Cadenas Rotas: Un Romance de Gárgola Protectora (Corazón de Piedra)

Heart of Stone #1

by Demelza Carlton

A la tímida bibliotecaria Catena le gusta su vida tranquila... hasta que un hombre enorme y desnudo se abre paso a la fuerza en su casa, insistiendo en que ha sido despertado de su sueño de siglos para ser su protector personal.
La vida de Catena da un vuelco cuando es salvada por una criatura de la que solo ha oído hablar en los libros. Si tan solo los abdominales de acero de su héroe no estuvieran realmente hechos de piedra.
Tor no tiene recuerdos de su pasado. Lo único que sabe es que debe proteger a Catena a toda costa.
¿Podrán desvelar los oscuros secretos que los encadenan al pasado y forjar un nuevo futuro?

Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy, Shapeshifters, Contemporary, Supernatural

204 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2022

About the author

USA Today Bestselling Author Demelza Carlton has always loved the ocean, but on her first snorkelling trip she found she was afraid of fish.
She has since swum with sea lions, sharks and sea cucumbers and stood on spray-drenched cliffs over a seething sea as a seven-metre cyclonic swell surged in, shattering a shipwreck below.
Sensationalist spin? No - Demelza tends to take a camera with her so she can capture and share the moment later; shipwrecks, sharks and all.
Demelza now lives in Perth, Western Australia, the shark attack capital of the world.
The Ocean's Gift series was her first foray into fiction, followed by the Nightmares trilogy. She swears the Mel Goes to Hell series ambushed her on a crowded train and wouldn't leave her alone.

Reviews

[Sherry Fundin · Rating 2 out of 5]

He walked out of the wall and announced that he was there to protect her. Tor has no memory of his past, just his urge, his need to protect Catena. Demelza Carlton writes with wit and humor. My biggest problem, I thought this would finish the story started in Heart of Stone, but we don’t even discuss Ben. Where is he?

I enjoyed where the story was going and the laugh out loud moments, but, again, I feel hooked and left hanging. It would have been better if the entire series had been complete, then released. Now, it looks like April before Book II is ready and July before Book III is ready. I doubt I will finish the series. Too bad, because the characters were fun and had a great story to tell.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Broken Chains by Demelza Carlton.

See more at : fundinmental

[Chappy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this book.
I found Catena to be wishy washy...oh, I guess I'll do my PhD but I'm sure...blah
Tor was sweet but almost to a fault. He was too subservient and desperate to maintain his protector status.
The plot was just cumbersome and it wasn't really clear how Tor's "curse" was broken....and not much reaction when it was. You'd figure that they'd both be ecstatic.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon & on Apple iBooks today (6/16/2022)! 🎁

[Sydney M Neblett · Rating 5 out of 5]

These walls can talk

A brand new story, a brand new author, and a concept that I absolutely loved! I love how the author delved into the history of the gargoyles! It enhanced the story and made it that much more enjoyable. The characters were fantastic and the love story was just the chocolate sauce on the cake of the book. This book is a must read and I can’t wait to see what happens next in this house of limestone.

[Desiree · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read. Different. I was intrigued since I was thinking gargoyles different from what was in the book. For was sworn to protect her as her gargoyle and Cat was an archeologist trying to find her dig. I really enjoyed the archeology background and story it was interesting especially after learning about Tor and how he came about. I was laughing when I read about the shotty work that was done on some buildings and how they didn’t last. It was also learning that what we thought was witchcraft wasn’t it was like a signature of a sort. I was nervous reading about the shoes and what else they were going to find. But very interesting what she learned about them and why. I was afraid this was going to gruesome. I’m glad they both finally talked and they sorted something’s out. There was a language and time barrier that was an obstacle but it was a fun obstacle as well. I am looking forward to next book to really piece something’s together.

[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one for me was a little disappointing however there were still good elements to the story.
For me the downside was firstly there was a lot of repetition in the dual POV. As in whole scenes described first in Catena (the FMC) POV and then pretty much the exact same scene described in Tor’s POV (the MMC)It read really fast, and was easy to get into.
Secondly, the story felt too superficial and I wanted more.
However despite that, I liked the concept of a gargoyle romance (yes you read that right) as I had never read one before.
Also there was more to it than just romance and the plot elements were interesting, I just wished they’d be explored more. I think this would have worked better as a longer length story.
The book read really fast and was relatively short so was very easy to read.
Honestly I wanted more steam, but that’s very much a me thing 😂😂

Tropes:
Monster (Gargoyle) Romance
Protection

Steam:
🔥🔥

[Dora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Catena got a protector when she needed it most strong, mysterious and totally out of the ordinary. What a bonus! Tor only remembered what he had to do to get his freedom but how strange and difficult it was for him to obey the woman and control his own desires. Intriguing to find the Stones in the present still struggling with what happened in the past. Read the prequel Heart of Stone and I’m eager to know about their punishment and what's in store for each one of the brothers. Seems that little by little we’ll get the whole picture. Love these stories that keep me intrigued, guessing what’s next and enjoying the characters antics. Mystery, action, suspense, interesting descriptions, amusing scenes, myths, romance and passion. Voluntarily reviewed this copy that I liked.

[Georgia Tumbleweed McNabb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book rather a lot, especially when
when they are discussing the chocolate syrup and sprinkles. This starts out fairly serious and moves to entertaining and then on to fun!!
The main character is an interesting lady going for her PHD and trying to decide what to base her these on for the scholarship she wants to try for.
Narrator does a good job with the characters and entire storyline.

[Nicola Stevenson · Rating 2 out of 5]

At a broad level, this book was entertaining. I enjoyed the archeological & historical aspects of the story far more than I enjoyed the romance. I thought Cat & Tor were boring in their own ways - the only thing interesting about Tor was that he was a gargoyle & Cat was far too wishy washy. He was her protector but there’s no danger in her life that she needs protection from.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Purchased at W.O.W 2025

I honestly thought this was gonna be 🌶🌶🌶 but it wasn't at all. that to say it was such a cute story! gimmie a Tor any day, he is so sweet 😭 the book is based in Fremantle WA, so I learnt a bit of history as well! (studied architecture so the buildings were intriguing to me) gonna have to get the second book to learn about Dunstan😁

[Suez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed spending time with these quirky fun characters; however, I do wish their story was longer and more detailed ... I'm looking forward to the next instalment. This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy

[Kayla Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this as an arc @thesmuthood but my opinion is my own!

This book was really good, Catena and Tor were my absolute favorite. This was an amazingly written book, part of a bigger series. Can’t wait to read the rest!

[Nomnivor]

Ich habe festgestellt, dass ich erstaunlich viel Romance mit geflügelten Männern auf dem E-Book habe, und diese auch irgendwann lesen muss

Gargoyles, die den Macarena tanzen. Das können die anderen sicherlich nicht überbieten.

[Helen Maddix · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the prequel Heart of Stone, and I thought I knew where this story was going…I was so wrong. The only correct thought was that it would be in Australia, which is where this book takes place. We first meet Catena, or Cat, who is dealing with many different things. One of them being Tor, a gargoyle. Tor is one of three brothers who are stonemasons. I don’t want to spoil the story, but I will tell you that this is a well written book, with mostly well-developed characters. It took me a couple of chapters to adjust to the story after having read the prequel, but once in, I enjoyed reading Broken Chains. The plot moves along, but not too quickly to follow, and Demelza Carlton builds the suspense. This is not really a stand-alone book, so plan on reading the series. I received an ARC of the book from the author, and this is my honest opinion.

[Chris Mckay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be miss Carlton's first series with gargoyles as a subject but if the rest of the series is as good as the first book it won't be the last.

[Pretty_Book_Whore Narissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's some aspects from this book that kind of annoyed me. Like how the two main characters kept thinking the other didn't want them. Repeatedly, up to the very end!
The story itself is something I myself have not read and definitely am looking forward to reading more of this series.
Tor wakes up to the call for help to protect. Catena has no idea what's going on and kind of accepts it quickly but she does read romance so that's a plus in my book. The book is about freeing him from his servitude. A nice quick read with some gargoyle peen.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great light read which just hit the spot right now. I enjoyed the characters and thought the backgrounds were interesting. It left me feeling a bit unsatisfied as some loose ends could have done with tidying up. It would be nice if the follow up books tie them up as part of the new stories.
I loved the location as I grew up in the area and could relate to the landmarks mentioned.

I will definitely continue this series.

[Of Butterflies & Books · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this series but it was just so boring to me. Which I was very surprised at given the set up but just because I didn't enjoy it doesn't mean someone else wouldn't enjoy it. However, I won't be continuing this series.

[Maya · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nope. Couldn’t even finish it. She’s too wishy washy and he’s way too subservient and naive. Far too slow a plot line, limp with no energy. Had to fast forward to the end and even in his fulfilling of freedom, soooo anticlimactic. Almost drone.

[Sonja · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm really glad that I got this when it was free because WOW was it boring! That blurb made it out to sound really interesting, but it was a total let down. It did score major points with the Stargate references though because I do so love that show.

So yeah. I went into this thinking that this quiet librarian was going to find herself in some sort of situation that requires her to need this hulking protector to keep her safe. I was so very wrong. Catena is a librarian, that much is true. And she does call Tor to help her when she's being chased by a guy who thinks she stole from him....but that is literally all of the "danger" she ever finds herself in. Absolutely nothing ever happens and, like I said, it was so incredibly boring. Boring and weird. Because, seriously, who goes all detective over a pair of shoes found in the attic? The neighbor's ceiling falls in and the first thing she thinks to do is call over the archeology student to come over with her brushes and ruler? Are you for real? And then Catena gets seriously into trying to find out why they would ever be up there. And somehow that leads the friend looking into these shoes for her into happening to come across something that would give Catena an idea on how to free Tor? Please.

As for Tor, he was way too stuck on his subservient role for me. I guess at least he was good at taking charge for sex. What really annoyed me was that no matter how many times that Catena told him to call her by her name, he wouldn't. That would drive me insane. And we never do find out why he even ever became a convict, which was something that I was super curious about.

Needless to say, I'm not gonna be reading more of this series even if they are also free.

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this story! There is just enough mystery to it to keep you guessing about how he ended up a gargoyle. There is a little humor in the story which I loved. Actually there was a few spots that caused me to snicker no end at some of the things that Tor was saying and thinking.

I loved Tor. He was so darn funny at times and so dang confused about the time he found himself in. It was so very different than what he remembered of his time. It was amusing watching him learning about all the modern things in this world compared to the time he was from. It was equally amusing watching Catena trying to explain it all to him in a way that he would understand when it might be something that she doesn't fully understand how it works.. only know that it does lol.

Loved Catena also. I loved how she shocked Tor all the time without even trying to, with some of the things she would do and say. I loved how outraged she was on his behalf about what had happened to him and her determination to help him find a way to be free. How she kept telling him that what had happened to him was wrong no matter how much he kept saying that it wasn't. I loved her to death. I can only hope the heroines in the next books are as awesome as she is! I was surprised I liked her as much as I do... because at the beginning of the book she was kind of whiny and wimpy and I can't stand a heroine like that. So I was pleasantly surprised at how much I ended up loving her!

I can't wait to read the rest of the books in this series. I got some of my answers in this book.. but not completely.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chained up in Western Australia: there's a good story there😉

I really enjoyed this story which only had some tenuous strands connecting it to the prequel but, in dribs and drabs, the puzzle that is why Scotsmen turned gargoyles are popping up in modern Fremantle on Australia's west coast is coming together. I liked this first book after the prequel much better than the prequel which was a really brief cliffhanger.

Here an early colonial settler Scotsman named Tor abruptly turns up as a gargoyle in service to Catena, an archeology student. He's come out of a darkness with no past (at least at first) and held in thrall to do her bidding; she is totally committed to finding out why and breaking the curse, spell, whatever that put him in this situation. (By the way, I loved the irony of her name which actually means chain in Italian). The attraction between them sparks and sizzles despite his otherworldly aspects, like huge wings and a tendency to wedge himself in the walls of her home!

The world building is quite imaginative and I chuckled at the social media frenzy when someone records a glimpse of Tor and the legend of the Free mantle Mothman is born. I also liked Tor's air of innocence and devotion.

And Catena's curious nature ends up all to the good, both for Tor and for her career ambitions. The story has a good ending with a cliffhanger related to Tor's brothers. A minor thing to my way of thinking because the main issue in the story is well and truly resolved.

[Donise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh boy, did I ever love this book!! Who wouldn't want a hunky gargoyle protector even if he has stone-like skin? Catena is trying to finish getting her PhD in Archeology and she is trying to find the perfect research project. She has always wanted to in her hero, Maria's footsteps. Maria's mind is fading, and Catena has had to put her in a special home. Catena now lives in Maria's apartment by herself, and Maria is always telling her stories and that Catena has a protector.
Tor has been asleep for many years awaiting the call to rise and protect the one that he was cursed to protect. One day he is awakened, and he listens for the call which he hears one night as Catena is being chased home from the store. Catena doesn't even realize that she is calling for help and runs into a solid object, is enveloped in a cocoon like hold and soon passes out. It isn't until a few days later that Tor and Catena meet and soon Catena is trying to figure out how she can help lift the curse on Tor. They are going to have to trust each other while trying to fight their growing attraction because who knows what would happen if they slept together.
After I finished this book, I went and hunted down the prequel and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series involving Tor's brothers.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Larissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ha, I read a gargoyle book a couple of years back, and I was like, “I want this one too”. So I read it. Surprise, this is a trilogy, Heart of Stone.

It has romance obviously, it has a lot of history, a lot of voodoo talk, and like a genie, the lamp will set you free if so wished from your master. The whole book was pretty funny, I however had a hard time reading the main character name, so, let’s call her Cat (you know that by now, I already forgotten it, it’s not malice, it’s just shorty-short term memory - ETA: it’s Catena) has inherited the protection of a gargoyle, once human; and he’s there to answer every call. Tor is about to protect her from harm. Every harm, even if there’s none, even if it’s just bad weather. Even if it’s just flying around. With time, he gets glimpses of his life as a human, his profession, his family. At one point, Cat wants him to be the boss of his own fate, and she plots his freedom. His freedom involves him getting his heart’s desire. Which is Cat. Yup, sex set him free. Cute.

The books ends sort of abruptly, it saddened me cause these two were funny as fuck. Since his family was revealed, it’s a sure case that next volume it’s about his brother (family) and since it’s a trilogy, there would be a third book, and equally a second brother. All gargoyles. All being helped by Cat (or another character). We will see, when that time comes.

[Shelagh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect for paranormal romance readers, who also enjoy a touch of history, Broken Chains will make for entertaining reading. This story is set in Fremantle, Western Australia and brings together shy librarian Catena Kelly and gargoyle Tor, a man who was trapped in a deathless state for centuries waiting to be summoned as an immortal protector. Catena inadvertently issues the summons and suddenly finds herself swept up against a very manly chest indeed. The next thing she knows she’s waking in her bed with no idea how she got there.
I am not normally a reader of fantasy but I enjoyed this story. It’s got light touches of humour dotted throughout and the plot moves along at a clipping pace. The main characters, Catena and Tor, are both likeable and they certainly have chemistry between the sheets. I wasn’t convinced about Tor’s Scottish heritage—nothing about how he spoke backed that up—but I was prepared to overlook that because he was dripping with charm, manners and a genuine desire to please Catena. Overall this is a novel that doesn’t take itself too seriously but instead focuses on light entertainment, which I think it does well.

[Sarah Chipman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read an ARC of this and it was quite good! Usually books with gargoyles take place in old European cities or maybe in the eastern USA, but not this one: it's in Australia! Unexpected but it works. The gargoyle doesn't remember everything about his life or his imprisonment in the beginning, but he's linked to the old prison from the penal colony days and tasked with protecting an archeology student. Lots of history in this story. Lots of naivety from both the H and h, a lot of unlikely situations and resolutions, and at the end of the book there was still a good setup for his brothers' stories to come.

I withheld a star because it felt like it should have been a sweet romance... until it wasn't. I have no objections to the spicy bits, but it almost felt like the book changed personalities a third of the way in, but still tried to feel clean/sweet while still having an overlay of lust and naked gargoyle body parts. The tone just didn't fully mesh for me.

Overall it was an enjoyable story and I do look forward to reading the next ones in the series.

[Kathy Wideman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in this series by Demelza. There is a prequel to it as well. Catena is a librarian. She is shy and keeps to herself mostly. She is study archeology. She needs to figure out what she is going to do for her project. Then her world gets turn upside down when she is saved by a mystery man or rather gargoyle, Tor. The two are attracted to each other right away. Catena has trouble believing what she is seeing. Then there is explaining this new world to this man who comes from a very different time. Tor isn’t sure what happened to him. Just that he must protect Catena as she is who woke him. Catena begins doing research there must be a way to free Tor. This book was an interesting read. I enjoyed it. I am still not completely sure how the prequel connects but I am sure it will reveal its self as the series continues. I look forward to reading the other books in the series as they come out and learning about Tor’s brothers. Great job Demelza.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gebroken ketens is een vlot geschreven, fantasierijk verhaal waarin sprookjesachtige elementen moeiteloos worden verweven met een meer realistische wereld. Demelza Carlton weet met haar toegankelijke stijl een boek neer te zetten dat je in één ruk uitleest.

Het verhaal voelt als een modern sprookje, maar dan met een originele twist. De combinatie van magie, romantiek en herkenbare menselijke emoties maakt dit boek aantrekkelijk voor zowel sprookjesliefhebbers als lezers die houden van realistische personages in een bijzondere setting. De opbouw is prettig, het tempo ligt hoog genoeg om geboeid te blijven, en de wereld die Carlton neerzet is eenvoudig maar effectief.

Wat dit boek vooral leuk maakt, is de balans: het voelt luchtig en dromerig, maar heeft tegelijkertijd genoeg inhoud en spanning om je als lezer te blijven prikkelen. Ideaal als je zin hebt in iets wat je even uit de werkelijkheid tilt, zonder al te zwaar te worden.

Gebroken ketens is een fijne, makkelijk leesbare fantasyroman die sprookjes en realiteit op een leuke manier combineert. Een aanrader voor wie houdt van toegankelijke fantasy met een romantisch tintje.

[Lucid Quill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic start!

FIRST, I recommend starting with Heart of Stone. It's the prequel to this series and I love a good prequel, you should too. Not to mention, it's FREE! It covers Pamela and Ben.

As can be seen from the blurb this is a shifter romance, gargoyles y'all! I've recently fallen into my old love for them, I am ecstatic to see that more authors are playing with the lore. This series is going to be an interesting take on it.

Tor was a fantastic character, I loved everything about him. Catena was great too and together they made for a very entertaining read. I also loved that we got some humor among everything else, I needed the laughs 🤣 all around this was a great book and I can't wait for the rest of this series.

It DOES end on a mild cliffhanger, if you're one to wait for a series to complete, this one is due to finish July 5th.

[Jennie Parkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
A fun read but a very very very slow burn without much pay off in the end so if you are after spice don’t expect much.
Saying that I still enjoyed the book, it was easy to read and I nearly read it cover to cover in one sitting. I am very intrigued for the next book already and can’t wait to see where the story goes and how Catena and Tor’s relationship develops (how long til he start speaking more modern, cos that would do my head in 😅)
I love a good protector story and this is a good one, I would have just liked a bit more development of the story and characters which I hope we get in the second book. I’ve never read a gargoyle book before so I can’t wait to learn more and get to love a whole new fantasy’s man!
I will be definitely reading the whole series as I do enjoy the premise of the story and writing was enjoyable and interesting :)