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Dark Lands #1
Teasing Danger
In this enticingly erotic romance, Jasmine finds herself trapped in a world not her own by men who are as dangerous as they are exciting....
ebook
First published August 1, 2002
127 people are currently reading
2474 people want to read
About the author
Autumn Dawn
54 books335 followersAbout me:
I'm a stay at home mom with three kids, a dog and an active imagination. I spent the first 34 years of my life in Alaska, land of the midnight sun, but these days I'm located in Washington, and am enjoying a much warmer sun :) I'm married to my high school sweetheart, John, who is known to bring me flowers "just because".
My leisure time is filled with gardening, crochet, knitting, sewing, art and reading.
I'm a stay at home mom with three kids, a dog and an active imagination. I spent the first 34 years of my life in Alaska, land of the midnight sun, but these days I'm located in Washington, and am enjoying a much warmer sun :) I'm married to my high school sweetheart, John, who is known to bring me flowers "just because".
My leisure time is filled with gardening, crochet, knitting, sewing, art and reading.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews
August 3, 2008
I'll say it: I judged this book by its cover. I was expecting the writing in the novel to be as amateur as, admittedly, the cover art is. Much to my surprise (and happily so), I found that my doubts were unfounded and that this book by one "Autumn Dawn" wouldn't let me go until the end.
Don't be misled by the label; the world constructed in Teasing Danger is more similar to an alternate universe or fantasy world peopled by intelligent shapeshifters, albeit leading their lives by older traditions, than a scifi. In fact, it reads a wee bit like a fantasy romance with an edge. All of our characters' adventures take place strictly on good ol' Earth, and thankfully there are no tacky one-piece suits or anything of the kind. However, Dawn's world is not without its perks. She does introduce a few technologies that many times had me thinking, "man, that would make my job easier," as any good tech should. I thought the way she integrated modern tech in an old-world way was ingenious too. After all, this story does take place in the future, when man and shifter have fought.
I did think that a few details here and there could have been clarified a little further, but Dawn must have saved that effort for her characters and plot (or Something Wild, the sequel) because they are quite well-constructed. Dawn sets the story up by introducing us to Jasmine as she looks for her lost friend in the wilderness. From there she's taken to a strange world where she discovers her friend held captive by a prince and his soldiers. When they decide that neither woman can leave, it's his captain of guards, Master of the Hunt, whose duty it is to ensure Jasmine doesn't escape. It was delightful to read the play between Keilor, an irresistable alpha, and Jasmine, a brave, smart woman. At the same time, Dawn fleshes out an interesting supporting cast, particularly in the action-y latter half where she expands her focus to include more characters/groups, many of whom we hope to see again.
All in all, this was an enjoyable read with as much delicious heat as action, and I'll definitely be watching this author. Read if you like: werewolves, succubi minus the dreams, bonded creatures (small role), and bad boys. ;) Sensual but not erotica.
Don't be misled by the label; the world constructed in Teasing Danger is more similar to an alternate universe or fantasy world peopled by intelligent shapeshifters, albeit leading their lives by older traditions, than a scifi. In fact, it reads a wee bit like a fantasy romance with an edge. All of our characters' adventures take place strictly on good ol' Earth, and thankfully there are no tacky one-piece suits or anything of the kind. However, Dawn's world is not without its perks. She does introduce a few technologies that many times had me thinking, "man, that would make my job easier," as any good tech should. I thought the way she integrated modern tech in an old-world way was ingenious too. After all, this story does take place in the future, when man and shifter have fought.
I did think that a few details here and there could have been clarified a little further, but Dawn must have saved that effort for her characters and plot (or Something Wild, the sequel) because they are quite well-constructed. Dawn sets the story up by introducing us to Jasmine as she looks for her lost friend in the wilderness. From there she's taken to a strange world where she discovers her friend held captive by a prince and his soldiers. When they decide that neither woman can leave, it's his captain of guards, Master of the Hunt, whose duty it is to ensure Jasmine doesn't escape. It was delightful to read the play between Keilor, an irresistable alpha, and Jasmine, a brave, smart woman. At the same time, Dawn fleshes out an interesting supporting cast, particularly in the action-y latter half where she expands her focus to include more characters/groups, many of whom we hope to see again.
All in all, this was an enjoyable read with as much delicious heat as action, and I'll definitely be watching this author. Read if you like: werewolves, succubi minus the dreams, bonded creatures (small role), and bad boys. ;) Sensual but not erotica.
July 9, 2015
What started out as a promising beginning to what I thought was going to be an interesting twist to the wolf/shifter genre quickly became boring and awkward with flat poorly-drawn characters and mediocre writing.
Jasmine and Wiley are two best friends who grew up together in an orphanage. Now adults, they are on a camping trip in the Alaskan wilderness when Wiley disappears. As it turns out, Wiley is not even human, but a missing princess from another dimension who accidentally stumbled through a portal to earth as a very small child. The campsite at which she and Jasmine are staying just happens to be right in the vicinity of another such portal and Wiley gets pulled back through unbeknownst to Jasmine. Wiley's world is known as the Darklands and the people in it are referred to as The Haunt and are characterized as human in appearance, with the ability to shift into wolf form.
It's not long before Jasmine is captured and taken into the Haunt to help pacify her friend. This opens up a whole series of problems, as Jasmine is what the Haunt refer to as a Charmer, a human who gives off pheromones that render her sexually irresistible to unmated males.
