox who blame the Hunter’s for not paving their way to live in Nissilum many years ago. Luca’s father advises him to be cautious as the Vulpecula have a thirst for revenge and have the ability to manipulate minds.
Gradually Abe and Polly set about splitting Jane and Luca up. Fearing she’s losing Luca, Jane visits Nissilum and asks for Dayla and Ulfrid’s advice. Ulfrid reveals that the Vulpecula fear fire as it can consume their soul. Can Jane and Luca eliminate this new danger which threatens to tear them apart? Who is the mysterious amnesiac who was left for dead in a cave?
Dark Heart Surrender has a more oppressive and malevolent feel than its previous installments and is my least favourite of the series. I was hoping that this installment would lead on from Dark Heart Rising and I was disappointed when it didn’t. Instead it focuses solely on Luca’s struggle to adapt to the mortal realm and his relationship with Jane which is tested to the limit. I found the Vulpecula menacing presence to be uncomfortable reading at times and I couldn’t wait for them to get their just desserts.
It seems to be the general opinion that Dark Heart Surrender is the final installment in the series. If it is then I feel let down by the way the author has chosen to conclude the series. I was intrigued by Raphael’s story in the previous installment and was looking forward in reading the outcome of his quest to find his elusive father, Gabriel. I also wanted to read more about Soren and in particular Vanya who remains one of my favourite characters from Nissilum. Thankfully we got to see Dalya’s transformation from a young girl into a beautiful self assured woman. One problem that wasn’t addressed was Jane’s mortality as opposed to Luca’s immortality. What will happen when Jane grows old and eventually die? Overall a disappointing end to a series that started off with great potential.
When Jane is asked to counsel a troubled teen by the name of Polly, she accepts but soon finds herself out of her depth when she agrees to set Polly’s brother Abe up with her friend Ashley. Jane senses something strange about the two siblings who seem to have a hypnotic presence but she can’t explain why. Luca finds a bloodied necklace at the construction site and is unnerved enough to return to Nissilum and seek his father’s advice. Luca learns of his families’ enmity with the shapeshifters, Vulpecula, half human half fox who blame the Hunter’s for not paving their way to live in Nissilum many years ago. Luca’s father advises him to be cautious as the Vulpecula have a thirst for revenge and have the ability to manipulate minds.
Gradually Abe and Polly set about splitting Jane and Luca up. Fearing she’s losing Luca, Jane visits Nissilum and asks for Dayla and Ulfrid’s advice. Ulfrid reveals that the Vulpecula fear fire as it can consume their soul. Can Jane and Luca eliminate this new danger which threatens to tear them apart? Who is the mysterious amnesiac who was left for dead in a cave?
Dark Heart Surrender has a more oppressive and malevolent feel than its previous installments and is my least favourite of the series. I was hoping that this installment would lead on from Dark Heart Rising and I was disappointed when it didn’t. Instead it focuses solely on Luca’s struggle to adapt to the mortal realm and his relationship with Jane which is tested to the limit. I found the Vulpecula menacing presence to be uncomfortable reading at times and I couldn’t wait for them to get their just desserts.
It seems to be the general opinion that Dark Heart Surrender is the final installment in the series. If it is then I feel let down by the way the author has chosen to conclude the series. I was intrigued by Raphael’s story in the previous installment and was looking forward in reading the outcome of his quest to find his elusive father, Gabriel. I also wanted to read more about Soren and in particular Vanya who remains one of my favourite characters from Nissilum. Thankfully we got to see Dalya’s transformation from a young girl into a beautiful self assured woman. One problem that wasn’t addressed was Jane’s mortality as opposed to Luca’s immortality. What will happen when Jane grows old and eventually die? Overall a disappointing end to a series that started off with great potential.
May 3, 2012
I'm going to just put this straight out there and say – Lee Monroe’s writing definitely gets stronger and stronger with each book she produces. Like the Wings series by Aprilynne Pike, I’ve had my up’s and down with this series however, as Lee Monroe writes more books, I really feel there is a vast improvement in her work and it’s safe to say Dark Heart Surrender is definitely my favourite novel by her so far.
With Jane and Luca now together living on Mortal earth their hoping to put everything behind them but of course, things aren’t that easy. There are new arrivals in town that sure do stir some trouble and Jane and Luca is in the centre of it….once again, risking their lives.
