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Pandora #1
Pandora's Box
HOPE REMAINSAll Pandemina Dorothy Avery ever wanted was to be beautifully, blessedly normal, with a stable career and a love life leading to a white picket fence and a happily-ever-after. That seems impossible now. Penniless and parted from her unfaithful boyfriend, unfairly shunned by her coworkers, not even Mina's recent inheritance can help—especially not when it amounts to a ten-pound rock box and guardianship of the horny, devious puca she released from inside. His name's Riordan, and he ain't no Harvey.What's a puca, you ask? A tricky faery-type, whose magic not only includes shape-shifting into a magnificent black stallion and a snarky mutt, but the ability to manipulate human perceptions. And Riordan is hardly shy of Wasn't that why he was imprisoned in the first place? He seems set upon making Mina's life harder than ever, whether it be with Jonathon Teague, the handsome contractor who wants to work on more than her house, or Mina's penitent ex-boyfriend. But as Riordan's very existence proves, things are not always what they seem, and what stepped out of that box might be the key to her dreams.
308 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 29, 2008
28 people are currently reading
239 people want to read
About the author
Natale Stenzel
12 books39 followersI'm a married mother of two, a published author, a dog lover . . . and a lifelong book addict. Now that I've discovered a willing enabler in Goodreads -- yay! -- I would love nothing more than to meet new friends and old who share my obsession with books.
What do I read? I read my share of the classics in college -- degrees in English lit and journalism -- and loved many of them. Jane Austen and Shakespeare were my favorites, no question. These days, I'm infatuated with romance novels. I especially love the paranormal romances -- dark, funny, futuristic, ghosts, witches, shapeshifters, vampires, all of it. I do have my standard must-buys, though, including Nora Roberts, Jayne Ann Krentz, Lori Foster, and many others.
What do I write? I wrote four contemporary romantic comedies as Natalie Stenzel (notice the artificial "i" in my first name) for Harlequin, followed by a series of funny paranormal romances as Natale Stenzel (no "i"), including PANDORA'S BOX, THE DRUID MADE ME DO IT, and BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HEART PLACE. These were originally published by Dorchester but are now distributed by Montlake and sold on Amazon.
Most recently, I've been writing contemporary romances for Entangled Publishing. The first, WEDDING DRESS FOR SALE, was released in October 2012; look for a sequel to premier in early 2013.
To learn more, feel free to visit my website: www.NataleStenzel.com.
What do I read? I read my share of the classics in college -- degrees in English lit and journalism -- and loved many of them. Jane Austen and Shakespeare were my favorites, no question. These days, I'm infatuated with romance novels. I especially love the paranormal romances -- dark, funny, futuristic, ghosts, witches, shapeshifters, vampires, all of it. I do have my standard must-buys, though, including Nora Roberts, Jayne Ann Krentz, Lori Foster, and many others.
What do I write? I wrote four contemporary romantic comedies as Natalie Stenzel (notice the artificial "i" in my first name) for Harlequin, followed by a series of funny paranormal romances as Natale Stenzel (no "i"), including PANDORA'S BOX, THE DRUID MADE ME DO IT, and BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HEART PLACE. These were originally published by Dorchester but are now distributed by Montlake and sold on Amazon.
Most recently, I've been writing contemporary romances for Entangled Publishing. The first, WEDDING DRESS FOR SALE, was released in October 2012; look for a sequel to premier in early 2013.
To learn more, feel free to visit my website: www.NataleStenzel.com.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 8, 2008
Mina isn't having a good life...her live-in boyfriend dumped her, she lost her job, and a long lost relative has willed her a rock. Yes, I rock!! Then her kitchen blows up and she finds herself hearing voices. But that's not just any voice, that's the voice of her Puca Riordan. What?! Now she's the guardian of a Puca also? Can Mina help free Riordan? And what will she do about all the sexy men who have shown up in her life? Can she pick just one?
Natale Stenzel's first book Pandora's Box is a hit! You just have to love Riordan. But it's hard not to root for Mina's handyman Teague. I'm looking forward to Stenzel's upcoming sequel Tb>he Druid Made Me Do It due out in July 2008.
Natale Stenzel's first book Pandora's Box is a hit! You just have to love Riordan. But it's hard not to root for Mina's handyman Teague. I'm looking forward to Stenzel's upcoming sequel Tb>he Druid Made Me Do It due out in July 2008.
April 28, 2012
Rated 3.5/5
Summary: Pandemina Dorothy Avery (Mina) was an average woman with an average life and an average relationship. That all changed when she found her live-in boyfriend in bed with the vindictive mother of one of her students. Not only did her boyfriend leave her for the other woman, but his new mistress-turned-girlfriend is spiteful enough to get Mina fired from her teaching job for having lived with the school superintendent out of wedlock. Who would have guessed that her average relationship would have resulted in an ethics scandal?
Jobless and alone, Mina doesn't hesitate to meet with an attorney who calls her about an inheritance she has received from a long-lost Aunt she never knew. What an enormous disappointment to discover that all she inherited was a rock! But the rock turns out to be a prison in which a devious Puca has been held captive for two thousand years. Because she had never known her father, Mina didn't have a clue that she was a descendent from a magical Druid bloodline. Prophecies had foretold of a woman from this bloodline who would eventually open the stone prison and release the Puca, and sure enough, Mina does exactly that by accident while examining the rock.
It was definitely unsettling to discover that the strange voice she was hearing in her head was actually some sort of shape-shifting horseman named Riordan. But on the positive side, Teague, the gorgeous carpenter who was working on Mina's house to get it ready to sell, comes running to Mina's aid after the rock opens with an explosion that blows a hole in her house. Much to her surprise, the perfect and supportive Teague is interested in being more than just her contractor.
Unfortunately, Mina's plans for a hot romance with Teague are moving in slow motion because she has a Puca to deal with. When Mina accepted her inheritance, she became the Guardian of the imprisoned Puca. This means that unless she finds a way to break the curse, Riordan is both physically and mentally connected to her. Riordan can not only read her every thought, but he can also speak to her through their mental telepathy, and he cannot be physically further away from her than a couple of rooms. The last thing Mina wants is to have Riordan's commentary or audience while she is getting intimate with her new boyfriend.
So Mina and Riordan strike up a deal - she will help him find a way to break free from his curse, and in exchange, Riordan will take the shape of a dog when Teague is around so that Mina doesn't have to stay away from her dream man. Researching the curse proves to be very difficult. Unfortunately, Druids have never believed in writing anything down. Can she find a way to free him before the curse puts him back in the rock for eternity? She has to, because if Riordan goes back in the rock, Mina's mental connection to him (as his Guardian), will exist for the rest of her life.
Review: I selected this book for one simple reason: there was a Phooka (Puca) as a main character. I have been looking for a book featuring a Phooka for a long time, and this is the first I've found. I dove into the story really wanting to love it, but it didn't quite get there for me. It was cute and enjoyable, but more of an average read overall.
I liked that this author spent a lot of time developing the relationship(s). This was not the typical "passionate-love-at-first-site" romance novel. Mina feels instant attraction in this story, but she doesn't jump into love or into bed with anyone. Instead, she developed friendships, and over time, one relationships gained strength and grew into love. This was a refreshing change compared to the normal approach in this genre, and the romance felt authentic as a result.
I also liked being completely surprised by a couple of twists in the story. I'm not going to include any spoilers in this review, so I can't go into much detail here. I'll just say that there was one twist that I thought was creatively genius, although slightly awkward/uncomfortable from a romantic perspective. A second major twist was linked to the story's resolution, and while surprising, it felt a little too easy. The twists in this book definitely added to the story's originality, but I'm not sure they were successfully executed.
While I appreciated that the romance developed slowly, I wasn't crazy about the fact that the rest of the story moved so slowly also. I wanted to see more progress in the primary storyline about releasing Riordan from his cursed captivity. I wish there had been more discovery throughout the book. Instead, all of the action occurred at the end in a giant whirl of activity - including the introduction of important supporting characters who joined the cast just as the book was ending. I wish this had been balanced better. It made the book feel like a long leisurely walk with an all-out sprint at the end. That sprint went by so quickly that I didn't have time to focus on some of the more interesting elements of the book.
One other note: I listened to the audio version of this book, and I strongly recommend that you do NOT do this. The narrator, Cynthia Wallace, is now one of two narrators that you could not pay me to listen to again. Her character voices sounded like a little girl playing make-believe with high-pitched sing-songy soprano voices for the women, and effeminate overly dramatic voices for the men. It was laughable. Definitely choose the book or ebook versions for this one.
