Synopsis:
A young witch, destined to be queen. A traveler destined to love her and an evil warlock desperate to claim her.
When Julien Beaumont meets Giselle Jareau, the naïve, young witch is nothing more than a nuisance. A mere inconvenience. But the inkblot on his arm disagrees. As their relationship develops, his tattoo begins to fill in. Could it be fate or something more sinister?
On an old, decrepit sugar plantation, in the heart of the Louisiana Bayou, the defender of the covens and the queen to the royals engage in a battle of wits. And as Giselle falls in love, Julien tries desperately to change the course of their destiny.
About the Author:
Cherrie Mack grew up in Flushing Queens NY, the youngest child of six. The city’s diversity gave her a great appreciation for many different cultures and lifestyles. After love finally claimed the girl from the city and dragged her to the suburban madness of Long Island, she settled into a quiet life with her new husband. Two children and one mini-van later, the family found themselves moving towards the sunny skies of Florida where they currently reside. With her focus still very much on her family, Cherrie squeezes in time to write. The publication of her debut novel, Ache of Desire has given her the confidence to allow her to spend more time writing.
One year and four books later, Cherrie has continued to flourish. With multiple series in the works, there’s no slowing down for this up and coming author.
A member of Romance Writers of America, Cherrie is slowly spreading her wings as a romance author. Look for her books at all digital bookstores such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Bookstrand, ITunes, Nook and many more.
Blog: http://cherriemack.wordpress.com/
Website: http://www.cherriemack.com
Author facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/CherrieMack
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CherrieMack
Tumblr: http://www.cherriemack.tumblr.com
Goodreads: www.goodreads/cherriemack.com
My Review:
A Late Summer Bloom is a pleasant read that flows with a smooth plot and delivers on the promise of the synopsis. I must admit, that I read an abnormal amount of paranormal romance so my standards are pretty high. There has to be a believable relationship, a reason for spicy scenes and a plot that keeps you gripped. This ticked a couple of those boxes, but did leave me wanting…
From a writer’s perspective, I know why I was left wanting – there was a lot of ‘show don’t tell’ in there and a liberal sprinkling of info dumps; especially in the beginning. I kind of felt that I was being force fed the history of the characters, rather then being drip-fed their backgrounds and situations. This really is just my own personal opinion, and is born from the fact that I’m a writer myself, so I do read with a slightly more critical eye than most.
The front cover is romantic but doesn’t really represent the magic of the witches – which is what sets the book apart from others in its genre. I truly believe that a novel’s USP (Unique Selling Point) has to be on the front cover. Readers often pick books based on covers (shallow, but true) So, I think that to help on a marketing/ selling front there should have been some magical imagery on there.
Overall, I’d give A Late Summer Bloom 3 out of 5 stars. A nice easy going paranormal romance.
Nicky Peacock - YA & Horror Author 