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Friday Harbor #4
Crystal Cove
The New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas returns with another winning Friday Harbor Novel, Crystal Cove
One woman who has been cursed never to find love . . .
One man without a soul who wants her more than life itself . . .
They meet in a small island town in the pacific northwest, where magic is in the air and fate is a force too powerful to defy. . . .
Justine Hoffman has made a comfortable life for herself on the island of Friday Harbor. She is the proprietor of a successful boutique hotel, and she has the safe, predictable life she has always wanted. Growing up with her flighty, nomadic mother, Marigold, has instilled in her a deep longing for stability. But in spite of everything Justine has achieved, there is still something missing. Love. And after years of waiting and dreaming, she is willing to do whatever it takes to change her destiny.
What Justine soon discovers is that someone cast a spell on her when she was born, with the result that she will never find her soul mate. Determined to change her fate, Justine finds a way to break the enchantment, never dreaming of the dangerous complications that will follow.
And when Justine meets the mysterious Jason Black, she accidentally unleashes a storm of desire and danger that threaten everything she holds dear . . . because Jason has secrets of his own, and he wants more from her than fate will ever allow.
One woman who has been cursed never to find love . . .
One man without a soul who wants her more than life itself . . .
They meet in a small island town in the pacific northwest, where magic is in the air and fate is a force too powerful to defy. . . .
Justine Hoffman has made a comfortable life for herself on the island of Friday Harbor. She is the proprietor of a successful boutique hotel, and she has the safe, predictable life she has always wanted. Growing up with her flighty, nomadic mother, Marigold, has instilled in her a deep longing for stability. But in spite of everything Justine has achieved, there is still something missing. Love. And after years of waiting and dreaming, she is willing to do whatever it takes to change her destiny.
What Justine soon discovers is that someone cast a spell on her when she was born, with the result that she will never find her soul mate. Determined to change her fate, Justine finds a way to break the enchantment, never dreaming of the dangerous complications that will follow.
And when Justine meets the mysterious Jason Black, she accidentally unleashes a storm of desire and danger that threaten everything she holds dear . . . because Jason has secrets of his own, and he wants more from her than fate will ever allow.
316 pages, Paperback
First published February 5, 2013
343 people are currently reading
7018 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Kleypas
121 books31.4k followersLISA KLEYPAS is the RITA award-winning author of 21 novels. Her books are published in fourteen languages and are bestsellers all over the world. She lives in Washington State with her husband and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,208 reviews
January 7, 2015
Lisa Kleypas has a special place at the top of my list of favourite authors. I love, love her historicals but I understand her reasons for wanting to extend herself as an author by writing contemporary novels. The
Travis
series is one of my favourites and I have enjoyed the first three books in the
Friday Harbor
series. So I was looking forward to Justine’s story but Crystal Cove was so disappointing.
What didn’t work for me ~
There was so much emphasis on the witchcraft that, at times, it seemed more like a paranormal book with romantic elements. It didn’t even feel like part of the Friday Harbor series. Apart from a very brief appearance by Zoë and Alex, none of the other characters from the previous books made an appearance. I missed those delightful and often funny family moments.
There was no slow build up of the relationship between Justine and Jason and I never felt that all important chemistry - that spark - between them. It seemed very superficial and more about lust at first sight than love at first sight.
“Because love is there not just in the big romantic moments, but in all the little things. The way he touches your face, or covers you with a blanket when you’re taking a nap, or puts a Post-it note on the fridge to remind you about your dentist appointment. I think those things glue a relationship together even more than all the great sex.”
Zoë sums up my feelings perfectly. I missed those little gestures that speak volumes about the hero. You know the ones I mean - Derek Craven stealing Sara’s spare pair of glasses and keeping it in his breast pocket, next to his heart; St Vincent bringing the warming brick on the coach for Evie’s cold feet; Jack Travis changing a diaper; Alex Nolan’s endearing habit of leaving Post-It notes everywhere. These guys know how to steal a woman’s heart!
Unfortunately, Jason didn’t grab my heart. He was too controlling, aggressive and manipulative. There was no give and take as far as he was concerned. Everything had to be done his way. So what happened to the impulsive and outspoken Justine of the previous books? She simply caved into his domineering ways.
Yes, there’s plenty of steamy sex in this book but I found the ‘truss me up like a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store deli’ scene was a complete turn off. It didn’t fit in with the tone of the story and it was so unromantic.
What worked for me ~
As always, I cannot fault Ms Kleypas’s evocative and multi-textured writing:
As Justine unwrapped the linen, a wonderful perfume rippled upward, honey-sweet, greeny-herbal, lavender-musty, candle-waxy. The cloth, with its frayed selvage and ancient fingerprint smudges, fell away to reveal a leather-bound book with ragged deckle-edged pages. The leather binding gleamed like the skin of black plums and cherries.
Her lovely touches of humour are there too:
“A wonderful-looking man, isn’t he?” Sage asked of no one in particular. “And so well endowed.”
“Sage,” Justine protested.
“I was not referring to the fruit of his loom, dear. I meant endowed with looks and intelligence. Although …” Sage proceeded to lengthen the crotch of the pants. She held them up and asked Justine, “What do you think? Have I allowed enough room in the rise?”
“I think you’re a little too interested in what he’s packing.”
The writing and humour did increase my rating by half a star.
Perhaps I’m just getting nostalgic in my old age longing for those heart-melting stories that leave a big smile on my face and those sigh-worthy heroes like Westcliff, McKenna and St Vincent!
VERDICT: DISAPPOINTING!
RATING: ★★★½
This review has also been posted on my blog:
http://rakesandrascals.wordpress.com/...
What didn’t work for me ~
There was so much emphasis on the witchcraft that, at times, it seemed more like a paranormal book with romantic elements. It didn’t even feel like part of the Friday Harbor series. Apart from a very brief appearance by Zoë and Alex, none of the other characters from the previous books made an appearance. I missed those delightful and often funny family moments.
There was no slow build up of the relationship between Justine and Jason and I never felt that all important chemistry - that spark - between them. It seemed very superficial and more about lust at first sight than love at first sight.
“Because love is there not just in the big romantic moments, but in all the little things. The way he touches your face, or covers you with a blanket when you’re taking a nap, or puts a Post-it note on the fridge to remind you about your dentist appointment. I think those things glue a relationship together even more than all the great sex.”
Zoë sums up my feelings perfectly. I missed those little gestures that speak volumes about the hero. You know the ones I mean - Derek Craven stealing Sara’s spare pair of glasses and keeping it in his breast pocket, next to his heart; St Vincent bringing the warming brick on the coach for Evie’s cold feet; Jack Travis changing a diaper; Alex Nolan’s endearing habit of leaving Post-It notes everywhere. These guys know how to steal a woman’s heart!
Unfortunately, Jason didn’t grab my heart. He was too controlling, aggressive and manipulative. There was no give and take as far as he was concerned. Everything had to be done his way. So what happened to the impulsive and outspoken Justine of the previous books? She simply caved into his domineering ways.
Yes, there’s plenty of steamy sex in this book but I found the ‘truss me up like a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store deli’ scene was a complete turn off. It didn’t fit in with the tone of the story and it was so unromantic.
What worked for me ~
As always, I cannot fault Ms Kleypas’s evocative and multi-textured writing:
As Justine unwrapped the linen, a wonderful perfume rippled upward, honey-sweet, greeny-herbal, lavender-musty, candle-waxy. The cloth, with its frayed selvage and ancient fingerprint smudges, fell away to reveal a leather-bound book with ragged deckle-edged pages. The leather binding gleamed like the skin of black plums and cherries.
Her lovely touches of humour are there too:
“A wonderful-looking man, isn’t he?” Sage asked of no one in particular. “And so well endowed.”
“Sage,” Justine protested.
“I was not referring to the fruit of his loom, dear. I meant endowed with looks and intelligence. Although …” Sage proceeded to lengthen the crotch of the pants. She held them up and asked Justine, “What do you think? Have I allowed enough room in the rise?”
“I think you’re a little too interested in what he’s packing.”
The writing and humour did increase my rating by half a star.
Perhaps I’m just getting nostalgic in my old age longing for those heart-melting stories that leave a big smile on my face and those sigh-worthy heroes like Westcliff, McKenna and St Vincent!
VERDICT: DISAPPOINTING!
RATING: ★★★½
This review has also been posted on my blog:
http://rakesandrascals.wordpress.com/...
February 21, 2013
The fantasy elements in this series have gotten more blatant with each book, from the delicate suggestion of magic in the first to actual witches performing actual spells in this, the fourth. I had no major issues with it in the previous books, but I felt that Kleypas bit off more than she could chew in this one. The fantasy and reality mix just didn't gel.
I was also disappointed with the hero, who starts off mysterious and intriguing and then quickly morphs into every other hopelessly in love, uber-protective hero ever. And I never saw what was so wonderful about Justine that would inspire such intense devotion.
Two stars because it was readable and had some good moments, but I'm tempted to go for one because I honestly didn't like it.
I was also disappointed with the hero, who starts off mysterious and intriguing and then quickly morphs into every other hopelessly in love, uber-protective hero ever. And I never saw what was so wonderful about Justine that would inspire such intense devotion.
Two stars because it was readable and had some good moments, but I'm tempted to go for one because I honestly didn't like it.
January 10, 2024
A re-listen - dropped to 3. For 2024, I am going to try NOT to re-read books.
Let's see how long that lasts ...
*******************************************
ORIGINAL REVIEW (was four stars)
An enjoyable read, even if there was a bit too much "magic" in it (not a huge fan of books like that). Saying that, I liked Justine and Jason. A visual review tonight ...
Let's see how long that lasts ...
*******************************************
ORIGINAL REVIEW (was four stars)
An enjoyable read, even if there was a bit too much "magic" in it (not a huge fan of books like that). Saying that, I liked Justine and Jason. A visual review tonight ...
February 18, 2015
I NEED HELP.
I'm done with these series. For real. I LOVED the first book, so sweet and romantic. I loved the hot, sexy scenes and the way the characters connected.
This?
Instalove/Instalust.
Jason was a controlling, self-absorbed, super rich ass and I couldn't stand him. There was some BDSM elements in the story, elements I'm not familiar with, elements I wasn't looking for in a sweet family story.
Friday Harbor series started as a romantic book for the holidays and ended up as a Paranormal series. I've heard Kleypas is a goddess in Woman Fiction but I'm sorry to say the paranormal elements didn't feel right.
This should teach me, enough is enough.
February 7, 2013
2 1/2 stars
This review is a painful one to write. I love this author and will ALWAYS love this author. She has penned some of my very favorite books: Dreaming of You, Smooth Talking Stranger, Again the Magic, Devil in Winter, and the entire Hathaway series. These are books that have become comfort reads. They have helped me through difficult personal times, and are books that continue to beckon me for re-reads time and time again. For this I will always be grateful.
With all that being said, Crystal Cove was a very difficult book for me to read and the first L.K. book that I have no desire to ever read again. Please understand that this is just my opinion and my own personal feeling after reading this book. I know many others will love this book and be excited with the new avenues that Lisa is exploring.
Crystal Cove's plot centers around pagan religion. Witchcraft, Wiccan beliefs, spells, and magic ect. I am usually able to read and enjoy paranormal books because I am whisked away to another world (a fictional world.) Pagan religion is real, practiced today, and is something that goes against my own personal spiritual beliefs. Because of this, I never felt at ease while reading this book.
I absolutely loved the character of Jason Black. He alone gets all the stars that I gave this book. He was a traditional Lisa Kleypas hero in that I fell in love with him almost immediately. The lines he has in this book that made my heart clench and my stomach flutter are too many to count. He was simply amazing and yet his character was written without a soul...literally. Again, my belief is that we all have souls. I just couldn't reconcile this.....
Crystal Cove is the most sensual and sexual of all the Friday Harbor books and Lisa Kleypas explores bondage in this book. I didn't have a problem with this part of the book...in fact I loved the sexual heat of Crystal Cove! However, it's another indicator that Lisa is exploring new doors and challenging her writing, which are both great things. I simply wasn't prepared for this, and it's something completely new for her writing and her readers!
This book explores the idea of "soul mates" and Justine and Jason fall in love almost instantly. This was a contradiction to the man who was initially introduced to us as reclusive, private, and mysterious. Jason met Justine and became an "open book" emotionally, physically, and spiritually. I would've liked to see more of a gradual awakening between them.
This book was definitely not for me. Again, I realize this is a personal preference and a personal belief system that influenced my feelings on this book. Many will love this book and appreciate it. For me, I will revisit old favorites and hope that this book was an experiment and not the new face of L.K.'s writing.
This review is a painful one to write. I love this author and will ALWAYS love this author. She has penned some of my very favorite books: Dreaming of You, Smooth Talking Stranger, Again the Magic, Devil in Winter, and the entire Hathaway series. These are books that have become comfort reads. They have helped me through difficult personal times, and are books that continue to beckon me for re-reads time and time again. For this I will always be grateful.
With all that being said, Crystal Cove was a very difficult book for me to read and the first L.K. book that I have no desire to ever read again. Please understand that this is just my opinion and my own personal feeling after reading this book. I know many others will love this book and be excited with the new avenues that Lisa is exploring.
Crystal Cove's plot centers around pagan religion. Witchcraft, Wiccan beliefs, spells, and magic ect. I am usually able to read and enjoy paranormal books because I am whisked away to another world (a fictional world.) Pagan religion is real, practiced today, and is something that goes against my own personal spiritual beliefs. Because of this, I never felt at ease while reading this book.
I absolutely loved the character of Jason Black. He alone gets all the stars that I gave this book. He was a traditional Lisa Kleypas hero in that I fell in love with him almost immediately. The lines he has in this book that made my heart clench and my stomach flutter are too many to count. He was simply amazing and yet his character was written without a soul...literally. Again, my belief is that we all have souls. I just couldn't reconcile this.....
Crystal Cove is the most sensual and sexual of all the Friday Harbor books and Lisa Kleypas explores bondage in this book. I didn't have a problem with this part of the book...in fact I loved the sexual heat of Crystal Cove! However, it's another indicator that Lisa is exploring new doors and challenging her writing, which are both great things. I simply wasn't prepared for this, and it's something completely new for her writing and her readers!
This book explores the idea of "soul mates" and Justine and Jason fall in love almost instantly. This was a contradiction to the man who was initially introduced to us as reclusive, private, and mysterious. Jason met Justine and became an "open book" emotionally, physically, and spiritually. I would've liked to see more of a gradual awakening between them.
This book was definitely not for me. Again, I realize this is a personal preference and a personal belief system that influenced my feelings on this book. Many will love this book and appreciate it. For me, I will revisit old favorites and hope that this book was an experiment and not the new face of L.K.'s writing.
May 16, 2020
3 STARS
This wasn't at all what I was expecting. In fact, I am slightly miffed that the series took this giant plunge off the deep end. With that said, I can't say I wasn't entertained.
I've been looking forward to Justine's story. I've liked her character from the beginning of the series. But I think our lovely author may have been indulging in too many of Jason's shots of Stoli when she sat down to write it.
It's not that I don't enjoy a good dip into the paranormal now and again. And I have even enjoyed the touch of magic added to the other books in the series. . I know I mentioned this same issue in my previous review.
The other issue I had was Jason. I just don't think I ever warmed up to this guy. He was a self-centered condescending prig in the beginning, and then seemed to fall instantly in love with Justine. I just didn't buy it. And more than that, I just don't think I could ever trust him. Too many lies and deceptions. Always to get what he wants. . No forgive and forget... at least not without a LOT of groveling.
Anyway, he did save her life ...more than once, so in the end, I too, caved. I would have liked to have had a little more involvement from the other characters. It started off on that path, and then... the vodka shots blurred the rest of the plot into oblivion.
It was an entertaining book, but not at all what I was I expecting, or hoping for. Lisa, I love you, you know that, I love your books, but, in the future, lay off the vodka.
“No one can tell you what your path is . . . but someday you'll discover it. . . and it won't be at all what you expected.”
This wasn't at all what I was expecting. In fact, I am slightly miffed that the series took this giant plunge off the deep end. With that said, I can't say I wasn't entertained.
I've been looking forward to Justine's story. I've liked her character from the beginning of the series. But I think our lovely author may have been indulging in too many of Jason's shots of Stoli when she sat down to write it.
It's not that I don't enjoy a good dip into the paranormal now and again. And I have even enjoyed the touch of magic added to the other books in the series. . I know I mentioned this same issue in my previous review.
The other issue I had was Jason. I just don't think I ever warmed up to this guy. He was a self-centered condescending prig in the beginning, and then seemed to fall instantly in love with Justine. I just didn't buy it. And more than that, I just don't think I could ever trust him. Too many lies and deceptions. Always to get what he wants. . No forgive and forget... at least not without a LOT of groveling.
Anyway, he did save her life ...more than once, so in the end, I too, caved. I would have liked to have had a little more involvement from the other characters. It started off on that path, and then... the vodka shots blurred the rest of the plot into oblivion.
It was an entertaining book, but not at all what I was I expecting, or hoping for. Lisa, I love you, you know that, I love your books, but, in the future, lay off the vodka.
February 4, 2013
I'll tell you a little secret. This is my first Lisa Kleypas book. I generally don't read contemporary romance, but the description on this felt a little PNR-ish and I have long heard positive things about this author. So I figured this was a great opportunity to give her a try.
Take a look at the blurb. Frankly, she had me at "Man-Without-A-Soul." Unfortunately, when I actually started reading, I was sorely disappointed. I think the description of the story is accurate, but let me tell you about some of the things it leaves out.
This is not PNR. Maybe everyone else already familiar with Lisa Kleypas knew that. This is a contemporary romance with paranormal elements. That may sound nitpicky, but for lack of a better explanation, the two genres have a very different feel. And I'm not sure who the audience is supposed to be. Readers looking for PNR are going to unsatisfied, and I am not sure that anyone looking for a contemporary will love the magic woven in. It's an uncomfortable blend.
The hero is a conceited, self-absorbed ass. He is heavy handed. He lies to Justine. He makes choices that satisfy his own needs, and she is expected to just get over it and accept it. Then... she does... which goes on to frustrate me even more. Yeah, he tried to make a noble sacrifice at the end, but it was still to get what he wanted, which --by then-- was Justine.
There are BDSM elements in the story, which both surprised and perturbed me. I don't like BDSM and actively avoid it. I am a strong believer that if it's part of a book, the blurb or cover art or SOMETHING needs to tip me off that it's in there. Folks on Twitter and Goodreads asked me if I was sure Kleypas was writing BDSM. I'll tell you what I told them... he trusses her up in a hemp rope like a turkey at Thanksgiving, and went at her while she couldn't move. --Yes, definitely bondage, and in the other scenes, he's still clearly dominating. Let's look at the cover and read the blurb again. Did I miss something??
There was absolutely no reason to believe that these two are in love. Jason goes from wanting Justine for her magic to being in love with her instantly. There was no basis for it and they were proclaiming their love within just a few days.
I just couldn't invest in the romance. I didn't like the hero. And I didn't enjoy the sex. Not a winner for me.
Rating: D+
*ARC Provided by St. Martin's
Take a look at the blurb. Frankly, she had me at "Man-Without-A-Soul." Unfortunately, when I actually started reading, I was sorely disappointed. I think the description of the story is accurate, but let me tell you about some of the things it leaves out.
This is not PNR. Maybe everyone else already familiar with Lisa Kleypas knew that. This is a contemporary romance with paranormal elements. That may sound nitpicky, but for lack of a better explanation, the two genres have a very different feel. And I'm not sure who the audience is supposed to be. Readers looking for PNR are going to unsatisfied, and I am not sure that anyone looking for a contemporary will love the magic woven in. It's an uncomfortable blend.
The hero is a conceited, self-absorbed ass. He is heavy handed. He lies to Justine. He makes choices that satisfy his own needs, and she is expected to just get over it and accept it. Then... she does... which goes on to frustrate me even more. Yeah, he tried to make a noble sacrifice at the end, but it was still to get what he wanted, which --by then-- was Justine.
There are BDSM elements in the story, which both surprised and perturbed me. I don't like BDSM and actively avoid it. I am a strong believer that if it's part of a book, the blurb or cover art or SOMETHING needs to tip me off that it's in there. Folks on Twitter and Goodreads asked me if I was sure Kleypas was writing BDSM. I'll tell you what I told them... he trusses her up in a hemp rope like a turkey at Thanksgiving, and went at her while she couldn't move. --Yes, definitely bondage, and in the other scenes, he's still clearly dominating. Let's look at the cover and read the blurb again. Did I miss something??
There was absolutely no reason to believe that these two are in love. Jason goes from wanting Justine for her magic to being in love with her instantly. There was no basis for it and they were proclaiming their love within just a few days.
I just couldn't invest in the romance. I didn't like the hero. And I didn't enjoy the sex. Not a winner for me.
Rating: D+
*ARC Provided by St. Martin's
February 7, 2013
Images of Friday Harbor, Washington.
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★★★★☆ (This is a review of the audiobook.) Oh! I’m so relieved. I read a couple of negative and hesitant reviews (although not about the audiobook) of the latest release in Lisa Kleypas’ Friday Harbor series, Crystal Cove. Let me reassure you; I loved this one also.