The next book in this series may not be at the top of my priority list, but I'd like to read it eventually. There is good stuff here, and I'm hopeful that the execution will improve as the series progresses.
Summary: Pandemina Dorothy Avery (Mina) was an average woman with an average life and an average relationship. That all changed when she found her live-in boyfriend in bed with the vindictive mother of one of her students. Not only did her boyfriend leave her for the other woman, but his new mistress-turned-girlfriend is spiteful enough to get Mina fired from her teaching job for having lived with the school superintendent out of wedlock. Who would have guessed that her average relationship would have resulted in an ethics scandal?
Jobless and alone, Mina doesn't hesitate to meet with an attorney who calls her about an inheritance she has received from a long-lost Aunt she never knew. What an enormous disappointment to discover that all she inherited was a rock! But the rock turns out to be a prison in which a devious Puca has been held captive for two thousand years. Because she had never known her father, Mina didn't have a clue that she was a descendent from a magical Druid bloodline. Prophecies had foretold of a woman from this bloodline who would eventually open the stone prison and release the Puca, and sure enough, Mina does exactly that by accident while examining the rock.
It was definitely unsettling to discover that the strange voice she was hearing in her head was actually some sort of shape-shifting horseman named Riordan. But on the positive side, Teague, the gorgeous carpenter who was working on Mina's house to get it ready to sell, comes running to Mina's aid after the rock opens with an explosion that blows a hole in her house. Much to her surprise, the perfect and supportive Teague is interested in being more than just her contractor.
Unfortunately, Mina's plans for a hot romance with Teague are moving in slow motion because she has a Puca to deal with. When Mina accepted her inheritance, she became the Guardian of the imprisoned Puca. This means that unless she finds a way to break the curse, Riordan is both physically and mentally connected to her. Riordan can not only read her every thought, but he can also speak to her through their mental telepathy, and he cannot be physically further away from her than a couple of rooms. The last thing Mina wants is to have Riordan's commentary or audience while she is getting intimate with her new boyfriend.
So Mina and Riordan strike up a deal - she will help him find a way to break free from his curse, and in exchange, Riordan will take the shape of a dog when Teague is around so that Mina doesn't have to stay away from her dream man. Researching the curse proves to be very difficult. Unfortunately, Druids have never believed in writing anything down. Can she find a way to free him before the curse puts him back in the rock for eternity? She has to, because if Riordan goes back in the rock, Mina's mental connection to him (as his Guardian), will exist for the rest of her life.
Review: I selected this book for one simple reason: there was a Phooka (Puca) as a main character. I have been looking for a book featuring a Phooka for a long time, and this is the first I've found. I dove into the story really wanting to love it, but it didn't quite get there for me. It was cute and enjoyable, but more of an average read overall.
I liked that this author spent a lot of time developing the relationship(s). This was not the typical "passionate-love-at-first-site" romance novel. Mina feels instant attraction in this story, but she doesn't jump into love or into bed with anyone. Instead, she developed friendships, and over time, one relationships gained strength and grew into love. This was a refreshing change compared to the normal approach in this genre, and the romance felt authentic as a result.
I also liked being completely surprised by a couple of twists in the story. I'm not going to include any spoilers in this review, so I can't go into much detail here. I'll just say that there was one twist that I thought was creatively genius, although slightly awkward/uncomfortable from a romantic perspective. A second major twist was linked to the story's resolution, and while surprising, it felt a little too easy. The twists in this book definitely added to the story's originality, but I'm not sure they were successfully executed.
While I appreciated that the romance developed slowly, I wasn't crazy about the fact that the rest of the story moved so slowly also. I wanted to see more progress in the primary storyline about releasing Riordan from his cursed captivity. I wish there had been more discovery throughout the book. Instead, all of the action occurred at the end in a giant whirl of activity - including the introduction of important supporting characters who joined the cast just as the book was ending. I wish this had been balanced better. It made the book feel like a long leisurely walk with an all-out sprint at the end. That sprint went by so quickly that I didn't have time to focus on some of the more interesting elements of the book.
One other note: I listened to the audio version of this book, and I strongly recommend that you do NOT do this. The narrator, Cynthia Wallace, is now one of two narrators that you could not pay me to listen to again. Her character voices sounded like a little girl playing make-believe with high-pitched sing-songy soprano voices for the women, and effeminate overly dramatic voices for the men. It was laughable. Definitely choose the book or ebook versions for this one.
The next book in this series may not be at the top of my priority list, but I'd like to read it eventually. There is good stuff here, and I'm hopeful that the execution will improve as the series progresses.
June 9, 2020
Quite unusual. Not something I'm normally interested in. But it's a great book for someone interested in romance with a little supernatural sprinkle. No vampires, no werewolves. Which is a good thing. It didn't take me long to read and I quite enjoyed it.
June 22, 2017
Funny at times, a little confusing as to how the main character seems not freaked out, I think the author was trying to hard to make her a bad a$$, especially at the end. Otherwise, an enjoyable read
February 4, 2020
It was good. Some parts felt a tad rushed and the ending was all very neatly tied up. It could have used a little more.
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
October 30, 2021
This was hilarious!
April 8, 2011
I really enjoyed this book, although at times I will admit, I did find it confusing and I had to re-read a paragraph or two to completely understand what was going on, mostly because some of the explanations for things happening in the story were a bit convoluted. I was also a bit disappointed that the author did not explain what exactly a puca was. I kept expecting her to work an explanation into the story, she did not. (she does explain it in a note at the end but by then it's really too late. At one point during the book i just went and googled it to find out for myself)
However, despite a little confusion, I really liked the storyline, the interplay between characters and the general "feel" of the story. The book was playful without going over the top and every time I had to put it down, I looked forward to picking it up again (surely a sign of a good book). The author even managed to surprise me with a major plot turn that I did not see coming which was refreshing.
I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Kindle formatting was good. No glaring problems.
However, despite a little confusion, I really liked the storyline, the interplay between characters and the general "feel" of the story. The book was playful without going over the top and every time I had to put it down, I looked forward to picking it up again (surely a sign of a good book). The author even managed to surprise me with a major plot turn that I did not see coming which was refreshing.
I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Kindle formatting was good. No glaring problems.
September 25, 2011
Mina is not quite having a good life. She recently got dumped by her boyfriend who cheated on her which caused her to lose her job in the process. Her long-distance relative, whom she never met, has just passed away and the attorney has informed her that her legacy is a rock, well most precisely a cornerstone. Yes a cornerstone.
Once she is back home, mina decides to open the cornerstone which results in her kitchen blowing up and with her hearing a sarcastic voice in her head, the voice of her Puca Riordan. You will find out the definition of this when you get to read the book. Nevertheless she is now the guardian of the Puca and her whole life will change based on this new event.
The chemistry between the characters is amazing, you will enjoy the hilarious and sarcastic dialog and you will end up liking Riordan to a great extent. I must admit that the ending did surprise me, a delightful surprise that is.
I look forward to reading the second book in the series “The druid made me do it”.
Once she is back home, mina decides to open the cornerstone which results in her kitchen blowing up and with her hearing a sarcastic voice in her head, the voice of her Puca Riordan. You will find out the definition of this when you get to read the book. Nevertheless she is now the guardian of the Puca and her whole life will change based on this new event.
The chemistry between the characters is amazing, you will enjoy the hilarious and sarcastic dialog and you will end up liking Riordan to a great extent. I must admit that the ending did surprise me, a delightful surprise that is.
I look forward to reading the second book in the series “The druid made me do it”.
February 20, 2010
I read this series from back to front because that is how things ended up. This book was a blast. I laughed a lot and cried a lot. Great characterization. Awesome chemistry between characters. Could not put the book down. Best book in the series in my opinion.
March 7, 2008
Really enjoyable. If you like light paranormal romance, give it a try.
September 17, 2008
A cute romance novel. Sometimes the banter got to the 'overkill' realm, but I enjoyed the touch of wackiness present.
March 4, 2009
Snarky paranormal romance written by my friend Natale!!
October 7, 2009
This book was cute, but it took me a while to get into. I enjoyed it a lot, but am thinking it was OK - not superb.
February 9, 2013
it was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 18, 2013
fun romance with a good amount of humor. looking forward to the next one.
February 17, 2015
Was a sweet amusing paranormal romance , will be reading the next one
August 25, 2016
was awesome glad my friend recommended me to read it
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews