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Mystwalker #1
The Trouble with Fate
WHAT SHE DOESN'T KNOW MIGHT KILL HER: Hedi looks normal. Yet that's taken effort. Her fellow Starbucks baristas don't see her pointed ears, fae amulet or her dark past, and normal is hard for a half-fae, half-werewolf on the run. Hedi's life changed ten years ago, when her parents were murdered by unknown assassins. She's been in hiding with her loopy aunt Lou since, as whatever they wanted she's determined they won't get it. Things change when wolves capture Lou, forcing Hedi to steal to free her -- for if she can offer up a fae amulet like her own they may trade. But it belongs to a rogue werewolf named Robson Trowbridge, who betrayed Hedi on the night of her greatest need. Over forty-eight hours, Hedi will face the weres of Creemore, discover the extent of her fae powers and possibly break her own heart in the process.
344 pages, Paperback
First published December 24, 2012
42 people are currently reading
2757 people want to read
About the author
Leigh Evans
30 books170 followersI was born in Montreal, Quebec but now live in Southern Ontario with my husband. I’ve raised two kids, mothered three dogs, and herded a few cats. Other than that, my life was fairly routine until I hit the age of 50. Some women get tattoos. I decided to write a book. A little tardy, but then again, Mum always said I was a late bloomer.
So how old are you now?
I’m not telling you.
Have you always written?
No. I wrote about that here: http://leighevans.com/blog/for-perspi... That post is the first of many that charts my journey from the start of writing Hedi’s story to winning my agent, Deidre Knight, through the Speed-Dating-With-Deidre contest hosted on The Knight Agency blog.
Is The Trouble With Fate your first novel?
Yes. With all the hell that implies.
Do you have plans for more?
Indeed I do. St. Martin’s Press has contracted me for four books. I delighted to add that the UK has picked up on the Mystwalker series too!
Were you always so awesome?
Sorry to disappoint, but I was the kid with the speech impediment in grade school and the wrong hem-length in high school. Let’s not even discuss college, where I discovered all the things that were cool and not so cool, and realized that I probably fell into the latter category. Truth be told, I doubt I’ll ever be awesome, but damn, I keep trying.
Seriously, how old are you?
I’m still not telling you.
Is there a bottom line in life?
Yes. Never give up. Ever. Even bad things eventually turn around. Take that from someone who’d all but farmed herself out into the pasture.
You can reinvent yourself. You truly can.
So how old are you now?
I’m not telling you.
Have you always written?
No. I wrote about that here: http://leighevans.com/blog/for-perspi... That post is the first of many that charts my journey from the start of writing Hedi’s story to winning my agent, Deidre Knight, through the Speed-Dating-With-Deidre contest hosted on The Knight Agency blog.
Is The Trouble With Fate your first novel?
Yes. With all the hell that implies.
Do you have plans for more?
Indeed I do. St. Martin’s Press has contracted me for four books. I delighted to add that the UK has picked up on the Mystwalker series too!
Were you always so awesome?
Sorry to disappoint, but I was the kid with the speech impediment in grade school and the wrong hem-length in high school. Let’s not even discuss college, where I discovered all the things that were cool and not so cool, and realized that I probably fell into the latter category. Truth be told, I doubt I’ll ever be awesome, but damn, I keep trying.
Seriously, how old are you?
I’m still not telling you.
Is there a bottom line in life?
Yes. Never give up. Ever. Even bad things eventually turn around. Take that from someone who’d all but farmed herself out into the pasture.
You can reinvent yourself. You truly can.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 277 reviews
April 18, 2013
3.5 stars
With hundreds (yes, hundreds) of urban fantasy books behind me, I really thought I’d seen it all, but a sentient amulet for a sidekick is news even to me. Merry the fae amulet is an endless source of entertainment. She doesn’t speak, obviously, but she has ways to express her opinions rather loudly regardless. Most of those ways end up being very painful for poor Hedi. But Merry also has the ability to heal and she uses it to help Hedi whenever it’s needed, and in turn, Hedi feeds her and keeps her safe.
Hedi is a somewhat unusual UF protagonist. A half-fae-half werewolf in hiding, she is neither nice nor particularly brave, and she never utters a sentence that isn’t rude to at least three people simultaneously. But being privy to her thoughts meant I also got to see the hows and whys of it firsthand, and while none of it made her more likeable, it did at least made me sympathize to a certain extent. At the same time, being inside Hedi’s head was often a hilarious experience. Her distinctive, clear-as-bell voice jumps out at the very first page.
If people stayed with proven facts, work environments would be easier. Groundless accusations just stir things up, like the whole “Who hid the turkey breast sandwich behind the milk?” controversy. Did they think I did it? Well, prove it. Maybe I did do it, and maybe if you were an anal retentive asshole who counted cookies and sandwiches, you might feel those were two good reasons to fire your barista. Maybe.
Oh, but the romance in this one is as heartbreaking as it is unusual. Hedi has been in love with the werewolf Trowbridge for as long as she can remember, but he never returned her feeling. For one, when they knew each other she was only twelve and he was in his late teens, and later she disappeared and he married a girl named Candy. Now Candy is dead, and Hedi and Trowbridge are forced to work together. To make matters worse, there’s also the small matter of Hedi’s amulet being in love with the Royal Amulet around Trowbridge’s neck.
Achieving a life-long dream and getting Trowbridge into bed isn’t so hard for Hedi. There’s a connection between them and neither of them tries too hard to resist it. But as Trowbridge himself pointed out, he’s no prize – after years of hiding, guilt-ridden, drunk and bent on revenge against the weres who killed his family, not much of the old Robson Trowbridge remains. And the memory of his dead wife Candy is always between them.
He waited for me to explode again, and when I didn't, he used two fingers on my forehead to ease me back into my seat. "You are one crazy-ass Tinker Bell," he said, returning his attention to the road.
The Trouble With Fate is full of action and sexual tension, my two favorite things. The ending, I have to admit, took me completely by surprise, and although it’s not a cliffhanger at all, it left me pining for the next book.
With hundreds (yes, hundreds) of urban fantasy books behind me, I really thought I’d seen it all, but a sentient amulet for a sidekick is news even to me. Merry the fae amulet is an endless source of entertainment. She doesn’t speak, obviously, but she has ways to express her opinions rather loudly regardless. Most of those ways end up being very painful for poor Hedi. But Merry also has the ability to heal and she uses it to help Hedi whenever it’s needed, and in turn, Hedi feeds her and keeps her safe.
Hedi is a somewhat unusual UF protagonist. A half-fae-half werewolf in hiding, she is neither nice nor particularly brave, and she never utters a sentence that isn’t rude to at least three people simultaneously. But being privy to her thoughts meant I also got to see the hows and whys of it firsthand, and while none of it made her more likeable, it did at least made me sympathize to a certain extent. At the same time, being inside Hedi’s head was often a hilarious experience. Her distinctive, clear-as-bell voice jumps out at the very first page.
If people stayed with proven facts, work environments would be easier. Groundless accusations just stir things up, like the whole “Who hid the turkey breast sandwich behind the milk?” controversy. Did they think I did it? Well, prove it. Maybe I did do it, and maybe if you were an anal retentive asshole who counted cookies and sandwiches, you might feel those were two good reasons to fire your barista. Maybe.
Oh, but the romance in this one is as heartbreaking as it is unusual. Hedi has been in love with the werewolf Trowbridge for as long as she can remember, but he never returned her feeling. For one, when they knew each other she was only twelve and he was in his late teens, and later she disappeared and he married a girl named Candy. Now Candy is dead, and Hedi and Trowbridge are forced to work together. To make matters worse, there’s also the small matter of Hedi’s amulet being in love with the Royal Amulet around Trowbridge’s neck.
Achieving a life-long dream and getting Trowbridge into bed isn’t so hard for Hedi. There’s a connection between them and neither of them tries too hard to resist it. But as Trowbridge himself pointed out, he’s no prize – after years of hiding, guilt-ridden, drunk and bent on revenge against the weres who killed his family, not much of the old Robson Trowbridge remains. And the memory of his dead wife Candy is always between them.
He waited for me to explode again, and when I didn't, he used two fingers on my forehead to ease me back into my seat. "You are one crazy-ass Tinker Bell," he said, returning his attention to the road.
The Trouble With Fate is full of action and sexual tension, my two favorite things. The ending, I have to admit, took me completely by surprise, and although it’s not a cliffhanger at all, it left me pining for the next book.
December 6, 2012
3.5 stars...Love the heroine! Go, Hedi!
Hedi Peacock, equal parts Were and Fae, works as a barista. She supports the only family member – her sickly and unstable Fae aunt - remaining in this world. Life had once been wonderful, with a loving mother mated to an honorable werewolf, a twin brother who was also a best friend, a charming home by a pond, and a dreamy boy to stalk. It was all lost one horrible night ending with a werewolf killing her father; the Fae executing her mother; and the kidnapping of her brother into the Fae realm. This leaves Hedi with a crazy aunt, a moody amulet named Merry, and a dangerous secret Hedi’s mother made her promise to never share. The kidnapping of her Aunt Lou leads her to the last man she never thought she would need: the beautiful and washed-up Robson Trowbridge, her stalker-worthy childhood crush. With his help she may save her aunt once she steals an amulet the kidnappers are demanding; an amulet that Trowbridge providentially possesses.
The Trouble with Fate is an enjoyable book. Hedi is not the usual battle-ready and snarky heroine seen in many
urban fantasy and paranormal romance novels. She’s frumpy, plain, and awkward. Her heart is achingly tender; yet, when she taps into her Fae powers and releases her Inner Were Bitch, Hedi challenges us not to underestimate her. She appears to have a fragility counterbalanced with an unbreakable spirit. She’s a paradox. Hedi’s resilience, insecurities, and brave heart made me love her!
In this novel, it seems nearly all the characters are flawed. There’s a defeated hero, a heroine with kleptomania, a transvestite werewolf, a crazy aunt, and a temperamental amulet, just to name a few. A gripe I have is that I don’t have a full grasp of Hedi’s love interest. Robson Trowbridge is presented through Hedi’s eyes from her memories as a child and adult perspective. He would rather drink at bars than regain what is rightfully his. Dangerous situations with Hedi and his actions inspire me to believe he has potential to be the hero she deserves. There’s plenty of mystery shrouding a few characters to have me anxious for the next Mystwalker book.
The world-building involves the Fae, werewolves, and the different realms – Earth, Merenwyn, and Threall - available (or not) to each. Threall, third realm and ‘the land of mists and bad things,’ is the most fascinating. The third realm is a place accessible to Mystwalkers, where souls can be destroyed and ‘dream walkers’ may become ‘mad and soulless.’ I am intrigued! Most of the story occurs within the Earth realm with a riveting peek into Threall. The next book should reveal more about werewolf pack dynamics and politics, which seem comparable to other fantasy novels involving Weres. Learning more about Fae Mystwalkers and their fate amongst their kind will likely lead Hedi down a dark and dangerous road (or portal).
The Trouble with Fate is a Leigh Evan’s debut novel. It isn’t a light story, but Hedi’s voice is very young for a twenty-two year old. Other characters commonly mistake her for a teenager and I sometimes felt like I was reading a new adult novel, making it a challenge to rate in comparison to other urban fantasy series. Although I found the pacing uneven - a few times sluggish - I’m fascinated with the heroine. Will she remain an ‘ugly duckling’? Her untapped powers promise to be immense: How will she change the world? When will her heart stop breaking? I want to know!