From this point on, the story spirals into a series of clichés and contradictions, contrived situations, and romance "don'ts".
The immaturity of Wiley and Jasmine lend a very distinct YA feel to the book, but the moderately graphic sex scenes put this fully into adult or new adult territory. Keilor, the captain of the guard and Jasmine's love interest frequently uses his sexual prowess to work Jasmine into a state of unfulfilled sexual arousal as a means of punishment when she doesn't follow orders and then mocks her for it, all the while internally blathering on about how irresistible she is. This was completely contradictory to the whole pheromone thing, as it is described as being seriously potent and logically it would make more sense if he was the one to be controlled by lust. Despite the supposed attraction between the two there simply were no sparks to be found, neither romantically nor sexually. The author just doesn't sell it.
The dialogue is stiff and simplistic throughout the book. Emotional scenes were generally not only lacking depth, but also cause. Basically I never could believe Jasmine was actually feeling anger, nor could I figure out the reason for said anger. This was the feeling I got in the majority of emotional scenes throughout.
In addition, I found the story to be fairly uninteresting and many of the action scenes felt contrived, as if their purpose was for nothing more than promoting a Mary Sue persona for Jasmine. All in all I found this to be a disappointing read.
Jasmine and Wiley are two best friends who grew up together in an orphanage. Now adults, they are on a camping trip in the Alaskan wilderness when Wiley disappears. As it turns out, Wiley is not even human, but a missing princess from another dimension who accidentally stumbled through a portal to earth as a very small child. The campsite at which she and Jasmine are staying just happens to be right in the vicinity of another such portal and Wiley gets pulled back through unbeknownst to Jasmine. Wiley's world is known as the Darklands and the people in it are referred to as The Haunt and are characterized as human in appearance, with the ability to shift into wolf form.
It's not long before Jasmine is captured and taken into the Haunt to help pacify her friend. This opens up a whole series of problems, as Jasmine is what the Haunt refer to as a Charmer, a human who gives off pheromones that render her sexually irresistible to unmated males.
From this point on, the story spirals into a series of clichés and contradictions, contrived situations, and romance "don'ts".
The immaturity of Wiley and Jasmine lend a very distinct YA feel to the book, but the moderately graphic sex scenes put this fully into adult or new adult territory. Keilor, the captain of the guard and Jasmine's love interest frequently uses his sexual prowess to work Jasmine into a state of unfulfilled sexual arousal as a means of punishment when she doesn't follow orders and then mocks her for it, all the while internally blathering on about how irresistible she is. This was completely contradictory to the whole pheromone thing, as it is described as being seriously potent and logically it would make more sense if he was the one to be controlled by lust. Despite the supposed attraction between the two there simply were no sparks to be found, neither romantically nor sexually. The author just doesn't sell it.
The dialogue is stiff and simplistic throughout the book. Emotional scenes were generally not only lacking depth, but also cause. Basically I never could believe Jasmine was actually feeling anger, nor could I figure out the reason for said anger. This was the feeling I got in the majority of emotional scenes throughout.
In addition, I found the story to be fairly uninteresting and many of the action scenes felt contrived, as if their purpose was for nothing more than promoting a Mary Sue persona for Jasmine. All in all I found this to be a disappointing read.
March 23, 2018
On second read I enjoyed this just as much as the first, but I do find the men a bit too 'know-it-all' for my taste.
.............................
Jasmine the human Charmer and Keilor the know-it-all.
Jasmine goes into the woods looking for her friend Wiley. Instead she finds a pack of wolves and another world; the Darklands. They came to take her to Wiley, but it's not like it's a choice.
Jasmine and Wiley have been fast friends since they met as little orphans. But, it turns out Wiley is originally from the Darklands and 'they' want her back. But Wiley just wants her friend back.
It doesn't take long for the Haunt (what the werewolves are called) realize that Jasmine is a 'Charmer'. Normally she would be executed because of the dark history of Charmers, but her love for Wiley saves her.
Keilor is the Master of the Hunt, kinda like the head guard or general or something. He's pretty mean to Jasmine at first, but Jasmine isn't one to let people push her around, and gives as good as she gets. But the imbalance of power was pretty annoying. They slowly move to grudging respect and then of course to love. But it isn't an easy path, even after they are 'married' Haunt-style.
The book is a fun ride. There's politics within, a kidnapping, politics with the neighbours. I never new where the book was going to go next!
It had a bit of a Pride and Prejudice feel. He has preconceived notions of humans and charmers, while she has a lot of pride. They both have a lot to learn as they come from such different cultural backgrounds.
if the characters and world building weren't so interesting I think Keilor would have bothered me more. It's not even so much his snarky arrogance (which always rubs me the wrong way), as the fact that he never shares 'the facts' with Jasmine. This leads to her feelings being hurt several times. But he never apologizes. SO yeah, not my fave alpha. But I still enjoyed the story and loved Jasmine's character. While I hated him for the first half of the story, he improves after that. By the end, even though I still thought he was a bit of a dick, I did believe that he loved her deeply.
safety is good
.............................
Jasmine the human Charmer and Keilor the know-it-all.
Jasmine goes into the woods looking for her friend Wiley. Instead she finds a pack of wolves and another world; the Darklands. They came to take her to Wiley, but it's not like it's a choice.
Jasmine and Wiley have been fast friends since they met as little orphans. But, it turns out Wiley is originally from the Darklands and 'they' want her back. But Wiley just wants her friend back.
It doesn't take long for the Haunt (what the werewolves are called) realize that Jasmine is a 'Charmer'. Normally she would be executed because of the dark history of Charmers, but her love for Wiley saves her.
Keilor is the Master of the Hunt, kinda like the head guard or general or something. He's pretty mean to Jasmine at first, but Jasmine isn't one to let people push her around, and gives as good as she gets. But the imbalance of power was pretty annoying. They slowly move to grudging respect and then of course to love. But it isn't an easy path, even after they are 'married' Haunt-style.
The book is a fun ride. There's politics within, a kidnapping, politics with the neighbours. I never new where the book was going to go next!
It had a bit of a Pride and Prejudice feel. He has preconceived notions of humans and charmers, while she has a lot of pride. They both have a lot to learn as they come from such different cultural backgrounds.
if the characters and world building weren't so interesting I think Keilor would have bothered me more. It's not even so much his snarky arrogance (which always rubs me the wrong way), as the fact that he never shares 'the facts' with Jasmine. This leads to her feelings being hurt several times. But he never apologizes. SO yeah, not my fave alpha. But I still enjoyed the story and loved Jasmine's character. While I hated him for the first half of the story, he improves after that. By the end, even though I still thought he was a bit of a dick, I did believe that he loved her deeply.
safety is good
April 14, 2011
Different and very Interesting! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and didn't even realize that there are several more in this series....like finding money in your pockets that you didn't even know was there:) Anyway, the story is about two girls who go camping and while in the woods get captured and taken into the gates of a different world. A world ruled by haunts (similar to werewolves), who have been searching for one of the girls for several years because she is a haunt too, who disappeared as a child. The story takes you on a journey through their adaptation to this new world. While they find love in the wrong places they must also watch their backs because their are several people who are prejudice to humans. I love shifter stories with some heat and this one did not disappoint!!
September 29, 2022
Ugh. No, no, no. What is this madness?
This entire book rests on the premise of two young women who are essentially kidnapped from theoir own world and held against their will by a bunch of overbearing, chauvinistic kinda sorta werewolf-like men. One of these girls is expected to marry a complete stranger. The other, our protagonist Jasmine, turns out to be some supernatural "charmer" who exudes magical pheromones that make every man crave her (apparently everyone in this world is straight??). This, as one might expect, makes her deeply uncomfortable. Among the men who are, through absolutely no fault of their own, evidently entirely incapable of resisting Jasmine's involuntary charms (echoes of "she dressed like that, clearly she was asking for it"), is the captain of the guard, who attempts to seduce her by means of coersion, constant sexual harassment, repeated molestation, and other at best extremely dubcon bullshit. We are to believe that during this process, he falls in love with her. Even worse, we are to believe she falls in love with him, to the point of marrying him on the spot. Like... what the actual fuck?? It absolutely baffles me that anyone could read this and think it a romance. Keilor's behaviour, throughout the entire book, is unaccaptable and extremely offputting. The constant insulting and belittling, the manhandling, the verbal and physical abuse - that's some romantic hero here, alright.
Some people seemed to enjoy this book. Fuck knows why.
This entire book rests on the premise of two young women who are essentially kidnapped from theoir own world and held against their will by a bunch of overbearing, chauvinistic kinda sorta werewolf-like men. One of these girls is expected to marry a complete stranger. The other, our protagonist Jasmine, turns out to be some supernatural "charmer" who exudes magical pheromones that make every man crave her (apparently everyone in this world is straight??). This, as one might expect, makes her deeply uncomfortable. Among the men who are, through absolutely no fault of their own, evidently entirely incapable of resisting Jasmine's involuntary charms (echoes of "she dressed like that, clearly she was asking for it"), is the captain of the guard, who attempts to seduce her by means of coersion, constant sexual harassment, repeated molestation, and other at best extremely dubcon bullshit. We are to believe that during this process, he falls in love with her. Even worse, we are to believe she falls in love with him, to the point of marrying him on the spot. Like... what the actual fuck?? It absolutely baffles me that anyone could read this and think it a romance. Keilor's behaviour, throughout the entire book, is unaccaptable and extremely offputting. The constant insulting and belittling, the manhandling, the verbal and physical abuse - that's some romantic hero here, alright.
Some people seemed to enjoy this book. Fuck knows why.
November 17, 2010
This was a strange read for me. Its listed as the 1st book in the Darklands series yet I couldn't help but think it wasn't, due to so much backstory for other characters. I also felt at times I was missing pages of the story, like I was reading an unedited version or something, which would make sense since I found a few typo's.
The characters I liked well enough but the story was just odd. Jasmine is transported to another world with alien beings, and finds out her best friend is also an alien being, yet doesn't seem to be at all frightened by the situation she finds herself in. Her life is threatened numerous times but she seemed to take it all in stride, yet when her "husband" is injured she panics.
I love Autumn Dawn's other books but this is not her best work.
The characters I liked well enough but the story was just odd. Jasmine is transported to another world with alien beings, and finds out her best friend is also an alien being, yet doesn't seem to be at all frightened by the situation she finds herself in. Her life is threatened numerous times but she seemed to take it all in stride, yet when her "husband" is injured she panics.
I love Autumn Dawn's other books but this is not her best work.
February 22, 2014
One look at the cover of the book and the name guys.I was drawn to it. An intense feeling in my chest when I read the summary. I was right! I usually don´t let myself be driven by a cover or a summary until I grab the book. Ladies and gentlemen, I was very correct when I chose it.
I think when I started reading this book I went slowly on purpose to eat each word with my eyes. Taste every chapter and enjoy every frase. Simply:"YES".
This book goes through friendship, love, family and gives great importance to the feelings of the characters.
Now for the detailed info:
1) Loved every charachter in this book.
2) There is little detail to how the surroundings and the world functions. I felt the customs were clear but not the world Jasmine was in.
3) Good story, good plot. Not the greatest.
4)The way this book is written from every point of view traps you in a way your head goes dizzy. Great writting skills. It´s not just about writting pretty or a lot of details. It takes skill to make the reader want to read slow because he/she is reluctant to finish the book. Beautiful! I´m a fast reader and I eat books, especially if I like them. This time, I had to force myself to go slow. Not because of the pace, but because I was enamoured and charmed by its storyline.
5) Keilor is just...OMG! The name makes my heart race. Even though he is possessive and your usual strong macho man. He has a witty serious kind of personality. He is strong and demanding, but his thoughts and actions make you understand him and even venerate him. Quoting one of the best parts in this book:
"A frisson of alarm shook her at his words. “What do you mean, ‘and the rest of my suitors’?” she demanded, uncaring that they were close enough for Keilor to hear. Surely he didn’t mean—
Giving her a sexy smile, Keilor answered for her. “Jayems gave me his permission to win you, of course.” His smile turned down right scintillating. “Wear something silver tomorrow night, Dragonfly.”
She blushed. A little bit scared, and more than a little bit excited, she ground out, “You can’t play!” What if he actually won? It was one thing to tease him into noticing her, another for him to be elevated to suitor. That was serious business. She wasn’t sure he was ready to belong to one woman. She hadn’t had long enough to convince him.
Keilor raised a brow and studied her with lazy possession. “Why not? I did give you a gift, didn’t I?”
Jasmine huffed even as her temperature shot up ten degrees. “You don’t count!”
With a husky laugh, he flicked a butterfly caress across her lips with his thumb. “I’m the only one who does.” He flashed perfect teeth at Jayems, full of good humor. “Your suitors can still have their reward. All they have to do is go through me.” Just Perfect!
6) Jasmine is a good heroine and I loved Wiley. You fall in love with their friendship.
7) The action parts and real problems felt rushed. So it gave an odd feeling that they didn´t matter and everything would be allright in the end. That... I didn´t like. It´s like the book was slashing plots and schemes from every corner but none of them moved me. I overlooked this issue because I was entertained anyways.
8) The end also felt rushed and more like a child story ending. Like Disney movie endings to be more precise.
9) Loved the customs of the Haunt, the weapons where cool and their way of thinking.
10) The "evil doers" where very weak characters and I couldn´t help but feel that they didn´t even have to exist to love the book. They really didn't matter. Yesanda and the rest had no importance in any way to me.
11)There is no explanation towards the non-existent reaction of the commoners when humans like Jasmine walked through the market. How can that be? No public retribution.
11) Overlooking these flaws I not only enjoyed this novel,I adored every minute of it.
So read this as soon as you can! Enjoy the ride! Fill your eyes with the wonderful romance between Jasmin and Keilor. Thats the most important part in this book really. The thrill, the passion, the restraint, the intrigue if it is true love or just hormones. The sweet and sour will make you go crazy! Trust me. If you appreciate a good romance novel, you must read this book.
4 Stars is my final resolution. Autumn Dawn, please, please keep on writting. You know how to type the right words with a great pace.
I think when I started reading this book I went slowly on purpose to eat each word with my eyes. Taste every chapter and enjoy every frase. Simply:"YES".
This book goes through friendship, love, family and gives great importance to the feelings of the characters.
Now for the detailed info:
1) Loved every charachter in this book.
2) There is little detail to how the surroundings and the world functions. I felt the customs were clear but not the world Jasmine was in.
3) Good story, good plot. Not the greatest.
4)The way this book is written from every point of view traps you in a way your head goes dizzy. Great writting skills. It´s not just about writting pretty or a lot of details. It takes skill to make the reader want to read slow because he/she is reluctant to finish the book. Beautiful! I´m a fast reader and I eat books, especially if I like them. This time, I had to force myself to go slow. Not because of the pace, but because I was enamoured and charmed by its storyline.
5) Keilor is just...OMG! The name makes my heart race. Even though he is possessive and your usual strong macho man. He has a witty serious kind of personality. He is strong and demanding, but his thoughts and actions make you understand him and even venerate him. Quoting one of the best parts in this book:
"A frisson of alarm shook her at his words. “What do you mean, ‘and the rest of my suitors’?” she demanded, uncaring that they were close enough for Keilor to hear. Surely he didn’t mean—
Giving her a sexy smile, Keilor answered for her. “Jayems gave me his permission to win you, of course.” His smile turned down right scintillating. “Wear something silver tomorrow night, Dragonfly.”
She blushed. A little bit scared, and more than a little bit excited, she ground out, “You can’t play!” What if he actually won? It was one thing to tease him into noticing her, another for him to be elevated to suitor. That was serious business. She wasn’t sure he was ready to belong to one woman. She hadn’t had long enough to convince him.
Keilor raised a brow and studied her with lazy possession. “Why not? I did give you a gift, didn’t I?”
