What do you think?
Rate this book
Celta's Heartmates #10
Heart Search
Latest in the long-running series from the award-winning author of Heart Journey.
Noble Laev T'Hawthorne must rebuild his life after marrying a woman he believed was his HeartMate, only to fall victim to her greed.
Abandoned at fifteen, Camellia Darjeeling values her independence above all-even as her father and uncle emotionally scourge her and extort money. For Camellia, trusting men, even her HeartMate, is too risky.
When Laev and Camellia meet, they refuse to acknowledge that they are true HeartMates. But their destiny cannot be avoided...
Noble Laev T'Hawthorne must rebuild his life after marrying a woman he believed was his HeartMate, only to fall victim to her greed.
Abandoned at fifteen, Camellia Darjeeling values her independence above all-even as her father and uncle emotionally scourge her and extort money. For Camellia, trusting men, even her HeartMate, is too risky.
When Laev and Camellia meet, they refuse to acknowledge that they are true HeartMates. But their destiny cannot be avoided...
351 pages, Paperback
First published August 2, 2011
34 people are currently reading
651 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
August 9, 2011
I'm a big fan of Celta's Heartmates, but after the last book which didn't impress me too much, I was a bit apprehensive about this one. But at the same time hopeful, after all Laev was someone I really wanted to learn more about. I was not disappointed at all. :-)
Laev is still trying to get over his dead wife. She tricked him into believing they were Heartmates because she wanted the status of being a GreatLord's wife. She was a selfish, unfaithful harridan. After that fiasco Laev finds it hard to trust a woman. And the last person he wants to meet is his real Heartmate. That connection is almost impossible to deny. But exploring this thing with Camellia Darjeeling shouldn't be as dangerous as that. But...
Camellia knows who her Heartmate is. And that knowledge haunted her for years. Finding out that your friend is married to your Heartmate can be devastating. She learned to hide the truth of it from everyone, herself the most. But now, Laev is free again. And the temptation of him is perilous to her.
I love both Camellia and Laev. With all their scars, issues, insecurities. Laev's come from his marriage, while Camellia's from her childhood and her abusive father and uncle. It causes them to be wary, and sometimes they react out of fear and hurt each other. But it's understandable.
I love the world of Celta. It's amazing and I like the fact that we learn more of it's history throughout the books.
As always, the Fams are great. A bit selfish, but so loving and brave and...
It seems to me that Camellia two friends are going to be the heroines of the next books, and I'm looking forward to reading their stories. But the next book Hearts and Swords: Four Original Stories of Celta as the title says will contain four short stories. These are the heroes (it took me a while to find this, in the end found it on her blog): Kelse Bountry, Captain of the Starship Nuada's Sword when Celta is discovered. Next is Dri Paris, HeartMate to Arbusca Willow, Arbusca was in Heart Dance. Third is Cardus Parryl, he is Genista's Holly Furze's new love. Finally is Walker Clover, who has been mentioned in Heart Change, he wins the noble title for the Clovers.
Rating:
5 stars
Laev is still trying to get over his dead wife. She tricked him into believing they were Heartmates because she wanted the status of being a GreatLord's wife. She was a selfish, unfaithful harridan. After that fiasco Laev finds it hard to trust a woman. And the last person he wants to meet is his real Heartmate. That connection is almost impossible to deny. But exploring this thing with Camellia Darjeeling shouldn't be as dangerous as that. But...
Camellia knows who her Heartmate is. And that knowledge haunted her for years. Finding out that your friend is married to your Heartmate can be devastating. She learned to hide the truth of it from everyone, herself the most. But now, Laev is free again. And the temptation of him is perilous to her.
I love both Camellia and Laev. With all their scars, issues, insecurities. Laev's come from his marriage, while Camellia's from her childhood and her abusive father and uncle. It causes them to be wary, and sometimes they react out of fear and hurt each other. But it's understandable.
I love the world of Celta. It's amazing and I like the fact that we learn more of it's history throughout the books.
As always, the Fams are great. A bit selfish, but so loving and brave and...
It seems to me that Camellia two friends are going to be the heroines of the next books, and I'm looking forward to reading their stories. But the next book Hearts and Swords: Four Original Stories of Celta as the title says will contain four short stories. These are the heroes (it took me a while to find this, in the end found it on her blog): Kelse Bountry, Captain of the Starship Nuada's Sword when Celta is discovered. Next is Dri Paris, HeartMate to Arbusca Willow, Arbusca was in Heart Dance. Third is Cardus Parryl, he is Genista's Holly Furze's new love. Finally is Walker Clover, who has been mentioned in Heart Change, he wins the noble title for the Clovers.
Rating:
5 stars
November 25, 2020
3.5 or solid 4...did stay up 'til 2a.m. reading it...hmmm
August 26, 2011
Originally posted at http://www.smexybooks.com/2011/08/rev...
Favorite Quote: “You are a Stup. Laev a stup. Even Brazos is a stup. I am the only Smart One in the Family.”
Laev T’Hawthorne hasn’t had an easy life. His family has feuded with the Hollys for centuries-causing death and animosity on both sides. Then he married at a young age to who he assumed was his HeartMate, only to find she wasn’t. She only wanted the money and prestige of being married into a first family. After her death, Laev discovers she stole from his family and even gave his HeartMate gift away. Now that his Fathersire has passed, Laev is head of the residence and slowly putting his life and home back together. He has hired a private investigator to locate and retrieve the residence heirlooms. He knows that he has a true Heart Mate out there but his heart cannot bare the pain or shame that he might once again not be what a woman wants.
Camiellia Darjeerling has always known who her HeartMate is but when he choose another woman, she buried the pain and went on with her life. Abandoned by her family at age 15, she has worked hard to built up a good life and business. Due to her cruel father’s and uncle’s constant abuse, Camiella finds it hard to trust any man-including her Heart Mate.
I found Heart Search to be reminiscent of Ms. Owens earlier books in the series. A bit darker and edgier then what we have seen with the last few installments. We see more a realistic view of this society; the selfish, the cruel, and the social constructs that it’s built upon. Not everyone in here is nice and Ms. Owen’s shows their faces and lets their voices be heard.
The story starts out introducing us to our protagonists and showing us the reasons behind the walls they have built around their hearts. Laev and Carmiella are strong, intelligent people-both the victims of cruel people. Family and friendship is important to them and they both shoulder more then their fair share of guilt. I like that while they are kind people; they aren’t push overs. Camiella continues to file complaints against her family and takes self defense classes while Laev is rebuilding his life, continuing to socialize and taking an active interest in his friends and family. They haven’t stop living because of the past.
Mysterious little subplots run through the main storyline to enhance the main plot and give us clues to future books. Suspense and a slow forming romance to keeps the story fresh and the pace steady.
The relationship between Laev and Camellia starts off hot yet unemotional as they come together in each other in dreams and engage in sexual pleasures without having to physically meet. Neither of them wants a HeartMate and Camellia has yet to forgive Laev for not listening to his heart so many years ago. Their bond is strong though and their friends and fam cats decide the couple needs some help so they maneuver and manipulate circumstances to bring them together. There is a lot of hurt in them and the emotional journey they take towards their future together is fraught with tension and sadness.
The mystery and romance of the story blend well and play off each other nicely. The characters are all well developed and add depth and a sense of continuation to the arc of the story. We see many old friends and meet some very interesting new ones. I love the fam cats of this story. They have such wonderful dynamic personalities and add humor to their scenes. They also provided the bridge that allows our couple to come together.
The ending is a taut mixture of suspense and action as the multiple story lines merge to form a climatic finale that leaves you stunned yet very happy with the outcomes. I look forward to visiting Ms. Owens futuristic world again soon as her HeartMate’s always bring a wealth of magic romance to the table. I also hope that she gives us more clues to Cal and T’Vinny’s future soon.
Overall Rating: B
Favorite Quote: “You are a Stup. Laev a stup. Even Brazos is a stup. I am the only Smart One in the Family.”
