Heart Stings

Elemental Assassin #19.5

by Jennifer Estep

Heart stings can be the most dangerous wounds of all . . .

Lorelei Parker has had plenty of “heart stings” in her life—moments that are both happy and sad. With her grandmother’s recent marriage, Lorelei has had far more good times than bad lately.

That all changes when a ruthless Ashland underworld boss starts threatening her, but Lorelei is determined to figure out why the other crime boss is so interested in her thriving business. She vows to use her elemental Ice and metal magic to do whatever it takes to defend herself and her family.

Also in the mix is the mercurial Hugh Tucker. Lorelei doesn’t know what the vampire is up to, or if he’s a friend or an enemy. Tucker might even be something else, something more—if Lorelei can stay alive long enough to figure out whose side he’s really on . . .

Note: Heart Stings is a 38,000-word novella from the point of view of Lorelei Parker. It takes place after the events of Last Strand, book 19 in the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series. Heart Stings first appeared in the Dirty Deeds 2 anthology in 2022.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Romance, Novella, Paranormal, Vampires, Paranormal Romance

178 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 9, 2023

About the author

Jennifer Estep is a New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author who prowls the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea.

Jennifer is the author of the Elemental Assassin, Section 47, Galactic Bonds, Crown of Shards, Gargoyle Queen, and other fantasy series. She has written more than 40 books, along with numerous novellas and stories.

In her spare time, Jennifer enjoys hanging out with friends and family, doing yoga, and reading fantasy and romance books. She also watches way too much TV and loves all things related to superheroes.

For more information on Jennifer and her books, visit her website at www.JenniferEstep.com or sign up for her newsletter: http://www.jenniferestep.com/contact-....

FOLLOW JENNIFER ONLINE:
Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/yyj59omw
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_es...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jennifer_Estep

Amazon: https://amzn.to/39lCyX6
BookBub: https://tinyurl.com/y4dm3zso
Goodreads: https://tinyurl.com/y638q98k

Jennifer's blog: https://tinyurl.com/2dj4afb
Jennifer's newsletter: http://www.jenniferestep.com/contact-...

Happy reading, everyone! 😎

Reviews

[TJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5.0

Gosh, I love Jennifer Estep! I especially love her characters from the Elemental Assassin series! Lorelei and Hugh Tucker were secondary characters throughout that series and the two people that I SO wanted to know more about! I think their pairing is absolutely perfect! I just wish there had been more time to explore that pairing and to highlight their strengths individually and together. Sadly, we only get a very, VERY small taste in this story.

I guess I understand… kinda.This story was originally part of an anthology so, of course, the author wanted to introduce Gen Blanco and others from the original series and give a bit of their story so readers would want to pick it up and try it out. Problem is, there is so much page time spent referencing them and the overall back-story, that there is very little time left for any real story between THESE two characters.

That, along with the story ending just 78% into the (digital) book, with the other 22% devoted to snippets from other books… was disappointing. Couldn’t we have had some added and expanded storyline to make this novella unique rather than promoting everything else? *sigh*

Still, I loved every single minute spent in this world and with these characters. And, of course will continue reading anything published with them in it in the future. :)

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, yeah, loved reading this story, I loved seeing Lorelei and Tucker find happiness!

[Erica Chilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads

HEART STINGS is the 19.5 installment of the Elemental Assassins series. It is important that you read all the installments in order to get a grasp of the world building and the series continuum.

Reading this was like a small gift I didn't expect to receive. It's been so long since I read this series, such a delight to revisit the world. I always end up wanting to start the series from the beginning and do a reread.

Flawlessly picking up where Last Strand left off but with a new voice, Lorelei Parker is our narrator, and it was lovely to read from her point-of-view. A strong, clear voice, protective of her family, Lorelei was easy to relate to for this reader.

Hugh Tucker is an enemy of sorts, but he gets beneath Lorelei's skin in a not-so uncomfortable way, just rankles her to distraction. Their interactions are filled with heat and frustration on both their parts. A strong push-pull romance with a flair of love-hate. Tuck isn't as bad as we've seen him from Gin's POV, or is he?

HEART STINGS was a fun, quick weekend read, thoroughly enjoyable. Since I'm busy, the struggle is real as I fight the desire to reread the series from the beginning.

[NyxShadow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Agréable même si Gin n'est pas présente.
J'aurai aimé qu'on découvre un peu plus Hugh. Je crois qu'il aurait pu largement être le héros.

Ici c'est Lorelei Parker, rencontrée auparavant qui mène la danse.
Passé douloureux, survivante et qui n'hésite pas à se mouiller pour ce qu'elle veut et ceux qu'elle aime. On a déjà vu et déjà lu ce genre de chose, et dans cette série c'est ultra classique. Je regrette un peu les répétitions dans une novella, mais bon, j'ai l'habitude.
Comme dit plus haut, Hugh est un personnage nettement plus intéressant que les autres. Ce grand esprit machiavélique qui a tenu Gin en respect durant plusieurs intrigue méritait mieux que cette courte histoire. Ou alors une histoire dont il aurait pris la main.
Je l'avoue, j'ai un faible pour les méchants au grand cœur avec un esprit aussi retors et capable de plans aussi élaborés !

[FV Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally posted at https://smexybooks.com/2023/05/review...

I have to say that I was worried that we had said goodbye to this world after the last book in the series, but I’m happy that the author has decided to release novellas featuring secondary characters. And I like this very, very much.

Heart Stings allows readers to catch up with Lorelei Parker and Hugh Tucker, both prominent figures in the Elemental Assassin series. Lorelei is a friend and ally of Gin Blanco and Hugh was once an enemy who helped The Circle battle the assassin known as The Spider. Lorelei has taken over a shipping yard and finds herself at odds with a local bad guy, who wants it for his own. He won’t take no for an answer, and Lorelei has told him no repeatedly, which means that a bloody confrontation is on the horizon between the two.

I loved getting back to Ashland and the beloved characters who live there. Even if Gin, Finn, and a few other favorites are off on vacation and don’t appear on the page. I enjoyed getting to know Lorelei better and seeing firsthand how tough she is in the face of adversity. I wasn’t sure Ms. Estep could redeem Hugh enough to give him an HFN with Lorelei, but this is a series chock full of anti-heroes and Hugh fits in nicely with the other sometimes bad/but for the right reasons characters.

He and Lorelei have quite the attraction and dare I say their love scene is just a bit hotter than expected. Which I really liked. I loved that he worked hard throughout the novella to protect Lorelei, but in the end, she saved herself.

The next novella in the series is a Mythos Academy/Elemental Assassin crossover and I am here for it. Spider and Frost comes out September 26th and you can bet I’ll be snatching it up on release day.

Final grade- B

[Liliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed on Lili Lost in a Book

We haven't had anything new in the Elemental Assassin world in a little while, so this novella was such a nice treat! And yes, I did just finish re-reading this series last month, but I still missed it, okay? 😆



This novella takes place about a month after Last Strand, and it is told in Lorelei Parker's POV. I love this character so I was very excited to get a novella in her POV. Especially because of her odd relationship with Tucker, Gin's former sort-of-enemy. Lol. He and Lorelei had this passive aggressive flirting thing going on (as Bria so eloquently put it lol) that I really loved. And you bet that continued in this novella! It was SO good! I loved their banter and the sexual tension between them!



One thing I love about all Jennifer Estep books is the action, and this novella had quite a bit of it. It was great! Like Gin, Lorelei has two different types of Elemental magic: Ice and Metal. Unlike Gin, she doesn't have nearly as much raw power. But that doesn't even matter because it's all about finesse for Lorelei. Lorelei is very smart and uses her magic in some very interesting ways. It was awesome! I always enjoy seeing the ingenious ways the characters get themselves out of sticky situations.

I loved this so freaking much! It was so cute! I love Lorelei so I was really happy to get something in her POV. And I’ve always found Tucker to be a very interesting character because even though he started out as a bad guy who tried to kill Gin multiple times, there was more to the guy. We get to know him a bit more in this novella, and at this point I actually really like him. Especially because he was very sweet at times. Yeah, who would’ve thought. Lol. But yeah, this was great! It may require a re-read before the year is over just to tide me over until the next Elemental Assassin novella comes out in the Fall though 😆

[Kathy Davie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novella, 19.5 in the Elemental Assassin dark paranormal fantasy series, revolving around Gin Blanco, the Spider. The focus is on Lorelei Parker and takes place in Ashland, North Carolina. I suspect that "Spider and Frost", 19.6, takes place concurrently.

“Heart Stings” was first published in the Dirty Deeds 2 anthology.

My Take
In a switch, “Heart Stings” takes place from Lorelei Parker’s perspective using first person protagonist point-of-view and is an interesting look-in at how Lorelei has refined her skills to be useful as well as a look back at past events in the series. Including Tucker when he opens up about his reasons for joining the Circle and reveals quite a lot to Lorelei. Oh, yeah.

Ooh, mama! That Lorelei can dish it right back! I loved how she fixed Clyde’s wagon, ahem. I did appreciate that she could recognize when she screws up.

I had to laugh at Lorelei’s descriptions of some of the outrageous requests her clients make. More laughter ensued with her thoughts of becoming as assassin, as it would be easier than trying to make people happy.

Estep always manages to include references to the other series she writes.

While Mallory and Stuart’s plans for a second party are sweet, if rather mean, the real story is about Lorelei and Tucker with lots of looks back at the past.

The Story
That first wedding reception, last month, was something of a disaster, and Mallory and Stuart want to have another reception. One without, um, issues.

It’s why they’re having the party while Gin is out of town . . .!

Then more bad news when a vicious criminal sets out to terrorize Lorelei.

The Characters
Lorelei Parker, a “former” smuggler, has a gift of Ice and Metal and has recently taken control of Dimitri Barkov’s shipping yard. These days she finds items for clients. A rose with thorns rune reminds Lorelei of her mother and the danger of beauty. Both dwarves, the +300-year-old Mallory Parker, Lorelei’s many-greats-grandmother, is recently married to Stuart Mosley, who is president of First Trust Bank, and they’re just back from their honeymoon. Lily Rose Pike, an Ice elemental, had been Lorelei’s mother. Renaldo Pike had been Lorelei’s abusive father. Raymond Pike had been her half-brother with a Metal gift ( Spider's Trap , 13).

[The former] Dimitri Barkov’s shipping yard
Dario Valdez is one of the watchmen. Karlotta Valdez is his wife and Lorelei’s personal assistant. Vaughn Construction is Lorelei’s renovation crew. Jack Corbin’s replacement hasn’t yet been hired ( Spider's Trap ).

Gin Blanco owns the Pork Pit, a popular barbecue restaurant. She’s also known as the Spider, an assassin, as well as the official queen of the Ashland underworld. Owen Grayson is Gin’s significant other with a Metal gift. Finnegan Lane is Gin’s foster brother and an investment banker dating Detective Bria Coolidge, Gin’s sister. Fletcher Lane, an assassin known as the Tin Man, had been Gin’s foster father and the original owner of the Pork Pit. Eira had been Gin’s mother and with whom Tucker had been in love.

Silvio Sanchez, a gay vampire, is Gin’s personal assistant — and he is so bored in “Heart Stings”, lol. Sophia Deveraux is the head cook at the Pork Pit; she’s also an excellent body disposer. Roslyn Phillips, a vampire, owns the Northern Aggression nightclub.

Jo-Jo Deveraux, an Air elemental, is Sophia’s sister and runs a popular beauty salon. Detective Xavier is Bria’s partner on the police force. Liam Carter, with a mix of giant and dwarven blood, is Silvio’s significant other and provides protection services.

Hugh Tucker, a vampire, had been Mitchell’s right hand man in the Circle — now he’s O’Neal’s. Mason Mitchell, Gin’s uncle and a Stone elemental, had been the longtime leader of the Circle, a secret society of crime and corruption. The Mitchell Mile would have been a disaster ( Last Strand , 19). Alanna Eaton had been a cannibalistic vampire ( Venom in the Veins , 17). Dierdre Shaw had tried to rob the bank ( Bitter Bite , 14). Walter Butler is hiring himself out as a hitman. Emery Slater, a female giantess, had been one of Mason's enforcers, and she really hates Gin.

Clyde O’Neal, a smuggler with giant and dwarven blood, is one of Ashland’s meanest, nastiest, and most ruthless underworld bosses.

Underwood’s is an expensive, fancy restaurant. The Rhododendron Inn is a luxury resort built by Marisol Patton in the early 1900s.

The Cover and Title
The cover is an electric royal blue from the mansion in the background with its single lit window to the open briefcase in the snowy forefront with its glowing spider rune inside. At the very top is an info blurb in yellow with the author’s name directly below it in a gradated yellow to orange with shadowing. At the bottom, below the briefcase is the title in a blend of yellow serif for the first word and that gradated yellow-to-orange for the second word in a curvier font. At the very bottom is the series info in yellow with a black shadow.

The title refers to those “Heart Stings”, those blends of pleasure and pain that zing through your body.

[WycEd Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out our full post for HEART STINGS on Wicked Reads.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆
HEART STINGS is the 19.5 installment of the Elemental Assassins series. It is important that you read all the installments in order to get a grasp of the world building and the series continuum.

Reading this was like a small gift I didn't expect to receive. It's been so long since I read this series, such a delight to revisit the world. I always end up wanting to start the series from the beginning and do a reread.

Flawlessly picking up where LAST STRAND left off but with a new voice, Lorelei Parker is our narrator, and it was lovely to read from her point-of-view. A strong, clear voice, protective of her family, Lorelei was easy to relate to for this reader.

Hugh Tucker is an enemy of sorts, but he gets beneath Lorelei's skin in a not-so uncomfortable way, just rankles her to distraction. Their interactions are filled with heat and frustration on both their parts. A strong push-pull romance with a flair of love-hate. Tuck isn't as bad as we've seen him from Gin's point of view, or is he?

HEART STINGS was a fun, quick weekend read, thoroughly enjoyable. Since I'm busy, the struggle is real as I fight the desire to reread the series from the beginning.

Reviewers received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.

[Sandy S · Rating 4 out of 5]

HEART STINGS is instalment 19.5 and novella in Jennifer Estep’s contemporary, adult ELEMENTAL ASSASSIN paranormal/urban fantasy series. This is business woman, ice and metal elemental Lorelei Parker, and vampire Hugh Tucker’s story line. HEART STINGS can be read as a stand alone but I recommend reading LAST STRAND for back story and cohesion. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. HEART STINGS takes places approximately one month after the events of book 19-LAST STRAND, and the disastrous wedding reception of Lorelei’s grandmother Mallory Parker and her new husband Stuart Mosley.

NOTE: Heart Stings first appeared in the Dirty Deeds 2 anthology in 2022.

Told from first person perspective (Lorelei Parker) HEART STINGS follows Lorelei, a one time smuggler turned shipyard owner who is struggling with the likes of crime boss Clyde O’Neal. A dead body in her backyard, threats against her life, and vampire Hugh Tucker working for Clyde meant Lorelei Parker was in the direct line of fire, as Clyde O’Neal demanded ownership of Lorelei’s shipping yard but there is something in the shipyard that Clyde desperately wants, and Lorelei is standing in the way of Clyde’s demands.

HEART STINGS is a story of desperation and greed, flirtation and attraction, forgiveness, acceptance and love.The fast paced premise is intriguing and enchanting; the romance is subtle; the $ex scene is passionate; the characters are magical and determined. HEART STINGS is an exciting and interesting addition to the Elemental Assassin series where two previous- secondary characters finds their own happily ever after.


www.thereadingcafe.com

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Heart Stings” is a novella written from the standpoint of Gin’s friend, Lorelei Parker. While dining with her grandmother and her grandmother’s new husband, Lorelei learns that they are planning a second wedding reception since the first one ended in an epic disaster. Lorelei looks ups to see vampire, Hugh Tucker approaching her from the bar. Jeez, what is it about this man that causes her heart to pitter patter?

While flirting Hugh is joined by another man who go is a local crime boss who has been trying to force Lorelei to sell her warehouse premises to him. It seems he and Hugh are entering into an employment agreement leaving Lorelei quite unhappy. Lorelei realizes that Hugh is going to be working as a problem solver for this boss and she is his latest problem.

With Gin, Bria and their boyfriends away on a vacation, Lorelei is on her own. No problem. She is confident in her abilities but saddened to realize that Hugh is no longer flirting material. There’s more to this situation than meets the eye and Lorelei is about to find out what.

I enjoyed this novella because it was fast paced, full of action, deceit and treachery. It also had moments of sizzling sexual chemistry. This point promises to be an interesting backdrop for future installments in the Elemental Assassin series and I for one just can’t wait!

[Nancy Brady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read Winter's Web (see separate review for that), too.

Heart Stings is from the Elemental Assassin series, but the story is told from Lorelei Parker's perspective.

Lorelei has some feelings for Hugh Tucker, but he's running with another bad guy, Clyde, now that Mason is dead, thanks to incomparable Gin Blanco, the Spider. How can she trust him, yet they've shared a few looks while she nursed back to health.

Every time Lorelei thinks that Hugh might be changing, he does something that cause her heart to feel a sting. Is it possible he could change? Is it possible for them to become a couple? Or will she only have her heart broken?

There's just enough fighting; there's just enough sizzle in the romance department, and there's just enough bad guys to overcome, and this novella didn't disappoint.

Estep infuses humor, heart, and sound effects into her stories, and (oh, joy) she uses the Oxford comma! Oxford commas rock!

[Denise H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this story!! It was flirty, fun, cute, and snarky with a side of danger and bada$$ with some of the fantastic characters from the Elemental Assassin series. I’ve been fascinated with Hugh Tucker from his run-ins with Gin and the gang in other books and even though he was the bad guy, it always seemed like there was more to his character. I enjoyed learning more about him and seeing his interactions with Lorelei and their dance around their attraction to each other. It was endearing to see a softer, sweeter side of him. I loved how strong and independent Lorelei was and the unique way she handled her magic to deal with the bad guys. This was an all-around great read and I highly recommend.

[Jen (That's What I'm Talking About) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fans of the Elemental Assassin series will enjoy Heart Strings, an exciting adventure and sexy romance all from the POV of Lorelei Parker, one of Gin’s inner circle. The story is everything I’ve come to love about the series, including the main characters being sneaky, fighting for their lives, and using elemental magic to kick butt, all tied together with romance, humor, and amazing food.

Heart Strings is like a beautiful bow placed on top of a much-desired gift. With the Elemental Assassin series over (for now), Lorelei’s story completes the story arc and takes care of some unfinished business between Lorelei and the dark vampire Hugh Tucker. We learn a bit more about both, most especially Hugh, who has straddled the fence between “good” and “bad” for the last few books. I enjoyed watching him in action and appreciated Lorelei’s tumultuous feelings.

As always, Ms. Estep fills her stories with action and adventure, using incredible detail and description to paint the scene. She creates realistic settings that fill my mind with wonder and make me hungry for some home-cooked barbecue. Although this is a novella, there is plenty of story filling the pages. I highly recommend Heart Strings to all fans of Gin Blanco.

My Rating: B

Review copy provided by author
Originally posted at That's What I'm Talking About

[Vannessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is one of my favourites and I'm so glad Jennifer Estep is revisiting this world through some of the other secondary characters. This one is namely about Lorelei Parker and Hugh Tucker and although a quick read, it was a great fun read!

Lorelei is a very strong character, sick of taking the bad from those in her past, she now defies anyone who tries to bully her. She definitely stands up to her bully in this one and I loved the relationship between her and Hugh as well.

If you love this series, this novella is not one to miss (I know you wouldn't anyway!), but if you haven't read it, it's probably best to go back and do so as you would be missing out on an amazing series!

[Ashley (Red-Haired Ash Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was originally published in Dirty Deeds 2 Anthology.

It was wonderful to be back in Ashland for a short time. Lorelei and Hugh have been flirting with each other for a while now and we finally get to see them admit their feelings. I have liked Lorelei since she was introduced and I loved seeing her finally fall in love. Hugh has been the villain for most of the series but I love seeing him redeem himself and find happiness. Overall, I really enjoyed this short story. I hope we get more of these short stories because I still am not ready to let these characters go.

TWs: References to domestic violence, child abuse, and parental death; PTSD;

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lorelei Parker reminisces on her past. Now that her father and brother are gone, her grandmother married, she can get on with her life. But how? Can she have a relationship with a handsome vampire? And who is trying to kill her?

Fave scenes: (hard to find since other than her reminisces, speculations and other thoughts there wasn’t much going on.) Lorelei’s walk through the shipping yard and the snowball defense.

[Gina Gallo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this story. I have actually read it before, but never reviewed it for some reason. So, as it is never an issue to reread a Jennifer Estep novel, I reread it...and I am still in love with the love story of Lorelei and Hugh. They are both flawed, but awesome, individuals and I love how they come together. So delicious to build up to that interview. Yummy!

[Karen Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful story! The banter made me smile and occasionally chuckle. The series usual characters abound but Lorelei and Hugh steam up the pages. I do love it when the bad guys get their just reward!

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

great read

I enjoyed seeing things from Loralei’s perspective. Even without Gin, the friendships exist and there is support for one another. Malory got her party and her granddaughter happy.

[Terrie Cunningham · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first elemental Assassin book

Although I have read JE before, this is my first Assassin book. I thought I would be a little lost, but she puts in enough details that it can stand on it's own. Enjoyable

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Source* Author
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5-4

*Thoughts*

Jennifer Estep's Heart Stings is a 38,000-word novella from the point of view of Lorelei Parker. It takes place about a month after the events of Last Strand, book 19 in the Elemental Assassin. Heart Stings first appeared in the Dirty Deeds 2 anthology in 2022. With Gin on vacation along with Grayson, Finnegan Lane, and her sister Brie Coolidge, Lorelei Parker faces a serious threat from Clyde O'Neal who wants Lorelei's shipyard she took from Dimitri.

*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*

https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lot of fun! I like the side characters a lot, and it was a nice change of pace for the series. I would enjoy more of these with Lorelei or anyone really.

[Jo]

Even bad guys need love. Two side characters dance around caring while danger stalks their live. Nice story

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short Story.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun series. I don’t often still like series this many books into it.

[Natalie Naumann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great novella

Finally, Tuck and Lorelli hook up. Also one more Ashland underworld boss out of the picture. Estep does such a great job.

[Jennifer A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chillingly beautiful

An amazing view of some familiar characters. Love, violence, snark and diamonds. Cannot go wrong with a trip to Ashland.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally had the pleasure of Hugh Tucker and Lorelei Parkers story that detailed how and when they stopped fighting their mutual attraction, amongst other things in this little short piece.

[Amy Braun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two great stories featuring two powerful women and their sexy lovers, this is the perfect quick read for fans of the ELEMENTAL ASSASSIN series!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not bad at all. I like it! It was very good.