HEART OF THE DOVE

Author: Tina St. John ISBN: 0345459962 12/2005 HISTORICAL/PARANORMAL Publisher: BALLANTINE/IVY
Time Period: Medieval 1275

The darkest heart . . . Everything that Randwulf of Greycliff loved was torn from his grasp in a night of fire and terror. His wife and child slain, his manor destroyed, Rand now lives for one thing alone: revenge on the man who ordered the attack. Armed with part of the legendary Dragon Chalice—the object his enemy most desires—Rand embarks on a deadly voyage to trap his foe. He will avenge his family . . . and let no one stand in his way. The brightest hope . . . On a stormswept shore in the wilds of northern England, a gentle maiden discovers a man lying on the beach, shipwrecked and in need of care. But helping him is forbidden. Serena has the gift of Knowing: with a mere touch, she can see all the secrets in a man’s heart. It is a gift that has kept her secluded from the outside world, wary of those who would use her powers for their own gain. But Rand’s wounded heart beckons, and his passionate nature draws her to him—daring her to surrender to a dangerous seduction that could destroy them both. . . .

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

The quest for the Dragon Chalice continues in Tina St. John's latest, HEART OF THE DOVE. As usual, St. John does not disappoint and delivers another phenomenal romantic tale with some shape-shifting beasts and other-worldly creatures thrown in to liven things up. Of course, there is the wounded hero that is in need of a gentle and loving heroine to look forward to meeting, too.

I know I am repeating myself from another review of Tina St. John's last book, but I don't know why it is yet a rare thing to find strange and evil creatures in a historical romance. Especially when stories of shapeshifters and other evil-doers have been around since the dawn of time. But, though you may find Fae, witches, and even ghosts, most paranormal books take place in contemporary reads. Putting her characters in the mix with such ideas puts Tina St. John in a niche all her own, which makes for some truly interesting reading. She has a flare for setting the scene and describing the old world in which this story takes place, and yet brings it full circle by adding in such villainy.

With such praise of a book you may wonder why this one is rated Four Rose, and not a Top Pick, as the two books preceding it were. That's easy: As good as this one is, I want more at the end of the book than what I got. I can't go into too much detail because I don't want to give the ending away. I will say that when someone so evil is finally dealt with, I want the fireworks and torment I know St. John is capable of giving me. In this book I am denied that a bit, because the mastermind behind the evil chain of events is mostly talked about, and only comes into play when the book is nearly finished. HEART OF THE DOVE is more of a love story—a great one at that—but a bit anti-climatic at the end. It's worth your time just the same. However, mark my words, the greatest book in the series is next. I can feel it!

Shannon Johnson