Laev T’Hawthorne hasn’t had an easy life. His family has feuded with the Hollys for centuries-causing death and animosity on both sides. Then he married at a young age to who he assumed was his HeartMate, only to find she wasn’t. She only wanted the money and prestige of being married into a first family. After her death, Laev discovers she stole from his family and even gave his HeartMate gift away. Now that his Fathersire has passed, Laev is head of the residence and slowly putting his life and home back together. He has hired a private investigator to locate and retrieve the residence heirlooms. He knows that he has a true Heart Mate out there but his heart cannot bare the pain or shame that he might once again not be what a woman wants.
Camiellia Darjeerling has always known who her HeartMate is but when he choose another woman, she buried the pain and went on with her life. Abandoned by her family at age 15, she has worked hard to built up a good life and business. Due to her cruel father’s and uncle’s constant abuse, Camiella finds it hard to trust any man-including her Heart Mate.
I found Heart Search to be reminiscent of Ms. Owens earlier books in the series. A bit darker and edgier then what we have seen with the last few installments. We see more a realistic view of this society; the selfish, the cruel, and the social constructs that it’s built upon. Not everyone in here is nice and Ms. Owen’s shows their faces and lets their voices be heard.
The story starts out introducing us to our protagonists and showing us the reasons behind the walls they have built around their hearts. Laev and Carmiella are strong, intelligent people-both the victims of cruel people. Family and friendship is important to them and they both shoulder more then their fair share of guilt. I like that while they are kind people; they aren’t push overs. Camiella continues to file complaints against her family and takes self defense classes while Laev is rebuilding his life, continuing to socialize and taking an active interest in his friends and family. They haven’t stop living because of the past.
Mysterious little subplots run through the main storyline to enhance the main plot and give us clues to future books. Suspense and a slow forming romance to keeps the story fresh and the pace steady.
The relationship between Laev and Camellia starts off hot yet unemotional as they come together in each other in dreams and engage in sexual pleasures without having to physically meet. Neither of them wants a HeartMate and Camellia has yet to forgive Laev for not listening to his heart so many years ago. Their bond is strong though and their friends and fam cats decide the couple needs some help so they maneuver and manipulate circumstances to bring them together. There is a lot of hurt in them and the emotional journey they take towards their future together is fraught with tension and sadness.
The mystery and romance of the story blend well and play off each other nicely. The characters are all well developed and add depth and a sense of continuation to the arc of the story. We see many old friends and meet some very interesting new ones. I love the fam cats of this story. They have such wonderful dynamic personalities and add humor to their scenes. They also provided the bridge that allows our couple to come together.
The ending is a taut mixture of suspense and action as the multiple story lines merge to form a climatic finale that leaves you stunned yet very happy with the outcomes. I look forward to visiting Ms. Owens futuristic world again soon as her HeartMate’s always bring a wealth of magic romance to the table. I also hope that she gives us more clues to Cal and T’Vinny’s future soon.
Overall Rating: B
June 16, 2015
This book left me devastated. And not in a good way. I'd been enjoying this series, but it had been getting worse and worse. This book was the ultimate. I understand angsty themes, but emotionally torturing the heroine, along with the readers, is stretching it too far.
I thought the whole concept of heartmate would render them less judgmental on superficial qualities. And no, it does not show any artistic creativity on the author's part, it was just cheap emotional torture for me.
Enough of this series for me. Which is sad because I had been a huge fan of this series in the beginning.
I thought the whole concept of heartmate would render them less judgmental on superficial qualities. And no, it does not show any artistic creativity on the author's part, it was just cheap emotional torture for me.
Enough of this series for me. Which is sad because I had been a huge fan of this series in the beginning.
December 26, 2018
<3
Way too melodramatic, and Camellia was pure victim, not really heroine material.
Way too melodramatic, and Camellia was pure victim, not really heroine material.
October 5, 2022
2022 bk 304. Laev Hawthorne returns - older and wiser. His wife, Nivea, was not his heartmate and he regrets his actions as a 17 year old. Now he is in his 30's and head of a family that still views him as a boy. Camelia Darjeeling enters his universe, again. She was with the group of girls when he focused on Nivea - but it is she that is his Heartmate. Neither of them wants the relationship formalized as yet. Laev is still smarting from his actions, Camelia is dealing with abusive and thieving father and uncle. This is a solid romance of people maturing, learning how they can build a relationship and still combat their own fears.
February 24, 2013
I have been looking forward to reading Laev’s story. I just knew in book 8 that he was duped. He did meet his HeartMate at 17, but he just locked eyes with a very beautiful girl, and thought that was it, overlooking his real HeartMate, who was only 13 at the time. And I was correct. Laev is T’Hawthorn now. His wife died three years ago, when a horrible illness swept Druida and killed a lot of people in all classes and ages. His FatherSire (grandfather) died three months ago, and Laev is dealing with his grief. He is also coming to terms with being T’Hawthorn, although the Residence and his Family are still treating him as a child. But he will remedy that. He is also ready to pick up his normal life again, and has hired a private investigator to retrieve all the Hawthorn possessions his wife stole and sold or gave away, including his HeartGift. And even though he wants it back, he is not ready for a new wife, or searching out his HeartMate.
Camellia is content with her life. She has just opened her second teashop, furbished after what she thinks a HouseHeart looks like. Being a minor noble, she never has visited a real HouseHeart, the Darjeeling Residence was not sentient, and sold for her father’s debs when she was a teenager. She has two good friends, and now a FamCat of her own. She knows who her HeartMate is, has known it since she was a child. But as he was married, there was no use in searching him out, or making him a HeartGift as is usual during the Second Passage. The only bad thing in her life are her father and uncle, who are burgling her house regularly, breaking her stuff, defiling it and stealing her valuables. They extort money from her teahouses as well. But she is through with it, even if her weak brother doesn’t want to take action, she is reporting everything to the Guards.
But of course Camellia and Laev cannot stay apart. They keep meeting each other at random (which is planned by both their FamCats!) and start having erotic dreams together. But Laev still doesn’t know who his HeartMate is. Until Camellia hints at it, and he draws away from her, hurting her horribly. Even though she is not ready for a husband yet. She likes her indepence, and she has some very important secrets her father may never find out.
Again, I loved this book. I know, I am sounding like a broken record. But if you like a great fantasy world, filled with magic (Flair), and great characters and pets, and of course lots of romance and some hot love scenes, you can do no other than love this series. Just pick up the first book, although I am sure you can read them as stand alone novels too. There is often considerable time between the books.
Camellia had a hard childhood with her abusive father and uncle, her weak mother and brother to take care of. She is doing fine now, with two teashops she is running, and some great friends. Taking time to get to know her HeartMate, become friends and lovers. Of course she is weary of men, but she takes action. She is taking self defence courses, learning to fight her father and uncle, and reporting them and their foul deeds. Laev really hurt her as well, when he thought some one else was his HeartMate.
And then Laev, already struggling with almost killing a GreatLady as a teen, having been used by his wife who was not his HeartMate but who wanted the status and gilt she had as his wife. He is settling in his new position, not ready for a new wife, even if she is his HeartMate. But once they have met, destiny is set in motion, and they are drawn to each other. I loved both their FamCats this time, they were great characters and not so selfish as some previous mentioned cats.
10 stars.
Full review on my blog, www.boeklogboek.blogspot.com
Camellia is content with her life. She has just opened her second teashop, furbished after what she thinks a HouseHeart looks like. Being a minor noble, she never has visited a real HouseHeart, the Darjeeling Residence was not sentient, and sold for her father’s debs when she was a teenager. She has two good friends, and now a FamCat of her own. She knows who her HeartMate is, has known it since she was a child. But as he was married, there was no use in searching him out, or making him a HeartGift as is usual during the Second Passage. The only bad thing in her life are her father and uncle, who are burgling her house regularly, breaking her stuff, defiling it and stealing her valuables. They extort money from her teahouses as well. But she is through with it, even if her weak brother doesn’t want to take action, she is reporting everything to the Guards.
But of course Camellia and Laev cannot stay apart. They keep meeting each other at random (which is planned by both their FamCats!) and start having erotic dreams together. But Laev still doesn’t know who his HeartMate is. Until Camellia hints at it, and he draws away from her, hurting her horribly. Even though she is not ready for a husband yet. She likes her indepence, and she has some very important secrets her father may never find out.
Again, I loved this book. I know, I am sounding like a broken record. But if you like a great fantasy world, filled with magic (Flair), and great characters and pets, and of course lots of romance and some hot love scenes, you can do no other than love this series. Just pick up the first book, although I am sure you can read them as stand alone novels too. There is often considerable time between the books.
Camellia had a hard childhood with her abusive father and uncle, her weak mother and brother to take care of. She is doing fine now, with two teashops she is running, and some great friends. Taking time to get to know her HeartMate, become friends and lovers. Of course she is weary of men, but she takes action. She is taking self defence courses, learning to fight her father and uncle, and reporting them and their foul deeds. Laev really hurt her as well, when he thought some one else was his HeartMate.
And then Laev, already struggling with almost killing a GreatLady as a teen, having been used by his wife who was not his HeartMate but who wanted the status and gilt she had as his wife. He is settling in his new position, not ready for a new wife, even if she is his HeartMate. But once they have met, destiny is set in motion, and they are drawn to each other. I loved both their FamCats this time, they were great characters and not so selfish as some previous mentioned cats.
10 stars.
© 2013 Reviews by Aurian
Full review on my blog, www.boeklogboek.blogspot.com
November 27, 2015
I was tossing up between 2 and 3 stars for this book, but ended up going with 2 for the following reasons:
Before they bond as Heart Mates, they aren't allowed to tell their future mate that they are Heart Mates (if they are unaware of this) as it takes away free will. There's even a law about it. Our heroine Camellia ponders this very fact, only to then (pretty much in the next sentence) tell her Heart Mate that she too has been having "interesting" (my words) dreams. These are the dreams THAT ONLY HEART MATES HAVE, AND THAT ONLY A HEART MATE WOULD KNOW ABOUT. So while she did not use the term "heart mate" she pretty much told him. Kinda the same as "I have a furry pet that likes to purr and says meow". I didn't say "I have a cat" but you still know I have a cat. So how is this not breaking the law?!?
Stories also need conflict to be interesting. The main element of conflict in this story is represented by Camellia's male relatives. It felt like they were only added as a plot device, and unfortunately not a very good one. Every time I read a scene with them I cringed, both at the lack of subtlety of the "bad guys" as well as Camellia's reactions to and interactions with them. I really think they were completely unnecessary to the story, and if they had been completely removed it would have read a whole lot better (easily elevating the story to 3 stars for me, at least).
On that subject, one of the reasons behind having conflict in the story is so that the protagonists can possibly overcome the conflict and subsequently grow as a character. The story had even been set up for this to happen, with Camellia going through self defence training. All that happened was she had a minor tussle (which didn't last long enough to see any evidence of all her training) and then the bad guy died through a freaky accident, the other bad guy also died (off scene). The end. They all live happily ever after. So yeah, nothing got resolved.
That being said, yes I do keep buying the heart mates books, and yes I will be reading them again. I just can't resist, and no I don't know why lol. I go in knowing full well what to expect: for me they are an enjoyable enough read. A bit of escapism. There are some good-ok ones in the series. There are also some not so good ones. For me, the series hits a high point at books Heart Quest through to Heart Change and then starts to deteriorate.
So yes, read the series for what it is: en enjoyable bit of escapism in an intriguing world. They are not masterpieces of literature, but a more a bit of brain candy as I like to say. Some books in this series are better than others, which is pretty much what happens with any relatively long series. Long time readers of Owens will be very familiar with the style of reading and will not be in for many/any surprises with this one (which can be taken either way).
Before they bond as Heart Mates, they aren't allowed to tell their future mate that they are Heart Mates (if they are unaware of this) as it takes away free will. There's even a law about it. Our heroine Camellia ponders this very fact, only to then (pretty much in the next sentence) tell her Heart Mate that she too has been having "interesting" (my words) dreams. These are the dreams THAT ONLY HEART MATES HAVE, AND THAT ONLY A HEART MATE WOULD KNOW ABOUT. So while she did not use the term "heart mate" she pretty much told him. Kinda the same as "I have a furry pet that likes to purr and says meow". I didn't say "I have a cat" but you still know I have a cat. So how is this not breaking the law?!?
Stories also need conflict to be interesting. The main element of conflict in this story is represented by Camellia's male relatives. It felt like they were only added as a plot device, and unfortunately not a very good one. Every time I read a scene with them I cringed, both at the lack of subtlety of the "bad guys" as well as Camellia's reactions to and interactions with them. I really think they were completely unnecessary to the story, and if they had been completely removed it would have read a whole lot better (easily elevating the story to 3 stars for me, at least).
On that subject, one of the reasons behind having conflict in the story is so that the protagonists can possibly overcome the conflict and subsequently grow as a character. The story had even been set up for this to happen, with Camellia going through self defence training. All that happened was she had a minor tussle (which didn't last long enough to see any evidence of all her training) and then the bad guy died through a freaky accident, the other bad guy also died (off scene). The end. They all live happily ever after. So yeah, nothing got resolved.
That being said, yes I do keep buying the heart mates books, and yes I will be reading them again. I just can't resist, and no I don't know why lol. I go in knowing full well what to expect: for me they are an enjoyable enough read. A bit of escapism. There are some good-ok ones in the series. There are also some not so good ones. For me, the series hits a high point at books Heart Quest through to Heart Change and then starts to deteriorate.
So yes, read the series for what it is: en enjoyable bit of escapism in an intriguing world. They are not masterpieces of literature, but a more a bit of brain candy as I like to say. Some books in this series are better than others, which is pretty much what happens with any relatively long series. Long time readers of Owens will be very familiar with the style of reading and will not be in for many/any surprises with this one (which can be taken either way).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2011
They are two deeply wounded people, both with strong reasons for distrusting the opposite sex, but will Laev and Camellia learn to trust and leave hurt behind and discover the joy and love that can be theirs by acknowledging their Heartbond?
Even though they are meant for each other, Owen's Heartmates always have a lot of obstacles to overcome and this time round the leads do a fair job of hurting each other before they are able to treasure the precious gift they have been given. Past hurts run deep and this vulnerability makes both of the leads appealing, but the way that they cling to the fear associated with this vulnerability also at makes Laev and Camellia pretty frustrating at times. Also, both a plus and a minus, was Camellia's attempt to stand up to the father and uncle who use her and abuse her - they are very bad men - but even as she works on her physical strength, when everything comes to a crisis point with her odious kin, she seems to fall back into the victim role - instead using her friends and other resources.
Neverless, I am still enjoying Owen's series, and I am still finding the magical wiccanish culture of Celta and the promise of a perfect love - and quirky telepathic pets - enjoyable. This time to it was fun to see the next generation of characters, the hero Laev was a teen in trouble in the earlier books and many of the children of the initial pairs are starting to make their way into the stories as 'fleglings'. I am really looking forward to the next journey to Celta - Hearts and Swords: Four Original Stories of Celta - a collection of shorts, and hoping to see a bit more of some old familiar faces as they get a turn in the spotlight.
Even though they are meant for each other, Owen's Heartmates always have a lot of obstacles to overcome and this time round the leads do a fair job of hurting each other before they are able to treasure the precious gift they have been given. Past hurts run deep and this vulnerability makes both of the leads appealing, but the way that they cling to the fear associated with this vulnerability also at makes Laev and Camellia pretty frustrating at times. Also, both a plus and a minus, was Camellia's attempt to stand up to the father and uncle who use her and abuse her - they are very bad men - but even as she works on her physical strength, when everything comes to a crisis point with her odious kin, she seems to fall back into the victim role - instead using her friends and other resources.
