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The Stirring #1
Guide My Heart
A two-week safari in Africa is the perfect holiday for Britney and her friend Meghan. But Chris, the swoon-worthy tour-guide, is fascinated with the paw-print birthmarks on her arm. Mysterious lions and visions of chains haunt Brit after they share a mind-blowing kiss, but is there something deeper than pure animal attraction between the two?
Book 1 of The Stirring.
Book 1 of The Stirring.
76 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 29, 2017
7 people want to read
About the author
Caroline Swart
5 books1 followerCaroline Swart was born and raised in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. After a brief stint as a professional singer, she studied software development, and landed in Atlanta, GA. She eventually acquired a husband, a software development company in Africa, and a son, not all in that order. She's passionate about reading, writing, and music.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 16, 2021
Solid, Fun, and Quick Read. At just 76 pages long, this tale doesn't have much length to work with in setting up a world and executing a story within it - and yet it manages to do exactly this remarkably well, proving literary "size queens" wrong in the process. Here, you get a fun tale of a South African safari Christmas trip complete with baby rhinos and big cats... and a dose of paranormal more of the "Loki transitioning to Asgardian Armor in Germany" from the first Avengers movie than swords and sorcery "what the hell is happening, this was supposed to be set in the real world" type. Indeed, arguably its only weakness - that based on the other reviews, might actually be a feature - is its leaning perhaps too hard on the lead male - Chris, no less - being described as Chris Hemsworth / Thor in virtually every scene he is even mentioned in. Still, for what it is and what it is able to do, this is truly a solid work, one that is fairly easily and comfortably set up as a series introduction and one whose series sounds promising. Very much recommended.
May 20, 2018
**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**
When I read the description of Guide My Heart, I thought what's not to like?
- African Safari Vacation (I have always wanted to go on one😍).........check
- Hot Thor Look-a-Like Tour Guide........check
- Descriptions of Cute Baby Rhinos........check
- Neat Paranormal Twist........check
As you can tell, I really loved how the book was set against the backdrop of an African Safari! Our main character even went on a jeep tour!! While on the tour, Chris (Mr. Thor look-a-like) explains the black stripes found on antelopes, and his blurb made my little biology major heart happy!
"They form the letter M, like the M in McDonald's." We gave him blank stares, waiting for him to explain. "These antelope are the preferred choice of food for predators. They're like McDonald burgers for lions and cheetahs. if you see the M running in the distance, you can bet that a leopard or another predator is following behind."
Besides loving the little biology lesson, I also enjoyed the overall premise of the book. The entire storyline was interesting. Despite reading a ton of paranormal romances, I haven't actually read one with lions! Additionally, the chemistry between Chris and Britney was off the charts! However, my only wish is that I could have gotten to know the characters better! Due to the book's length, the story had to progress pretty quickly, so I wasn't able to see their relationship unfold like I wanted to. It would have really helped since the end went from zero to a hundred. Don't get me wrong, I did like the ending, it just caught me a bit off guard!
Despite progressing super quick, I did really enjoy the story! Guide My Heart was a fun read, that definitely has the potential to lead into a FANTASTIC series!
When I read the description of Guide My Heart, I thought what's not to like?
- African Safari Vacation (I have always wanted to go on one😍).........check
- Hot Thor Look-a-Like Tour Guide........check
- Descriptions of Cute Baby Rhinos........check
- Neat Paranormal Twist........check
As you can tell, I really loved how the book was set against the backdrop of an African Safari! Our main character even went on a jeep tour!! While on the tour, Chris (Mr. Thor look-a-like) explains the black stripes found on antelopes, and his blurb made my little biology major heart happy!
"They form the letter M, like the M in McDonald's." We gave him blank stares, waiting for him to explain. "These antelope are the preferred choice of food for predators. They're like McDonald burgers for lions and cheetahs. if you see the M running in the distance, you can bet that a leopard or another predator is following behind."
Besides loving the little biology lesson, I also enjoyed the overall premise of the book. The entire storyline was interesting. Despite reading a ton of paranormal romances, I haven't actually read one with lions! Additionally, the chemistry between Chris and Britney was off the charts! However, my only wish is that I could have gotten to know the characters better! Due to the book's length, the story had to progress pretty quickly, so I wasn't able to see their relationship unfold like I wanted to. It would have really helped since the end went from zero to a hundred. Don't get me wrong, I did like the ending, it just caught me a bit off guard!
Despite progressing super quick, I did really enjoy the story! Guide My Heart was a fun read, that definitely has the potential to lead into a FANTASTIC series!
March 31, 2018
Brit is on a trip of a lifetime with her best friend Meghan. The African trip is all they thought it would be and more. Strange things happen to Brit and the truths leave her speechless. I was so intrigued by all that happened to her. She is young, college age and Caroline captured that well. While she wanted to have fun, she did seem to have some sense of responsibility for her. She also has a secret she shares with her mom and sisters.
Chris notices Brit and gets the shock of a lifetime. He is supposed to just be the tour guide for guests. What happens will cause him to jump into action. He was very mysterious. I would love to have more about his background and how all the secrets of his family fit into the lions. I felt like he was scared to reveal the truths. I am curious where his fate and future lies with Brit.
The author did a beautiful job of this short story. It definitely makes me want to buy the next in the series. I also liked the ended. It was open-ended but it matched with their ages, and points they are at in life. It wasn’t an HEA of weddings and church bells (sorry to spoil), but that was okay.
Chris notices Brit and gets the shock of a lifetime. He is supposed to just be the tour guide for guests. What happens will cause him to jump into action. He was very mysterious. I would love to have more about his background and how all the secrets of his family fit into the lions. I felt like he was scared to reveal the truths. I am curious where his fate and future lies with Brit.
The author did a beautiful job of this short story. It definitely makes me want to buy the next in the series. I also liked the ended. It was open-ended but it matched with their ages, and points they are at in life. It wasn’t an HEA of weddings and church bells (sorry to spoil), but that was okay.
November 26, 2017
This book was a pleasant surprise.
We meet our heroine, Britney, as she's on Christmas vacation with her best friend in South Africa. The hero is her guide. He happens to be this Chris Hemsworth look-alike - which I totally approve of - and immediately feels drawn to her. Due to the fact that it's a novella - shame, it would have been amazing, had it been a full-length novel - everything happens rather quickly.
But not that quickly. Things happen before Chris and Britney get together. Bad guys and stuff.
So while I really liked it, I felt the ending was rushed. I mean, it's PNR, one could say, so the heroine accepting everything the hero tells her, off the bat, no questions asked is a bit hard to believe.
Anyway, I agreed to review a copy of this book and my rating is 4 stars.
We meet our heroine, Britney, as she's on Christmas vacation with her best friend in South Africa. The hero is her guide. He happens to be this Chris Hemsworth look-alike - which I totally approve of - and immediately feels drawn to her. Due to the fact that it's a novella - shame, it would have been amazing, had it been a full-length novel - everything happens rather quickly.
But not that quickly. Things happen before Chris and Britney get together. Bad guys and stuff.
So while I really liked it, I felt the ending was rushed. I mean, it's PNR, one could say, so the heroine accepting everything the hero tells her, off the bat, no questions asked is a bit hard to believe.
Anyway, I agreed to review a copy of this book and my rating is 4 stars.
August 3, 2017
I really loved this book, and it's a great start to a new series. The humor had me chuckling on quite a few pages. It has a refreshingly new story line, and beautiful descriptions of the African game reserve. Who wouldn't like reading about a "Thor look-alike" tour guide, and Britney’s tattoos/birthmarks are intriguing. Even though this is a short story, one can imagine the setting, and there is plenty of heated chemistry between the two leads. Good paranormal teen romance. Looking forward to the next book!
August 11, 2017
Chris, I'm waiting for you. With your golden-green eyes and your hot bod. I've found a book boyfriend I can obsess over, and a unique story line. Meghan is hysterically funny, wish I had a friend like her. I hope 'Huge' is the hero in the next book in the series. :)
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews