Stone Kissed is an interesting (at times wonderful) story that begins with a novel concept – that of a woman who can talk to statues. Such a simple idea, but it captured my attention from the moment I first began hearing about the book’s release.
As a lead character, Delia is great. I was so pleased to see that Keri avoided the usual cliché about a heroine being unaware of or uncomfortable with her powers. Instead, Delia knows precisely what she is. Through her unique talent, she’s not only able to restore even the tiniest flaws in the statues she preserves, but she actually bonds with them. It’s strange to talk of friendships with figures of stone, but Keri makes it work, and she makes us love the statues almost as much as we love Delia.
Although the book is promoted as a romance, I never really connected with the relationship between Delia and Grant. It was perfectly portrayed, and the sex scenes were undeniably hot, but I had a problem liking Grant. He did develop as the story went on, but I guess he’s just not my kind of guy, which is too bad. When it comes to relationships, I actually found the damaged relationships between Delia and her family the more interesting of the two. It’s unusual to see a romance spend so much time on secondary relationships, and even more surprising to see it handled so well (without ever becoming sappy and sentimental), but definitely refreshing.
As for our villainess, Cecily, I wasn’t impressed with her at first. She just seemed too dramatic, and too over-the-top, but her psychotic creepiness quickly grew on me. I never fell into the trap of secretly rooting for her (as, admittedly, I tend to do sometimes), but I absolutely looked forward to her scenes – as challenging as they could sometimes be to follow, given her absolute lunacy. She’s not only a sexy and seductive succubus, but a cruel and remorseless one as well.
While the book has a perfectly tidy little ending that pulls all the plotlines together, it does feel as if there’s more story to come, which is great. I’d love to learn more about the history of Delia’s family, and I have to admit I’d love some more time with the statues! Perhaps, given some more time together, I could even come to understand precisely what Delia sees in Grant, and allow myself to be won over by that relationship.
Recommended for lovers of paranormal romance who are looking for something a little different, and who appreciate a little humour in their love affairs.
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Great review! I also was surprised by how much I liked this book. The story is original and the characters are lovable, especially the statues!
ReplyDeleteCarmel @ Rabid Reads