Montana Mustangs by Danica Winters

Title:  Montana Mustangs

Author:  Danica Winters

Series:  The Nymph Series #2

Published:  May 6th 2013 by Crimson Romance

Page Count:  198

Genre:  Paranormal Romance

Shelf:  Review Copy

Rating:  ★★★★★

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A nymph: a woman with the ability to seduce at will, shift to protect, but cursed with the fate to have the man she falls in love with die a tragic death. As one of these ill-fated nymphs, Aura Montgarten has spent her lifetime drifting from one place to another hiding from love. Until she meets Dane.

When a body washes up on the shore of a rural Montana lake, police officer Dane Burke is faced with the task of finding the killer—even if it means he will be forced to put his life and heart at risk by working with a drifter. As the truth of Aura’s Mustang-shifting nymph ways are revealed, Dane learns exactly the amount of danger he and Aura are in, but can’t force himself to leave a case unsolved when the truth is just outside his grasp.

When the killer decides he needs to take another victim—Dane—Aura must choose between their forbidden love and her immortal life. Can there be life without love or is death her only choice?

Adult-content rating: This book contains content considered unsuitable for young readers 17 and under, and which may be offensive to some readers of all ages.

My Review:

Oh, why did it have to end? Even though this novel had the perfect ending, I don’t want to let it go. I couldn’t put it down for a second and now I can’t wait for the release of the 3rd book in this brilliant series!

Winters is off and running right from page one with this one. She mixes brilliantly explicit descriptions with down to earth characters and a solid storyline to create an adventure that you won’t soon forget. Her descriptions are vividly visual. The brilliant metaphors and similes worked into these descriptions only serve to heighten the experience for the reader. This novel is also suspenseful, without driving you out of your mind looking for a conclusion. The suspense is balanced with romance to create a well-rounded whole. I also really appreciate the fact that Winters knows her horses. She may not go overly in depth in that respect throughout, but what is there is correct.

The lead characters in this novel are amazing. They are not perfect individuals, but rather are perfectly developed to be real individuals. Their faults are just as prominent as their redeeming points. They’re also developed in such a manner that you feel as if you know them, rather than that you read their biographies. Their interactions with each other and with those around them are spot on. The supporting cast in this novel is also quite unique. There is a sliding scale of development based on their role in the novel, whether they are alive or dead when we meet them. There are even a couple who are little more than a name on paper, however that is exactly how they are treated by the main characters so it suits them perfectly.

Overall, this novel has a few heart clenching moments, some laughs, some reality, and a log of suspense. It was a brilliant follow up to Nymph’s Labyrinth. It was equally brilliant yet very different. It also works well as a standalone novel. I can’t wait for more from Winters.

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The Nymph's Labyrinth by Danica Winters

Title:  The Nymph's Labyrinth

Author:  Danica Winters

Series:  The Nymph Series #1

Published:  December 31st 2012 by Crimson Romance

Page Count:  218

Genre:  Paranormal Romance

Shelf:  Review Copy

Rating:  ★★★★★

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A world shrouded in mystery and intrigue, the Sisterhood of Epione must not be exposed.

Shape-shifting nymph Ariadne Papadakis is tasked with keeping the truth of the group's existence and their ancient mysteries far out of reach of the American archeologist, Beau Morris and his troublemaking son, Kaden. When forgotten and forbidden passions are awakened, Ariadne is forced make a choice - fall in line and continue to be overrun and pushed down by the sisterhood, or follow her heart and put Beau and Kaden's lives in danger.

Can she have the man she loves or will the pressure and secrets of her past keep her from her heart's desire?

Adult-content rating: This book contains content considered unsuitable for young readers 17 and under, and which may be offensive to some readers of all ages.

My Review:

This novel is brilliantly written with a fun undertone that makes you want to keep going. I couldn’t put this brilliant novel down for one second. Winters paints a very vivid picture of the world surrounding her characters. I feel like I’ve been to a dig site on Crete, without ever leaving the comfort of my living room. She also develops a brilliant romance without resorting to a multiplicity of bedroom scenes as a substitute for writing with and about emotions.

Although Winters gives Greek mythology a bit of a twist to make it her own, for the most part she is spot on. As a reader you become completely immersed in the history and mythology of this brilliant tale. Winters ensures that her audience has all necessary elements to be able to follow the story, without bogging anyone down in long history lessons. She explains what needs an explanation in the context of the story and leaves the rest be. I also appreciate the fact that the dig site was portrayed in a fairly accurate light. She never makes anything out to be more than it is in the real world. She also portrays the reality of archaeology (and life as a whole) without glorifying the nitty gritty elements of the job. It makes the story much more realistic and easier to identify with.

Winters has created characters that talk and act like real, modern people, regardless of their true age. It was so neat to see how she showed the difference between the nymphs who were able to assimilate into the present day as well as those who were still struggling to do so. The supporting cast of this novel was split into 2 groups: those who were verging on becoming main characters, and those who rounded out the story. All were developed to suit their roles in the story without over or under development. There was a unique sliding scale of character development based on their roles in the novel and how well they knew the main characters. it was very well put together.

As a whole this was a brilliant novel that I couldn’t put down. I fell in love with so many different aspects of this novel and can’t wait to read more by such an inspiring author.

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