Lucy Richards is tired of being timid around men. Hoping to overcome her fears and feel like a real woman, she turns to Madame Eve to find a man who will fulfill that goal. Eve arranges a one-night stand with a handsome Shawnee shaman who will teach Lucy to use her womanly power and take her to unimaginable heights. Shape shifter Seth Crowe is a Keeper of the Spiritual Law who carries souls from darkness to light, and enjoys using his body to accomplish his magic. Tucked away in the Castillo Poconos Resort, Seth helps Lucy find spiritual and sexual freedom, never dreaming he might find his own mate in the bargain.
A chocolate loving, wine drinking gal who often suffers from book hangovers.
When she's not busy writing contemporary romance for Decadent Publishing, Mary enjoys hanging out with her family. She's a wife to a sexy Flyboy and mom to three sons. Best days are spent reading RomComs and cuddling with her dog while reading.
Writing, reading and creating "moments" have become ways of escape from the pain of Fibromyalgia. She also doles out sensual tips, romantic advice, sharing experiences and promoting other authors on her blog “Romantic Interludes”.
Her personal passions include supporting & promoting pet rescue, small business shopping, local wineries & breweries and finding moments to breathe.
My Rating: 3 stars: Liked it, but I had some issues - recommend (B) Originally Posted at That's What I'm Talking About
Our story opens with Seth (aka Tecumseh), who is a caretaker of sorts for lost souls. He is the Crow of legend, leading a solitary and lonely life. In order that his own soul does not fill with darkness, he needs to find his mate. Knowing this, him mom and brother ambush Seth and set him up on a date via Madame Eve’s 1 Night Stand (1NS) because his brother Kam had much success with the dating service.
After a history of abuse, Lucy feels awkward around men and is not comfortable with her own sexuality. She hopes that Madame Eve and 1NS can help her overcome her fears and maybe find something she feels is missing from her life.
Crow Magic is a story filled with spirituality and self-awareness. The author uses Native American culture and beliefs to spin her own tale of romance centered around inner peace and freedom. While I found much of the culture presented entertaining, at times I felt the spirituality of the story was heavy-handed and overshadowed the romance.
In the beginning of the book, Lucy finds herself alone with an attentive crow at the secluded resort. She begins a dialogue with the alert bird that was a bit goofy and silly. Personally, I'd be freaking out if a crow pulled out my hair band and stared at me. However, after a while, her odd behavior is attributed to a history of abuse and the scene makes more sense in that light.
The overall “courtship” between Seth and Lucy was based on her spiritual and sexual awakening. Seth uses his powers to free her mind and body, allowing her to become centered and at peace with her own self. Because of this, I felt that the story wasn’t very romantic in the traditional sense of the genre. However, Seth realizes almost immediately that his connection to Lucy is deeper than that of previous charges, so he pursues her more intimately.
Overall, Crow Magic is an enjoyable story with an interesting concept. It is filled, and at times overfilled, with spiritual awakening, using sex as part of the process. The connection between the primary couple isn't as steamy as in other 1NS stories, because the focus of the relationship is equally physical and spiritual. I liked that Lucy was able to shed her past and let out the awakened spirit inside of her. I think that those with an interest in Native American culture will enjoy this novella; however, if you are turned off by spirituality, you probably won't like the novella as much.
This was a far different installment to the 1Night Stand series that I am familiar with, and will certainly appeal to some readers far more than the more formulaic story arc that is more traditional in the series. Mary Quast has created a short erotic story that nearly screams for a full length story, but that is due to the lovely characterization, the volumes of information and the strong spiritual journey that the reader follows with Lucy as she meets and enjoys her one night with Tecumseh.
Lucy is timid, withdrawn and fearful after a life of abuse and lack of trust. She feels she wants to find the sensual woman within, and Madame Evangeline has a way for her to do just that. Her solution comes in the form of Seth (or Tecumseh as he is referred to in all of the story but the 1st chapter). Tecumseh is a Shawnee, highly tied to his cultural heritage and serves as a crow, the spirit that enables people to let go of their fears and hesitations, and move forward to a better and brighter life. He also guides spirits on their journey: but a life alone is not one that will be healthy for his future.
The belief is that the two are meant to be mated: a legend that toes nicely with the story and with the sociology of actual crows, and the path to this awakening for Lucy and claiming the mate for Tecumseh is both spiritual and sexual: both with their own levels of beauty and intrigue that is carefully described and defined.
I would very much have liked to see more of the legend and history, more of the spiritual journey that seemed to fall into place very quickly, especially for someone so hesitant and reserved. That being said, Quast has written a lovely story that just demands more.
I received an eBook from the publisher for purpose of honest review for the Jeep Diva. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
I love the 1NS series from Decadent Publishing, I’ve met some great authors and stories from that series and Mary Quast and her story Crow Magic have made the list of great stories.
I will admit some confusion in the beginning with the legend surrounding Seth Crowe, but as the story unfolded I understood more. I really liked Seth and his infinite patience with Lucy. I liked the way he took the time to put her at ease and let her explore.
Lucy is a likeable and believable character. She’s not very experienced in the world of sex, love and relationships. She had this core of strength beneath her meek exterior, which I honestly think helped make this a great story.
This is a 1NS story which means it all takes place within a matter of hours. I felt that Ms. Quast definitely rose to the occasion and penned a excellent hot and steamy read. There are some amazing scenes that were very unique and I enjoyed them immensely.
I recommend this to fans of shifter romance, legends and hot sex.
Seth is finding his family are interfering with his love life and Lucy is getting pushed by her best friend, they both apply to Madame Eve's 1NightStand dating service to see if they can find their happy ever after.
This is another 1Night Stand story and in the tradition of the stories being so completely different this story is about shifters and it based on Native American lore. This was enjoyable and was different as the main character is a crow! I found some of the story a bit too far fetched where Lucy discovers her spiritual side however I did love Seth's family and wish there was more about them - a follow up perhaps??
I would give this 4 out of 5 stars Petra complimentary book given for a free review. juliesbookreview.blogspot.com