Jeanne Guzman

The Dragon Within follows directly from Jeanne Guzman’s Dragon Lover, and tells the story of the “other” sister, Angelica. Well-timed trips into past and future provide intriguing details of myth and dragon culture. Meanwhile two characters destined for love fight their ways through the jealousies and insecurities of guilt and miscommunication. There’s a serious backstory of abuse behind the exciting adventure of this fantasy romance; and it’s well-handled and pleasingly told.

When every breath of caring sears like condemnation, the girl who forgives everyone but herself and the man she loves has much to give and much to learn. Self-doubt and disappointment slowly bend to trust; familial intervention yields grounds for communication; and a frantic chase after abductors, betrayers, and lost families ensues. Protagonists cross continents, flying under the radar or on planes, and the flames of prophecy provide a truly intriguing touch of truth beyond the altered reality.

Plus there’s romance; sensual, if slightly altered, love-making; climactic wonder; and more. I really enjoyed this novel and I look forward to reading the next.

Disclosure: I won a free copy and I offer my honest review.… (más)

What if demons weren’t demons, what if myth were undergirded with reality, and what if dragons were real? Author Jeanne Guzman creates an intriguing mythology of underground nations hiding in plain sight, with hints of vampire, danger and addiction to spice up their lives. But human and dragon worlds collide when evil deeds meet evil imagination, and orphan sisters Kimball and Angelica might find nothing is quite as they’d believed.

Part fascinating fantasy adventure and part sensual romance, the mythology’s not just confined to the existence of dragons. There is convincing world-building here, a seriously sensuous take on dragon love-making, and a thread of intriguing questioning as misunderstandings don’t just generate broken hearts, but maybe broken worlds and wars.

Played out on a stage that’s set to grow beyond its vibrant Austin Texas boundaries, this story brings Kimball to a soulmate she despises; familial love meets familial betrayal; and the bedroom might provide interesting uses for fire.

The cover promises fantasy romance, but this book is much more than that, and these dragons are much more complex that they’d seem. A story that’s wholly and pleasingly complete ends with a two-line reminder that some threads haven’t been tied off yet. So I’ll look forward to more.

Disclosure: I won a copy in a contest and I offer my honest review.… (más)