Future Books in the Series:
The Thing about Weres (Mystwalkers, #2) – July 2013
Mystwalkers, #3 – May 2014
Mystwalkers, #4 – n/a
Release Date: December 24, 2012
ARC courtesy of St. Martin's Press via Netgalley
Group read with tree-hugger friends. ;o)
Hedi Peacock, equal parts Were and Fae, works as a barista. She supports the only family member – her sickly and unstable Fae aunt - remaining in this world. Life had once been wonderful, with a loving mother mated to an honorable werewolf, a twin brother who was also a best friend, a charming home by a pond, and a dreamy boy to stalk. It was all lost one horrible night ending with a werewolf killing her father; the Fae executing her mother; and the kidnapping of her brother into the Fae realm. This leaves Hedi with a crazy aunt, a moody amulet named Merry, and a dangerous secret Hedi’s mother made her promise to never share. The kidnapping of her Aunt Lou leads her to the last man she never thought she would need: the beautiful and washed-up Robson Trowbridge, her stalker-worthy childhood crush. With his help she may save her aunt once she steals an amulet the kidnappers are demanding; an amulet that Trowbridge providentially possesses.
The Trouble with Fate is an enjoyable book. Hedi is not the usual battle-ready and snarky heroine seen in many
urban fantasy and paranormal romance novels. She’s frumpy, plain, and awkward. Her heart is achingly tender; yet, when she taps into her Fae powers and releases her Inner Were Bitch, Hedi challenges us not to underestimate her. She appears to have a fragility counterbalanced with an unbreakable spirit. She’s a paradox. Hedi’s resilience, insecurities, and brave heart made me love her!
In this novel, it seems nearly all the characters are flawed. There’s a defeated hero, a heroine with kleptomania, a transvestite werewolf, a crazy aunt, and a temperamental amulet, just to name a few. A gripe I have is that I don’t have a full grasp of Hedi’s love interest. Robson Trowbridge is presented through Hedi’s eyes from her memories as a child and adult perspective. He would rather drink at bars than regain what is rightfully his. Dangerous situations with Hedi and his actions inspire me to believe he has potential to be the hero she deserves. There’s plenty of mystery shrouding a few characters to have me anxious for the next Mystwalker book.
The world-building involves the Fae, werewolves, and the different realms – Earth, Merenwyn, and Threall - available (or not) to each. Threall, third realm and ‘the land of mists and bad things,’ is the most fascinating. The third realm is a place accessible to Mystwalkers, where souls can be destroyed and ‘dream walkers’ may become ‘mad and soulless.’ I am intrigued! Most of the story occurs within the Earth realm with a riveting peek into Threall. The next book should reveal more about werewolf pack dynamics and politics, which seem comparable to other fantasy novels involving Weres. Learning more about Fae Mystwalkers and their fate amongst their kind will likely lead Hedi down a dark and dangerous road (or portal).
The Trouble with Fate is a Leigh Evan’s debut novel. It isn’t a light story, but Hedi’s voice is very young for a twenty-two year old. Other characters commonly mistake her for a teenager and I sometimes felt like I was reading a new adult novel, making it a challenge to rate in comparison to other urban fantasy series. Although I found the pacing uneven - a few times sluggish - I’m fascinated with the heroine. Will she remain an ‘ugly duckling’? Her untapped powers promise to be immense: How will she change the world? When will her heart stop breaking? I want to know!
Future Books in the Series:
The Thing about Weres (Mystwalkers, #2) – July 2013
Mystwalkers, #3 – May 2014
Mystwalkers, #4 – n/a
Release Date: December 24, 2012
ARC courtesy of St. Martin's Press via Netgalley
Group read with tree-hugger friends. ;o)
September 10, 2013
September 2013 re-read: New rating 4.5 stars. I loved this book even more the 2nd time around. Looooooove Trowbridge. He tops the list of my favorite alpha werewolf heroes <3. Can't wait for book 3 next year!!!
December 2012 review:
**********************
**This was a joint review/buddy read with Lynsey. To see the full review, visit The Demon Librarian blog**
I love books about the Fae, and I can bask in the light of a well-written werewolf story for days. So when I read the synopsis for The Trouble With Fate and learned that the heroine is half-Fae, half-werewolf, I was instantly intrigued.
I enjoyed this book almost from word one. It offers magic, romance, and just enough mayhem to keep things interesting. The world is easy to slide into and the characters are fully developed. I can only think of one, maybe two times the narrative lagged for me, but those were brief blips on the radar and didn't detract from my overall reading experience. Leading lady Hedi is an appealing heroine with a wryly humorous voice, and I was in her court and on her side the entire story. Trowbridge, for his part, is my favorite kind of hero - gruff and reluctant and deliciously layered.
My favorite part of this book, though - and there are many to choose from - is the romance. It seemed to be leading down the usual PNR road, but just as it got there, it veered off, narrowly avoiding a collision with dreaded instalove. It's an unexpected twist that brings its own set of complications to an already complex relationship. Hedi and Trowbridge have a tough road ahead of them, and as a reader, I can't wait to see what happens next.
My rating is:
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
December 2012 review:
**********************
**This was a joint review/buddy read with Lynsey. To see the full review, visit The Demon Librarian blog**
I love books about the Fae, and I can bask in the light of a well-written werewolf story for days. So when I read the synopsis for The Trouble With Fate and learned that the heroine is half-Fae, half-werewolf, I was instantly intrigued.
I enjoyed this book almost from word one. It offers magic, romance, and just enough mayhem to keep things interesting. The world is easy to slide into and the characters are fully developed. I can only think of one, maybe two times the narrative lagged for me, but those were brief blips on the radar and didn't detract from my overall reading experience. Leading lady Hedi is an appealing heroine with a wryly humorous voice, and I was in her court and on her side the entire story. Trowbridge, for his part, is my favorite kind of hero - gruff and reluctant and deliciously layered.
My favorite part of this book, though - and there are many to choose from - is the romance. It seemed to be leading down the usual PNR road, but just as it got there, it veered off, narrowly avoiding a collision with dreaded instalove. It's an unexpected twist that brings its own set of complications to an already complex relationship. Hedi and Trowbridge have a tough road ahead of them, and as a reader, I can't wait to see what happens next.
My rating is:
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
August 5, 2012
I was lucky enough to get an early read of this fab book! Hedi, the heroine is a likeable, light-fingered heroine with smarts; Bridge is a tough, sexy hero with troubles; and there's a glimpse into a fascinating fae world that will have you howling for the next book. I loved it and can't wait for the next one!
June 9, 2012
What a delicious read!!!
June 18, 2017
Joint read/review with Janice.
What a fun read!
This was great, fun, sexy Urban Fantasy. Hedi's voice was immediately engaging as a protagonist, and you got the sense that she was talking directly to you, which I thought was great. It had some standard UF fare with the werewolves and Fae taking centre stage, but it definitely managed to put its own spin on even those regular staples of the genre.
And also some great new ideas as well. There were plenty of interesting plot developments and action to keep the reader glued throughout, and there was even quite a substantial amount of romance in there too! This was actually my only slight problem area. Not that I didn't like the romance - I did. I just felt at times it was moving too fast for me to keep up with. But then, I'm one of those strange people who doesn't mind being made to wait several books for a romance to form, especially in my Urban Fantasy series. I'm sure other people will be more than happy having things moving as quickly as they do.
I'm definitely going to be reading the next one as I liked the world building, the characters and the plot twists despite my minor issues with the romance. Can't wait to see how things pan out in book two: The Thing About Weres, when it releases in July 2013.
What a fun read!
This was great, fun, sexy Urban Fantasy. Hedi's voice was immediately engaging as a protagonist, and you got the sense that she was talking directly to you, which I thought was great. It had some standard UF fare with the werewolves and Fae taking centre stage, but it definitely managed to put its own spin on even those regular staples of the genre.
And also some great new ideas as well. There were plenty of interesting plot developments and action to keep the reader glued throughout, and there was even quite a substantial amount of romance in there too! This was actually my only slight problem area. Not that I didn't like the romance - I did. I just felt at times it was moving too fast for me to keep up with. But then, I'm one of those strange people who doesn't mind being made to wait several books for a romance to form, especially in my Urban Fantasy series. I'm sure other people will be more than happy having things moving as quickly as they do.
I'm definitely going to be reading the next one as I liked the world building, the characters and the plot twists despite my minor issues with the romance. Can't wait to see how things pan out in book two: The Thing About Weres, when it releases in July 2013.
September 24, 2013
4.5 stars
It all started with a day dream, a blue eyed hunk and boob grabbing stone.
Heidi, was just trying to make it through the day and not get fired when the dreams came. If that wasn't bad enough, he walked in the door to her coffee shop. All her control slipped, her memories warred between hate and love. This was only the beginning of her storm to come. She will be dragged into a fight they never wanted any part of. She is betrayed, heartbroken, beaten, and yet there is so much hope and *ding dong* some happiness to be found. She is half Fae, half Were, not excepted by either. Stuck in the middle of the two worlds, a spilt person. Her family was murdered, her twin taken away and her only family is a crazy Fae Aunt who seems to be drifting near death. She is basically alone.
Bridge, a rouge were, son of the pack alpha has been hiding away. He just wants to forget the death of his wife, killed the same night as Heidi's family. He is seen by Heidi but does not recognize her. Something is up and he's trying to find out what while staying under the radar of the new pack leader. He grieves his mate and does not understand why he lived after she died. He wants to know the identity of the wolf that killed his family. He is in for a shock when he finds Heidi in his bed stealing his amulet after a kiss and cuddle session he thought he dreamed.
Then it all begins, everything hits the fan. Backstabbing, lying, death, truths and much more than any of them have time to prepare for. Their story is not an easy breezy love story. It get's dark, twisted, oh so painful. It also is sexy, sweet, funny and exciting. It is one of those 'forget sleeping" reads, you just have to read one more page.....then BAM it ended with me sniffling at one huge cliffhanger.
I am addicted, and NEED to read book 2.
Another go to author.
It all started with a day dream, a blue eyed hunk and boob grabbing stone.
Heidi, was just trying to make it through the day and not get fired when the dreams came. If that wasn't bad enough, he walked in the door to her coffee shop. All her control slipped, her memories warred between hate and love. This was only the beginning of her storm to come. She will be dragged into a fight they never wanted any part of. She is betrayed, heartbroken, beaten, and yet there is so much hope and *ding dong* some happiness to be found. She is half Fae, half Were, not excepted by either. Stuck in the middle of the two worlds, a spilt person. Her family was murdered, her twin taken away and her only family is a crazy Fae Aunt who seems to be drifting near death. She is basically alone.
Bridge, a rouge were, son of the pack alpha has been hiding away. He just wants to forget the death of his wife, killed the same night as Heidi's family. He is seen by Heidi but does not recognize her. Something is up and he's trying to find out what while staying under the radar of the new pack leader. He grieves his mate and does not understand why he lived after she died. He wants to know the identity of the wolf that killed his family. He is in for a shock when he finds Heidi in his bed stealing his amulet after a kiss and cuddle session he thought he dreamed.
Then it all begins, everything hits the fan. Backstabbing, lying, death, truths and much more than any of them have time to prepare for. Their story is not an easy breezy love story. It get's dark, twisted, oh so painful. It also is sexy, sweet, funny and exciting. It is one of those 'forget sleeping" reads, you just have to read one more page.....then BAM it ended with me sniffling at one huge cliffhanger.
I am addicted, and NEED to read book 2.
Another go to author.
September 26, 2013
The Trouble with Fate: A Mystwalker Novel While I was reading this all I kept thinking was this is not your usual UF novel. It's gritty and messy and full of feelings and the consequences of realizing your destiny. It shows the 'ugly' side of Faerie more than the pretty, the bloody brutality of a Were pack's hierarchy and the painful cost of magic. And it also gives us an unconventional romance which developed in such a fulfilling way, because even though Hedi fancied herself in love with Trowbridge since she was a little girl, being in love with him brings a whole different level of vulnerability and self- sacrifice to her baser natures. I loved it!
Luckily the next book comes out next month because we leave Hedi in quite a tenuous situation. I can't wait to see the consequences play out as what happened at the end of the first part of the story comes to fruition in book two.
Luckily the next book comes out next month because we leave Hedi in quite a tenuous situation. I can't wait to see the consequences play out as what happened at the end of the first part of the story comes to fruition in book two.
October 10, 2024
Review coming tmrw.ᐟ need to sleep on it as idk how I feel‧₊˚ ⋅ ౨ৎ ‧₊
Okay looks like I slept on it a bit too long as I can’t remember the story. Now dk if that says more about the book or I simply disassociated while reading. Couldn’t tell you.
I remember Hedi doing the whole action first consequence later. annoying. And Mary her amulet being all in her boob. OH and her aunt was a lil two faced snake.
Okay looks like I slept on it a bit too long as I can’t remember the story. Now dk if that says more about the book or I simply disassociated while reading. Couldn’t tell you.
I remember Hedi doing the whole action first consequence later. annoying. And Mary her amulet being all in her boob. OH and her aunt was a lil two faced snake.
March 6, 2025
Dark and depressing urban fantasy with werewolves and fae
Hedi Peacock AKA Helen Stronghold, is a half-fae, half-werewolf woman, who has been basically on her own for the past 10 years, after her werewolf father and fae mother were murdered when she was a child of 12. Her only remaining family member is her mother's sister, Lou. Unfortunately, Hedi has been acting more as a protector of Lou all these years rather than being protected and effectively raised by her aunt. Lou was locked out of the fae dimension on the night of the murders. In a human world filled with iron, Lou has been slowly fading away and, in the process, going insane. She is on the point of death at any moment when she is kidnapped by the Big Bad, an evil werewolf who is the Alpha of the local pack. There is a magical amulet that he desperately wants, because he mistakenly believes it will open up a portal to the land of the fae. He believes that Lou has it, and when it is nowhere on her person, he concludes that she gave it Hedi. He offers to exchange Lou for the amulet. The problem is, Hedi does not have that particular amulet. But she knows who does--Rob Trowbridge. He is the 28-year-old son of the former Alpha of the pack, who was murdered, along with Rob's mother and his young wife, several years ago, by that same evil Alpha, who framed Rob for those murders as a means to drive him out of the pack. Rob shows up in town on the very day that Lou is kidnapped, has a meeting with another werewolf in the coffee shop where Hedi is a barista, and she sees the amulet that the Big Bad wants on a chain around his neck. Hedi is determined to steal it from Rob in order to save her aunt, even though she instinctively realizes that the evil Alpha is not going to let her or her aunt live.
After the inciting incident of the kidnap, this story leaps into constant action. Hedi's Chief Virtue is protective loyalty. But her Chief Flaw is a "fools rush in" type of bravery that causes more problems than it solves. It is this CF, on top of the relentlessly bleak and violent plot, that leached every bit of vicarious pleasure out of this story for me.
I obtained a copy of the GraphicAudio recording of this novel through Hoopla. As always, the GA performance is fabulous, but even its brilliance could not overcome the many flaws of this novel.
I rate this novel 5 stars for the GA performance and 1 star for the novel itself. I am boosting my rating by 1 star for this review entirely because of GA.
Hedi Peacock AKA Helen Stronghold, is a half-fae, half-werewolf woman, who has been basically on her own for the past 10 years, after her werewolf father and fae mother were murdered when she was a child of 12. Her only remaining family member is her mother's sister, Lou. Unfortunately, Hedi has been acting more as a protector of Lou all these years rather than being protected and effectively raised by her aunt. Lou was locked out of the fae dimension on the night of the murders. In a human world filled with iron, Lou has been slowly fading away and, in the process, going insane. She is on the point of death at any moment when she is kidnapped by the Big Bad, an evil werewolf who is the Alpha of the local pack. There is a magical amulet that he desperately wants, because he mistakenly believes it will open up a portal to the land of the fae. He believes that Lou has it, and when it is nowhere on her person, he concludes that she gave it Hedi. He offers to exchange Lou for the amulet. The problem is, Hedi does not have that particular amulet. But she knows who does--Rob Trowbridge. He is the 28-year-old son of the former Alpha of the pack, who was murdered, along with Rob's mother and his young wife, several years ago, by that same evil Alpha, who framed Rob for those murders as a means to drive him out of the pack. Rob shows up in town on the very day that Lou is kidnapped, has a meeting with another werewolf in the coffee shop where Hedi is a barista, and she sees the amulet that the Big Bad wants on a chain around his neck. Hedi is determined to steal it from Rob in order to save her aunt, even though she instinctively realizes that the evil Alpha is not going to let her or her aunt live.
After the inciting incident of the kidnap, this story leaps into constant action. Hedi's Chief Virtue is protective loyalty. But her Chief Flaw is a "fools rush in" type of bravery that causes more problems than it solves. It is this CF, on top of the relentlessly bleak and violent plot, that leached every bit of vicarious pleasure out of this story for me.
I obtained a copy of the GraphicAudio recording of this novel through Hoopla. As always, the GA performance is fabulous, but even its brilliance could not overcome the many flaws of this novel.
I rate this novel 5 stars for the GA performance and 1 star for the novel itself. I am boosting my rating by 1 star for this review entirely because of GA.
December 19, 2012
I fell in love with the main character, Hedi, the minute she appeared on the page. Not that she goes out of the way to make herself lovable, mind you. Here's the thing about Hedi: she's half Fae and half Were. Now, werewolf books in general are not my usual fare, but I've read enough to know that the Fae and the Weres don't exactly love each other. Hedi would be a woman at war with herself under the best of circumstances.
And hers are not the best of circumstances. When she was young, her family was murdered. The prime suspect is the first and only boy she's ever loved, Robson Trowbridge.
So yeah. All she's got left is a sentient amulet named Merry with an agenda of her own, and a crazy old aunt who is not only slipping farther and farther into madness, but dragging Hedi along with her. It's no wonder that Hedi has a chip on her shoulder the size of a small country. Inside though, she is vulnerable and passionate and when she loves it is forever.
And that, my friends, is all I'm going to tell you, except that this is a richly layered novel that puts a whole new spin on Paranormal fiction. It's a romance, but with plenty of action for those of us who need that along with the love.
And hers are not the best of circumstances. When she was young, her family was murdered. The prime suspect is the first and only boy she's ever loved, Robson Trowbridge.
So yeah. All she's got left is a sentient amulet named Merry with an agenda of her own, and a crazy old aunt who is not only slipping farther and farther into madness, but dragging Hedi along with her. It's no wonder that Hedi has a chip on her shoulder the size of a small country. Inside though, she is vulnerable and passionate and when she loves it is forever.
And that, my friends, is all I'm going to tell you, except that this is a richly layered novel that puts a whole new spin on Paranormal fiction. It's a romance, but with plenty of action for those of us who need that along with the love.
August 10, 2022
2022 Update
I was browsing through my "Great Male Lead" shelf and came across this one. Too bad I didn't pay attention to the "Library Read Don't Buy" shelf and purchased the audio version since that's 90% of my reading life these days.
Dear God, fellow audio readers, just don't do it! They did some sort of "Movie in your mind" thing with this, complete with sound effects and music in the background. I was doing okay, mostly, until it got to the first makeout scene between the two main characters. For one thing, there's this cheesy 70s almost-porn music in the background, which is bad enough. For another...
That's right, they actually put in the kissing sound effects, and I don't know what it is about my old age but I can't listen to people eating or, apparently, kissing loudly into a microphone. Basically, if it involves saliva and a microphone, the sound effect is probably going to freak me out. I can't even watch the end of Kenji Lopez-Alt's cooking videos because he always eats whatever he's just made directly into the microphone and it actually makes me nauseous.
And on another note, I have no idea what made me like Robson Trowbridge so much 9 years ago. Maybe it's later in the book, but I'm not sure I'm going to make it through the re-read to find out.
Additionally, the damn thing seems to have some sort of abridged issue where it skips through scenes. While I was happy for that uncomfortable love scene to go the fuck away, the next scene starts with dialogue that you have no idea where it came from. I seriously don't think I have ever disliked an audiobook this strongly.
I'd try to get my Audible credits back because my dumb ass got all excited and thought, Oh, cool, they did the whole series and I can finally finish it so I not only have this book, but books two and three as well, but apparently, I've returned something else in some arbitrary undisclosed time frame and Audible won't let me return things right now. Too bad they don't have an appeals process where I can say, "The sound effects in the book make me want to puke," but Overlord Bezos, whose company makes people pee in bottles so they can make quotas, and won't allow workers to go home so they can sit in the warehouse and die when tornados come, probably wouldn't care anyway. (Jeez, that's something else to make me nauseous. I need to find another audiobook provider.)
Original 2013 review
I want to give this one more stars, and I sort of waffled between 3 and 4, but for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to add an extra one. It wasn't bad, by any stretch of the imagination and I enjoyed it enough that I'm putting the second book in the series on my TBR list. However, my dissatisfaction seems to come from a few factors.
For one thing, the book seems pretty certain that the heroine is actually an antiheroine, but she just doesn't really come off this way. I'm not sure why - after all, she steals cars and books from kindly blind guys, wrecks Starbucks machines (although maybe that should be a point in her "heroine" column), is an unrepetant kleptomaniac, and possesses powers that, in her world, are traditionally used to control and/or kill people. But she just thought like a person who was trying to pigeonhole herself into an antihero role and it just didn't quite mesh right. It made it hard for me to connect with the character, because she just didn't quite seem real to me. I think that's probably the main reason I couldn't quite manage to give this one that 4th star.
Additionally, there were several places where the book lost my interest. I'd be reading along and suddenly realize that I hadn't retained the last page or so. This may not have been a flaw with the book, as sometimes my mind tends to wander, but since I haven't had that problem with the other two books I'm reading right now, I'm going to say it's the book. Again, I can't tell you why this would have happened. There were also one or two places where something that was supposed to be a surprise at the time had essentially been stated earlier in the book and I could not for the life of me figure out why Hedi was suddenly surprised by it when her thought processes had expressly told us the information several chapters before. It seemed a little sloppy to me.
Now to the good.
Robson Trowbridge. Yummm. Seriously, loved him. He was a bit of an antihero, similar to Hedi, but maybe because we weren't privy to his thought processes, he seemed more realistic to me. I'll be devastated if the next book doesn't feature Trowbridge because I'm desperate to get to know him better. And really, I'd kind of like for Hedi to get to know him better too because as scrumptious as he is, it seemed more like a leftover childhood crush than love between the two of them. It was a bit like, "Oh, you're really hot and I'm really hot, let's have sex. Oh whoops, now I love you." I just didn't see the interaction between the two of them that would make me get why they'd love each other. I mean, I can totally see having a gigantic mega crush on him because, again, he's yummy, but love? I just didn't get the impression the two of them knew each other that well for it to be anything more than mutual lust.
And really, Hedi was a good character - don't let what I said in earlier paragraphs throw you off of her entirely. She's funny, snarky, and she's not overly self-righteous like a lot of urban fantasy heroines tend to be - which is probably the biggest plus on her side because the self-righteous schtick gets old in a lot of those books. She's not the prettiest or the smartest, or the most powerful (although I'm betting future books will remedy that last one). She's just doing what she thinks is the right thing. I'm looking forward to getting to know her in the next book, and I'm really hoping a lot of my issues with this first one will start to be taken care of in the second.
I was browsing through my "Great Male Lead" shelf and came across this one. Too bad I didn't pay attention to the "Library Read Don't Buy" shelf and purchased the audio version since that's 90% of my reading life these days.
Dear God, fellow audio readers, just don't do it! They did some sort of "Movie in your mind" thing with this, complete with sound effects and music in the background. I was doing okay, mostly, until it got to the first makeout scene between the two main characters. For one thing, there's this cheesy 70s almost-porn music in the background, which is bad enough. For another...
That's right, they actually put in the kissing sound effects, and I don't know what it is about my old age but I can't listen to people eating or, apparently, kissing loudly into a microphone. Basically, if it involves saliva and a microphone, the sound effect is probably going to freak me out. I can't even watch the end of Kenji Lopez-Alt's cooking videos because he always eats whatever he's just made directly into the microphone and it actually makes me nauseous.
And on another note, I have no idea what made me like Robson Trowbridge so much 9 years ago. Maybe it's later in the book, but I'm not sure I'm going to make it through the re-read to find out.
Additionally, the damn thing seems to have some sort of abridged issue where it skips through scenes. While I was happy for that uncomfortable love scene to go the fuck away, the next scene starts with dialogue that you have no idea where it came from. I seriously don't think I have ever disliked an audiobook this strongly.
I'd try to get my Audible credits back because my dumb ass got all excited and thought, Oh, cool, they did the whole series and I can finally finish it so I not only have this book, but books two and three as well, but apparently, I've returned something else in some arbitrary undisclosed time frame and Audible won't let me return things right now. Too bad they don't have an appeals process where I can say, "The sound effects in the book make me want to puke," but Overlord Bezos, whose company makes people pee in bottles so they can make quotas, and won't allow workers to go home so they can sit in the warehouse and die when tornados come, probably wouldn't care anyway. (Jeez, that's something else to make me nauseous. I need to find another audiobook provider.)
Original 2013 review
I want to give this one more stars, and I sort of waffled between 3 and 4, but for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to add an extra one. It wasn't bad, by any stretch of the imagination and I enjoyed it enough that I'm putting the second book in the series on my TBR list. However, my dissatisfaction seems to come from a few factors.
For one thing, the book seems pretty certain that the heroine is actually an antiheroine, but she just doesn't really come off this way. I'm not sure why - after all, she steals cars and books from kindly blind guys, wrecks Starbucks machines (although maybe that should be a point in her "heroine" column), is an unrepetant kleptomaniac, and possesses powers that, in her world, are traditionally used to control and/or kill people. But she just thought like a person who was trying to pigeonhole herself into an antihero role and it just didn't quite mesh right. It made it hard for me to connect with the character, because she just didn't quite seem real to me. I think that's probably the main reason I couldn't quite manage to give this one that 4th star.
Additionally, there were several places where the book lost my interest. I'd be reading along and suddenly realize that I hadn't retained the last page or so. This may not have been a flaw with the book, as sometimes my mind tends to wander, but since I haven't had that problem with the other two books I'm reading right now, I'm going to say it's the book. Again, I can't tell you why this would have happened. There were also one or two places where something that was supposed to be a surprise at the time had essentially been stated earlier in the book and I could not for the life of me figure out why Hedi was suddenly surprised by it when her thought processes had expressly told us the information several chapters before. It seemed a little sloppy to me.
Now to the good.
Robson Trowbridge. Yummm. Seriously, loved him. He was a bit of an antihero, similar to Hedi, but maybe because we weren't privy to his thought processes, he seemed more realistic to me. I'll be devastated if the next book doesn't feature Trowbridge because I'm desperate to get to know him better. And really, I'd kind of like for Hedi to get to know him better too because as scrumptious as he is, it seemed more like a leftover childhood crush than love between the two of them. It was a bit like, "Oh, you're really hot and I'm really hot, let's have sex. Oh whoops, now I love you." I just didn't see the interaction between the two of them that would make me get why they'd love each other. I mean, I can totally see having a gigantic mega crush on him because, again, he's yummy, but love? I just didn't get the impression the two of them knew each other that well for it to be anything more than mutual lust.
And really, Hedi was a good character - don't let what I said in earlier paragraphs throw you off of her entirely. She's funny, snarky, and she's not overly self-righteous like a lot of urban fantasy heroines tend to be - which is probably the biggest plus on her side because the self-righteous schtick gets old in a lot of those books. She's not the prettiest or the smartest, or the most powerful (although I'm betting future books will remedy that last one). She's just doing what she thinks is the right thing. I'm looking forward to getting to know her in the next book, and I'm really hoping a lot of my issues with this first one will start to be taken care of in the second.
July 23, 2013
I picked up The Trouble With Fate for two reasons it works for a challenge I’m doing on Goodreads & what can I say other then I love the idea of a werewolf/fae. Hedi is not human she’s half werewolf and fae she had the perfect fairy tale childhood until the night her father is murdered, her mother executed and her twin brother taken to the fae realm. Her only choice after being left in the fire by the werewolves is into hiding with her aunt Lou. After ten long years she’s working as a coffee barista when that last person she expects to see walks in.
Ten years ago Hedi had a crush on Robson Trowbridge when he walks into her coffee shop her life starts to spiral out of control. Suddenly her Aunt Lou has been kidnapped by were’s demanding the amulet that Trowbridge wears around his neck. At least Hedi won't have to go it alone she has her own amulet Merry to help her out. When she fails to steal the amulet she creates an unlikely friendship with Trowbridge learning that there is more to him than just a hunky were. With his help saving her aunt she will risk more than just her life, she will risk her heart.
I've been waiting for a werewolf/fae character for so long that Hedi had really big shoes to fill. Hedi exceeds my expectations she’s stubborn, loyal, and overall kick-ass which is my ideal urban fantasy character. Plus she was a coffee barista what’s not to love, I only wish the local shop had a half-breed barista I’d be their every day. I like the chemistry between Hedi and Trowbridge it’s an intense connection that starts out more hate but turns to love. I love the protective werewolf; Hedi needs someone who is strong and willing to fight to the death to save her life.
The concept of the Mystwalker is unique and exciting. The Trouble With Fate captivated me right I was instantly drawn into Hedi’s world right till the end. The storyline is filled with action, mystery, romance and a little coffee shop drama. I love the idea of the werewolves and Fae being at war but her parent’s still found a way. I love the idea that she gets to see how Trowbridge turned out after 10 years, she even steals his heart now that she’s grown up. She’s not your typical perfect body girl either which I felt makes her more real. The way the author creates Hedi’s fae and inner were is a perfect mix of the two, playing on both strengths and weakness. I love the story it was easy for me to get lost and lose track of time. I really loved the story and the characters they left me breathless. I can’t wait to start the next book; I know another sleepless night is around the corner. One of my new favorite urban fantasy series.
Ten years ago Hedi had a crush on Robson Trowbridge when he walks into her coffee shop her life starts to spiral out of control. Suddenly her Aunt Lou has been kidnapped by were’s demanding the amulet that Trowbridge wears around his neck. At least Hedi won't have to go it alone she has her own amulet Merry to help her out. When she fails to steal the amulet she creates an unlikely friendship with Trowbridge learning that there is more to him than just a hunky were. With his help saving her aunt she will risk more than just her life, she will risk her heart.
I've been waiting for a werewolf/fae character for so long that Hedi had really big shoes to fill. Hedi exceeds my expectations she’s stubborn, loyal, and overall kick-ass which is my ideal urban fantasy character. Plus she was a coffee barista what’s not to love, I only wish the local shop had a half-breed barista I’d be their every day. I like the chemistry between Hedi and Trowbridge it’s an intense connection that starts out more hate but turns to love. I love the protective werewolf; Hedi needs someone who is strong and willing to fight to the death to save her life.
The concept of the Mystwalker is unique and exciting. The Trouble With Fate captivated me right I was instantly drawn into Hedi’s world right till the end. The storyline is filled with action, mystery, romance and a little coffee shop drama. I love the idea of the werewolves and Fae being at war but her parent’s still found a way. I love the idea that she gets to see how Trowbridge turned out after 10 years, she even steals his heart now that she’s grown up. She’s not your typical perfect body girl either which I felt makes her more real. The way the author creates Hedi’s fae and inner were is a perfect mix of the two, playing on both strengths and weakness. I love the story it was easy for me to get lost and lose track of time. I really loved the story and the characters they left me breathless. I can’t wait to start the next book; I know another sleepless night is around the corner. One of my new favorite urban fantasy series.
January 11, 2013
As seen on my blog:
This book was a breathe of paranormal FRESH AIR. I have read an ENDLESS amount of the genre in the last few months, and to be honest, it all started swirling into a collective, repetitive, blur. This book broke the mold for me. It was action packed in JUST the right places, and with just the right amount of words.
I fell into INSTA-LOVE with the main character, Hedi Peacock. I loved her snaky attitude, I LOVED her wit, I absolutely fell for everything she held true and dear. She is definitely in my top 10 favourite female characters. I also appreciated that she wasn't your typical, toothpick thin, female protagonist that seems to populate books these days.
Robson Trowbridge, the male protagonist, was also SO amazingly written. His presence in the book added so much more to the experience. The interaction between him and Hedi was endlessly entertaining, and I pretty much couldn't turn the pages fast enough to get to their back and forth dialogue. He's a Were, but not your typical, brooding, "hear me roar" type.
Merry..OH my sweet Merry. I think she had to be my ultimate favourite "character" of the book. It was such a unique idea, and I applaud the author for the intricacies of her existence, and her relationship and importance to Hedi. She was her healer, her friend, and all while being teeny tiny, and a hanging fairy amulet from her neck.
Quick moving, and not ONE dull moment. This book had me anticipating every characters next moves-how they would react to confessions, and new developments. I ESPECIALLY loved the scene in the beginning when Hedi unleashes her pent up anger for Robson, and the fact that she believed he abandoned her many years back-UGH..my HEART.
I definitely recommend this book to fans of the paranormal, but who also enjoy a whole lot of wit and humour as a side course. Leigh Evans is officially one of my new favourites, and I can't WAIT until the next books are out!!
----------
*DISCLAIMER* I received this book as an ecopy from the author, in order to participate in the blog tour.
This book was a breathe of paranormal FRESH AIR. I have read an ENDLESS amount of the genre in the last few months, and to be honest, it all started swirling into a collective, repetitive, blur. This book broke the mold for me. It was action packed in JUST the right places, and with just the right amount of words.
I fell into INSTA-LOVE with the main character, Hedi Peacock. I loved her snaky attitude, I LOVED her wit, I absolutely fell for everything she held true and dear. She is definitely in my top 10 favourite female characters. I also appreciated that she wasn't your typical, toothpick thin, female protagonist that seems to populate books these days.
Robson Trowbridge, the male protagonist, was also SO amazingly written. His presence in the book added so much more to the experience. The interaction between him and Hedi was endlessly entertaining, and I pretty much couldn't turn the pages fast enough to get to their back and forth dialogue. He's a Were, but not your typical, brooding, "hear me roar" type.
Merry..OH my sweet Merry. I think she had to be my ultimate favourite "character" of the book. It was such a unique idea, and I applaud the author for the intricacies of her existence, and her relationship and importance to Hedi. She was her healer, her friend, and all while being teeny tiny, and a hanging fairy amulet from her neck.
Quick moving, and not ONE dull moment. This book had me anticipating every characters next moves-how they would react to confessions, and new developments. I ESPECIALLY loved the scene in the beginning when Hedi unleashes her pent up anger for Robson, and the fact that she believed he abandoned her many years back-UGH..my HEART.
I definitely recommend this book to fans of the paranormal, but who also enjoy a whole lot of wit and humour as a side course. Leigh Evans is officially one of my new favourites, and I can't WAIT until the next books are out!!
----------
*DISCLAIMER* I received this book as an ecopy from the author, in order to participate in the blog tour.
December 18, 2012
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
THE TROUBLE WITH FATE sort of snuck up on me with how good it was. The cover didn’t wow me, and the first couple chapters are a little slow. But, after the underwhelming start, this story–and more importantly the characters–completely won me over and made the first book in the Mystwalker series one of my favorite urban fantasy titles of the year.
The combustible and intense exchanges between Hedi and Trowbridge were fraught with sexual tension. Heidi had been nursing a crush on Trowbridge since she was a little girl, whereas he was much older and hardly aware of her. When they meet again after Heidi is an adult, events on both side have drastically altered both of their opinions of the other. Heidi has become a thief without any moral hangups about it. Her practical almost to a fault view of life was so entertaining and often at odds with the emotions she tries to suppress. Trowbridge, on the other hand, has been a rogue wolf for so many years that he’s mostly sharp edges and plenty of bark. The other character that really surprised me by being so ‘human’ was Heidi’s amulet, Merry. She never speaks, but Evans imbued her with so much personality and emotion, that her story-line was the one that ended up breaking my heart.
The character interactions are what I loved the most about THE TROUBLE WITH FATE, but the fae and werewolf infused world was also extremely well done. There is a long and volatile history between these two groups, and we are only scratching the surface of numerous interesting concepts related to them, like the sentient pendants. THE TROUBLE WITH FATE may not have started out with a bang, but it sure ended with one. The Mystwalker series has a lot more in store for us based on this debut, so I’m anxiously awaiting more when THE THING ABOUT WERES is released on July 30, 2013.
Sexual Content:
A mild sex scene. Scenes of sensuality.
THE TROUBLE WITH FATE sort of snuck up on me with how good it was. The cover didn’t wow me, and the first couple chapters are a little slow. But, after the underwhelming start, this story–and more importantly the characters–completely won me over and made the first book in the Mystwalker series one of my favorite urban fantasy titles of the year.
The combustible and intense exchanges between Hedi and Trowbridge were fraught with sexual tension. Heidi had been nursing a crush on Trowbridge since she was a little girl, whereas he was much older and hardly aware of her. When they meet again after Heidi is an adult, events on both side have drastically altered both of their opinions of the other. Heidi has become a thief without any moral hangups about it. Her practical almost to a fault view of life was so entertaining and often at odds with the emotions she tries to suppress. Trowbridge, on the other hand, has been a rogue wolf for so many years that he’s mostly sharp edges and plenty of bark. The other character that really surprised me by being so ‘human’ was Heidi’s amulet, Merry. She never speaks, but Evans imbued her with so much personality and emotion, that her story-line was the one that ended up breaking my heart.
The character interactions are what I loved the most about THE TROUBLE WITH FATE, but the fae and werewolf infused world was also extremely well done. There is a long and volatile history between these two groups, and we are only scratching the surface of numerous interesting concepts related to them, like the sentient pendants. THE TROUBLE WITH FATE may not have started out with a bang, but it sure ended with one. The Mystwalker series has a lot more in store for us based on this debut, so I’m anxiously awaiting more when THE THING ABOUT WERES is released on July 30, 2013.
Sexual Content:
A mild sex scene. Scenes of sensuality.
November 19, 2012
This review was first posted at Reading Between The Wines!
I have a new awesome series to follow! *Doing the book happy cabbage patch* The Trouble With Fate has an excellent jaded and snarky heroine named Heidi. She's half Fae and half Werewolf. Her father was murdered by a fellow werewolf, her mother murdered and twin brother kidnapped by the Fae. So it's needless to say that she doesn't have an overwhelming desire to be in touch with her familial roots. The only people she has left in her life now is her batshit crazy Aunt, who was her Mother's sister, and her amulet necklace, which is actually a very temperamental living object named Merry who likes to burn the crap out of her when it has temper tantrums.
The love of Heidi's life before her world was turned upside down, Robson Trowbridge, is a man/werewolf she's never even kissed because he was her childhood obsession before her family was so brutally taken away from her. When she was twelve, and he was eighteen, he married a girl he went to school with and in essence broke young Heidi's heart. So when she sees him in the coffee shop she works at all of these years later, while she's still on the run and incognito with her crazy Aunt, she doesn't know whether she wants to set him on fire or kiss him. Little does Heidi know that her years of somewhat peaceful existence are now over cause trouble has come to town, and it's looking for her and Robson.
This book is an amazing mix of urban fantasy and romance! Truly an outstanding debut for Leigh Evans, and I'm sitting on pins and needles till I can read the next book in the series because she left us in a hell of a situation at the end of this one! Five wine glass toast all the way, and I know you gals will love it as much as I did! Great read!
I have a new awesome series to follow! *Doing the book happy cabbage patch* The Trouble With Fate has an excellent jaded and snarky heroine named Heidi. She's half Fae and half Werewolf. Her father was murdered by a fellow werewolf, her mother murdered and twin brother kidnapped by the Fae. So it's needless to say that she doesn't have an overwhelming desire to be in touch with her familial roots. The only people she has left in her life now is her batshit crazy Aunt, who was her Mother's sister, and her amulet necklace, which is actually a very temperamental living object named Merry who likes to burn the crap out of her when it has temper tantrums.
The love of Heidi's life before her world was turned upside down, Robson Trowbridge, is a man/werewolf she's never even kissed because he was her childhood obsession before her family was so brutally taken away from her. When she was twelve, and he was eighteen, he married a girl he went to school with and in essence broke young Heidi's heart. So when she sees him in the coffee shop she works at all of these years later, while she's still on the run and incognito with her crazy Aunt, she doesn't know whether she wants to set him on fire or kiss him. Little does Heidi know that her years of somewhat peaceful existence are now over cause trouble has come to town, and it's looking for her and Robson.
This book is an amazing mix of urban fantasy and romance! Truly an outstanding debut for Leigh Evans, and I'm sitting on pins and needles till I can read the next book in the series because she left us in a hell of a situation at the end of this one! Five wine glass toast all the way, and I know you gals will love it as much as I did! Great read!
April 9, 2013
2 1\2
My trouble with fate started when I decided to read this book without first checking my friends' reviews. (Isn't it right Naysa?)
No, unfortunately, this isn't true. This book had many troubles of its own, starting from an uneven characterization and plot, and ending with holes and other nuisance on the way.
Let's start with the positive: it has a fresh take on a familiar world. It has broken characters as leading man and woman (yeah!). It has a darker edge to its story.
The negative. Now, where do I start.
Heroine: started good and regressed to teen mid-way. I was promised a competent, if broken, female and was delivered (at times) a silly teen with a crush. The rest of the times she was simply psychotic. I often joke that the "animal" in weres makes them read as a split personality disorder poster. Well, here we really cross in to psychotic behaviour. The heroine literally splits into three being, each in control in different moments with some pretty awkward (and awful) situations, like a sex scene in which her mind is apart from her body (in theory controlled by the were half). And by the way, why three? Why the human part? She is half-fae, half-were. Where her "human" self comes from?
The amulet. Sorry, reader pals. How exactly did you feel this amulet had a personality?
The pacing and story. It seemed that the first 80% of the story had no way to go. Some scenes were there for no apparent reason, like the mystwalker world. It was completely out of sync, it gave us no real value. If, as I suspect, it was a hook for future stories it simply was too much. It should have been simply hinted (stopping at the childhood memory).
Luckily for me the final 20% of the book was good and really saved the day. I'm not sure I'll buy the sequel. The fear of another book like this stops me. But I admit I'd like to know how Bridge and Tinker Bell are going to patch things up. I mean this is the guy who called his new lover with his dead wife's name. Ouch.
My trouble with fate started when I decided to read this book without first checking my friends' reviews. (Isn't it right Naysa?)
No, unfortunately, this isn't true. This book had many troubles of its own, starting from an uneven characterization and plot, and ending with holes and other nuisance on the way.
Let's start with the positive: it has a fresh take on a familiar world. It has broken characters as leading man and woman (yeah!). It has a darker edge to its story.
The negative. Now, where do I start.
Heroine: started good and regressed to teen mid-way. I was promised a competent, if broken, female and was delivered (at times) a silly teen with a crush. The rest of the times she was simply psychotic. I often joke that the "animal" in weres makes them read as a split personality disorder poster. Well, here we really cross in to psychotic behaviour. The heroine literally splits into three being, each in control in different moments with some pretty awkward (and awful) situations, like a sex scene in which her mind is apart from her body (in theory controlled by the were half). And by the way, why three? Why the human part? She is half-fae, half-were. Where her "human" self comes from?
The amulet. Sorry, reader pals. How exactly did you feel this amulet had a personality?
The pacing and story. It seemed that the first 80% of the story had no way to go. Some scenes were there for no apparent reason, like the mystwalker world. It was completely out of sync, it gave us no real value. If, as I suspect, it was a hook for future stories it simply was too much. It should have been simply hinted (stopping at the childhood memory).
Luckily for me the final 20% of the book was good and really saved the day. I'm not sure I'll buy the sequel. The fear of another book like this stops me. But I admit I'd like to know how Bridge and Tinker Bell are going to patch things up. I mean this is the guy who called his new lover with his dead wife's name. Ouch.
June 12, 2014
I thoroughly disliked this book. The heroine was completely YA - And H calling her little girl/kid all the time just made this more glaring. She was a horrible character; rash, petulant, stupid, indecisive, bitchy, inconsistent. Just hated her.
There was so much wrong with this book I'm not sure where to start.
- Helen Stronghold/Hedi Peacock, for the love of God pick a name and stick to it. Even the author got confused, having the mother in a flashback call her Hedi. Later Bridge calls her Hedi Stronghold (instead of Helen Stronghold) then the very next page she tells him she no longer goes by Helen Stronghold but Hedi Peacock - WTF?
- Same goes for the hero; Robbie/Robson/Trowbridge/Bridge - pick a name already.
- The set up /story makes no sense. If she thought the weres were responsible for killing her family why the hell would she choose to hide amongst them for ten years?
- The whole I'm Half fae - so lock down my half were bitch side saga. This crisis of identity was annoying, repetitive and again when she hooks up with Bridge giving into her were side made no sense when she has been fighting/loathing that part of herself for ten years - Oh and in one sentence after 200 pages of blaming Bridge for not saving her she forgives him. Two hundred pages of whining and she's over it and all is forgiven because she's hot for him, huh?
- There were too many inconsistencies in this book to count and whole chapters that were a waste of time and energy.
When a great story sweeps me away I don't see the grammatical errors/character inconsistencies or plot holes - In this book every other sentence was liking being hit with a bat. I deserve a medal for at least finishing this book - but am willing to settle for a glass of wine - which I'm going to go have right now and forget all about this dreadful book.
There was so much wrong with this book I'm not sure where to start.
- Helen Stronghold/Hedi Peacock, for the love of God pick a name and stick to it. Even the author got confused, having the mother in a flashback call her Hedi. Later Bridge calls her Hedi Stronghold (instead of Helen Stronghold) then the very next page she tells him she no longer goes by Helen Stronghold but Hedi Peacock - WTF?
- Same goes for the hero; Robbie/Robson/Trowbridge/Bridge - pick a name already.
- The set up /story makes no sense. If she thought the weres were responsible for killing her family why the hell would she choose to hide amongst them for ten years?
- The whole I'm Half fae - so lock down my half were bitch side saga. This crisis of identity was annoying, repetitive and again when she hooks up with Bridge giving into her were side made no sense when she has been fighting/loathing that part of herself for ten years - Oh and in one sentence after 200 pages of blaming Bridge for not saving her she forgives him. Two hundred pages of whining and she's over it and all is forgiven because she's hot for him, huh?
- There were too many inconsistencies in this book to count and whole chapters that were a waste of time and energy.
When a great story sweeps me away I don't see the grammatical errors/character inconsistencies or plot holes - In this book every other sentence was liking being hit with a bat. I deserve a medal for at least finishing this book - but am willing to settle for a glass of wine - which I'm going to go have right now and forget all about this dreadful book.