Jasmine huffed even as her temperature shot up ten degrees. “You don’t count!”
With a husky laugh, he flicked a butterfly caress across her lips with his thumb. “I’m the only one who does.” He flashed perfect teeth at Jayems, full of good humor. “Your suitors can still have their reward. All they have to do is go through me.” Just Perfect!
6) Jasmine is a good heroine and I loved Wiley. You fall in love with their friendship.
7) The action parts and real problems felt rushed. So it gave an odd feeling that they didn´t matter and everything would be allright in the end. That... I didn´t like. It´s like the book was slashing plots and schemes from every corner but none of them moved me. I overlooked this issue because I was entertained anyways.
8) The end also felt rushed and more like a child story ending. Like Disney movie endings to be more precise.
9) Loved the customs of the Haunt, the weapons where cool and their way of thinking.
10) The "evil doers" where very weak characters and I couldn´t help but feel that they didn´t even have to exist to love the book. They really didn't matter. Yesanda and the rest had no importance in any way to me.
11)There is no explanation towards the non-existent reaction of the commoners when humans like Jasmine walked through the market. How can that be? No public retribution.
11) Overlooking these flaws I not only enjoyed this novel,I adored every minute of it.
So read this as soon as you can! Enjoy the ride! Fill your eyes with the wonderful romance between Jasmin and Keilor. Thats the most important part in this book really. The thrill, the passion, the restraint, the intrigue if it is true love or just hormones. The sweet and sour will make you go crazy! Trust me. If you appreciate a good romance novel, you must read this book.
4 Stars is my final resolution. Autumn Dawn, please, please keep on writting. You know how to type the right words with a great pace.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 1, 2011
I loved this book and I loved the characters. Was not aware that this had sex scenes in it when I purchased it but I loved it. I have to agree with someone else when they said the ending disappointed them. I do not like the ending and the other books in the series have different main characters so I'm not sure if I will read those books. I really wished the ending left off better.
May 26, 2011
I'm really confused by this read. Overall, Autumn Dawn's writing really sparkled and I'd lose myself in this story, but then a paragraph or scene would derail me. The core of the story is fantastic, but could've used a good scrub by an editor. For both content and technical aspects.
Before I delve too much into this review, fair warning to readers, this is a super steamy read. I didn't realize this fit more in the genre of erotica and don't usually don't go for that genre but had already started.
Author Autumn Dawn has a wonderful talent for writing that shows strongly throughout the book. I loved the descriptions and the scene settings. She often rushed to get to the "hot" parts, missing out on showcasing her full potential as a writer.
Jasmine was likeable as a character but I was very put off by the domineering way of Keilar...and the way Jasmine just rolled over and let him walk all over her physically and emotionally. Oh! And what happend to her dog, from the beginning of the story? He just seemed to disappear not even a third of the way through.
There was also something false in the believability in the charater's circumstances. Would Jasmine -- and to a certain extent Wily -- really have so easily accepted leaving their world forever? I just found it hard to buy the story and the author really missed an opportunity developing that angle.
The main hitch for me was the never-ending plotline. Near the end I started thinking, "Does this book ever end?". This work would've been a 4 star had the author tightened the storyline and character motivations/background/purpose.
I'd probably pick up another book by this author, but I'd have to make sure it was through a publisher and not self published. Autumn has a great style that, when washed through a editor, I believe would make her novels fantastico.
Before I delve too much into this review, fair warning to readers, this is a super steamy read. I didn't realize this fit more in the genre of erotica and don't usually don't go for that genre but had already started.
Author Autumn Dawn has a wonderful talent for writing that shows strongly throughout the book. I loved the descriptions and the scene settings. She often rushed to get to the "hot" parts, missing out on showcasing her full potential as a writer.
Jasmine was likeable as a character but I was very put off by the domineering way of Keilar...and the way Jasmine just rolled over and let him walk all over her physically and emotionally. Oh! And what happend to her dog, from the beginning of the story? He just seemed to disappear not even a third of the way through.
There was also something false in the believability in the charater's circumstances. Would Jasmine -- and to a certain extent Wily -- really have so easily accepted leaving their world forever? I just found it hard to buy the story and the author really missed an opportunity developing that angle.
The main hitch for me was the never-ending plotline. Near the end I started thinking, "Does this book ever end?". This work would've been a 4 star had the author tightened the storyline and character motivations/background/purpose.
I'd probably pick up another book by this author, but I'd have to make sure it was through a publisher and not self published. Autumn has a great style that, when washed through a editor, I believe would make her novels fantastico.
September 23, 2010
Jasmin never realized her friend was different until her best friend since the orphanage, Wiley, disappeared...Only to be found again in another world, about to ascend as the queen of the Haunts, the people inhabiting the strange dimension.
Which wouldn't be that bad if they let Jasmine go. Unfortunately she's one of the rare creatures the Haunts despise. She's a Charmer, her scent rife with pheromones ready to snare any unsuspecting (and unmated) Haunts out there.
Lucky for her, her friend's husband takes her under his wing, determined not to let anything happen to her if he doesn't want to sleep in the doghouse (literally). Unlucky for her, her best friend's husband appoints a guardian for her...A man that makes her blood boil. And not in a good way...Right?
This was a completely new author for me and I must say I was blown away by the story. Great characterization (though Jasmine was a bit TSTL at times and annoying at others), good world-building (though I did experience some deja-vu-ishness in some parts), great supporting cast, wonderful tension, explosive attraction, a brooding Alpha male, a brewing conflict...What more could you want.
I just might be persuaded to look some more into this (promising) series.
Which wouldn't be that bad if they let Jasmine go. Unfortunately she's one of the rare creatures the Haunts despise. She's a Charmer, her scent rife with pheromones ready to snare any unsuspecting (and unmated) Haunts out there.
Lucky for her, her friend's husband takes her under his wing, determined not to let anything happen to her if he doesn't want to sleep in the doghouse (literally). Unlucky for her, her best friend's husband appoints a guardian for her...A man that makes her blood boil. And not in a good way...Right?
This was a completely new author for me and I must say I was blown away by the story. Great characterization (though Jasmine was a bit TSTL at times and annoying at others), good world-building (though I did experience some deja-vu-ishness in some parts), great supporting cast, wonderful tension, explosive attraction, a brooding Alpha male, a brewing conflict...What more could you want.
I just might be persuaded to look some more into this (promising) series.
July 5, 2011
The proof reader should be shot at dawn for about 3 glaring mistakes that made me have to reread the sentence 3 times to figure it out! It's a problem with my dislexia.
Again, her ending was complete so this could be read as a single. For those of us who started in the middle, there was not problem except the joy of learning a bit of the back stories of some of the characters.
The men are strong, built like gods of old and sexy as they can be. They are warriors but generally quite sensitive to their woman. And there's the rub. Enter an earthling female from our time who has her own thoughts and ways and is maybe a bit cynical of men. And what's more, she is a charmer! She doesn't know what she is or the effect she has on unmarried men in this world. For this reason alone, some natives of Darklands want to kill her (no spoiler....you gotta read for yourself 'the why').
Mix all this together and you will have a fast, fun read!
I had only one other problem, With the ending. Oh, it's a good ending that romantics love but it felt abrupt! I have no earthly idea why I feel this way!
I recommend this series (well, I've read 2 and bought the rest) to women in need to a good romance. But not to the men in your life (not enough action for them!)
Again, her ending was complete so this could be read as a single. For those of us who started in the middle, there was not problem except the joy of learning a bit of the back stories of some of the characters.
The men are strong, built like gods of old and sexy as they can be. They are warriors but generally quite sensitive to their woman. And there's the rub. Enter an earthling female from our time who has her own thoughts and ways and is maybe a bit cynical of men. And what's more, she is a charmer! She doesn't know what she is or the effect she has on unmarried men in this world. For this reason alone, some natives of Darklands want to kill her (no spoiler....you gotta read for yourself 'the why').
Mix all this together and you will have a fast, fun read!
I had only one other problem, With the ending. Oh, it's a good ending that romantics love but it felt abrupt! I have no earthly idea why I feel this way!
I recommend this series (well, I've read 2 and bought the rest) to women in need to a good romance. But not to the men in your life (not enough action for them!)
December 21, 2014
This was a freebie when I downloaded it but I quickly was made a fan of this series. I have since read all of the books in this series thus far & will continue as new ones come along. Hopefully I will not spoil anything for the readers but basically the main character is Jasmine whom you love right away. She gets taken through a gate (think stargate) to another planet while looking for her best friend. At this point she finds her friend & has a journey of her own. Jasmine finds romance, love, sex, excitement, disappointment, strength & much more. The sexual scenes I felt were steamy & hot. This series is about 4 different species of aliens & how there worlds interact & intertwine with one another. Very good book to start with, although I think you could read them out of order & be fine as well. Some of the characters make appearances in other stories but the author makes it easy to keep up.
August 6, 2011
For some reason I was under the impression this was a YA novel. I think I got it from Amazon either for free or close to it and I thought it was in the YA category? Needless to say it is NOT a YA novel. From what I read it didn't flow very well and lacked a lot of world building and character development. I was hoping this was going to be better just because the plot had potential but it really fell short. I mean, Jasmine was taken to another world with three moons and barely blinked an eye. I actually did finish reading it only because I wanted to know how the story would end and honestly I was disappointed. There was just too much going on and the whole beginning part of the book was solved half way through so the last half just dragged and didn't really keep my interest. Guess that's what I get for assuming it was a YA book without looking into it more... lol.
December 26, 2012
i'm gonna be fair and start by saying that i enjoyed some of it, jas is funny and i ended up laughing with her on some of her stunts. . .
BUT!. . .
the begining was bad. they just dropped me unexpectedly right into the middle of the story. i had hard time finding out wtf was going on the first 20 pgs or so, but i was fine with it until i started getting more irritated by jas the more i read about her. the characters are stereotyped (me lord! you weak human woman!) and just plain stupid sometimes, there were times where jas should have stood up for herself and not let the guy(forgot his name) floor her with his kisses. HELLOO! shes a CHARMER for god's sake! she should have used her CHARM!. . PLUS no climax! nothing! naada. and the ending was so abrupt i just stared at the page and turned it again again thinking this is it!? it was just sumnarized in 1 page!. . . . ╰_╯
BUT!. . .
the begining was bad. they just dropped me unexpectedly right into the middle of the story. i had hard time finding out wtf was going on the first 20 pgs or so, but i was fine with it until i started getting more irritated by jas the more i read about her. the characters are stereotyped (me lord! you weak human woman!) and just plain stupid sometimes, there were times where jas should have stood up for herself and not let the guy(forgot his name) floor her with his kisses. HELLOO! shes a CHARMER for god's sake! she should have used her CHARM!. . PLUS no climax! nothing! naada. and the ending was so abrupt i just stared at the page and turned it again again thinking this is it!? it was just sumnarized in 1 page!. . . . ╰_╯
September 25, 2012
This story should not be classified for children or youth. There is a lot of sexual content, I would not want my young daughter reading. I would not recommend it for children under 16 years of age. Ideally, they should be 18.
This book is good. I was disappointed in the lack of finesse used by the author to wrap the novel up. The ending was bland & disappointing for such a promising novel. additionally, I felt at times certain dramatic events took place without much build up or explanation...but it was a diverting read.
Spoiler alert: Would have liked for a series to develop around the children born & on Mathil's relationship.
August 3, 2011
How can you end a book by telling us the would-be killer escaped and then not give us a sequel? Did i miss something? Who sent the poison lizard down the chimney? And they lived happily ever after???? I honestly dont think ive ever read a more disappointing ending!!! The rest of the book was great... Sigh.
July 31, 2012
I would have given this book a 3, but halfway through the book it started going downhill. Then the ending was so abrupt. It's as if she had 100 pages of plot left to write, but then decided she had something else to do, so she wrapped in up in 2 pages instead. I literally said to myself, "wait, that's it?!l" when I reached the startlingly truncated end of the story.
January 21, 2018
I like the story, despite the horrific editing. BUT every time I come to Keilor demanding Jasmine acknowledge him as her lord, I freaking feel like hurling my reader against a wall, that's how much of that bullcrap there is in the book. Just on principle, I'd like to say I don't like this one, but that wouldn't be quite true - I do keep coming back for more.
Want to read
May 12, 2011You can download this for FREE in Kindle edition at amazon.com here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004...
Be quick guys! No idea how long it lasts....
Be quick guys! No idea how long it lasts....
February 16, 2012
Would love to give a better rating. The story line was good enough that I read the rest of the series but editing was so poor that I have trouble recommending to anyone.
June 19, 2019
I need to stop reading this types of books. It only wants to make me pull my hair, regret wasted time and needle me in a bad mood.
There are so many things wrong here, that I could fill pages and pages.
There are so many..... and I mean, so many inconsistencies and discrepancies, that if I were editing this book, I would tell the author to rewrite the book. So many immature decisions made, so many senseless things done..... AAAAA!!!!
If I went on a fact finding mission regarding this book, I would come to following conclusions and questions....
Everyone want heroine gone from their magical place. Until she wants to go.... then, they want her to stay. Fine example of reverse psychology.... except did she want to stay?
Heroine and her best friend have no spine, or mouth. Of course, everyone except them has a right to dictate their lives. They should just take it.
The heroine is suppose to be a charmer.... like a siren. Only, instead of her seducing men, she is the only one seduced... and mocked... and insulted...
Basically, the charmer charms no one, and she poses a risk to the men, but she is made to stay.... Why?
Do characters in these books, think using their head? Or they only do what their hormones urge them to?
Obviously, these male chauvinistic men keep finding women in 21st century, who have not yet got memo about equality and women's right.
Are there any other kind of heroes introduced except for disrespectful, insensitive jerks?
This book makes me wonder, whether my definition of love is out of the norm or their's....
Anyway, I did not finish this book, and don't ever plan to.
There are so many things wrong here, that I could fill pages and pages.
There are so many..... and I mean, so many inconsistencies and discrepancies, that if I were editing this book, I would tell the author to rewrite the book. So many immature decisions made, so many senseless things done..... AAAAA!!!!
If I went on a fact finding mission regarding this book, I would come to following conclusions and questions....
Everyone want heroine gone from their magical place. Until she wants to go.... then, they want her to stay. Fine example of reverse psychology.... except did she want to stay?
Heroine and her best friend have no spine, or mouth. Of course, everyone except them has a right to dictate their lives. They should just take it.
The heroine is suppose to be a charmer.... like a siren. Only, instead of her seducing men, she is the only one seduced... and mocked... and insulted...
Basically, the charmer charms no one, and she poses a risk to the men, but she is made to stay.... Why?
Do characters in these books, think using their head? Or they only do what their hormones urge them to?
Obviously, these male chauvinistic men keep finding women in 21st century, who have not yet got memo about equality and women's right.
Are there any other kind of heroes introduced except for disrespectful, insensitive jerks?
This book makes me wonder, whether my definition of love is out of the norm or their's....
Anyway, I did not finish this book, and don't ever plan to.
July 20, 2019
Ok so I will start by saying this book was a freebie I found on Amazon about 8 years ago - I had never heard of it or expected much yano, but its a freebie and bitches can’t be choosy! Especially as I was a student!
Little did I know it would become one of my favourite books...like EVER!
Premise is: Jasmine is a human girl looking for her best mate Wiley in the wilderness. What she doesn’t know is that she will be taken from her world to another and discover that her best friend is being held captive by a prince and his soldiers. When they decide neither female can leave, it is up to the Master of the Hunt, Kelior, to guard and protect the sassy Jasmine and ensure she does not escape.
Its the first of a series and I dunno - its just so fun! I honestly couldn’t put it down. Even today when I’ve reread it...its brought me the same joy I experienced first time around!
There are shapeshifters, alien races, humans and some sassy as fuck females! Yay! The characters are so fun (I definitely think I’m Jasmine) and clearly everyone needs a Kelior in their lives! These two are the main characters but the author does an amazing job of fleshing out an interesting supporting cast and a storyline that has to racing through the pages in anticipation of what happens next.