Tanya Eby returns to narrating this enchanting series and does a nice job. I realize most women can’t do the sexy baritone I hear in my head for all my heroes; nevertheless, there was something I just did not particularly like about her delivery for gaming millionaire Jason Black. It was as if she was pushing the sound too far back in her throat, making it come out almost “doofus-like,” if that makes sense.
I also think, now that my fears are alleviated, I’d enjoy this one much more on a second listen. I did really like Ms. Eby’s voice for the hexed Justine Hoffman, the lovely proprietor of an inn in Friday Harbor, so kudos to her. I kind of shrugged off the southern accents for some of the characters; I thought TB made them sound a bit too ignorant, but I tolerated them.
This one wasn’t my favorite in this wonderful series; however, I did enjoy it. Justine finds out there was a spell cast on her, so that none of her romantic relationships work out. While not as adorable as her partner, Zoe, she is no less deserving of love. Jason is an intriguing male, but he didn’t hold the devastating allure and power that Ms. Kleypas usually provides in her males. There are certainly more than a few scenes in this book that made me smile, and the BDSM scenario that I worried so much about was fine.
This one is more Paranormal Romance than Magical Realism that the previous books in the Friday Harbor series fall into; however, it was light, not heavy-handed, and flowed easily. It was nice to see Ms. Kleypas stretch her writing prowess into this area. I did have one or two little quibbles with plot points, but nothing major. Still, as I said, I should probable read it again to see if I feel differently about it, now that I know all is alright with Mr. Black’s kinky preferences in my version of Romancelandia.
By the Way: There is an Abridged version, that is only 5 hours and 42 minutes instead of the Unabridged version at 8 hours and 52 minutes, which is the one I heard.
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★★★★☆ (This is a review of the audiobook.) Oh! I’m so relieved. I read a couple of negative and hesitant reviews (although not about the audiobook) of the latest release in Lisa Kleypas’ Friday Harbor series, Crystal Cove. Let me reassure you; I loved this one also.
Tanya Eby returns to narrating this enchanting series and does a nice job. I realize most women can’t do the sexy baritone I hear in my head for all my heroes; nevertheless, there was something I just did not particularly like about her delivery for gaming millionaire Jason Black. It was as if she was pushing the sound too far back in her throat, making it come out almost “doofus-like,” if that makes sense.
I also think, now that my fears are alleviated, I’d enjoy this one much more on a second listen. I did really like Ms. Eby’s voice for the hexed Justine Hoffman, the lovely proprietor of an inn in Friday Harbor, so kudos to her. I kind of shrugged off the southern accents for some of the characters; I thought TB made them sound a bit too ignorant, but I tolerated them.
This one wasn’t my favorite in this wonderful series; however, I did enjoy it. Justine finds out there was a spell cast on her, so that none of her romantic relationships work out. While not as adorable as her partner, Zoe, she is no less deserving of love. Jason is an intriguing male, but he didn’t hold the devastating allure and power that Ms. Kleypas usually provides in her males. There are certainly more than a few scenes in this book that made me smile, and the BDSM scenario that I worried so much about was fine.
This one is more Paranormal Romance than Magical Realism that the previous books in the Friday Harbor series fall into; however, it was light, not heavy-handed, and flowed easily. It was nice to see Ms. Kleypas stretch her writing prowess into this area. I did have one or two little quibbles with plot points, but nothing major. Still, as I said, I should probable read it again to see if I feel differently about it, now that I know all is alright with Mr. Black’s kinky preferences in my version of Romancelandia.
By the Way: There is an Abridged version, that is only 5 hours and 42 minutes instead of the Unabridged version at 8 hours and 52 minutes, which is the one I heard.
December 2, 2014
Check out this review and others at badassbookreviews.com
Lisa Kleypas has been one of my favorite authors for a long, long time. I don’t think she walks on air and I’ve certainly not loved everything she’s written but I can’t remember the last time I was so disappointed by one of her books. While reading Crystal Cove, I was in disbelief that a writer known for her romantic love stories and great character/plot development would write a book with an insta-love trope and plot holes the size of tanks. I ended up rating it 3 stars (barely) because the denouement was surprising, even if it was a tad convenient.
At the beginning of Crystal Cove, Justine finds out she’s been cursed against heartbreak and as such, she can’t fall in love. As a natural born witch, she decides to break the curse, even though she hasn’t had any training and has been warned not to even look at a particular spell in the book she owns. (Because warning people not do something is a sure-fire way to make sure they don’t do it.)
Jason shows up in Friday Harbor with the apparent purpose to close a business deal. However, he has other (nefarious) plans in mind, involving Justine. She has something he wants and he will stop at nothing to get it.
After Justine breaks the curse, they both feel this pull that tells them that they are meant for each other, forever and ever. Even though Jason came up as sort of creepy and manipulative in their first two encounters, Justine is quickly bedazzled by who knows what. But they find out that breaking the curse has terrible consequences for them both – this is of course, ANOTHER curse, called the witch’s bane.
The witch’s bane makes absolutely no sense. Natural Selection tells us that anything that makes a species difficult to reproduce will result in extinction so I didn’t get why there were so many witches around. Also, it seems this curse doesn’t apply to same sex couples. (A man hating curse!) The witches make a show of being close to nature so it was unbelievable that a precept of their covenant perverted the cycle of creation.
The whole witchcraft angle was really weird. They didn’t seem to be any purpose to them besides doing parlor tricks. All their supposed power demanded a price but they really didn’t do anything of importance. All they did was talk pagan and eat organic. What’s the point of being a witch if that’s all they did!
I had so many other issues with Crystal Cove. Jason’s problem, which was super convoluted and strange; how Justine seemed to know next to nothing about witchcraft even though she grew up with a witch for a mother; why she owned such a powerful book of spells when she wasn’t a practicing witch, how said book was supposedly tied to the owner but how other witches were able to use it; how Justine’s estranged mother makes only one appearance to conveniently play the villain. I could go and on.
One of the few intriguing parts of the book was Jason’s Japanese ancestry. This was the one thing about him that seemed real because it permeated different aspects of his personality. Otherwise, I really didn’t care for the caricature of the brilliant but recluse billionaire.
If this series continues with the witches’ angle, I’ll stop reading it. Not because I have anything against witches or magic (I read pretty much everything) but because the premise is just too flawed in my eyes. Books I read need to make sense in some level, and when they don’t, I just have to let them go.
Lisa Kleypas has been one of my favorite authors for a long, long time. I don’t think she walks on air and I’ve certainly not loved everything she’s written but I can’t remember the last time I was so disappointed by one of her books. While reading Crystal Cove, I was in disbelief that a writer known for her romantic love stories and great character/plot development would write a book with an insta-love trope and plot holes the size of tanks. I ended up rating it 3 stars (barely) because the denouement was surprising, even if it was a tad convenient.
At the beginning of Crystal Cove, Justine finds out she’s been cursed against heartbreak and as such, she can’t fall in love. As a natural born witch, she decides to break the curse, even though she hasn’t had any training and has been warned not to even look at a particular spell in the book she owns. (Because warning people not do something is a sure-fire way to make sure they don’t do it.)
Jason shows up in Friday Harbor with the apparent purpose to close a business deal. However, he has other (nefarious) plans in mind, involving Justine. She has something he wants and he will stop at nothing to get it.
After Justine breaks the curse, they both feel this pull that tells them that they are meant for each other, forever and ever. Even though Jason came up as sort of creepy and manipulative in their first two encounters, Justine is quickly bedazzled by who knows what. But they find out that breaking the curse has terrible consequences for them both – this is of course, ANOTHER curse, called the witch’s bane.
The witch’s bane makes absolutely no sense. Natural Selection tells us that anything that makes a species difficult to reproduce will result in extinction so I didn’t get why there were so many witches around. Also, it seems this curse doesn’t apply to same sex couples. (A man hating curse!) The witches make a show of being close to nature so it was unbelievable that a precept of their covenant perverted the cycle of creation.
The whole witchcraft angle was really weird. They didn’t seem to be any purpose to them besides doing parlor tricks. All their supposed power demanded a price but they really didn’t do anything of importance. All they did was talk pagan and eat organic. What’s the point of being a witch if that’s all they did!
I had so many other issues with Crystal Cove. Jason’s problem, which was super convoluted and strange; how Justine seemed to know next to nothing about witchcraft even though she grew up with a witch for a mother; why she owned such a powerful book of spells when she wasn’t a practicing witch, how said book was supposedly tied to the owner but how other witches were able to use it; how Justine’s estranged mother makes only one appearance to conveniently play the villain. I could go and on.
One of the few intriguing parts of the book was Jason’s Japanese ancestry. This was the one thing about him that seemed real because it permeated different aspects of his personality. Otherwise, I really didn’t care for the caricature of the brilliant but recluse billionaire.
If this series continues with the witches’ angle, I’ll stop reading it. Not because I have anything against witches or magic (I read pretty much everything) but because the premise is just too flawed in my eyes. Books I read need to make sense in some level, and when they don’t, I just have to let them go.
September 2, 2017
Esta historia es bastante diferente al resto de las historias de la serie, y en mi opinión, prescindible.
Me gustó, pero no logró emocionarme como las anteriores.
Me gustó, pero no logró emocionarme como las anteriores.
May 17, 2018
2-1/2 stars, rounded up
This book was a little weird. And a little awkward, bordering on clumsy. It set high ambitions for itself, but couldn’t quite achieve any of them. It wasn’t a bad book (I did read the whole thing), but neither was it very good, or very satisfactory.
This was published in 2013, and seems to be a sort of response to Fifty Shades of Grey via a re-visioning of the paranormal elements from FSoG’s original inspiration, Twilight. Justine is mousy and quiet like Bella and Ana, and doesn’t have much personality. Designated Love Object Jason Black is super-rich, aloof and distant, and cold. He’s also domineering, unable to respect boundaries, and “used to getting his way” as so many romance novel blurbs state about the hero. Oh, and surprise surprise, he’s into some light bondage and Dom/sub sex play. (But it’s really high-class, arty bondage and D/s, because he learned it all in Japan.) And he just happens not to have a soul.
The question the book tries to tackle is one Justine asks an honorary aunt/member of the local coven after she discovers that the coven participated in placing a spell on her at the request of her estranged mother: “Don’t you understand the difference between love and control?” But despite lots of writhing and contortions, I don’t think this issue is ever truly confronted and answered, at least not between Justine and Jason. Jason seems just as controlling at the end of the book as at the beginning, although the story makes a game attempt to make his intentions seem to be to behave differently in the future. Justine is only marginally less passive by the end of the story. And seeing how Justine has a perfectly awful mother with no redeeming qualities, and Jason has a matching father, I really hope these two are heading for some serious couples counseling and individual therapy before they have children.
On top of the weakness in failing to answer its own question, the supernatural elements in this story also never quite meshed for me. It’s not explored much, and there are some major loose ends (a storm comes up that’s implied to be unnatural, but which is then never addressed again, for instance). The magical story-line mostly concentrates on the idea that there are “natural-born,” familial witches, all female, with powers passed from generation to generation. But the magic didn’t seem to be particularly useful or meaningful in real life: it was never clear what these witches do with their talents, other than dress like Stevie Nicks and hold meetings at the phases of the moon (and occasionally save small children from choking, but this is another element that just gets dropped). It’s also an outright curse, in that no man who falls in love with any of these women can live out his natural lifespan: he will die within three years. (Two witches get around this by falling in love with each other; no shortened life for anyone in that case!) So of course Justine doesn’t want this to happen to Jason, but how can she prevent it, when they’re falling for each other hard and fast? And therein lie the stakes of the plot, which did actually engage me enough that I wanted to know how it would all get solved. (And I liked the ultimate ending as far as this part of the story went.)
My biggest complaint about this book is how dreary and grim most of it felt. There’s no chemistry between Justine and Jason, no charming moments, no flirting, no cuteness; but only dread and resistance. I’m not sure the sun ever shines on this stretch of coastline. The atmosphere felt chilly, damp, and dank. It really needed some fun moments, or at least more of a sense of humor, to break up this bleak mood. (Hmm, maybe it was also trying to be Wuthering Heights?)
The weird thing is, after I’ve said all this and sounded so down on this book -- I think it would make an awesome made-for-TV movie! A movie could play up the magic and the magical stakes, could cast a couple who share the chemistry that’s so lacking on the page, and could add some snappy dialog and flirting (and film in some sunshine!). I can see this as being really enjoyable and far more convincing on the screen than it is as just words.
I’m going to try the Wallflowers series as my next Lisa Kleypas, since all my friends seem to have loved those, but I may be done with her contemporary novels.
Justine Hoffman is successful on the surface of her life: she owns an inn on the Pacific Coast, and is healthy and materially comfortable. But everyone around her seems to be finding their soulmates, while she’s alone, and lonely, longing for her own true love. Sure she’s had boyfriends, but they never stick around--they always get scared and run away. Because Justine isn’t just a businesswoman. She’s also a natural-born witch, with powers she can’t always control.This review contains mild spoilers.
This book was a little weird. And a little awkward, bordering on clumsy. It set high ambitions for itself, but couldn’t quite achieve any of them. It wasn’t a bad book (I did read the whole thing), but neither was it very good, or very satisfactory.
This was published in 2013, and seems to be a sort of response to Fifty Shades of Grey via a re-visioning of the paranormal elements from FSoG’s original inspiration, Twilight. Justine is mousy and quiet like Bella and Ana, and doesn’t have much personality. Designated Love Object Jason Black is super-rich, aloof and distant, and cold. He’s also domineering, unable to respect boundaries, and “used to getting his way” as so many romance novel blurbs state about the hero. Oh, and surprise surprise, he’s into some light bondage and Dom/sub sex play. (But it’s really high-class, arty bondage and D/s, because he learned it all in Japan.) And he just happens not to have a soul.
The question the book tries to tackle is one Justine asks an honorary aunt/member of the local coven after she discovers that the coven participated in placing a spell on her at the request of her estranged mother: “Don’t you understand the difference between love and control?” But despite lots of writhing and contortions, I don’t think this issue is ever truly confronted and answered, at least not between Justine and Jason. Jason seems just as controlling at the end of the book as at the beginning, although the story makes a game attempt to make his intentions seem to be to behave differently in the future. Justine is only marginally less passive by the end of the story. And seeing how Justine has a perfectly awful mother with no redeeming qualities, and Jason has a matching father, I really hope these two are heading for some serious couples counseling and individual therapy before they have children.
On top of the weakness in failing to answer its own question, the supernatural elements in this story also never quite meshed for me. It’s not explored much, and there are some major loose ends (a storm comes up that’s implied to be unnatural, but which is then never addressed again, for instance). The magical story-line mostly concentrates on the idea that there are “natural-born,” familial witches, all female, with powers passed from generation to generation. But the magic didn’t seem to be particularly useful or meaningful in real life: it was never clear what these witches do with their talents, other than dress like Stevie Nicks and hold meetings at the phases of the moon (and occasionally save small children from choking, but this is another element that just gets dropped). It’s also an outright curse, in that no man who falls in love with any of these women can live out his natural lifespan: he will die within three years. (Two witches get around this by falling in love with each other; no shortened life for anyone in that case!) So of course Justine doesn’t want this to happen to Jason, but how can she prevent it, when they’re falling for each other hard and fast? And therein lie the stakes of the plot, which did actually engage me enough that I wanted to know how it would all get solved. (And I liked the ultimate ending as far as this part of the story went.)
My biggest complaint about this book is how dreary and grim most of it felt. There’s no chemistry between Justine and Jason, no charming moments, no flirting, no cuteness; but only dread and resistance. I’m not sure the sun ever shines on this stretch of coastline. The atmosphere felt chilly, damp, and dank. It really needed some fun moments, or at least more of a sense of humor, to break up this bleak mood. (Hmm, maybe it was also trying to be Wuthering Heights?)
The weird thing is, after I’ve said all this and sounded so down on this book -- I think it would make an awesome made-for-TV movie! A movie could play up the magic and the magical stakes, could cast a couple who share the chemistry that’s so lacking on the page, and could add some snappy dialog and flirting (and film in some sunshine!). I can see this as being really enjoyable and far more convincing on the screen than it is as just words.
I’m going to try the Wallflowers series as my next Lisa Kleypas, since all my friends seem to have loved those, but I may be done with her contemporary novels.
February 22, 2013
**Note: my views on this book are my own and not directed toward any one person(s), event or lifestyle. If you have a problem with that, feel free to unfriend.
I have a motto about most things in life: go big or go home. LK certainly went big in this one. She should have gone home. I can honestly say this is the first time I've ever considered not finishing a story of hers, and I wish I had gone with my gut and not finished it at all.
The synopsis, for once, is fairly dead on, so I won't rehash that. It's the story and characters that ruined it for me.
Justine is a natural born witch. I should have stopped right there. I don't subscribe to anything about witches be they natural born, white, black, evil, good, don't wanna be witches....whatever. Even before I became a Christian (and before you accuse me of anything - I do read paranormal and erotica - I just don't do witches or demons) I had no use for them or desire to read anything about them. Barring that, Justine is the worst kind of character (besides being a witch) - she's careless and at one point, even dangerous - because she can't find the time to be thorough. She's not interested in being what she is, but when it suits her, she forges ahead with all the finesse of a bull in a china shop and could have seriously hurt Jason. She's also judgmental. She dislikes Priscilla for "meddling" when in fact all she was doing was helping her boss. I realize that's a judgment call, but one Priscilla needed to make, not Justine. I think Priscilla had Jason's best interests in mind. She's also just stupid. I won't beat a dead horse any further.
Jason. At first I didn't really care for him and disliked him. He seemed dark and morose. Kind of like Christian Bale in the Batman character. When his reasoning was revealed, I could understand why, but really? No soul? That's the best you could come up with LK? At least make it something believable! Jason sort of grew on me and by the end of the book I liked him, even if LK did morph his personality into something that didn't fit him. Pre-Justine = kind of liked. Post-Justine = eye roller.
Justine's two lady friends on the island (sorry I've forgotten their names). Is there a reason why they had to be lesbians? Could they not just be longtime friends? Sisters? That's not a judgement call against lesbians - simply that it wasn't necessary to the story.
Justine's mother. At one point she is described as being a Stevie Nicks inspired character, with long hair and flowing skirts and wedge heels. Puhleeze!! That right there made me want to throw my ereader at the wall.
The previous books had some woo-woo in them and that didn't bother me. In fact, I LOVED the last book in the series. But if this is going to be the direction LK takes, I won't be reading any more in this series.
1 star / F
I have a motto about most things in life: go big or go home. LK certainly went big in this one. She should have gone home. I can honestly say this is the first time I've ever considered not finishing a story of hers, and I wish I had gone with my gut and not finished it at all.
The synopsis, for once, is fairly dead on, so I won't rehash that. It's the story and characters that ruined it for me.
Justine is a natural born witch. I should have stopped right there. I don't subscribe to anything about witches be they natural born, white, black, evil, good, don't wanna be witches....whatever. Even before I became a Christian (and before you accuse me of anything - I do read paranormal and erotica - I just don't do witches or demons) I had no use for them or desire to read anything about them. Barring that, Justine is the worst kind of character (besides being a witch) - she's careless and at one point, even dangerous - because she can't find the time to be thorough. She's not interested in being what she is, but when it suits her, she forges ahead with all the finesse of a bull in a china shop and could have seriously hurt Jason. She's also judgmental. She dislikes Priscilla for "meddling" when in fact all she was doing was helping her boss. I realize that's a judgment call, but one Priscilla needed to make, not Justine. I think Priscilla had Jason's best interests in mind. She's also just stupid. I won't beat a dead horse any further.
Jason. At first I didn't really care for him and disliked him. He seemed dark and morose. Kind of like Christian Bale in the Batman character. When his reasoning was revealed, I could understand why, but really? No soul? That's the best you could come up with LK? At least make it something believable! Jason sort of grew on me and by the end of the book I liked him, even if LK did morph his personality into something that didn't fit him. Pre-Justine = kind of liked. Post-Justine = eye roller.
Justine's two lady friends on the island (sorry I've forgotten their names). Is there a reason why they had to be lesbians? Could they not just be longtime friends? Sisters? That's not a judgement call against lesbians - simply that it wasn't necessary to the story.
Justine's mother. At one point she is described as being a Stevie Nicks inspired character, with long hair and flowing skirts and wedge heels. Puhleeze!! That right there made me want to throw my ereader at the wall.
The previous books had some woo-woo in them and that didn't bother me. In fact, I LOVED the last book in the series. But if this is going to be the direction LK takes, I won't be reading any more in this series.
1 star / F
March 20, 2013
Lisa Kleypas stretches her wings in CRYSTAL COVE, venturing farther than she has ever before. Though her signature voice is still very much present, she also delves deeper into the paranormal aspect that has sprinkled this series so far. The paranormal element is played up much more since Justine is a witch and belongs to a coven and her mother has cast a spell on that prevents her from ever falling in love.
Now, Justine and Jason are facing a curse that once uplifted could cause dire consequences and quite possibly end all their lives. Is experiencing true love worth the risk?
Lisa Kleypas shows just how magical true love can be with CRYSTAL COVE, conjuring up a love story that is poignant and touching and greater than magic itself.
Read this review in its entirety at Fresh Fiction
August 4, 2014
Crystal Cove is the fourth book in Lisa Kleypas' Friday Harbor series. Justine Hoffman is the proprietor of of a Bed and Breakfast in Friday Harbor. She is also a reluctant witch. She discovers that someone put a curse on her that she would never fall in love. Jason Black is a man without a soul but that doesn't mean he has no feelings.
A bit strange for me. I liked it but didn't love it. It didn't grabbed me like Lisa Kleypas usually does. It may have something to do with the whole witchcraft scene which I'm not a fan of. We got so see Zoe and Alex from the previous book in the series which was neat. Justine was introduced in the previous book too. I think it will still appeal to Lisa Kleypas fans that don't mind a little bit of witchcraft/paranormal elements.
A bit strange for me. I liked it but didn't love it. It didn't grabbed me like Lisa Kleypas usually does. It may have something to do with the whole witchcraft scene which I'm not a fan of. We got so see Zoe and Alex from the previous book in the series which was neat. Justine was introduced in the previous book too. I think it will still appeal to Lisa Kleypas fans that don't mind a little bit of witchcraft/paranormal elements.
May 7, 2020
I've really enjoyed LK's Friday Harbor series. I thought I would stop after Alex's book but I became fond of Justine and wondered if she would find her happily ever after.
While I did enjoy Crystal Cove and the magical essence of the story there were a couple of points where my mind drifted away because I didn't quite follow all the hocus pocus going on. But in true LK form she brought things full circle in a way that by the end I has a happy girl.
I thought Jason was great. He was so sweet to Justine. And good lord does he know his way around a women's body. :) He was definitely intriguing and sexy to say the least!
August 12, 2015
I love the Friday Harbor series. I love the bit of magic woven into every story that made each of these romances so alive and...magical. Crystal Cove was a little different than the other three novels in the series in that it was more magical, perhaps even paranormal than the others. Justine is a bone fide witch. The hero, Jason, has no soul. There are curses and covens and spells. The story felt different because it was more steeped in the supernatural than the others. The story opens with Justine discovering that a geas or curse has been placed upon so that she'll never find true love. From there this witch who has pretty much rejected her magical background, starts to casts spells to break the curse.
Which she manages, but although she is powerfully attracted to Jason, she's also reluctant to pursue anything with him. He's too different. And I think that she was also afraid because Jason demanded and Justine wasn't used to feeling, or at least feeling what she did with him.
And then came the betrayal. And from then on we find out just how cursed Justine is and how that curse will affect Jason, a man with no soul. And the more each of them tried to protect the other, the more messed up it becomes. And yet, magic saves the day.
I liked that love and magic made it possible for Justine and Jason to be together. But I was a bit taken aback by how it all happened. I'm still not sure what it means. I've given it some thought, and I've come to the conclusion that they were fated to be, soul mates, but in a very different way than we might except as readers. I actually think that their love story was meant to unfold in precisely the way that it did, as if it was written in the stars. They are not your typical soul mates in short--because how could they be when Jason began this story without a soul?
A lovely tale, rich with emotion and elegantly told. Is it magical? Yes, but not exactly as I'd come to expect from the Friday Harbor series. It's eclectic and much more lyrical, flowing with fantasy and romance.
Read more reviews on My Devastating Reads.
Which she manages, but although she is powerfully attracted to Jason, she's also reluctant to pursue anything with him. He's too different. And I think that she was also afraid because Jason demanded and Justine wasn't used to feeling, or at least feeling what she did with him.
And then came the betrayal. And from then on we find out just how cursed Justine is and how that curse will affect Jason, a man with no soul. And the more each of them tried to protect the other, the more messed up it becomes. And yet, magic saves the day.
I liked that love and magic made it possible for Justine and Jason to be together. But I was a bit taken aback by how it all happened. I'm still not sure what it means. I've given it some thought, and I've come to the conclusion that they were fated to be, soul mates, but in a very different way than we might except as readers. I actually think that their love story was meant to unfold in precisely the way that it did, as if it was written in the stars. They are not your typical soul mates in short--because how could they be when Jason began this story without a soul?
A lovely tale, rich with emotion and elegantly told. Is it magical? Yes, but not exactly as I'd come to expect from the Friday Harbor series. It's eclectic and much more lyrical, flowing with fantasy and romance.
Read more reviews on My Devastating Reads.
August 29, 2020
2.5 to 3 stars. Three stars for Ms Kleypas' lovely writing and the banter between the two leads. Two stars for the hokey witchcraft elements and the awkward bdsm moment.
I don't mind reading paranormal romances now and then, but this one felt a bit silly. I'm not really interested in the whole witchcraft thing with spells, kooky ingredients, curses etc. I read the book because I'm generally a Kleypas fan. But....at first it was OK. Then it got really ridiculous when it was revealed that
There was also what felt to me like a completely gratuitous sex scene when the hero tied the heroine up in some fancy knotted silk rope thing. And she liked it. *shudders* I'm guessing it was perhaps a request from the publisher to bow to the FSOG phenomenon? Maybe? The book was released the year after FSOG, so... *shrugs* But that scene did not appeal to me in any way. I quite liked the hero and heroine and their relationship, but that scene was just a waste of page space. Cringeworthy IMO.
Overall, the book just didn't work for me. I'm glad Ms Kleypas has moved away from writing paranormals. I love her historical romances and also the contemporary Travis series. This series? Not so much, and sadly, this final book is the weakest of them all.
I don't mind reading paranormal romances now and then, but this one felt a bit silly. I'm not really interested in the whole witchcraft thing with spells, kooky ingredients, curses etc. I read the book because I'm generally a Kleypas fan. But....at first it was OK. Then it got really ridiculous when it was revealed that
There was also what felt to me like a completely gratuitous sex scene when the hero tied the heroine up in some fancy knotted silk rope thing. And she liked it. *shudders* I'm guessing it was perhaps a request from the publisher to bow to the FSOG phenomenon? Maybe? The book was released the year after FSOG, so... *shrugs* But that scene did not appeal to me in any way. I quite liked the hero and heroine and their relationship, but that scene was just a waste of page space. Cringeworthy IMO.
Overall, the book just didn't work for me. I'm glad Ms Kleypas has moved away from writing paranormals. I love her historical romances and also the contemporary Travis series. This series? Not so much, and sadly, this final book is the weakest of them all.
February 13, 2013
I love Kleypas. She's one of my few auto-buys, and has been since her days writing historicals. I greatly enjoyed her Texas books, so I know she can write contemporary well, but if I wasn't reading these Friday Harbor novels on my Nook I'd throw them across the room.
Crystal Cove is the most maddening entry into the series yet. Everyone, even characters we'd met before and had their own books, came across as bland, flat, and stock. Please don't get me started on Priscilla and her charming Southern fried utterly trite way of speaking. Things that could have been interesting were glossed over, and everything felt sort of rote and half baked and disjointed. The only times that Kleypas seemed back to her old vivid, tightly written self was during the kayak sequence and the sex scenes. At those points everything became vivid, the characters had focus and purpose as opposed to drifting along from point A to B because they were supposed to, and Kleypas seemed to actually be having some fun.
And that's what seems to be missing from all the Friday Harbor books: fun. The entire series reads to me as something she's contractually obligated to get through, and not something she's personally intrigued or entertained by. Kleypas will remain an auto-buy for me going forward, but I'm looking forward to her leaving Friday Harbor.
Crystal Cove is the most maddening entry into the series yet. Everyone, even characters we'd met before and had their own books, came across as bland, flat, and stock. Please don't get me started on Priscilla and her charming Southern fried utterly trite way of speaking. Things that could have been interesting were glossed over, and everything felt sort of rote and half baked and disjointed. The only times that Kleypas seemed back to her old vivid, tightly written self was during the kayak sequence and the sex scenes. At those points everything became vivid, the characters had focus and purpose as opposed to drifting along from point A to B because they were supposed to, and Kleypas seemed to actually be having some fun.
And that's what seems to be missing from all the Friday Harbor books: fun. The entire series reads to me as something she's contractually obligated to get through, and not something she's personally intrigued or entertained by. Kleypas will remain an auto-buy for me going forward, but I'm looking forward to her leaving Friday Harbor.
November 9, 2016
Lo único que me ha gustado de esta novela es el protagonista masculino (y no en todos los aspectos de su personalidad) y las dos mujeres mayores de la isla, amigas de la protagonista. Reconozco que el tema de las brujas no me atrae y, en esta historia, es la base del argumento, lo que mueve a todos los personajes y la raíz del conflicto de pareja. Toda la trama gira en torno a la brujería y la hechicería, por lo que me resulta difícil opinar con objetividad. De todos modos, incluso si intento aislar mis gustos personales, creo que esta novela no merece más de 3 estrellas porque me da la impresión de que a la autora se le ha ido de las manos en varios momentos y me pregunto si ha querido experimentar con un registro diferente en el que se no se siente del todo cómoda. La novela me ha transmitido frialdad (técnicamente es buena, bien estructurada, bien narrada), incluso las escenas eróticas (hay una especialmente descriptiva y un tanto complicada), a diferencia de lo que suele ocurrirme con Kleypas. Así pues, de lo que se ha traducido al castellano de esta saga, me quedo con la 1ª y la 3ª entrega. La 5ª queda por traducir (¿quizá porque no funcionó lo esperado en el mercado?) Solo recomendaría esta novela a las que os guste el tema de la brujería. No es imprescindible como cierre de la saga, ya que los hermanos Nolan ya tienen todos pareja y apenas aparecen en la historia.
January 11, 2015
What to say? I really liked this book but it is different from the others in the series so be aware. Love the heroine but it took me a while to decide if I bought in to the reason she couldn't be with the hero. Yes, it is a farfetched, but if you love a story and it's characters and the author is as skilled as Lisa Kleypas you can suspend a lot more disbelief than usual. There is some hot sex and a real love story. And one of my favorite things? (This is just a bit spoilery). The relationship between the heroine and her mother doesn't have a big, unbelievable, happy resolution. Some things are unforgivable. Read and be happy, I am.
May 20, 2016
O Vrajitoare si un tip fara suflet... Un blestem care poate fi fatal!
O dragoste ce poate sa te înalte la ceruri sau sa te alunge in ceturile deznadejdii!
Recenzia mea completa o găsiți aici: https://justreadingmybooks.wordpress....
O dragoste ce poate sa te înalte la ceruri sau sa te alunge in ceturile deznadejdii!
Recenzia mea completa o găsiți aici: https://justreadingmybooks.wordpress....
September 6, 2018
Imagine praising a man for not raping you while you slept on the same bed??????
I wish I stopped at the third book because, 'til now, it was a decent story. This book can burn in hell for all I care.
I wish I stopped at the third book because, 'til now, it was a decent story. This book can burn in hell for all I care.
August 19, 2013
I just finished Dream Lake and I want this installment.
I love that we readers are truly the luckiest people out there in our crazy world that we get to read these magical stories!
I love that we readers are truly the luckiest people out there in our crazy world that we get to read these magical stories!
July 17, 2014
2.5 stars
Wow. I think I was more disappointed in this book than any other LK one. And Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor set quite a high (or low as it were) bar on that one.
Let's just make two thing clear: I'm a girl who loves magic. I love it in my books, movies, you name it. I've waited and am still waiting for that late Hogwarts letter and have watched Charmed like a thing possessed.
The second thing is: I love Lisa Kleypas. I love the Travises and the Wallflowers and I think she's an amazing writer.
So magic + LK should thrill me then?
Um, no, sorry. When magic is done I want the whole thing. I want the complex world and its history, I want various beings and cultures, or in the case of some steamy PNR, I want a hot werewolf. I don't like this magical realism or whatever this is called. This whole series was skewed for me. Dream Lake and Rainshadow Road managed to somehow work, if not thrill, but here (maybe because the magic level was so ambitious) it simply failed.
Let me explain the story. We have Justine, The Witch Cursed Not To Fall In Love. She's alone, she's lonely, she has mommy issues. She does the forbidden thing with the grimoire that reverses the curse and, naturally, falls in love with the first guy she meets. Which happens to be Jason Black. But you see, there's an ancient something which makes sure all men a witch loves die pretty quickly.
Enter Jason, The Ruthless Billionaire With No Soul. Really, there's not much more to say. He was abused, is ambitious and happens to be lacking the ingredient which would lead him to the afterlife. And he, by chance, runs into a powerful witch. Yeah, right.
In any case, a few days, a boom, a bang and a few spells later, they are in love, getting married and problem free.
Let's just say all that didn't work for me.
1. The Magic
I know I already said it, but it needs repeating. The inclusion of magic felt awkward, forced and weird. Its rules, limitations and place in our world were barely skimmed. I won't even get into the soulless thing. Plus, I think it played too much of a rule here. It was used to bring our couple together, explained them falling in love, served to drive them apart and then save their lives and whatever. All that kept other things blurry. Such as:
2. The Relationship
I would've said the characters, since I'm not a big fan of how they turned out either, but they were relatively okay, so...yeah. All their failings could be seen through their relationship.
First of all, I totally understand the desire to pin everything on "Love at first sight" and "Soulmates". it's a romantic idea and a useful one for a writer. Why bother agonizing to make love believable in 250 pages when we can just say it was "meant to be" and pay attention to other stuff? Like spells.
Not to say there's nothing between Justine and Jason. There is. There were some really good scenes, BUT far less attention was payed to them than they deserved. Than we are used to with LK. I think what makes her unique as a writer is creating really strong, believable characters, pairing them off and having them build something real, despite the troubles and doubts they face. Here, everything was too fast, they go from not knowing one another to love so quickly. Again, yes, there were conversations, but I ended up not buying it... And Jason's behaviour sometimes? I admit I have a weakness for Fictional Men of Ice, but c'mon, he was inconsistent. He, the man of ambition, had an ultimate game plan, and then just...Fell in love, but decided to be an ass for her, and not for his end goal. I just have no words. Too unstructured and strange.
Speaking of uncharacteristic: the so told BDSM scene. I read BDSM and have no problem with it (just no FSoG, please). This wasn't quite it. Nor, again, did it feel right for the characters and their situation and personalities.
3. Lyricism and Humor
Reading LK always makes me feel good. Some books are lighter, some pretty dark, but there's still a certain beauty and fluency of writing which is so easy to read. Also, the banter and witty dialogue in her books is so fun. Here I caught glimpses of both, but not enough for me.
For instance, I loved the Truth and Dare scene. It felt infused with heat and secrets. And:
“Love, she reflected bitterly, wasn't something you bargained with or negotiated with...it lived by its own rules. Love appeared when you didn't want it and refused to go. It was like an invasive species that entered your garden without warning, and proceeded to grow wildly out of control, resistant to every method employed to kill it.
Basically, love was pigweed.”
So, basically, I'm really, REALLY happy that LK will come back to the Travises to write Joe's book. THAT, I'm looking forward to.
Wow. I think I was more disappointed in this book than any other LK one. And Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor set quite a high (or low as it were) bar on that one.
Let's just make two thing clear: I'm a girl who loves magic. I love it in my books, movies, you name it. I've waited and am still waiting for that late Hogwarts letter and have watched Charmed like a thing possessed.
The second thing is: I love Lisa Kleypas. I love the Travises and the Wallflowers and I think she's an amazing writer.
So magic + LK should thrill me then?
Um, no, sorry. When magic is done I want the whole thing. I want the complex world and its history, I want various beings and cultures, or in the case of some steamy PNR, I want a hot werewolf. I don't like this magical realism or whatever this is called. This whole series was skewed for me. Dream Lake and Rainshadow Road managed to somehow work, if not thrill, but here (maybe because the magic level was so ambitious) it simply failed.
Let me explain the story. We have Justine, The Witch Cursed Not To Fall In Love. She's alone, she's lonely, she has mommy issues. She does the forbidden thing with the grimoire that reverses the curse and, naturally, falls in love with the first guy she meets. Which happens to be Jason Black. But you see, there's an ancient something which makes sure all men a witch loves die pretty quickly.
Enter Jason, The Ruthless Billionaire With No Soul. Really, there's not much more to say. He was abused, is ambitious and happens to be lacking the ingredient which would lead him to the afterlife. And he, by chance, runs into a powerful witch. Yeah, right.
In any case, a few days, a boom, a bang and a few spells later, they are in love, getting married and problem free.
Let's just say all that didn't work for me.
1. The Magic
I know I already said it, but it needs repeating. The inclusion of magic felt awkward, forced and weird. Its rules, limitations and place in our world were barely skimmed. I won't even get into the soulless thing. Plus, I think it played too much of a rule here. It was used to bring our couple together, explained them falling in love, served to drive them apart and then save their lives and whatever. All that kept other things blurry. Such as:
2. The Relationship
I would've said the characters, since I'm not a big fan of how they turned out either, but they were relatively okay, so...yeah. All their failings could be seen through their relationship.
First of all, I totally understand the desire to pin everything on "Love at first sight" and "Soulmates". it's a romantic idea and a useful one for a writer. Why bother agonizing to make love believable in 250 pages when we can just say it was "meant to be" and pay attention to other stuff? Like spells.
Not to say there's nothing between Justine and Jason. There is. There were some really good scenes, BUT far less attention was payed to them than they deserved. Than we are used to with LK. I think what makes her unique as a writer is creating really strong, believable characters, pairing them off and having them build something real, despite the troubles and doubts they face. Here, everything was too fast, they go from not knowing one another to love so quickly. Again, yes, there were conversations, but I ended up not buying it... And Jason's behaviour sometimes? I admit I have a weakness for Fictional Men of Ice, but c'mon, he was inconsistent. He, the man of ambition, had an ultimate game plan, and then just...Fell in love, but decided to be an ass for her, and not for his end goal. I just have no words. Too unstructured and strange.
Speaking of uncharacteristic: the so told BDSM scene. I read BDSM and have no problem with it (just no FSoG, please). This wasn't quite it. Nor, again, did it feel right for the characters and their situation and personalities.
3. Lyricism and Humor
Reading LK always makes me feel good. Some books are lighter, some pretty dark, but there's still a certain beauty and fluency of writing which is so easy to read. Also, the banter and witty dialogue in her books is so fun. Here I caught glimpses of both, but not enough for me.
For instance, I loved the Truth and Dare scene. It felt infused with heat and secrets. And:
“Love, she reflected bitterly, wasn't something you bargained with or negotiated with...it lived by its own rules. Love appeared when you didn't want it and refused to go. It was like an invasive species that entered your garden without warning, and proceeded to grow wildly out of control, resistant to every method employed to kill it.
Basically, love was pigweed.”
So, basically, I'm really, REALLY happy that LK will come back to the Travises to write Joe's book. THAT, I'm looking forward to.
May 18, 2017
We started this on audio, but I finished it on kindle. I liked this one a lot more than many of Kleypas fans. In fact, I liked it quite a bit. I probably helped that I didn't have high expectations. I liked Justine from the other books, but I wasn't particularly attached to her character. She seemed a bit shallow but kind in the other books. I have the feeling that Kleypas didn't have Justine's character fleshed out initially. She must have spent some time with Justine in between Dream Lake and this book and came up with who we see in Crystal Cove.
As Kleypas continues the magical realism theme in this series, this one is very much "Practical Magic." I love the book and the movie, and Kleypas does it justice, with her own spin. Justine is a hereditary witch. She's not heavily into it, although she does at times do some minor spellwork. Justine realizes that the reason why she's hasn't had luck with love is because her mother cursed her to never fall in love. Justine does a spell of her own to remove the geas. This backfires. In the meantime, she meets Jason Black, a billionaire badboy tech genius who buys up Alex Nolan's land to build a retreat for his business. Jason stays at her inn and there is an instant attraction between them. Jason is the kind of man who is dangerous to a woman. He has no concept of love or commitment. And he has a good reason. He has no soul. I can't say that all of Jason's issues arise out of his souless status. It's moreso due to his abusive father and how he treated his mother. I liked that Jason is part Japanese and this culture is part of who he is. They both share some family trauma. Justine's mother is a horrible person. Jason's dad is a horrible person. Both have been shaped by their horrible parents.
What an interesting combination.
I didnt' really get the whole no soul thing. It was pretty darn real. It doesn't make sense for my own spiritual perspective. But okay, I just went along with it. The witchcraft thing is something that you can idea ignore or embrace, but if it's a hard limit, this isn't the book for that reader. Since Kleypas is going with "Practical Magic", it's hard to not have it in this book.
Like always, Kleypas' writing is beautiful and immersive. Jason has a bit of a kinky thing going on with the bedroom, but it's not out of my personal comfort zone. He has some control issues, and that thing he's into delves into this aspect of his personality. Out of the books in Friday Harbor series, this book is the most sexually explicit, but it makes sense with the characters in the book.
I have to admit, I really believed in the love that developed between Jason and Justine. They are both cynical about love, so it's so beautiful the way it develops between them, and it's a sacrificial love. The conclusion is both strange but also very beautiful.
I liked this book a lot more than I expected. I ended up falling for Justine and Jason. While witchy romance isn't my favorite kind of paranormal romance, I think that Kleypas served up a lovely one here. I definitely preferred this to Rainshadow Road. The character of Jason has so much more substance than Sam, in my opinion. I think I prefer Justine to Lucy as well.
My Friday Harbor Book Preference:
1. Dream Lake
2. Crystal Cove
3. Christmas at Friday Harbor
4. Rainshadow Road
As Kleypas continues the magical realism theme in this series, this one is very much "Practical Magic." I love the book and the movie, and Kleypas does it justice, with her own spin. Justine is a hereditary witch. She's not heavily into it, although she does at times do some minor spellwork. Justine realizes that the reason why she's hasn't had luck with love is because her mother cursed her to never fall in love. Justine does a spell of her own to remove the geas. This backfires. In the meantime, she meets Jason Black, a billionaire badboy tech genius who buys up Alex Nolan's land to build a retreat for his business. Jason stays at her inn and there is an instant attraction between them. Jason is the kind of man who is dangerous to a woman. He has no concept of love or commitment. And he has a good reason. He has no soul. I can't say that all of Jason's issues arise out of his souless status. It's moreso due to his abusive father and how he treated his mother. I liked that Jason is part Japanese and this culture is part of who he is. They both share some family trauma. Justine's mother is a horrible person. Jason's dad is a horrible person. Both have been shaped by their horrible parents.
What an interesting combination.
I didnt' really get the whole no soul thing. It was pretty darn real. It doesn't make sense for my own spiritual perspective. But okay, I just went along with it. The witchcraft thing is something that you can idea ignore or embrace, but if it's a hard limit, this isn't the book for that reader. Since Kleypas is going with "Practical Magic", it's hard to not have it in this book.
Like always, Kleypas' writing is beautiful and immersive. Jason has a bit of a kinky thing going on with the bedroom, but it's not out of my personal comfort zone. He has some control issues, and that thing he's into delves into this aspect of his personality. Out of the books in Friday Harbor series, this book is the most sexually explicit, but it makes sense with the characters in the book.
I have to admit, I really believed in the love that developed between Jason and Justine. They are both cynical about love, so it's so beautiful the way it develops between them, and it's a sacrificial love. The conclusion is both strange but also very beautiful.
I liked this book a lot more than I expected. I ended up falling for Justine and Jason. While witchy romance isn't my favorite kind of paranormal romance, I think that Kleypas served up a lovely one here. I definitely preferred this to Rainshadow Road. The character of Jason has so much more substance than Sam, in my opinion. I think I prefer Justine to Lucy as well.
My Friday Harbor Book Preference:
1. Dream Lake
2. Crystal Cove
3. Christmas at Friday Harbor
4. Rainshadow Road
March 7, 2017
This is fourth in a series, and characters from the third are present (none from the first two, though). They aren't a big part of the book, so you don't really need the others to enjoy this book. And frankly, this one has a much more active supernatural element so the others aren't really a very good indication of what to expect with this story, either.
I was looking forward to this one because it promised to have a more active supernatural element. Unfortunately, that turned out to be the book's biggest drawback. Indeed, Justine being a more-or-less active witch overwhelmed the story to a large extent, including having an outsized effect on the main characters. Justine's witchcraft drove the plot and all the character motivations, but it also affected how Jason and Justine resolved conflicts (by giving Justine too much inclination to "trust her instincts/feelings/witchy-bits and by giving Jason such a huge incentive to be in her good graces for spoiler reasons).
It doesn't help, of course, that I actively dislike the setup. I'm going to spoiler-tag this because some of it doesn't come out for a bit (because Justine isn't that up on her roots).
Anyway, this was a 2.5 star read, or so. I'm rounding up because I generally like Kleypas (and I'll go counter to most of my friends and admit I like her modern stories better than her historicals) and I didn't resent the time spent on the story and she did some interesting things with the steamy bits. Still, this is the weakest of her modern romances I've read to date and that makes me sad given how I was looking forward to Justine's story.
A note about Steamy: There were four explicit sex scenes and some were pretty long. So this is on the high side of my steam tolerance. That said, I loved what she did with intimacy, vulnerability, and trust in these scenes. The sex involves some restraint themes that may not be to a general taste but I found them extremely well-done and liked how well they worked in their relationship.
I was looking forward to this one because it promised to have a more active supernatural element. Unfortunately, that turned out to be the book's biggest drawback. Indeed, Justine being a more-or-less active witch overwhelmed the story to a large extent, including having an outsized effect on the main characters. Justine's witchcraft drove the plot and all the character motivations, but it also affected how Jason and Justine resolved conflicts (by giving Justine too much inclination to "trust her instincts/feelings/witchy-bits and by giving Jason such a huge incentive to be in her good graces for spoiler reasons).
It doesn't help, of course, that I actively dislike the setup. I'm going to spoiler-tag this because some of it doesn't come out for a bit (because Justine isn't that up on her roots).
Anyway, this was a 2.5 star read, or so. I'm rounding up because I generally like Kleypas (and I'll go counter to most of my friends and admit I like her modern stories better than her historicals) and I didn't resent the time spent on the story and she did some interesting things with the steamy bits. Still, this is the weakest of her modern romances I've read to date and that makes me sad given how I was looking forward to Justine's story.
A note about Steamy: There were four explicit sex scenes and some were pretty long. So this is on the high side of my steam tolerance. That said, I loved what she did with intimacy, vulnerability, and trust in these scenes. The sex involves some restraint themes that may not be to a general taste but I found them extremely well-done and liked how well they worked in their relationship.
February 3, 2013
Laughter, tears, and an intensely hot love affair contained within a mere 300 pages? Why yes, I am reading a Lisa Kleypas book (and loving every second of it)! Lisa gives to us Crystal Cove, a place where magic literally does happen. A place where a cursed witch fated to never love, dares to break a horribly dangerous curse all in the hopes that she will just feel love for once in her life....and then she meets an enigmatic man with no soul.
Justine Hoffman, a hereditary witch who struggles to find love, discovers that there's a reason why and soon works to rectify the situation. What she uncovers though may put everything she holds dear in jeopardy. Justine has a long way to go to learn what true love is. Her mother will never win a mother of the year award, and she finds her trust tested time and time again. We get to go on a wonderful journey with her as she discovers love, submits to love, and finally fully embraces love.
Jason Black is classic Kelypas 'magic'. He sort of starts off standoffish, closed, selfish and a little cold. Once he meets Justine however, everything, absolutely everything changes. He unfolds as one of those heroes you will melt over again and again and again. Jason will do anything for the woman he loves. His love for Justine is so very precious and beautiful to watch unfold. He's a man who has everything anyone can imagine and finds himself desperately searching for a way to move heaven and earth to keep Justine in his life. The possibility that he may not be able to control the single most important thing in his life is incomprehensible. But his love for Justine has changed him completely and he finally learns what it means to really live. One of my favorite parts:
"What could you say to the woman you loved, the last time you might ever talk to her? 'You're everything to me. You've given me the best days of my life.' One of the more ignominious features of love was that you could only express it with cliches... it made you sound like a fraud at a time when you were blazing with sincerity But at the end of the conversation, he found himself saying, 'I love you,' and she said back.
And it was enough. Those three well worn, everyday words got the job done."
Now on to the steam... Lisa Kleypas really outdid herself with this one. Jason Black is her typical alpha male, but with a little bit of Dom thrown in. He likes control. He likes a little bit of bondage play, and he likes his woman submissive. Its uber spicy and toe curling yumminess. His focus is completely centered on Justine, and Justine only. You will find yourself wishing for a moment you could trade places with her. The steamy scenes in this book will keep you nice and toasty in the frigid nights of this very cold winter.
Find my reviews at page 317.
***I am one of Lisa's Divas and receive benefits such as this ARC to read along with swag.
Justine Hoffman, a hereditary witch who struggles to find love, discovers that there's a reason why and soon works to rectify the situation. What she uncovers though may put everything she holds dear in jeopardy. Justine has a long way to go to learn what true love is. Her mother will never win a mother of the year award, and she finds her trust tested time and time again. We get to go on a wonderful journey with her as she discovers love, submits to love, and finally fully embraces love.
Jason Black is classic Kelypas 'magic'. He sort of starts off standoffish, closed, selfish and a little cold. Once he meets Justine however, everything, absolutely everything changes. He unfolds as one of those heroes you will melt over again and again and again. Jason will do anything for the woman he loves. His love for Justine is so very precious and beautiful to watch unfold. He's a man who has everything anyone can imagine and finds himself desperately searching for a way to move heaven and earth to keep Justine in his life. The possibility that he may not be able to control the single most important thing in his life is incomprehensible. But his love for Justine has changed him completely and he finally learns what it means to really live. One of my favorite parts:
"What could you say to the woman you loved, the last time you might ever talk to her? 'You're everything to me. You've given me the best days of my life.' One of the more ignominious features of love was that you could only express it with cliches... it made you sound like a fraud at a time when you were blazing with sincerity But at the end of the conversation, he found himself saying, 'I love you,' and she said back.
And it was enough. Those three well worn, everyday words got the job done."
Now on to the steam... Lisa Kleypas really outdid herself with this one. Jason Black is her typical alpha male, but with a little bit of Dom thrown in. He likes control. He likes a little bit of bondage play, and he likes his woman submissive. Its uber spicy and toe curling yumminess. His focus is completely centered on Justine, and Justine only. You will find yourself wishing for a moment you could trade places with her. The steamy scenes in this book will keep you nice and toasty in the frigid nights of this very cold winter.
Find my reviews at page 317.
***I am one of Lisa's Divas and receive benefits such as this ARC to read along with swag.
April 20, 2021
Su Lisa Kleypas susidraugavau skaitydama apie Ravenelius, tad nenuostabu, kad esu susidomėjusi ir kitomis jos istorijomis. "Krištolinė įlanka" mane patraukė dėl magijos, su kuria šioje knygoje susiduriama, kartu tai ketvirtoji Penktadienio uosto serijos dalis.
Nežinau, ar dėl to, kad šią seriją skaičiau ne nuo pirmos dalies, ar dėl to, kad esu pratusi prie Ravenelių ir kito laikotarpio pasakojamo šios autorės lūpomis, bet "Krištolinė įlanka" manęs taip labai nesužavėjo. Viskas vyko truputį per greitai, veikėjai truputį per skysti ir, mano manymu, trūksta jiems išpildymo ir charizmos, istorija nuspėjama, o turtuolio, turinčio tamsių poreikių, neturinčio sielos ir naivios, įsimylėti trokštančios merginos duetas jau matytas ir girdėtas.
Nepaisant kelių neigiamų aspektų, man labai patiko visi magijos elementai! Dialogai irgi vietomis privertė kikenti, aistros taip pat netrūko ir svarbiausia - ši dalis sudomino perskaityti ir kitas Penktadienio uosto knygas ir susipažinti su veikėjais iš arčiau! Taigi, jei ieškote lengvos, neįpareigojančios ir aistringos istorijos su magijos (jos čia netrūksta!) elementais - "Krištolinė įlanka" turėtų sudominti!
Nežinau, ar dėl to, kad šią seriją skaičiau ne nuo pirmos dalies, ar dėl to, kad esu pratusi prie Ravenelių ir kito laikotarpio pasakojamo šios autorės lūpomis, bet "Krištolinė įlanka" manęs taip labai nesužavėjo. Viskas vyko truputį per greitai, veikėjai truputį per skysti ir, mano manymu, trūksta jiems išpildymo ir charizmos, istorija nuspėjama, o turtuolio, turinčio tamsių poreikių, neturinčio sielos ir naivios, įsimylėti trokštančios merginos duetas jau matytas ir girdėtas.
Nepaisant kelių neigiamų aspektų, man labai patiko visi magijos elementai! Dialogai irgi vietomis privertė kikenti, aistros taip pat netrūko ir svarbiausia - ši dalis sudomino perskaityti ir kitas Penktadienio uosto knygas ir susipažinti su veikėjais iš arčiau! Taigi, jei ieškote lengvos, neįpareigojančios ir aistringos istorijos su magijos (jos čia netrūksta!) elementais - "Krištolinė įlanka" turėtų sudominti!
February 9, 2013
And I'm done with Crystal Cove...
It was okay. I'm giving it four stars because it has witchcraft and because it also has a gamer as a main character (although Jason is a bit unrealistic as a gamer... Please...)
Things I really liked: Jason and Justine are sweet and loving and it's a nice chemistry.
Things I didn't like: it's a little fast paced, and a bit TOO unrealistic, too many small twists but nothing too significant.
You can see part of the ending miles away and where are the other Nolans!?!
In itself, the book is good, and it's certainly entertaining, it's just not the big deal. Had it not possessed the element of magic then I'd given it 3 stars. This is far from her best. I mean... Where are the St. Vincent, Hardy Cates, Cameron Rohan kick ass stories?
But you tell me.
I definitely miss the historical romances. She should get back to those.
It was okay. I'm giving it four stars because it has witchcraft and because it also has a gamer as a main character (although Jason is a bit unrealistic as a gamer... Please...)
Things I really liked: Jason and Justine are sweet and loving and it's a nice chemistry.
Things I didn't like: it's a little fast paced, and a bit TOO unrealistic, too many small twists but nothing too significant.
You can see part of the ending miles away and where are the other Nolans!?!
In itself, the book is good, and it's certainly entertaining, it's just not the big deal. Had it not possessed the element of magic then I'd given it 3 stars. This is far from her best. I mean... Where are the St. Vincent, Hardy Cates, Cameron Rohan kick ass stories?
But you tell me.
I definitely miss the historical romances. She should get back to those.
February 1, 2013
Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog rating: B
In this latest Friday Harbor book, Justine is a witch who refuses to join her mother’s coven. She’s currently estranged from her mom who wanted Justine to be someone she’s not and didn’t agree with Justine wanting to follow her own dreams and open a B&B. The bad feelings between the two get even worse when Justine figures out that her mom cast a spell on her as a young girl so that she would never find love. Her mom’s heart was broken when Justine’s father died and it’s very well-known that when a witch falls in love, and the feeling is returned, the man dies; and usually very soon. Justine casts her own spell that lifts the curse and then she gets to know Jason Black and while she’s now able to feel and find love, she’s desperate to not feel it with him and sentence him to an early death.
Jason Black is a very private man, a very rich and successful man and he’s soulless. Most everyone is born with a soul that will be reborn again, but a small number of people are simply born without one, and once they die, there’s nothing else. For Jason, he already feels like he’s living on borrowed time, he tries to make every moment count, but he has a very mysterious sense about him. He’s someone who is always surrounded by people but is still very alone and detached. While he’s in Friday Harbor to buy property for a future building project, he has a secondary reason for coming, he wants a spellbook that he knows Justine has and he wants his assistant, who is also a witch, to perform a spell for him. That changes quickly when he meets Justine and he realizes that she is the woman he’s been waiting for. He still wants her spellbook but now for a very different reason. He doesn’t want to live day by day knowing that his time could be cut short, he wants to live as long as possible with Justine and wants a longevity spell to help him.
That’s the main set up for Crystal Cove, but for me the story is all about Justine and Jason. Take or leave all the spells and outside influence, I loved seeing their romance blossom, even over the course of just a few short days. We get a good enough sense of who Jason Black is before we really get to even see him on page, so that once we do see him, it’s obvious his reaction to Justine isn’t the norm for him. I very much liked to see him open up with Justine, because it’s obvious he’s never had that with anyone else before.
“But if I hurt you in any way, I’m the one who has to live with it.” Her face contorted, and she struggled with a sudden urge to cry. “And I couldn’t,” she said thickly. “I couldn’t stand it.”
“Justine.” He pulled her closer, and she twisted away, and they ended up with his arms wrapped around her front. His head bent until his mouth was near her ear. “It’s a risk I’m willing to take. This happens once in a lifetime. You meet someone and have this crazy reaction…you touch her skin and it’s the best skin you’ve ever felt, and no perfume on earth could be better than her smell, and you know you could never be bored with her because she’s interesting even when she’s doing nothing. Even without knowing everything about her, you get her. You know who she is, and it works for you on every level.”
It’s also so much more enjoyable to me when a couple is open and honest about their feelings and lives all throughout the book, and not hiding something only to have some big reveal during the last chapter. I liked that Justine didn’t hide who she was from Jason and I equally liked his open-minded acceptance of her and was her rock to lean on when things got very emotional. With as open as they were with their feelings, there was one instance that left a bad taste for me. After Justine felt so horribly deceived when she found out that a spell was put on her when she was young and she had no say in the matter, she goes and tries to do the same thing to Jason. I didn’t like that she could be so furious that a spell was put on her without her knowledge but then turn around and do the same thing to the man she’s falling in love with, even if it is “for his own good.” I didn’t care for that, but I do feel like Justine redeems herself as the book progressed.
If you’re looking for major updates on the Nolan brothers, they’re pretty much absent in this book. We do see Alex and Zoe at the Inn, but otherwise this is Justine and Jason’s show and to be honest, I didn’t find myself wondering what the Nolan’s were up to. It was easy to keep sole focus on the leads and I like that they took over and had that big of a presence.
Lisa Kleypas has put a magical spin on the town and people in Friday Harbor and I enjoyed getting to know Jason and Justine. They have a sweet, sexy story and I looked forward to every scene they were together in on page. Crystal Cove is a book filled with romance and is a nice addition to this enjoyable series. I’m already looking forward to seeing what Kleypas brings in the next visit to Friday Harbor.
Blog rating: B
In this latest Friday Harbor book, Justine is a witch who refuses to join her mother’s coven. She’s currently estranged from her mom who wanted Justine to be someone she’s not and didn’t agree with Justine wanting to follow her own dreams and open a B&B. The bad feelings between the two get even worse when Justine figures out that her mom cast a spell on her as a young girl so that she would never find love. Her mom’s heart was broken when Justine’s father died and it’s very well-known that when a witch falls in love, and the feeling is returned, the man dies; and usually very soon. Justine casts her own spell that lifts the curse and then she gets to know Jason Black and while she’s now able to feel and find love, she’s desperate to not feel it with him and sentence him to an early death.
Jason Black is a very private man, a very rich and successful man and he’s soulless. Most everyone is born with a soul that will be reborn again, but a small number of people are simply born without one, and once they die, there’s nothing else. For Jason, he already feels like he’s living on borrowed time, he tries to make every moment count, but he has a very mysterious sense about him. He’s someone who is always surrounded by people but is still very alone and detached. While he’s in Friday Harbor to buy property for a future building project, he has a secondary reason for coming, he wants a spellbook that he knows Justine has and he wants his assistant, who is also a witch, to perform a spell for him. That changes quickly when he meets Justine and he realizes that she is the woman he’s been waiting for. He still wants her spellbook but now for a very different reason. He doesn’t want to live day by day knowing that his time could be cut short, he wants to live as long as possible with Justine and wants a longevity spell to help him.
That’s the main set up for Crystal Cove, but for me the story is all about Justine and Jason. Take or leave all the spells and outside influence, I loved seeing their romance blossom, even over the course of just a few short days. We get a good enough sense of who Jason Black is before we really get to even see him on page, so that once we do see him, it’s obvious his reaction to Justine isn’t the norm for him. I very much liked to see him open up with Justine, because it’s obvious he’s never had that with anyone else before.
“But if I hurt you in any way, I’m the one who has to live with it.” Her face contorted, and she struggled with a sudden urge to cry. “And I couldn’t,” she said thickly. “I couldn’t stand it.”
“Justine.” He pulled her closer, and she twisted away, and they ended up with his arms wrapped around her front. His head bent until his mouth was near her ear. “It’s a risk I’m willing to take. This happens once in a lifetime. You meet someone and have this crazy reaction…you touch her skin and it’s the best skin you’ve ever felt, and no perfume on earth could be better than her smell, and you know you could never be bored with her because she’s interesting even when she’s doing nothing. Even without knowing everything about her, you get her. You know who she is, and it works for you on every level.”
It’s also so much more enjoyable to me when a couple is open and honest about their feelings and lives all throughout the book, and not hiding something only to have some big reveal during the last chapter. I liked that Justine didn’t hide who she was from Jason and I equally liked his open-minded acceptance of her and was her rock to lean on when things got very emotional. With as open as they were with their feelings, there was one instance that left a bad taste for me. After Justine felt so horribly deceived when she found out that a spell was put on her when she was young and she had no say in the matter, she goes and tries to do the same thing to Jason. I didn’t like that she could be so furious that a spell was put on her without her knowledge but then turn around and do the same thing to the man she’s falling in love with, even if it is “for his own good.” I didn’t care for that, but I do feel like Justine redeems herself as the book progressed.
If you’re looking for major updates on the Nolan brothers, they’re pretty much absent in this book. We do see Alex and Zoe at the Inn, but otherwise this is Justine and Jason’s show and to be honest, I didn’t find myself wondering what the Nolan’s were up to. It was easy to keep sole focus on the leads and I like that they took over and had that big of a presence.
Lisa Kleypas has put a magical spin on the town and people in Friday Harbor and I enjoyed getting to know Jason and Justine. They have a sweet, sexy story and I looked forward to every scene they were together in on page. Crystal Cove is a book filled with romance and is a nice addition to this enjoyable series. I’m already looking forward to seeing what Kleypas brings in the next visit to Friday Harbor.
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