January 19, 2013
The Trouble With Fate broke my heart. And left me wishing on a star. This is a book where the fae aren't sparkly and the weres are dark and dangerous. This is a book where a child finally has to face growing up, when a woman finally rediscovers her heart and her honor. I wish I didn't have to wait until July to find out what happens next. Kudos to Leigh Evans on an outstanding debut. The writing is starkly lyrical, the emotions gut-wrenchingly pure. This book is faerie gold. Warning, though. Don't start reading thinking you'll get the whole fairy tale by the last page. Just FYI.
I originally checked this book out from the library. I've now ordered a copy for my keeper shelf, and preordered the next one to come.
I originally checked this book out from the library. I've now ordered a copy for my keeper shelf, and preordered the next one to come.
November 4, 2012
Brilliant debut novel. Leigh Evans has a strong, distinctive and compelling voice.
Rush out and read this emotionally charged book. You'll feel every challenge felt by the protagonist.
I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
Rush out and read this emotionally charged book. You'll feel every challenge felt by the protagonist.
I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
July 31, 2015
3.5 stars
Hedi and her aunt have spent the last 10 years in hiding, ever since her parents were murdered and her brother was captured and taken to the fae realm. Hedi is half fae and half werewolf but she has worked hard to stay away from other supernaturals, trying to remain hidden amongst humans. She is forced to come out of hiding when her aunt, Lou, is captured though. If she can steal a fae amulet from another werewolf Lou's captors may be willing to make a trade but coming up against the rogue wolf she has loved since she was a child isn't going to be easy for her and if Robson Trowbridge recognises her she'll be in a whole new heap of trouble.
The Trouble with Fate is a good start to what I think is going to be a great series, Leigh Evans has created an interesting world that is full of history and new twists to the standard mythology. I have to admit there were times when we were given so much information that I felt a little overwhelmed and struggled to understand exactly what was going on but that is one of the hazards that comes with picking up a new series. It isn't easy for authors to create the right balance between giving enough information to get readers hooked and giving them too much to cope with in one go. Unfortunately in this case it does sway towards too much but in spite of that I still enjoyed the story enough to want to carry on with the series. The plot was fast paced enough that it kept me reading even when I was a little confused about things and it felt like I read the whole book quite quickly.
I really liked main character Hedi, she isn't perfect in any sense of the word but she doesn't set out to harm anyone. She has only survived this far by being a liar and a thief which aren't really the best qualities to have but her actions were out of necessity rather than by choice. Since the death of her parents Hedi has never really had anyone to rely on, although her aunt should be the one protecting her for a long time it has been the other way round and Hedi has been the caregiver and provider for years. She had to grow up quickly and you can see the effect that had on her. I really liked the fact that Hedi stood up for herself and the people she cared about though, even when the odds are against her she refuses to give up and walk away. She has some interesting abilities that I'm looking forward to seeing develop further and I appreciated that using her magic came with some nasty side effects. It seemed right that she would have to pay for using so much power and she needed a little vulnerability to balance her character.
Trowbridge was the son of the Creemore pack Alpha and should have taken over as leader after his father's death. Unfortunately he was set up by an unknown enemy and the rest of the pack believe that he murdered both his parents and his wife so they chased him away. For years he has been living a lonely life as a rogue werewolf struggling with his grief and the guilt he feels about not being there to prevent the deaths of his loved ones. I have to admit it took a while for Trowbridge to grow on me, I just felt that he had walked away from his pack a bit too easily and I was annoyed that he never tried to clear his name or find out who had set him up. I would have expected an alpha wolf to be revenge hungry and determined to claim his rightful place so his actions didn't ring true to me. I was also a bit unsure about the romance that developed between him and Hedi when he was still clinging on to the memory of his wife. As we get to know him better and find out more about his past he did start to grow on me and I enjoyed watching as the pair got closer. The first sex scene between them was more funny than hot though and there was a point where I was a little grossed out by the idea of the mating knot (even though I'm still not 100% sure I understand it).
As much as I had a few issues with the story I did find myself drawn into the world Leigh Evans has created and I do really want to find out what happens next. The story took a very surprising turn towards the end and I have no idea where things will go from here. I have been left with plenty of questions that I hope we will start finding out answers to as the series continues and I'll definitely be picking up The Thing about Weres to see where what happens.
Hedi and her aunt have spent the last 10 years in hiding, ever since her parents were murdered and her brother was captured and taken to the fae realm. Hedi is half fae and half werewolf but she has worked hard to stay away from other supernaturals, trying to remain hidden amongst humans. She is forced to come out of hiding when her aunt, Lou, is captured though. If she can steal a fae amulet from another werewolf Lou's captors may be willing to make a trade but coming up against the rogue wolf she has loved since she was a child isn't going to be easy for her and if Robson Trowbridge recognises her she'll be in a whole new heap of trouble.
The Trouble with Fate is a good start to what I think is going to be a great series, Leigh Evans has created an interesting world that is full of history and new twists to the standard mythology. I have to admit there were times when we were given so much information that I felt a little overwhelmed and struggled to understand exactly what was going on but that is one of the hazards that comes with picking up a new series. It isn't easy for authors to create the right balance between giving enough information to get readers hooked and giving them too much to cope with in one go. Unfortunately in this case it does sway towards too much but in spite of that I still enjoyed the story enough to want to carry on with the series. The plot was fast paced enough that it kept me reading even when I was a little confused about things and it felt like I read the whole book quite quickly.
I really liked main character Hedi, she isn't perfect in any sense of the word but she doesn't set out to harm anyone. She has only survived this far by being a liar and a thief which aren't really the best qualities to have but her actions were out of necessity rather than by choice. Since the death of her parents Hedi has never really had anyone to rely on, although her aunt should be the one protecting her for a long time it has been the other way round and Hedi has been the caregiver and provider for years. She had to grow up quickly and you can see the effect that had on her. I really liked the fact that Hedi stood up for herself and the people she cared about though, even when the odds are against her she refuses to give up and walk away. She has some interesting abilities that I'm looking forward to seeing develop further and I appreciated that using her magic came with some nasty side effects. It seemed right that she would have to pay for using so much power and she needed a little vulnerability to balance her character.
Trowbridge was the son of the Creemore pack Alpha and should have taken over as leader after his father's death. Unfortunately he was set up by an unknown enemy and the rest of the pack believe that he murdered both his parents and his wife so they chased him away. For years he has been living a lonely life as a rogue werewolf struggling with his grief and the guilt he feels about not being there to prevent the deaths of his loved ones. I have to admit it took a while for Trowbridge to grow on me, I just felt that he had walked away from his pack a bit too easily and I was annoyed that he never tried to clear his name or find out who had set him up. I would have expected an alpha wolf to be revenge hungry and determined to claim his rightful place so his actions didn't ring true to me. I was also a bit unsure about the romance that developed between him and Hedi when he was still clinging on to the memory of his wife. As we get to know him better and find out more about his past he did start to grow on me and I enjoyed watching as the pair got closer. The first sex scene between them was more funny than hot though and there was a point where I was a little grossed out by the idea of the mating knot (even though I'm still not 100% sure I understand it).
As much as I had a few issues with the story I did find myself drawn into the world Leigh Evans has created and I do really want to find out what happens next. The story took a very surprising turn towards the end and I have no idea where things will go from here. I have been left with plenty of questions that I hope we will start finding out answers to as the series continues and I'll definitely be picking up The Thing about Weres to see where what happens.
February 15, 2013
The Trouble with Fate is like what the title said. I have trouble with this one. If I can sum my feeling about this book, that's will be "This Book is Sucks!". I'm not meanie here. I just being honest. This book indeed sucks. First part is more like Hedi's diary. She told us what happen with her past, her crush to the hero Robson Towbridge, her crazy aunt's dream that always haunt her and her life now. What supposed to be interesting plot turn as boring story. More like talk, talk and talk. Where's the action?
After some torturous part (and you maybe wondering why I'm not DNF'd this yet. I read Trouble with Fate as part of my group reading), finally I see some light. We will know more about Hedi's heritage as Fae and Were. Ms Evans can create a cool world, with Earth as the human and Were realm, Merenwyn as Fae realm, and Threal as Mystwalker realm. Those that can wanderer in Fae's dream. I just hope we get know more about Merenwyn and Threal since I found those realms are fascinating.
My other trouble with this one is, the first POV. It can be complicated thing. If you like the main character's voice, you will not mind that. You can still enjoy it even the story not too good. Alas, I don't like Hedi. She talk big, but when she captured by enemy, she f*ckin cry! Boo-f*ckin-hoo. Where's her bravado when she need it? She seems so immature, maybe because her age just 22 years old. Sometimes, I'm so tempted to stamp her head with "STUPID" word. Harsh, I know. She called herself as thief over and over. And when she make Trowbridge as mate, it because she doesn't have choice and shrug that choice off because well, she is a thief. Stop.It. Stop wallowing in your self pity and put your big girl pants, Hedi! I want her to be strong, like her old name Stronghold. But all I see from her is, she kinda weak.
The good part maybe is her friendship with her amulet, Merry. Merry, like all dead things, of course can't talk but somehow I can connect to her. Merry is so stubborn but she is the only friend Hedi had. I almost angry with what Hedi do to Merry in the last part, even it's necessary and it cost a human's life (and it Towbridge's life). If I become Merry, I'm not sure I can forgive Hedi.
Now for the hero, Robson Towbridge is not bad. He is not jerk too. Hedi think he was supposed to help her 12 years ago when her family was murdered. But then Towbridge have his own grief, since his family and wife are killed in the same time when Hedi's parent died and her twin Lexi had brought to Merenwyn. I don't know why, but I feel like Trowbridge kinda been manipulated by Hedi. This is why I hate it, we know all of him from just Hedi's POV. I would love to hear or read from Trowbridge's mind. I also don't like the way he called Hedi as "kid". Their gap is just 6 years old, for God's sake! I prefer him called Hedi "Tinkerbell". More suit her, imo. What make me glad is there's no love triangle which is usual in urban fantasy novels. But Hedi and Trowbridge's relationship is not the easy ones. Since both are broken and have so many flaws.
The villain is evil and do nasty, nasty things (with so much violence too that make me cringed) ; and Hedi will find that her aunt, Lou (who she thought being kidnapped and she want to help her) is not what she think to be. The ending is more like cliffhanger, but not that make you feel frustated. The story itself have potential, but if Hedi's personality still not change in book #2 (all snark but no action) I don't know if I want to continue read it or just give up and pick another book.
Thanks for Netgalley who had provided e-ARC
After some torturous part (and you maybe wondering why I'm not DNF'd this yet. I read Trouble with Fate as part of my group reading), finally I see some light. We will know more about Hedi's heritage as Fae and Were. Ms Evans can create a cool world, with Earth as the human and Were realm, Merenwyn as Fae realm, and Threal as Mystwalker realm. Those that can wanderer in Fae's dream. I just hope we get know more about Merenwyn and Threal since I found those realms are fascinating.
My other trouble with this one is, the first POV. It can be complicated thing. If you like the main character's voice, you will not mind that. You can still enjoy it even the story not too good. Alas, I don't like Hedi. She talk big, but when she captured by enemy, she f*ckin cry! Boo-f*ckin-hoo. Where's her bravado when she need it? She seems so immature, maybe because her age just 22 years old. Sometimes, I'm so tempted to stamp her head with "STUPID" word. Harsh, I know. She called herself as thief over and over. And when she make Trowbridge as mate, it because she doesn't have choice and shrug that choice off because well, she is a thief. Stop.It. Stop wallowing in your self pity and put your big girl pants, Hedi! I want her to be strong, like her old name Stronghold. But all I see from her is, she kinda weak.
The good part maybe is her friendship with her amulet, Merry. Merry, like all dead things, of course can't talk but somehow I can connect to her. Merry is so stubborn but she is the only friend Hedi had. I almost angry with what Hedi do to Merry in the last part, even it's necessary and it cost a human's life (and it Towbridge's life). If I become Merry, I'm not sure I can forgive Hedi.
Now for the hero, Robson Towbridge is not bad. He is not jerk too. Hedi think he was supposed to help her 12 years ago when her family was murdered. But then Towbridge have his own grief, since his family and wife are killed in the same time when Hedi's parent died and her twin Lexi had brought to Merenwyn. I don't know why, but I feel like Trowbridge kinda been manipulated by Hedi. This is why I hate it, we know all of him from just Hedi's POV. I would love to hear or read from Trowbridge's mind. I also don't like the way he called Hedi as "kid". Their gap is just 6 years old, for God's sake! I prefer him called Hedi "Tinkerbell". More suit her, imo. What make me glad is there's no love triangle which is usual in urban fantasy novels. But Hedi and Trowbridge's relationship is not the easy ones. Since both are broken and have so many flaws.
The villain is evil and do nasty, nasty things (with so much violence too that make me cringed) ; and Hedi will find that her aunt, Lou (who she thought being kidnapped and she want to help her) is not what she think to be. The ending is more like cliffhanger, but not that make you feel frustated. The story itself have potential, but if Hedi's personality still not change in book #2 (all snark but no action) I don't know if I want to continue read it or just give up and pick another book.
Thanks for Netgalley who had provided e-ARC
April 26, 2013
Meet Hedi Peacock. She's half Fae. Half Were. And all trouble…
Hedi Peacock is as controversial on the love/hate spectrum as Marmite or Margaret Thatcher - you're either going to end up hating her or loving her. Given that I enjoyed this book tremendously you can guess that I'm on the camp of like.
What do the tree huggers call it? Karma?
No wait a minute; that's not right. "Karma" is just a word for what goes around, isn't it? And on the surface, Robson Trowbridge's only crime was to have been the hot guy in school who was totally oblivious to the bottom dwellers of his world.
Like me, Hedi Peacock, formerly Helen Stronghold, and still, unfortunately, a bottom dweller.
Hedi Peacock's heritage is quite unique (even in the paranormal urban genre) being a mix of a fae and werewolf and her character even more so. She comes off as snarky, abrasive, frank, sarcastic, a little condescending and a whole lot of "You ain't gonna stop me" attitude. Yet she has some body image issues as she's 'curvy' and some social awkwardness thrown in there cause she was a 'bottom dweller' during high school.
If I created the world, you could bet there would be a set of natural laws, and one of them world be the Law of You Can't Stay Hot Forever. It would be stamped on the forehead of every high school heartthrob in ink visible only to bottom dwellers, just as an incentive to survive the ordeal of high school
I absolutely love Hedi as a main character and the writing is filled with so much of Hedi's attitude. I can see readers who can't connect to Hedi having a huge problem with this novel and for those that do absolutely loving it.
So is the hot guy in this kinda worth it? Well you bet, I really like the fact that he's an anti-hero having had traumatic experiences in his past shape the way he views things
"I'm not a prince who'll fix everything with a sword and kiss. I'm Rogue. I like it that way. I'm partial to my neck, and I'm not going to risk it rescuing another one of your boyfriends. I'm sorry, kid, but sometimes you just have to accept your losses."
The chemistry between Hedi and Robson is absolutely steaming yet there's a sensitive emotional connection between them because there are 2 very broken people due to their past traumatic experiences. The drama that exists between them is real, in the sense that it isn't drama for the same of drama but actual issues between the characters. Like the issue of Robson's dead wife/mate Candy (Werewolves mate for life so that's got to put a damper on things between him and Hedi).
The one thing I majorly disliked was how they got together (sexually), it was just so sudden and strange. Like hey your hot, I'm hot, I want you, let's have some sexy times together. That totally for me undermined all the emotional connection they had earlier. Thankfully the relationship grows from being just all sexual to something emotional by the end of the book. That was my overall major major dislike about their romance.
As for the lore, I liked how the author took the lore of Werewolves and mixed it up with the lore of the Fey making it a very interesting read as far as the genre grows.
Overall a pretty strong debut from Leigh Evans with a kick ass heroine, a anti-hero love interest, interesting lore and awesome chemistry. Fans of Paranormal Urban fantasy will not be disappointed!
Hedi Peacock is as controversial on the love/hate spectrum as Marmite or Margaret Thatcher - you're either going to end up hating her or loving her. Given that I enjoyed this book tremendously you can guess that I'm on the camp of like.
What do the tree huggers call it? Karma?
No wait a minute; that's not right. "Karma" is just a word for what goes around, isn't it? And on the surface, Robson Trowbridge's only crime was to have been the hot guy in school who was totally oblivious to the bottom dwellers of his world.
Like me, Hedi Peacock, formerly Helen Stronghold, and still, unfortunately, a bottom dweller.
Hedi Peacock's heritage is quite unique (even in the paranormal urban genre) being a mix of a fae and werewolf and her character even more so. She comes off as snarky, abrasive, frank, sarcastic, a little condescending and a whole lot of "You ain't gonna stop me" attitude. Yet she has some body image issues as she's 'curvy' and some social awkwardness thrown in there cause she was a 'bottom dweller' during high school.
If I created the world, you could bet there would be a set of natural laws, and one of them world be the Law of You Can't Stay Hot Forever. It would be stamped on the forehead of every high school heartthrob in ink visible only to bottom dwellers, just as an incentive to survive the ordeal of high school
I absolutely love Hedi as a main character and the writing is filled with so much of Hedi's attitude. I can see readers who can't connect to Hedi having a huge problem with this novel and for those that do absolutely loving it.
So is the hot guy in this kinda worth it? Well you bet, I really like the fact that he's an anti-hero having had traumatic experiences in his past shape the way he views things
"I'm not a prince who'll fix everything with a sword and kiss. I'm Rogue. I like it that way. I'm partial to my neck, and I'm not going to risk it rescuing another one of your boyfriends. I'm sorry, kid, but sometimes you just have to accept your losses."
The chemistry between Hedi and Robson is absolutely steaming yet there's a sensitive emotional connection between them because there are 2 very broken people due to their past traumatic experiences. The drama that exists between them is real, in the sense that it isn't drama for the same of drama but actual issues between the characters. Like the issue of Robson's dead wife/mate Candy (Werewolves mate for life so that's got to put a damper on things between him and Hedi).
The one thing I majorly disliked was how they got together (sexually), it was just so sudden and strange. Like hey your hot, I'm hot, I want you, let's have some sexy times together. That totally for me undermined all the emotional connection they had earlier. Thankfully the relationship grows from being just all sexual to something emotional by the end of the book. That was my overall major major dislike about their romance.
As for the lore, I liked how the author took the lore of Werewolves and mixed it up with the lore of the Fey making it a very interesting read as far as the genre grows.
Overall a pretty strong debut from Leigh Evans with a kick ass heroine, a anti-hero love interest, interesting lore and awesome chemistry. Fans of Paranormal Urban fantasy will not be disappointed!
January 30, 2013
Original Romancing the Dark Side Review:
Filled with magic, mayhem and a snarky anti-heroine you'll gravitate to!
While I found that book starts off a little slow, you really get a good look into the life of the main character, Hedi Peacock which sets the tone of the story. Hedi is a half-fae, half-were, working as a Starbucks barrista, who has left her old name and life behind the night her family was murdered in front of her and she loses her twin brother, taken by the fae into another realm. Her quiet, simple life is short-lived when her aunt is kidnapped and she's faced with the man who betrayed her family, werewolf Robson Trowbridge who just happens to be sporting an amulet similar to the special one she wears. To save the only family she has left, Hedi embarks on a journey that reveals the truth about the night she lost her family and forces her to accept herself and destiny.
When I first started this book I thought to myself: "This might not be my cup of tea." The book introduces us to what I'd best describe as an anti-heroine in Hedi, she's a thief, sassy and not so friendly. It was difficult for me to like her but I kept on reading, you don't always have to love the heroine to enjoy a book, right? She steps up as a heroine as the story progresses and grew on me about halfway into the story. Hedi might not be the type of leading lady I'm used to, but she has a tragic story and doesn't let that stop her from living her life, however unconventional it might be, that deserves credit in my book.
I really like that the author stepped out of the "perfect heroine/hero" comfort zone and created flawed characters that we're unsure about. Hedi is rough around the edges but there's definitely more than meets the eye with her, I'm looking forward to getting to know her better in the future. Robson Trowbridge is definitely Hedi's counterpart, he's a rogue werewolf who also has a tragic past that has made him cold and broody. Trowbridge is an imperfect hero that treats Hedi like a child for most of the book and while he started off being a little sexy in my eyes, I wasn't able to warm up to him as much as I would have liked. These two characters share a past but their relationship is far from romantic, one minute they're hot and the next they're cold making it hard to believe up until the last half of the story. With all the chaos and forbidden romance element, Trowbridge and Hedi's feelings are justifiable. The relationship between these two characters isn't picture perfect but I think that's what makes it work, I found myself rooting for them in the end.
The world building in The Trouble with Fate is intriguing and the characters while flawed, do not lack substance. The pairing of fae and werewolves is new to me and Ms. Evans drew me in with her fluid writing style and knack for suspense. With its strong characters, action at ever turn of the page and some unresolved issues, this book is a terrific debut that will leave you eager to read more of Ms. Evans stellar work. The Trouble with Fate is one of those rare gems you stumble upon accidentally and wins you over by the last page!
{ebook courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.}
Filled with magic, mayhem and a snarky anti-heroine you'll gravitate to!
While I found that book starts off a little slow, you really get a good look into the life of the main character, Hedi Peacock which sets the tone of the story. Hedi is a half-fae, half-were, working as a Starbucks barrista, who has left her old name and life behind the night her family was murdered in front of her and she loses her twin brother, taken by the fae into another realm. Her quiet, simple life is short-lived when her aunt is kidnapped and she's faced with the man who betrayed her family, werewolf Robson Trowbridge who just happens to be sporting an amulet similar to the special one she wears. To save the only family she has left, Hedi embarks on a journey that reveals the truth about the night she lost her family and forces her to accept herself and destiny.
When I first started this book I thought to myself: "This might not be my cup of tea." The book introduces us to what I'd best describe as an anti-heroine in Hedi, she's a thief, sassy and not so friendly. It was difficult for me to like her but I kept on reading, you don't always have to love the heroine to enjoy a book, right? She steps up as a heroine as the story progresses and grew on me about halfway into the story. Hedi might not be the type of leading lady I'm used to, but she has a tragic story and doesn't let that stop her from living her life, however unconventional it might be, that deserves credit in my book.
I really like that the author stepped out of the "perfect heroine/hero" comfort zone and created flawed characters that we're unsure about. Hedi is rough around the edges but there's definitely more than meets the eye with her, I'm looking forward to getting to know her better in the future. Robson Trowbridge is definitely Hedi's counterpart, he's a rogue werewolf who also has a tragic past that has made him cold and broody. Trowbridge is an imperfect hero that treats Hedi like a child for most of the book and while he started off being a little sexy in my eyes, I wasn't able to warm up to him as much as I would have liked. These two characters share a past but their relationship is far from romantic, one minute they're hot and the next they're cold making it hard to believe up until the last half of the story. With all the chaos and forbidden romance element, Trowbridge and Hedi's feelings are justifiable. The relationship between these two characters isn't picture perfect but I think that's what makes it work, I found myself rooting for them in the end.