The whole premise is sci fi/fantasy with smutty romance combined - Basically fantasy romance with an edge.
If you want a fun easy read then consider this series!
Little did I know it would become one of my favourite books...like EVER!
Premise is: Jasmine is a human girl looking for her best mate Wiley in the wilderness. What she doesn’t know is that she will be taken from her world to another and discover that her best friend is being held captive by a prince and his soldiers. When they decide neither female can leave, it is up to the Master of the Hunt, Kelior, to guard and protect the sassy Jasmine and ensure she does not escape.
Its the first of a series and I dunno - its just so fun! I honestly couldn’t put it down. Even today when I’ve reread it...its brought me the same joy I experienced first time around!
There are shapeshifters, alien races, humans and some sassy as fuck females! Yay! The characters are so fun (I definitely think I’m Jasmine) and clearly everyone needs a Kelior in their lives! These two are the main characters but the author does an amazing job of fleshing out an interesting supporting cast and a storyline that has to racing through the pages in anticipation of what happens next.
The whole premise is sci fi/fantasy with smutty romance combined - Basically fantasy romance with an edge.
If you want a fun easy read then consider this series!
August 23, 2024
If you're mostly looking for something spicy to read that's vaguely entertaining, then this will scratch that itch. It's a basic enemy to lovers trope. I was a bit startled by some of the early seduction scenes. They rubbed me the wrong way, but eventually I rather liked them together. I though the side characters were a bit flat, but there were two I was interested in seeing more of. Maybe they'll be in other books, though, because they got too little play time in this book to really get developed.
The story could have benefited from some editing (some annoying consistently wrong words like adverse instead of averse, for example) and reworking of the plot to improve the flow and logic. There were some inconsistencies in logic that just didn't really make sense or weren't explained clearly (example: everyone wants her to go home immediately until she actually really wants to go home, then they can't let her leave?). There were also some good things that just weren't picked up on at all, like her homesickness in one scene was never followed up on even though as an immigrant myself I would have really liked it explored.
All in all, it's a fast read. The spicy scenes are well written, and the story is vaguely entertaining despite the issues.
The story could have benefited from some editing (some annoying consistently wrong words like adverse instead of averse, for example) and reworking of the plot to improve the flow and logic. There were some inconsistencies in logic that just didn't really make sense or weren't explained clearly (example: everyone wants her to go home immediately until she actually really wants to go home, then they can't let her leave?). There were also some good things that just weren't picked up on at all, like her homesickness in one scene was never followed up on even though as an immigrant myself I would have really liked it explored.
All in all, it's a fast read. The spicy scenes are well written, and the story is vaguely entertaining despite the issues.
February 9, 2017
I actually wasn't sure how to rate this book. I was going to give it a 4/5 because it was really good for a little over the first half of the book, but then it took a downturn. There became many inconsistencies in the storyline and the story started to jump from scene to scene without any plot development in between. The biggest inconsistency: I could swear that I read earlier in the book that when a charmer is mated, she would no longer be attractive to other males. However, that was not what was happening later in the book.
July 23, 2018
As I first started to read this book I liked it. The character and world building were pretty decent. As the book went on I found the main characters, Jasmine & Keilor, to be very shallow characters with very simple motivations. I found most of the scenes of intimacy rather trite. About 1/3 of the way into the book I was able to start guessing the plot scenes and scenarios. There was so much going on towards the end of the book that I thought this book would be the first in a series. The author just wrapped everything up so quickly and to the point, that it was really a disappointing ending.
September 29, 2021
I read this books years ago (probably around 8 or 9 years) so I don't remember much except how I actually did like the story setting and the mythical world created, but I didn't really love the characters. It was dramatic for the sake of being dramatic in some parts as well. Also a "Plain Jane" main character who gets transported to this new world and all of a sudden every guy under the sun wants to be with her because of her charmer smell.
January 23, 2024
A book I have reread too many times.
I first bought this book as a teenager on my iPhone Apple Books app. But it has always been a favourite of mine to reread. Hence I bought it on my kindle too. If the fact that I have constantly reread this book doesn’t demonstrate how much I enjoy this book. I’m not sure what else will. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone considering purchasing it.
I first bought this book as a teenager on my iPhone Apple Books app. But it has always been a favourite of mine to reread. Hence I bought it on my kindle too. If the fact that I have constantly reread this book doesn’t demonstrate how much I enjoy this book. I’m not sure what else will. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone considering purchasing it.
January 26, 2022
Innovative world building romance
Thus is a reread of The Charmer. After years since the original reading, it was like visiting an old friend. I enjoy the characters. The women are strong, but with faults. The book combines romance with humor and adventure, betrayal and other worldly creatures.
I would give thus series a try!
Thus is a reread of The Charmer. After years since the original reading, it was like visiting an old friend. I enjoy the characters. The women are strong, but with faults. The book combines romance with humor and adventure, betrayal and other worldly creatures.
I would give thus series a try!
August 31, 2018
Really no plot at all.
June 26, 2019
Book was awesome, couldn't stop reading
Book was great can't wait to read the rest of the series. Story line has romance, suspense, and was funny. Jasmine and Kellie #1
Book was great can't wait to read the rest of the series. Story line has romance, suspense, and was funny. Jasmine and Kellie #1
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