Dark Heart Surrender definitely finished on a high note and what I loved about this book so much more than the others was the whole mystery that surrounded the story. As a reader I love to try and figure out what will happen next and I spent the whole of this book doing just that. Lee Monroe doesn’t give anything away until the very end and I really enjoyed it. Not only that but we get to see Jane and Luca try to be together and watch Luca adjust to living on Mortal earth. I was really pleased that Luca could adapt to living with Jane and her family so well because I must admit, I assumed this would be one of the problems to their story but I’m pleased to say it wasn’t. Luca and Jane are really dedicated to one another and their love really shines through, literally ready to fight anything that comes their way. And they’re a great couple that I was really rooting for.
Now the new characters that make an appearance in this story are well – how do I say this? Really creepy! You can’t help be creeped out by them and as secondary characters their roles in this book were written in very well. It felt like they had always been a part of this series even though they weren’t so overall, they were great additions.
After the events in Dark Heart Rising I was hoping we would get to see Vanya and Soren but they didn’t make an appearance in this book, which left me a little sad. I loved both characters and I feel there is so much more that Lee Monroe can do with this series but I’m told this was the last book in the series. I really felt by the ending in Dark Heart Surrender that was wasn’t much closure so if it is the last book then, PLEASE Lee, write some more! I’m really not ready to leave these characters behind but if it is the last, then I’ve really enjoyed my time with them and I will look forward to re-reading this series again in the future.
All in all, the Dark Heart series is an intense, intriguing and loveable series – one that I really enjoyed and it’s highly recommended to you paranormal romance fans.
A huge thank you to the publishers for giving me the opportunity to review this book.
With Jane and Luca now together living on Mortal earth their hoping to put everything behind them but of course, things aren’t that easy. There are new arrivals in town that sure do stir some trouble and Jane and Luca is in the centre of it….once again, risking their lives.
Dark Heart Surrender definitely finished on a high note and what I loved about this book so much more than the others was the whole mystery that surrounded the story. As a reader I love to try and figure out what will happen next and I spent the whole of this book doing just that. Lee Monroe doesn’t give anything away until the very end and I really enjoyed it. Not only that but we get to see Jane and Luca try to be together and watch Luca adjust to living on Mortal earth. I was really pleased that Luca could adapt to living with Jane and her family so well because I must admit, I assumed this would be one of the problems to their story but I’m pleased to say it wasn’t. Luca and Jane are really dedicated to one another and their love really shines through, literally ready to fight anything that comes their way. And they’re a great couple that I was really rooting for.
Now the new characters that make an appearance in this story are well – how do I say this? Really creepy! You can’t help be creeped out by them and as secondary characters their roles in this book were written in very well. It felt like they had always been a part of this series even though they weren’t so overall, they were great additions.
After the events in Dark Heart Rising I was hoping we would get to see Vanya and Soren but they didn’t make an appearance in this book, which left me a little sad. I loved both characters and I feel there is so much more that Lee Monroe can do with this series but I’m told this was the last book in the series. I really felt by the ending in Dark Heart Surrender that was wasn’t much closure so if it is the last book then, PLEASE Lee, write some more! I’m really not ready to leave these characters behind but if it is the last, then I’ve really enjoyed my time with them and I will look forward to re-reading this series again in the future.
All in all, the Dark Heart series is an intense, intriguing and loveable series – one that I really enjoyed and it’s highly recommended to you paranormal romance fans.
A huge thank you to the publishers for giving me the opportunity to review this book.
March 30, 2013
I am feeling emotionally distraught right now most probably because this is the last book in the series and the last line broke my heart in a wonderful way.
It feels like forever ago that I read the first and second book. I fell in love with the characters throughout the series even though at times they did make stupid decisions but their flaws made me love them even more.
DARK HEART SURRENDER started off slow for me, it didn't entrance me straight away. At first I was disappointed that maybe this series wouldn't go out with the bang I wanted. But, as the plot developed I began to get absorbed into the book and I couldn't put it down. I've noticed the trend throughout all three books, they always begin very slow then halfway it sucks you in.
I don't know how to express it but I just love Luca and Jane. They made crazy and rather rash decisions at times, they seemed to fall apart, nothing went their way ever. However, they always fell back together and it's felt so right everytime. There's something innocent about their relationship which I loved, they even managed normalcy to some extent considering their situations, Luca and Jane will be OTP forever!
Another aspect of the book I really liked was the underlying mystery that appeared here and then throughout the book about the girl trapped. Monroe slowly enravelled the story and by the end all the loose ends tied up perfectly.
Some of the new secondary characters were interesting but I think I would have liked to have discovered more about them and their history, I didn't connect well with them and neither did I like them much.
I have mixed feelings about the ending, I liked it and I disliked it. It felt a bit rushed for me as though it was being hurried along and needed to be done with. Maybe I would have liked more Luca and Jane time I guess. But that said I also loved the simplicity of the ending and how it beautifully wrapped up everything in the last few lines and messed up my emotions.
Overall, I think with this series you have to be sort of paitent. The books usually take their time getting into their element and you might even have a love/hate relationship with some of the characters. There is a gem in this series that kept me reading till the end and I'm glad I did.
That our hearts were entwined through darkness and light...
It feels like forever ago that I read the first and second book. I fell in love with the characters throughout the series even though at times they did make stupid decisions but their flaws made me love them even more.
DARK HEART SURRENDER started off slow for me, it didn't entrance me straight away. At first I was disappointed that maybe this series wouldn't go out with the bang I wanted. But, as the plot developed I began to get absorbed into the book and I couldn't put it down. I've noticed the trend throughout all three books, they always begin very slow then halfway it sucks you in.
I don't know how to express it but I just love Luca and Jane. They made crazy and rather rash decisions at times, they seemed to fall apart, nothing went their way ever. However, they always fell back together and it's felt so right everytime. There's something innocent about their relationship which I loved, they even managed normalcy to some extent considering their situations, Luca and Jane will be OTP forever!
Another aspect of the book I really liked was the underlying mystery that appeared here and then throughout the book about the girl trapped. Monroe slowly enravelled the story and by the end all the loose ends tied up perfectly.
Some of the new secondary characters were interesting but I think I would have liked to have discovered more about them and their history, I didn't connect well with them and neither did I like them much.
I have mixed feelings about the ending, I liked it and I disliked it. It felt a bit rushed for me as though it was being hurried along and needed to be done with. Maybe I would have liked more Luca and Jane time I guess. But that said I also loved the simplicity of the ending and how it beautifully wrapped up everything in the last few lines and messed up my emotions.
Overall, I think with this series you have to be sort of paitent. The books usually take their time getting into their element and you might even have a love/hate relationship with some of the characters. There is a gem in this series that kept me reading till the end and I'm glad I did.
April 29, 2012
Lee Monroe's enjoyable trilogy comes to a close with 'Dark Heart Surrender'. I was looking forward immensely to reading this one and finding out whether or not Jane and Luca would get their happy ending. The two have had many ups and downs throughout the series and obstacles have constantly been put in their way but regardless of that it's always felt like they were destined to be together.
The story starts with Luca now living with Jane on mortal earth. He's sacrificed a lot to be with her and has left his family and true heritage behind in Nissilum. I've always liked the character of Luca who is kind, noble and good. In this book a different side of him is shown, although without revealing anything about the plot, there's a very good reason why. Jane too has shown a tremendous amount of growth and character development throughout each book in the series. She started off as quite shy and withdrawn but has gradually become more confident and self-assured. I've really identified with her and desperately wanted everything to work out for her and Luca.
Two new characters are introduced early on in the book, a brother and sister pairing called Ade and Polly. There's a lot more to them than first meets the eye and at times I found them really creepy and quite unsettling.
Unlike the previous instalment, most of the story took place on earth rather than in Nissilum. I thought this was a good choice because it was interesting seeing Jane and Luca starting off having everything they thought they wanted and being a proper couple at last, only for their lives to be turned upside down.
I think my only criticism of this book would be that the ending was a little abrupt. Without spoiling anything I kept waiting for a big romantic moment between Luca and Jane which never really came. I found it a bit disappointing because I'd invested so much in their relationship. Saying that though, the final few chapters were very exciting and full of intrigue and suspense.
Overall this was a fitting finale to the series and a great send-off for the characters. Apparently Lee Monroe is already hard at work on her next novel which is a 'fated' love story. I can't wait!
The story starts with Luca now living with Jane on mortal earth. He's sacrificed a lot to be with her and has left his family and true heritage behind in Nissilum. I've always liked the character of Luca who is kind, noble and good. In this book a different side of him is shown, although without revealing anything about the plot, there's a very good reason why. Jane too has shown a tremendous amount of growth and character development throughout each book in the series. She started off as quite shy and withdrawn but has gradually become more confident and self-assured. I've really identified with her and desperately wanted everything to work out for her and Luca.
Two new characters are introduced early on in the book, a brother and sister pairing called Ade and Polly. There's a lot more to them than first meets the eye and at times I found them really creepy and quite unsettling.
Unlike the previous instalment, most of the story took place on earth rather than in Nissilum. I thought this was a good choice because it was interesting seeing Jane and Luca starting off having everything they thought they wanted and being a proper couple at last, only for their lives to be turned upside down.
I think my only criticism of this book would be that the ending was a little abrupt. Without spoiling anything I kept waiting for a big romantic moment between Luca and Jane which never really came. I found it a bit disappointing because I'd invested so much in their relationship. Saying that though, the final few chapters were very exciting and full of intrigue and suspense.
Overall this was a fitting finale to the series and a great send-off for the characters. Apparently Lee Monroe is already hard at work on her next novel which is a 'fated' love story. I can't wait!
April 22, 2015
ALso on http://kissedbittenbybooks.blogspot.c...
Why the hell did I wait for this book for so long?
Okay so bad start to the book- I pretty much forgot what happened in the other two books!! Shame on me. I remembered all the *big* stuff and key events in the books. And after a while I started to remember more and more *phew* but that got me thinking (did I really enjoy the books as much as I thought I did?)
I could not for the life of me get into this book! I have no real idea why but I just couldn’t. It felt like there was a massive wall between me and the books and I kept on bashing me head on the wall. It was a disaster.
But wait, it got better halfway through- it wasn’t amazing but it was certainly better than the rest.
Ugh such a disappointing book!! I expected MORE from it a LOT more than this. What the hell was this anyway?! I loved the way the second book ended and that would have been fine for me, it was a cute “happy ever after” with a little mystery.
I have mixed feelings about the new characters. I loved it as it was fresh and new but hated it at the same time. Hold your horses wasn’t there a little cliff hanger at the end of the second book? What is the point in bringing in more characters with more *difficulties* at least make them relevant to the previous books. Truth be told I was furious at this, at first I was hoping that Soren would just jump up and save Jane. Or something back from Nissilum would jump out and bite their asses. But sadly no!! That was too much to ask for apparently.
I love the cover in Dark Heart Rising so why does this cover have to be so bleh? The girl doesn’t even look real!
Comparing all the books together this was quite truly crap! So so disappointed in this book- most of it was terrible and I wanted to tear my hair out.
Also if you’re living together with your *hot* boyfriend I don’t think you would act like Jane at all! Let’s just say she was purer than a nun.
Why the hell did I wait for this book for so long?
Okay so bad start to the book- I pretty much forgot what happened in the other two books!! Shame on me. I remembered all the *big* stuff and key events in the books. And after a while I started to remember more and more *phew* but that got me thinking (did I really enjoy the books as much as I thought I did?)
I could not for the life of me get into this book! I have no real idea why but I just couldn’t. It felt like there was a massive wall between me and the books and I kept on bashing me head on the wall. It was a disaster.
But wait, it got better halfway through- it wasn’t amazing but it was certainly better than the rest.
Ugh such a disappointing book!! I expected MORE from it a LOT more than this. What the hell was this anyway?! I loved the way the second book ended and that would have been fine for me, it was a cute “happy ever after” with a little mystery.
I have mixed feelings about the new characters. I loved it as it was fresh and new but hated it at the same time. Hold your horses wasn’t there a little cliff hanger at the end of the second book? What is the point in bringing in more characters with more *difficulties* at least make them relevant to the previous books. Truth be told I was furious at this, at first I was hoping that Soren would just jump up and save Jane. Or something back from Nissilum would jump out and bite their asses. But sadly no!! That was too much to ask for apparently.
I love the cover in Dark Heart Rising so why does this cover have to be so bleh? The girl doesn’t even look real!
Comparing all the books together this was quite truly crap! So so disappointed in this book- most of it was terrible and I wanted to tear my hair out.
Also if you’re living together with your *hot* boyfriend I don’t think you would act like Jane at all! Let’s just say she was purer than a nun.
April 25, 2016
Jane and Luca are back to the mortal world to live out their lives together. Jane is a student in college and achieving quite well academically. While Luca is living under her parents roof, he tries to earn his keep by working for Pete with physical work. A new girl arrives at Jane’s school and she is asked to help her to fit in and with anything else. This girl is called Polly and she wants Jane to set up her brother Abe with a hot girl. Jane feels pressured to please this girl and sets him up with one of her twin friends Ashley. The date goes horribly wrong and Abe is very much a jerk. Luca notices that there is something strange about Abe and Jane feels the same about Polly. They’re red headed brother and sister. While their suspicions rise, these brother and sister work their charm on everyone surrounding Jane. Luca also falls under Polly’s spell… It tears Jane & Luca’s love apart. They’re not sure what they feel anymore and things have gotten so complicated.
Eventually, Luca goes back to Nissilum to ask his father about another breed… an evil breed. The Vulpecula are known as red foxes that can kill and turn into human form. It’s nothing like they’ve ever faced before, it presents danger. Jane is forced to ask Luca to go back home for his protection since he is their target. The siblings have kidnapped a young girl named Olivia because she is the long lost daughter of their mother’s sister. They view her as a threat. She gets rescued only to get captured again. Towards the end, Jane is taken captive by Abe and then she meets Olivia. Jane knows the only way to kill the Vulpecula is to trap their soul into the fire. While chaos happens, Luca comes back to rescue Jane and kills the evil red foxes. At the end, Luca and Jane are back together and free to live their lives as they please.
Eventually, Luca goes back to Nissilum to ask his father about another breed… an evil breed. The Vulpecula are known as red foxes that can kill and turn into human form. It’s nothing like they’ve ever faced before, it presents danger. Jane is forced to ask Luca to go back home for his protection since he is their target. The siblings have kidnapped a young girl named Olivia because she is the long lost daughter of their mother’s sister. They view her as a threat. She gets rescued only to get captured again. Towards the end, Jane is taken captive by Abe and then she meets Olivia. Jane knows the only way to kill the Vulpecula is to trap their soul into the fire. While chaos happens, Luca comes back to rescue Jane and kills the evil red foxes. At the end, Luca and Jane are back together and free to live their lives as they please.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2013
Dark Heart Surrender almost gave me a headache to read. Most of the book just seemed to be build-up to something that wasn't even worth building up to, and no actual storyline to offer anything else. The second book could have been the final one, cos the third novel was completely lacking in the excitement and finality it should have had. Slightly disappointing. Almost like it was rushed to be finished. And constantly I was thinking 'what of Rapheal? Lowe? Soren?' I mean was one sentence really enough to cover their lives? What of Gabriel, in the mortal world? Would there be anymore closure? No, okay then. I mean we are left with so many questions that, at this point, I couldn't care less about being answered. And yet more mistakes too. I dunno if there's a name for a two-book series (a diology?) but that's what it should have been. The first two were flawed also, but they were mysterious and partly exciting. They were acceptable. DHS, however, seemed kinda pointless, very mundane-teen drama-esque. An unsatisfactory ending really. But this is a trilogy right? I mean, part of me hopes that there will be a fourth book, simply because I'd prefer a better ending, more closure, than what this probably final book offered.
March 26, 2013
The last book in the Dark Heart series. I loved Dark Heart Surrender. From the start of the book until the ending, there was plenty going on. With the introduction of 2 new characters, it was obvious they would set the stage for the whole book. One thing I loved most in this book was Jane and Luca's relationship. The start of the book, it was sweet and loving but throughout the book, that changed. The events that occurred helped them become stronger and trust in each other and become even more bonded by the end of the book. The twist of events in the book kept me on edge for a lot of it, not knowing if everything would turn out right but at the end, eventually it did. Hard to believe this is the last book in the series as I'm sad to see it end but I have to say, the whole series was beautiful. I loved it and Lee Monroe is a fantastic author. Can't wait to see more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 20, 2013
“That’s it?!”
I love the 1st and 2nd book and it took me almost 6 months to find the 3rd book. I was so excited to read it as soon I bought it but I got disappointed reading it.
Okay, it’s not what I expected because it’s so boring and the new characters are not the greatest NEW CHARACTERS of all. I mean come on! They aren’t that good enough to be in the series.
As for Luca and Jane, well they started again from the start and I was like “That’s it?!” I guess the author got bored writing this book. I didn’t find it entertaining at all. I stopped reading it sometimes because the story is plain boring it took me 7-8 sitter to read this and finally I’m done.
But I am very disappointed because this book was nothing! compared to the first-two-books.
I love the 1st and 2nd book and it took me almost 6 months to find the 3rd book. I was so excited to read it as soon I bought it but I got disappointed reading it.
Okay, it’s not what I expected because it’s so boring and the new characters are not the greatest NEW CHARACTERS of all. I mean come on! They aren’t that good enough to be in the series.
As for Luca and Jane, well they started again from the start and I was like “That’s it?!” I guess the author got bored writing this book. I didn’t find it entertaining at all. I stopped reading it sometimes because the story is plain boring it took me 7-8 sitter to read this and finally I’m done.
But I am very disappointed because this book was nothing! compared to the first-two-books.
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