The world building in The Trouble with Fate is intriguing and the characters while flawed, do not lack substance. The pairing of fae and werewolves is new to me and Ms. Evans drew me in with her fluid writing style and knack for suspense. With its strong characters, action at ever turn of the page and some unresolved issues, this book is a terrific debut that will leave you eager to read more of Ms. Evans stellar work. The Trouble with Fate is one of those rare gems you stumble upon accidentally and wins you over by the last page!
{ebook courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.}
January 2, 2013
Hedi Peacock is half-Fae and half-Were, but a whole lot of trouble. She now lives and works as a barista in a coffee shop while she tries to remain undetected by the supernatural world surrounding her. Hedi is pretty content with her “normal” life, taking care of her rather stranger aunt and talking with her amulet, Merry, until Robson Trowbridge walks into her little coffee shop one day and sends her world in a crazy whirlwind. This is a man whom Hedi has loved since her adolescent years and will always carry a slight torch for, even though she may try to deny it. He is also the man that is known to be the prime suspect in her father’s death.
This novel was a debut for Leigh Evans and I was pleasantly surprised. Her words just felt so natural and practiced, but I guess that is what makes for a great author. My favorite part of this novel was the humor. Humor is found within each character, and especially comes out in Hedi. Hedi Peacock is what I call spunky and eccentric. She says some of the most off the wall things, but they were always appropriate and hilarious. I usually don’t care for a lot of sarcasm or cursing coming from one character until it is overkill, but with Hedi it was just the right amount. I did wish at times that she wasn’t so negative. But her dislike for Weres and Humans was all too funny and her snide remarks were quickly jotted down into my journal.
I have not read that many books about the Fae, so I was quite interested in this aspect of the supernatural world. Leigh Evans does a fantastic job with world building. The action continues to rise from the first page and never slows down. I think that I am looking forward to the next book so much just to see how she expands on her world building. There were few parts were the author lost my attention and never really for long. This book was also a perfect mix of Urban Fantasy, which I am definitely reading more of, and romance. I felt like the romance was overdone at some points, but for the most part I thought it was just right.
I loved Hedi’s amulet, Merry. Hedi wore this amulet around her neck and would just talk to her at random times just as if she were standing only a few feet in front of her face. I thought this was so awesome and I am not quite sure why?! I guess I just got to thinking how cool it would be to have an amulet that can respond to you! The book was filled with little details like this that helped make Hedi’s world seem real!
***Thank you to the publishers at St. Martin’s Paperbacks for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review***
This novel was a debut for Leigh Evans and I was pleasantly surprised. Her words just felt so natural and practiced, but I guess that is what makes for a great author. My favorite part of this novel was the humor. Humor is found within each character, and especially comes out in Hedi. Hedi Peacock is what I call spunky and eccentric. She says some of the most off the wall things, but they were always appropriate and hilarious. I usually don’t care for a lot of sarcasm or cursing coming from one character until it is overkill, but with Hedi it was just the right amount. I did wish at times that she wasn’t so negative. But her dislike for Weres and Humans was all too funny and her snide remarks were quickly jotted down into my journal.
I have not read that many books about the Fae, so I was quite interested in this aspect of the supernatural world. Leigh Evans does a fantastic job with world building. The action continues to rise from the first page and never slows down. I think that I am looking forward to the next book so much just to see how she expands on her world building. There were few parts were the author lost my attention and never really for long. This book was also a perfect mix of Urban Fantasy, which I am definitely reading more of, and romance. I felt like the romance was overdone at some points, but for the most part I thought it was just right.
I loved Hedi’s amulet, Merry. Hedi wore this amulet around her neck and would just talk to her at random times just as if she were standing only a few feet in front of her face. I thought this was so awesome and I am not quite sure why?! I guess I just got to thinking how cool it would be to have an amulet that can respond to you! The book was filled with little details like this that helped make Hedi’s world seem real!
***Thank you to the publishers at St. Martin’s Paperbacks for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review***
December 19, 2012
Hedi is working at a Starbucks when Robson Trowbridge walks in. He is a Were, as in werewolf. The last time she saw him was right after her parents were murdered. Her father was a part of the same pack, but her mother was Fae. Since their deaths Hedi has changed her name, and moved around with her full Fae aunt Lou. She is sucked back into Pack drama when they go looking for an amulet, and amulet that looks a lot like Hedi’s. Trowbridge has the amulet they are looking for. After that Trowbridge and Hedi end up working, partly together.
The Trouble with Fate is Leigh Evans debut novel, and the start of a new series. I thought, at the start, this was a story I had seen before. Not only that, but the basic story line and main character seemed a lot of the same. Then Trowbridge and Hedi were forced together, and I found my tune changing quite a bit. I can’t pinpoint where or when Evans made me start feeling for Hedi, but it was an organic thing that neither felt forced or pushed.
The story itself is somewhere between a Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy, without being either. Hedi isn’t a perfect heroine, and Trowbridge is far from a perfect hero. The romance here is not glamorous. It’s as flawed as both the main characters, and works at making the unbelievable very believable. Both characters come from tragic back grounds. Instead of being whiney or broody as so many heroine/heroes are like to do, Hedi puts her big girl pants on gets on with it. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t have her weak moments, but again even they felt more natural.
The story can also be dark, which I enjoy. The writing feels like many Urban Fantasy novels. After all, this story isn’t something new, but it is pulled off well. Just when you think things couldn’t get worse, they get much worse. It goes further than a lot of stories are willing to go and has grit.
I am doing a lot of praising. Yes. It’s an excellent first time novel, but why not the perfect score? Some of the conversations between characters threw me. You know how at the end of Scooby Doo, when the bad guy says what he was planning? It has one of those moments. At other times the scene would move further in time, and then go back. I found that distracting. There is also a scene that feels as if it is set up for a future novel and has no bearing on the first book.
It flows well, the pace is right. Hell, I read it in two days. As far as debut novels go I was impressed, very impressed. I got to the end and wanted more. I look forward to seeing what comes out of the series.
- Beth
The Trouble with Fate is Leigh Evans debut novel, and the start of a new series. I thought, at the start, this was a story I had seen before. Not only that, but the basic story line and main character seemed a lot of the same. Then Trowbridge and Hedi were forced together, and I found my tune changing quite a bit. I can’t pinpoint where or when Evans made me start feeling for Hedi, but it was an organic thing that neither felt forced or pushed.
The story itself is somewhere between a Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy, without being either. Hedi isn’t a perfect heroine, and Trowbridge is far from a perfect hero. The romance here is not glamorous. It’s as flawed as both the main characters, and works at making the unbelievable very believable. Both characters come from tragic back grounds. Instead of being whiney or broody as so many heroine/heroes are like to do, Hedi puts her big girl pants on gets on with it. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t have her weak moments, but again even they felt more natural.
The story can also be dark, which I enjoy. The writing feels like many Urban Fantasy novels. After all, this story isn’t something new, but it is pulled off well. Just when you think things couldn’t get worse, they get much worse. It goes further than a lot of stories are willing to go and has grit.
I am doing a lot of praising. Yes. It’s an excellent first time novel, but why not the perfect score? Some of the conversations between characters threw me. You know how at the end of Scooby Doo, when the bad guy says what he was planning? It has one of those moments. At other times the scene would move further in time, and then go back. I found that distracting. There is also a scene that feels as if it is set up for a future novel and has no bearing on the first book.
It flows well, the pace is right. Hell, I read it in two days. As far as debut novels go I was impressed, very impressed. I got to the end and wanted more. I look forward to seeing what comes out of the series.
- Beth
July 24, 2013
The Trouble With Fate is a unique urban fantasy with plenty of things to make it stand out from other UF's out there. It's hard to find something truly different, but luckily this book had those elements that made it stand out from others. Some of these are the fae ways,world and rules; Hedi is half fae and half werewolf and that Hedi has an amulet around her neck called Merry and it's a living being inside that communications by changing colors and wiggling around (like pointing and stuff).
Hedi is a strong willed woman, though she's not always strong and has often taken the shortcuts and easy way in life. But almost straight away there's an abrupt major change in Hedi's life and from then on she's not so much about the easy way, but more about the right way. It is a bit of a journey for her, finding her way and discovering what she may really want in life and that she doesn't want to just survive, but also wants some meaning in her life. Not to mention, revenge.
It's clear and her and Robson Trowbridge are going to cross paths and I was pretty certain there was a romance waiting to happen there. It was just a matter of how and when. Luckily this was a romance that worked pretty well for me. Time wise it happened quickly, but they had lots of life or death moments together first and there's the whole thing that Hedi has been like, in love with him since she was a child. Trowbridge did some jerky things a few times that had me concerned he was going to turnout to be an a$$hat, but luckily it led to discussions which cleared things up for them so they could progress. He ended up being a great character. He's been dealt a hard hand like Hedi and I think they'll be good for each other. I think they really need each other and can understand the other better than anyone else could. And Trowbridge definitely has a sweet side, he just keeps it hidden.
Parts of the book felt a bit slow to me, but I never really felt bored either. I was anxious to see where things would go, but I never felt a pressing urgency to find out more. The end does have a cliffhanger and for that reason I'm very glad I waited to read it cause now I can dive into the 2nd book very soon!
I'd give this one 3.5 stars but am rounding up to 4.
You can find this review, and others like it, on my blog at http://www.candacesbookblog.com
Hedi is a strong willed woman, though she's not always strong and has often taken the shortcuts and easy way in life. But almost straight away there's an abrupt major change in Hedi's life and from then on she's not so much about the easy way, but more about the right way. It is a bit of a journey for her, finding her way and discovering what she may really want in life and that she doesn't want to just survive, but also wants some meaning in her life. Not to mention, revenge.
It's clear and her and Robson Trowbridge are going to cross paths and I was pretty certain there was a romance waiting to happen there. It was just a matter of how and when. Luckily this was a romance that worked pretty well for me. Time wise it happened quickly, but they had lots of life or death moments together first and there's the whole thing that Hedi has been like, in love with him since she was a child. Trowbridge did some jerky things a few times that had me concerned he was going to turnout to be an a$$hat, but luckily it led to discussions which cleared things up for them so they could progress. He ended up being a great character. He's been dealt a hard hand like Hedi and I think they'll be good for each other. I think they really need each other and can understand the other better than anyone else could. And Trowbridge definitely has a sweet side, he just keeps it hidden.
Parts of the book felt a bit slow to me, but I never really felt bored either. I was anxious to see where things would go, but I never felt a pressing urgency to find out more. The end does have a cliffhanger and for that reason I'm very glad I waited to read it cause now I can dive into the 2nd book very soon!
I'd give this one 3.5 stars but am rounding up to 4.
You can find this review, and others like it, on my blog at http://www.candacesbookblog.com
November 16, 2018
Overall this was an engaging read, with some genuinely new-to-me components of a supernatural tale. I knocked one star off because it felt overlong and sagged a little in the middle, and knocked another star off because some scenes toward the end were really dark and lasted a long time (they were probably necessary for the ending but I did not enjoy them). Surprisingly, even though there was a clear cliffhanger at the end, the main story wrapped up well enough that I was totally okay with it.
July 16, 2021
This book was really chaotic and uneven. Sometimes it was funny, sharp, and sexy, but other times I felt like I had missed the first twenty minutes of a movie because all the characters knew what was going on but I sure didn't. There was a lot here between all the werewolf and fae shit and it is constantly shifting between conflicts at random. That said overall Hedi was a character I liked and I did think for the most part things between her and Trowbridge were hot though it got pretty weird at some parts too. I felt like Lou could have been an interesting character but her motives are never explained and then she just dies with no answers whatsoever. I'm not sure if I'll read any more of this series, maybe if I find them at a book sale I'll pick them up.
October 13, 2016
I'm not sure if I just had a hard time relating to or liking any of the characters but the first half of this book had me on the fence. I really enjoyed the second half of the book and liked the pacing. With the slight cliffhanger ending, I do want to try the next book to see where the series is going.
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