Neverless, I am still enjoying Owen's series, and I am still finding the magical wiccanish culture of Celta and the promise of a perfect love - and quirky telepathic pets - enjoyable. This time to it was fun to see the next generation of characters, the hero Laev was a teen in trouble in the earlier books and many of the children of the initial pairs are starting to make their way into the stories as 'fleglings'. I am really looking forward to the next journey to Celta - Hearts and Swords: Four Original Stories of Celta - a collection of shorts, and hoping to see a bit more of some old familiar faces as they get a turn in the spotlight.
July 23, 2013
July 2013: Rather do a complete series re-read like I did last year, I'm just reading Heart Search and Heart Secret before I start Heart Fortune. Since Fortune's heroine is Glyssa, I wanted everything to be fresh.
May 2012: I think this is my second favorite of the series, right behind Heart Dance.
I love Robin D. Owens. I bought a second copy of Heart Journey during the literacy signing at RWA 2011 just so she would sign it. I caught one typo in Heart Search and this is not a book you can just pick up at random. If you don't already know the Celta series, you will be lost. Normally, I consider that a big no-no, but I irrationally think everyone should be reading this series anyway. I actually don't rec it that often because I feel it's not really for your average reader. For one thing, you have to be open to Wicca. In any case, I usually re-read the Celta series once a year. I promised myself I'd clean out my palate this weekend by concentrating on historicals, but now I'm jonesing to re-read Heart Fate.
May 2012: I think this is my second favorite of the series, right behind Heart Dance.
I love Robin D. Owens. I bought a second copy of Heart Journey during the literacy signing at RWA 2011 just so she would sign it. I caught one typo in Heart Search and this is not a book you can just pick up at random. If you don't already know the Celta series, you will be lost. Normally, I consider that a big no-no, but I irrationally think everyone should be reading this series anyway. I actually don't rec it that often because I feel it's not really for your average reader. For one thing, you have to be open to Wicca. In any case, I usually re-read the Celta series once a year. I promised myself I'd clean out my palate this weekend by concentrating on historicals, but now I'm jonesing to re-read Heart Fate.
December 24, 2011
Hoo boy... my favorite trope (said with much sarcasm). "Some member of the opposite sex messed w/ my mind so now I have issues with all members of the opposite sex". Doubled. Plus annoying spoiled brat talking cats. Yeesh. Oh, and characters who we were introduced to while they were barely out of diapers (that always gives me an icky feeling, rather like finding out the sex life of one's own offspring. I just doan wanna know...)
So dumb lets dumber know when dumber starts attempting to get closer to dumb that dumb is sharing those dreams dumber has been having. Dumber of course panics and backs off. A week or two later, dumber rethinks this idea. Thus, an affair is initiated (query - can you really have an affair with your mate if both parties are single?). Dumber has lost his heart gift (that mistake with a member of the opposite sex alluded to) so makes something and goes to give it to her. In a moment of sheer brilliance, he puts it on a table and initiates a conversation regarding his heart gift. Dumb of course panics at the word "heart gift" and doesn't exactly let him finish his sentence. Thus, the inevitable breakup 50 pages from the end.
Dear author, could you please drop this formula? Seriously? I've read this entire series straight through and the pattern of breakup 50 pages from the end is irritating beyond belief.
So dumb lets dumber know when dumber starts attempting to get closer to dumb that dumb is sharing those dreams dumber has been having. Dumber of course panics and backs off. A week or two later, dumber rethinks this idea. Thus, an affair is initiated (query - can you really have an affair with your mate if both parties are single?). Dumber has lost his heart gift (that mistake with a member of the opposite sex alluded to) so makes something and goes to give it to her. In a moment of sheer brilliance, he puts it on a table and initiates a conversation regarding his heart gift. Dumb of course panics at the word "heart gift" and doesn't exactly let him finish his sentence. Thus, the inevitable breakup 50 pages from the end.
Dear author, could you please drop this formula? Seriously? I've read this entire series straight through and the pattern of breakup 50 pages from the end is irritating beyond belief.
November 7, 2012
Solid addition to the series. Way too much sentient cats for my taste. I'm beginning to the think the people of Celta can't figure out how to wipe their own butts without assistance from their fams. I know I seem to be in the minority but they are sort of used as a type of 'deus ex machina' a little too often.
In other news, the planet of Celta keeps getting richer. I like how the author had gone into the second generation. I liked the angsty suffering of the hero and how well the author showed the closeknitness of the culture of Celta by the way that Laev's bad choice was still haunting him after years. I liked the toughness of the heroine.
I did feel like the romance was not as intense as it could have been. The H and the h spent very little time together.
In other news, the planet of Celta keeps getting richer. I like how the author had gone into the second generation. I liked the angsty suffering of the hero and how well the author showed the closeknitness of the culture of Celta by the way that Laev's bad choice was still haunting him after years. I liked the toughness of the heroine.
I did feel like the romance was not as intense as it could have been. The H and the h spent very little time together.
January 29, 2016
The hero married a woman he thought was his heart mate but wasn't. She wanted the prestige of being married into a wealthy prominent family, then proceeded to cheat on him, steal family heirlooms, and worse, stole and hid his heart gift. Then she died so she can never tell him where it is. The heroine knows she is the hero's heart mate, but doesn't want one. She's never known anything good from men--her father and uncle still break into her house to steal from her and abuse her-- and because she's from a lower social class with less money than the hero, she thinks he'll look down on her. So the whole story is basically about them proving themselves to each other. Plus a minor mystery or two. It's definitely a good read.
May 28, 2011
4/5; 4 stars; A-
The earlier Celta books take place in a time frame of about 6 or 7 years. This one jumps forward several years (14 I think) and follows up on the story of Laev and his heartmate Camellia. It was great to see those characters again. I enjoyed the story loop that was started back in Heart Change, that of Camellia's connection to the lost tea set .
The earlier Celta books take place in a time frame of about 6 or 7 years. This one jumps forward several years (14 I think) and follows up on the story of Laev and his heartmate Camellia. It was great to see those characters again. I enjoyed the story loop that was started back in Heart Change, that of Camellia's connection to the lost tea set .
January 30, 2018
I've been re-reading the series, and unfortunately it has become pretty clear that Owens needs to work on her world building skills. Not only does it change from book to book, but sometimes within a story things will be inconsistent, because it was convenient to have it happen *here* but less so over *here.* For example, the teleporting - you can teleport *from* anywhere, it's the destination that is tricky. But when Camellia is crunched for time, she runs *to* a teleportation spot in the park, with the implication that she can't teleport out without being in a designated spot. And the point is made constantly that it is dangerous to 'port anywhere that is not well known and a designated teleportation spot. But....they do it all the time throughout the books.
I've also been considering how odd the lifespans are. A Celtan can live an average of 200 years, yet they get married and have children on the same schedule as we do (20s to 30s). So the first heads of the family basically rule for a looooong time, then theoretically the generations afterward have very short time. And they have small Families, but there are tons of cousins that work in the Residence? And only the nuclear family seems to be considered from the noble "first families," despite the fact that all the cousins would be too...and should be strong in Flair as well.
I've also been considering how odd the lifespans are. A Celtan can live an average of 200 years, yet they get married and have children on the same schedule as we do (20s to 30s). So the first heads of the family basically rule for a looooong time, then theoretically the generations afterward have very short time. And they have small Families, but there are tons of cousins that work in the Residence? And only the nuclear family seems to be considered from the noble "first families," despite the fact that all the cousins would be too...and should be strong in Flair as well.
December 26, 2022
Heart Search on Books On Track
RTC
Previous books:
✦ Script of the Heart (Celta's Heartmates #9.1) ~ ★★★ (03/10/2022)
✦ Heart Journey (Celta's Heartmates, #9) ~ ★★★ (09/05/2022)
✦ Heart Change (Celta's Heartmates, #8) ~ ★★★★ (03/11/2021)
January 6, 2020
After a time skip of about 14 years, we are back in Celta, this time with the adult Laev Hawthorn (now T’Hawthorn) and his true heartmate Camellia Darjeeling.
This book, written after Heart Journey, hearkened back to the earlier Celta novels, and was filled with suspense, intrigued, and the obligatory ‘bad guy’ (or guys in this case).
Another enjoyable trip to the Wiccan world, this is a stand-alone story just by virtue of the time skip, but is best read in series order.
This book, written after Heart Journey, hearkened back to the earlier Celta novels, and was filled with suspense, intrigued, and the obligatory ‘bad guy’ (or guys in this case).
Another enjoyable trip to the Wiccan world, this is a stand-alone story just by virtue of the time skip, but is best read in series order.
May 12, 2023
I always wondered what happened when Laev had married the wrong woman. I couldn't help but come up with different ideas as each book came out, but, some of the books, okay, a good few of them didn't even mention Laev, and I completely forgot about him. I enjoyed the bad guys in this story, it reminded me of my favorite Celta novel, Heart Thief. I love getting introduced to the bad guy or guys or gals early in the story and they cause a bit of chaos. The ending was lovely.
October 16, 2020
Celta's Heartmates #10
This one takes a 14 year jump from the last one. I enjoyed the differences and the fact that most of the second generation are now full-blown adults. I'm sad for some that are no longer alive. I will miss them. Enjoy!
Read:
October 15-16, 2020 – Audible Plus
This one takes a 14 year jump from the last one. I enjoyed the differences and the fact that most of the second generation are now full-blown adults. I'm sad for some that are no longer alive. I will miss them. Enjoy!
Read:
October 15-16, 2020 – Audible Plus
January 31, 2018
Review to follow shortly
June 28, 2019
OMG, SO good! I laughed, I cried, I didn't want it to end!!!
November 22, 2020
Now have come to the second generation lol weird lol
Read
September 7, 20218/3/2011 Reread 1/8/19
August 11, 2011
Heart Search: A Celta Novel, Book 10 by Robin D. Owens
Grade: B
“Isn’t that the way most men want to die? During sex? Hell, I wouldn’t mind it, either.”
Camellia Darjeeling is a very successful owner of two teashops, has two of the best friends anyone could ever want and has just gotten her very own FamCat, Mica. Everything should be perfect except her father and uncle have come back into her life and are trying to steal everything that she has worked so hard for. Add in her deepest secret, her true HeartMate, who she has been running into again and again and Camellia is in way over her head. She must soon decide if she can ever trust a man completely or if she has to walk away from the greatest love she could ever have.
Laev T’Hawthorn made a terrible mistake at the young age of seventeen of believing a girl when she says that she was his true HeartMate and has lived with the guilt and public humiliation for over a decade. Now, two years after his wife’s death, he discovers his wife was stealing his family heirlooms and he is determined to get them back. Because of his wife’s treachery, Laev is determined not to marry for a very long time, if ever again but meeting Camellia changes all that. A mysterious ex-lover of his ex-wife is now threatening him and Camellia. Laev must fight with all his power to convince Camellia to take a chance on them and save her before her father, uncle or the ex-lover act on their threats.
Heart Search is book #10 in the Celta Novel series and I loved that I had no problems jumping right into the world on Druida and right into the story. The book was more science fiction romance then paranormal romance but I found that I really enjoyed it. What I think made it so easy not to get lost was at the beginning of the book there is a list of characters with a little description of each person or animal. I found this very helpful and I wish that more authors would do this, especially in the front of the book instead of the back.
Heart Search is set in the city of Druida on the planet of Celta which was founded years ago by travelers from Earth. I’m not sure why people left Earth and it’s not explained at all in the book. Laev is a descendant of one of the first families that settled in Celta and is considered one of the twelve noble families. His high ranking in society and his family fortune are the reasons that his wife lied about being his HeartMate and it has scared him from getting involved with women. I really liked Laev and enjoyed watching his defenses crumble as he fell for Camellia. His search for his family’s heirlooms was a little boring at first but I loved how it all tied together in the end.
Camellia is one very complex, very broken woman. Her father abandoned her, her mother and younger brother when she was very young and now comes back into her life with her uncle to rob her and abuse her whenever they need money. Her story is very sad and I found myself feeling very sorry for her and mad that even though she continued to report her father and uncle to the police and take self defense classes nothing stopped them from abusing her or stealing from her. I loved her two tea houses and the great descriptions and details of what they looked like and what make them so special.
The world of Celta is very interesting and different then anything I’ve ever read about and I found it so fascinating. The way people dressed, greeted one another and the HeartMates was so new and fresh and I find myself wanting to know more and more about this world. The FamCats were the best part of the book and provided the most humor. FamCats are cats that are assigned to an individual as a companion and are held as a high status symbol. The FamCats telepathically voice what they want to say not only with each other but with everyone else. They provide a lot of humor and I really want one.
This was a really good book and I just loved everything about Celta and the HeartMates. I found some of the story a little slow but it got really good at the end. Laev and Camellia are great characters and it was really fun to watch them let down their guard and learn to trust and love one another. I am very excited to go back and start the series at the beginning and see how much more I can learn about this great new world that I just can’t seem to get enough of.
Grade: B
“Isn’t that the way most men want to die? During sex? Hell, I wouldn’t mind it, either.”
Camellia Darjeeling is a very successful owner of two teashops, has two of the best friends anyone could ever want and has just gotten her very own FamCat, Mica. Everything should be perfect except her father and uncle have come back into her life and are trying to steal everything that she has worked so hard for. Add in her deepest secret, her true HeartMate, who she has been running into again and again and Camellia is in way over her head. She must soon decide if she can ever trust a man completely or if she has to walk away from the greatest love she could ever have.
Laev T’Hawthorn made a terrible mistake at the young age of seventeen of believing a girl when she says that she was his true HeartMate and has lived with the guilt and public humiliation for over a decade. Now, two years after his wife’s death, he discovers his wife was stealing his family heirlooms and he is determined to get them back. Because of his wife’s treachery, Laev is determined not to marry for a very long time, if ever again but meeting Camellia changes all that. A mysterious ex-lover of his ex-wife is now threatening him and Camellia. Laev must fight with all his power to convince Camellia to take a chance on them and save her before her father, uncle or the ex-lover act on their threats.
Heart Search is book #10 in the Celta Novel series and I loved that I had no problems jumping right into the world on Druida and right into the story. The book was more science fiction romance then paranormal romance but I found that I really enjoyed it. What I think made it so easy not to get lost was at the beginning of the book there is a list of characters with a little description of each person or animal. I found this very helpful and I wish that more authors would do this, especially in the front of the book instead of the back.
Heart Search is set in the city of Druida on the planet of Celta which was founded years ago by travelers from Earth. I’m not sure why people left Earth and it’s not explained at all in the book. Laev is a descendant of one of the first families that settled in Celta and is considered one of the twelve noble families. His high ranking in society and his family fortune are the reasons that his wife lied about being his HeartMate and it has scared him from getting involved with women. I really liked Laev and enjoyed watching his defenses crumble as he fell for Camellia. His search for his family’s heirlooms was a little boring at first but I loved how it all tied together in the end.
Camellia is one very complex, very broken woman. Her father abandoned her, her mother and younger brother when she was very young and now comes back into her life with her uncle to rob her and abuse her whenever they need money. Her story is very sad and I found myself feeling very sorry for her and mad that even though she continued to report her father and uncle to the police and take self defense classes nothing stopped them from abusing her or stealing from her. I loved her two tea houses and the great descriptions and details of what they looked like and what make them so special.
The world of Celta is very interesting and different then anything I’ve ever read about and I found it so fascinating. The way people dressed, greeted one another and the HeartMates was so new and fresh and I find myself wanting to know more and more about this world. The FamCats were the best part of the book and provided the most humor. FamCats are cats that are assigned to an individual as a companion and are held as a high status symbol. The FamCats telepathically voice what they want to say not only with each other but with everyone else. They provide a lot of humor and I really want one.
This was a really good book and I just loved everything about Celta and the HeartMates. I found some of the story a little slow but it got really good at the end. Laev and Camellia are great characters and it was really fun to watch them let down their guard and learn to trust and love one another. I am very excited to go back and start the series at the beginning and see how much more I can learn about this great new world that I just can’t seem to get enough of.
August 8, 2012
Heart Search by Robin Owens is the 10th book in her Celta series. This book belongs to Laev T’Hawthorn and Camiella Darjeeling, who have spent years not accepting the bond of Heartmates, that they were to each other. Instead, both were victims to the bad people that have effected their lives.
In Laev’s case, he make a mistake many years ago, when he was only 17 years old, by choosing a woman, whom he desired sexually. But she was not his true heartmate. His wife was a vicious woman, who only wanted Laev for his money and class, as she stole from him all these year. Nivea, Laev’s wife died a few years ago to a sickness that effected many people in Celta. Laev has closed his heart to finding who his true heartmate is, as he cannot forgive himself for his past mistake, and hides his shame. Laev allows himself to care about his family and close friends, and is thrilled to now have a new Fam cat. We meet Brazos, and he is just what Laev needs to open his heart a bit, even if he blinds himself to any other possibilities. Laev is determined to find all the stolen jewels/articfacts that Nivea had stolen from him, and hires a private investigator to find them.
Camellia on the other hand, has known all these years who her heartmate was. But since was married to another woman, she bespelled herself to never think of him. Camellia has devoted her time to open two restaurants, as that is how we meet her, at her second successful opening of her tea shop. Camellia is a strong heroine, and maintains her independence. You can help but like Camellia from the start, and when she meets her Fam cat, Mica, it is so great to watch them together. In case you have not read this series, the Fams, who are mostly cats in this series, can talk telepathically with their owners, some of which is hysterical. I enjoyed Brazos, but loved Mica. Robin Owens’ use of Fam pets, is so much fun in this series.
Back to Camiella. She has no desire to look at Laev, now that he is free, since she has sworn off men, most of whom have hurt her. Camiella’s father and uncle constantly steal her valuables, destroy things in her house, as well as hurt her. They are bad people, or as Mica says “mean mean people” Her brother is weak, and refuses to see that truth about his father or uncle, and is no help for Camiella. On that note, I really did not care for the brother, because of his ignorance in helping his sister, who was always in danger. Camiella always files complaints, but nothing is ever done. She then decides to step up her self defense training, and is sent to classes for men, so she would learn how to handle and fight off her father. It is there that Camiella comes face to face with Laev, who still does not recognize her has his heartmate, and she is not about to tell him. She tries to avoid him any way she can. But as we knew would happen, the attraction begins to bring them together as friends & eventually as lovers. This happens has Laev makes advances to Camiella, and she hints to him about their aroused sexual dreams. Then he knows she is his lover in his dreams, and his heartmate. Laev, who wants nothing to do with a heartmate, walks away. But realizes he cannot get her out of his mind, and he then makes a proposition that they become lovers, with no commitments. Camiella is happy with that, as she also wants Laev as a lover, and cannot allow herself to become dependent on any man, as she has been hurt too much in her past.
Camiella’s friends, and Brazos and Mica help with little things to bring them together, as it is apparent to all of their love for one another. It took awhile, as Laev was a hard man to open up, but he realizes he loves Camiella, and now he must find a way to convince her to trust him. Just when you thought nothing will bring them together again, Camiella’s life is in danger, and Laev must save her from sure death. It was a very exciting ending, with suspense, violence, action, and a very wonderful conclusion to a great story. Heart Search was a great romance, though intense at times, but overall had great characters, and I enjoyed it very much.
Barb
The Reading Cafe
In Laev’s case, he make a mistake many years ago, when he was only 17 years old, by choosing a woman, whom he desired sexually. But she was not his true heartmate. His wife was a vicious woman, who only wanted Laev for his money and class, as she stole from him all these year. Nivea, Laev’s wife died a few years ago to a sickness that effected many people in Celta. Laev has closed his heart to finding who his true heartmate is, as he cannot forgive himself for his past mistake, and hides his shame. Laev allows himself to care about his family and close friends, and is thrilled to now have a new Fam cat. We meet Brazos, and he is just what Laev needs to open his heart a bit, even if he blinds himself to any other possibilities. Laev is determined to find all the stolen jewels/articfacts that Nivea had stolen from him, and hires a private investigator to find them.
Camellia on the other hand, has known all these years who her heartmate was. But since was married to another woman, she bespelled herself to never think of him. Camellia has devoted her time to open two restaurants, as that is how we meet her, at her second successful opening of her tea shop. Camellia is a strong heroine, and maintains her independence. You can help but like Camellia from the start, and when she meets her Fam cat, Mica, it is so great to watch them together. In case you have not read this series, the Fams, who are mostly cats in this series, can talk telepathically with their owners, some of which is hysterical. I enjoyed Brazos, but loved Mica. Robin Owens’ use of Fam pets, is so much fun in this series.
Back to Camiella. She has no desire to look at Laev, now that he is free, since she has sworn off men, most of whom have hurt her. Camiella’s father and uncle constantly steal her valuables, destroy things in her house, as well as hurt her. They are bad people, or as Mica says “mean mean people” Her brother is weak, and refuses to see that truth about his father or uncle, and is no help for Camiella. On that note, I really did not care for the brother, because of his ignorance in helping his sister, who was always in danger. Camiella always files complaints, but nothing is ever done. She then decides to step up her self defense training, and is sent to classes for men, so she would learn how to handle and fight off her father. It is there that Camiella comes face to face with Laev, who still does not recognize her has his heartmate, and she is not about to tell him. She tries to avoid him any way she can. But as we knew would happen, the attraction begins to bring them together as friends & eventually as lovers. This happens has Laev makes advances to Camiella, and she hints to him about their aroused sexual dreams. Then he knows she is his lover in his dreams, and his heartmate. Laev, who wants nothing to do with a heartmate, walks away. But realizes he cannot get her out of his mind, and he then makes a proposition that they become lovers, with no commitments. Camiella is happy with that, as she also wants Laev as a lover, and cannot allow herself to become dependent on any man, as she has been hurt too much in her past.
Camiella’s friends, and Brazos and Mica help with little things to bring them together, as it is apparent to all of their love for one another. It took awhile, as Laev was a hard man to open up, but he realizes he loves Camiella, and now he must find a way to convince her to trust him. Just when you thought nothing will bring them together again, Camiella’s life is in danger, and Laev must save her from sure death. It was a very exciting ending, with suspense, violence, action, and a very wonderful conclusion to a great story. Heart Search was a great romance, though intense at times, but overall had great characters, and I enjoyed it very much.
Barb
The Reading Cafe
September 3, 2013
Heart Mate
was my favorite of the series. Even though I don't think she's ever come close to reaching it I keep reading her new books, hoping for a repeat of the surprise and delight I felt upon discovering it. Apparently
Heart Search
has been on my iPhone since it came out. Dunno how I missed it. It was sweet, nothing too original, but vintage Robin D. Owens.
How can you not love Ms Owens' world? Her characters all have botanical names, they all practice some form of the arts, architecture is important, as is food, and comfort; people wear beautiful hand-made fabric in expensive and flattering tertiary colors, shopping always nets a beautiful discovery, society is pleasantly stratified, manners are important, the landscape is Normandy-inspired, and then there's magic, oh my goodness, magic. There are cats, sadly, but the author does know how to make them seem amusing. Even in her least interesting of the Celta novels her feline fams are always marvelous. A complaint: as she's a committed felinophile her canine heroes always come off as dim-witted in comparison. All quite irritatingly incorrect, of course. Felines, as it is well known, have much smaller capacity for empathy than do canines, which is why they will eat their owners after death, whereas dogs will not. I'd rather not knowingly share space with a psychopath, thank yew very much. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLt5r...
Three cheers: Laev and Camellia end up happy. As usual one of the pair has terrible parents. Poor Ms. Owen! She writes these abusive familial scenarios with such repetitive conviction I can only imagine she's writing from personal hideous experience. [Narcissistic Mother, absent, weak Father I assume. Certainly that's a disturbingly recurring theme.] I will go so far as to say I believe Ms Owens' Celta was developed in part reading early Jayne Castle novels, especially my favorite Shield's Lady. How funny that the major preoccupation of Jayne Castle's novels is also family, although her take on family is quite different: heroines are typically black sheep underachievers, the families are loud, loving and imperfect, but supportive in most scenarios. She shies from the kind of outright violence Ms. Owens easily addresses, Heart Search included. Although to be perfectly fair, Ms. Owens never writes helpless women who have to be saved. I love her for that.
The fresh thing this author brings to her stories is the emphasis on hard work and friendships, also, the reason I am so drawn to her novels is the emphasis on a society that values spiritual equanimity. I feel sorry for people who grew up in homes where punative, judgmental religion was crammed down their throats. That's the absolute worst kind of abuse. The idea that daily observation of the numenal creates healthy society is so uplifting; it positively makes me giddy.
Beyond the delightful world-building, I am also attracted to Ms. Owens' books because while there is this annoying refrain--family of origin equals bad, family of creation equals good--Ms Owens NEVER writes scenarios where women say, "oh I can't do that, cause I'm a woman." Never. I'm so sick of that in romances. We all know that much of the world is closed to us double Xes, that's why many of us read: to learn about that which we can't experience first hand. That she has female characters who are allowed to do everything they dream of doing is just another reason to love this author and continue to read her books.
How can you not love Ms Owens' world? Her characters all have botanical names, they all practice some form of the arts, architecture is important, as is food, and comfort; people wear beautiful hand-made fabric in expensive and flattering tertiary colors, shopping always nets a beautiful discovery, society is pleasantly stratified, manners are important, the landscape is Normandy-inspired, and then there's magic, oh my goodness, magic. There are cats, sadly, but the author does know how to make them seem amusing. Even in her least interesting of the Celta novels her feline fams are always marvelous. A complaint: as she's a committed felinophile her canine heroes always come off as dim-witted in comparison. All quite irritatingly incorrect, of course. Felines, as it is well known, have much smaller capacity for empathy than do canines, which is why they will eat their owners after death, whereas dogs will not. I'd rather not knowingly share space with a psychopath, thank yew very much. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLt5r...
Three cheers: Laev and Camellia end up happy. As usual one of the pair has terrible parents. Poor Ms. Owen! She writes these abusive familial scenarios with such repetitive conviction I can only imagine she's writing from personal hideous experience. [Narcissistic Mother, absent, weak Father I assume. Certainly that's a disturbingly recurring theme.] I will go so far as to say I believe Ms Owens' Celta was developed in part reading early Jayne Castle novels, especially my favorite Shield's Lady. How funny that the major preoccupation of Jayne Castle's novels is also family, although her take on family is quite different: heroines are typically black sheep underachievers, the families are loud, loving and imperfect, but supportive in most scenarios. She shies from the kind of outright violence Ms. Owens easily addresses, Heart Search included. Although to be perfectly fair, Ms. Owens never writes helpless women who have to be saved. I love her for that.
The fresh thing this author brings to her stories is the emphasis on hard work and friendships, also, the reason I am so drawn to her novels is the emphasis on a society that values spiritual equanimity. I feel sorry for people who grew up in homes where punative, judgmental religion was crammed down their throats. That's the absolute worst kind of abuse. The idea that daily observation of the numenal creates healthy society is so uplifting; it positively makes me giddy.
Beyond the delightful world-building, I am also attracted to Ms. Owens' books because while there is this annoying refrain--family of origin equals bad, family of creation equals good--Ms Owens NEVER writes scenarios where women say, "oh I can't do that, cause I'm a woman." Never. I'm so sick of that in romances. We all know that much of the world is closed to us double Xes, that's why many of us read: to learn about that which we can't experience first hand. That she has female characters who are allowed to do everything they dream of doing is just another reason to love this author and continue to read her books.
July 31, 2011
Heart Search by Robins Owens
Paranormal Romance – Aug. 2nd, 2011
4 ½ stars
Those who love this series will not want to miss the quietly emotional story of two HeartMates who are afraid to love and trust.
Laev T’Hawthorn is a GreatLord whose father has recently passed away. He cannot forgive himself for his youthful passion when he married the wrong woman who was selfish and vindictive. Clouded by lust he mistook his now dead wife for his true HeartMate and caused disgrace to his family. Now he is determined to find the family heirlooms that his deceased wife stole and return them to their rightful place. But on his search he discovers new passion and the identity of his true HeartMate. Will Laev be able to open his heart again to the gentle Camellia?
Camellia Darjeeling does not care for men at all. Her father and uncle have continuously abused, terrorized and stole from her. Although she has tried to protect herself and keep her two new tea businesses afloat, the authorities can do nothing. Her weak brother refuses to help her by pressing charges on them. So the thievery and destruction of her home continues. Camellia takes self defensive classes and tries to outwit them, but her uncle’s gift is the ability to sense alarms and enter any house undetected. To add to her busy life, she keeps meeting the man who was meant to be her HeartMate. But Camellia does not trust men easily, however attractively packaged. The only real consolation is the addition of a precocious new Fam cat named Mica and her loving and supportive friends. But as she gets closer to Laev, she realizes maybe she can take a chance on him. If she has the courage.
I loved returning to the world of Celta. Robin Owens as created a world that is easy to get captivated with. There are so many new and old characters revisiting the world that I can’t wait for the author to explore the lives of Camellia’s wonderful and loyal friends. And I want to know more about the intriguing investigator Primross.
As with all the HeartMate books, the Fam cats were lively and so charming that they kept the book constantly entertaining. I wish I had one! I quickly found myself caught up with the two main characters in Heart Search. They have been wounded and instead of rushing to find their HeartMates, they are tentative and even afraid of giving another person that kind of ‘power’ over them. I admired Camellia’s courage and fierce independence and even cried with her when her uncle and father repeatedly ruined and stole what she loved. The hesitant and even fragile romance between them was very moving and sweet. The only reason I downgraded this story was because I became frustrated with the hero Laev. He is very rich and powerful but it does not even occur to him to hire someone to protect Camellia from her vicious uncle and father even when he finds out that her father has been abusive etc.. Most heroes would rush to care of the woman they were growing to care for. I understand that having the devious and thieving uncle and father around brought tension to the story but I thought it was very strange that he really did nothing to try to help her until the very end.
Sweet romance, two deserving main characters and mischievous and meddling Fam cats make for a highly enjoyable read.
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
Paranormal Romance – Aug. 2nd, 2011
4 ½ stars
Those who love this series will not want to miss the quietly emotional story of two HeartMates who are afraid to love and trust.
Laev T’Hawthorn is a GreatLord whose father has recently passed away. He cannot forgive himself for his youthful passion when he married the wrong woman who was selfish and vindictive. Clouded by lust he mistook his now dead wife for his true HeartMate and caused disgrace to his family. Now he is determined to find the family heirlooms that his deceased wife stole and return them to their rightful place. But on his search he discovers new passion and the identity of his true HeartMate. Will Laev be able to open his heart again to the gentle Camellia?
Camellia Darjeeling does not care for men at all. Her father and uncle have continuously abused, terrorized and stole from her. Although she has tried to protect herself and keep her two new tea businesses afloat, the authorities can do nothing. Her weak brother refuses to help her by pressing charges on them. So the thievery and destruction of her home continues. Camellia takes self defensive classes and tries to outwit them, but her uncle’s gift is the ability to sense alarms and enter any house undetected. To add to her busy life, she keeps meeting the man who was meant to be her HeartMate. But Camellia does not trust men easily, however attractively packaged. The only real consolation is the addition of a precocious new Fam cat named Mica and her loving and supportive friends. But as she gets closer to Laev, she realizes maybe she can take a chance on him. If she has the courage.
I loved returning to the world of Celta. Robin Owens as created a world that is easy to get captivated with. There are so many new and old characters revisiting the world that I can’t wait for the author to explore the lives of Camellia’s wonderful and loyal friends. And I want to know more about the intriguing investigator Primross.
As with all the HeartMate books, the Fam cats were lively and so charming that they kept the book constantly entertaining. I wish I had one! I quickly found myself caught up with the two main characters in Heart Search. They have been wounded and instead of rushing to find their HeartMates, they are tentative and even afraid of giving another person that kind of ‘power’ over them. I admired Camellia’s courage and fierce independence and even cried with her when her uncle and father repeatedly ruined and stole what she loved. The hesitant and even fragile romance between them was very moving and sweet. The only reason I downgraded this story was because I became frustrated with the hero Laev. He is very rich and powerful but it does not even occur to him to hire someone to protect Camellia from her vicious uncle and father even when he finds out that her father has been abusive etc.. Most heroes would rush to care of the woman they were growing to care for. I understand that having the devious and thieving uncle and father around brought tension to the story but I thought it was very strange that he really did nothing to try to help her until the very end.
Sweet romance, two deserving main characters and mischievous and meddling Fam cats make for a highly enjoyable read.
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
October 5, 2011
Good read, but it's hard to categorize: science fiction romance, paranormal, or ???. It takes place on Celta, 400 years after the first colonists arrived. Celta is fascinating place. It was founded by people with Wiccan beliefs and the rudiments of psychic abilities. It has not been kind to the new settlers and their imported animals and plants. Long term survival is still in doubt but animals and people have been developing steadily stronger psychic powers to help with the fight.
Our hero is Laev. He's wealthy and powerful but has been kicked around by fate. We first met him as a 13 year old in Heart Duel where he inadvertently injures the hero's mother, almost leading to her death and the death of her heartmate. Then at 17 he finds his heartmate but is mistaken in which of the group of girls she is. A selfish but beautiful girl convinces him that she is the one and uses that to trick him into marriage. She dies some years later and he eventually finds out that she was selling off or otherwise getting rid of family heirlooms - a subtle way to punish him and his family. He was so damaged by her that he doesn't want to marry, he doesn't even want to date! But while his true heartmate remains unknown she is still out there...
Our heroine is Camellia. She knows Laev is her heartmate. She doesn't want him. She doesn't want any man, her abusive family and weak brother having taught her that men take, destroy, and betray anyone and everything they touch. Her father and uncle are truly awful - you want them dead or marooned on a miserable island from the time they walk onto the page.
The fam cats are wonderful! Brazos belongs to Laev and Mica belongs to Camellia - or the other way around in their opinion. Brazos and Mica plan to make themselves - and their humans - one big happy family, no matter what. Not an easy job with two so badly wounded humans...
Some fascinating threads have been laid down. The son of Cratag and Signet Marigold [Heart Change] is apparently the reincarnation of Tab Holly [Heart Duel], complete with at least some of Tab's memories. As the four year old says 'Maybe there's a reason I remember...' It's also interesting to note that the fams are growing steadily more powerful. New characters have been teased and there are still unresolved threads from the previous books.
This series contains close connections between books, I recommend reading them in order.
Celtan Heartmates
#1 Heart Mate
#2 Heart Thief
#3 Heart Duel
#4 Heart Choice
#5 Heart Quest
#6 Heart Dance
#7 Heart Fate
#8 Heart Change
#9 Heart Journey
#10 Heart Search
Our hero is Laev. He's wealthy and powerful but has been kicked around by fate. We first met him as a 13 year old in Heart Duel where he inadvertently injures the hero's mother, almost leading to her death and the death of her heartmate. Then at 17 he finds his heartmate but is mistaken in which of the group of girls she is. A selfish but beautiful girl convinces him that she is the one and uses that to trick him into marriage. She dies some years later and he eventually finds out that she was selling off or otherwise getting rid of family heirlooms - a subtle way to punish him and his family. He was so damaged by her that he doesn't want to marry, he doesn't even want to date! But while his true heartmate remains unknown she is still out there...
Our heroine is Camellia. She knows Laev is her heartmate. She doesn't want him. She doesn't want any man, her abusive family and weak brother having taught her that men take, destroy, and betray anyone and everything they touch. Her father and uncle are truly awful - you want them dead or marooned on a miserable island from the time they walk onto the page.
The fam cats are wonderful! Brazos belongs to Laev and Mica belongs to Camellia - or the other way around in their opinion. Brazos and Mica plan to make themselves - and their humans - one big happy family, no matter what. Not an easy job with two so badly wounded humans...
Some fascinating threads have been laid down. The son of Cratag and Signet Marigold [Heart Change] is apparently the reincarnation of Tab Holly [Heart Duel], complete with at least some of Tab's memories. As the four year old says 'Maybe there's a reason I remember...' It's also interesting to note that the fams are growing steadily more powerful. New characters have been teased and there are still unresolved threads from the previous books.
This series contains close connections between books, I recommend reading them in order.
Celtan Heartmates
#1 Heart Mate
#2 Heart Thief
#3 Heart Duel
#4 Heart Choice
#5 Heart Quest
#6 Heart Dance
#7 Heart Fate
#8 Heart Change
#9 Heart Journey
#10 Heart Search
February 22, 2017
3.5 stars. This story takes us back to Laev Hawthorn whom we met in Cratag's story earlier, when Cratag went to Laev's wedding - he eloped against his family and friends wishes and advice. Well, he lived to regret it, and that's where this book comes in.
It was a good read, much better than the previous one in the series.
I felt that the heroine had a really hard time of things, and I felt so sorry for her when she recounted that Laev had turned to his wife when they had heartmate dreams. Gross. Otherwise a decent read.
It was a good read, much better than the previous one in the series.
I felt that the heroine had a really hard time of things, and I felt so sorry for her when she recounted that Laev had turned to his wife when they had heartmate dreams. Gross. Otherwise a decent read.
August 3, 2011
This transports the Celta timeline 12 years into the future and sets the second generation on their way to love.
I really enjoyed that the sidestory we saw starting in Cratag's and Signet's book developed fully here and that implications of the stronger fams, of the growing immportance of Nuala's Sword, of the growing sentience of Residences and the inequality in treatment between First Families and the rest of the populace are showing in the underpinnings.
I wish the author had more space to dedicate to the worldbuilding, because the few bits she can show are fascinating.
The hero and heroine were very nice, although I found their fams to be more obnoxious than usual. The villains of the piece were satisfyingly bad because the author chose a dark background which happens in many families no matter where they live.
As the length of the book was fairly short the blow-up and estrangement between hero and heroine was a bit wobbly and artificial considering their pasts - but then the heroine let the hero near her MUCH too early even though her abusers had re-entered her life (which I also put down to the length considerations).
So I guess I did not like that the hero's angst was taken seriously and explored in all detail and consequence, and the heroine's wasn't taken seriously by most of the men in her life and I felt her overreaction at the break-up was not taken seriously by the author - otherwise the outside climactic danger might not have worked. I see that as a weakness in the tale.
So it's not one of my favourite Celta book, but better than others and certainly an intriguing look into what else may happen to the world.
I really enjoyed that the sidestory we saw starting in Cratag's and Signet's book developed fully here and that implications of the stronger fams, of the growing immportance of Nuala's Sword, of the growing sentience of Residences and the inequality in treatment between First Families and the rest of the populace are showing in the underpinnings.
I wish the author had more space to dedicate to the worldbuilding, because the few bits she can show are fascinating.
The hero and heroine were very nice, although I found their fams to be more obnoxious than usual. The villains of the piece were satisfyingly bad because the author chose a dark background which happens in many families no matter where they live.
As the length of the book was fairly short the blow-up and estrangement between hero and heroine was a bit wobbly and artificial considering their pasts - but then the heroine let the hero near her MUCH too early even though her abusers had re-entered her life (which I also put down to the length considerations).
So I guess I did not like that the hero's angst was taken seriously and explored in all detail and consequence, and the heroine's wasn't taken seriously by most of the men in her life and I felt her overreaction at the break-up was not taken seriously by the author - otherwise the outside climactic danger might not have worked. I see that as a weakness in the tale.
So it's not one of my favourite Celta book, but better than others and certainly an intriguing look into what else may happen to the world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews