Ordinarily, I’d agree with you on her writing skills, but I felt there was lots and lots of telling going on instead of showing, possibly as short-cuts to lower word-count. I’m getting really grumpy about all these extremely short books I’ve read lately that feel like the authors weren’t allowed to develop their stories.

I’m still thinking the fault lies with the publishers, but maybe I’m being optimistic about that. This is the 5th or 6th book in a row that I feel needed another 100 pages to reach its potential.

I decided I’ll stop buying new books for a while. I really feel like I’m wasting my money on these products that read more like early drafts than finished books. Very disappointing! :(

I also felt very detached from the characters and I wonder if that was deliberate to convey Gideon’s isolation from society, but all it did was make me not care about him and Charis.

Add one-dimensional villains, stupid sub-plot and this was a major disappointment before we even get to the magic powers of the heroine’s private parts… and again the book was way too short. It would have been much more interesting to explore their lives away from society and to see if this really would have been the problem for Charis that Gideon expected.

What a let down. :( C- for me.

I was wondering how to pronounce the heroine's name. Is it a K sound (like Karis) or Ch as in chair-is? Or something else completely?

I could be wrong but I believe the name Charis is Greek and therefore pronounced with a K sound.

I really enjoyed the book, but as a guilty pleasure. It took a huge suspension of belief to believe that Gideon could recover so quickly. It was a very romantic, emotional book that hit me in the gut. It feels like lately everything I’ve read has been paranormal/suspense with some romance tossed in. This book was IMO quite romantic (albeit unrealistic).

Plus I am a huge sucker for damaged heroes. Can't get enough of them.

I love them as well, especially if they’re well-written and show how the hero grows. Laura Kinsale’s “Flowers from the Storm” and “The Shadow and the Star” are probably my favorite books with a heroes who need saved. Put it this way, I love Damaged Heroes enough, I named my series after them. :-) I just want their portrayal to be realistic to help them reach an authentic HEA.

For what it’s worth, someone close to me has been dealing with PTSD issues and has recently had some success and comfort from “eyes-closed” neurotherapy. I believe some returned Iraqi veterans have been exploring the same treatment in the US. It’s basically aimed at trauma formed on a subconscious, non-verbal level – particularly helpful for trauma that may have occurred pre-language, as in during early childhood. I gather there’s a bit of a groundswell about neurotherapy these days – lots of good research coming through, and it’s certainly helping a lot of kids with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. Although, of course, it’s definitely in the “alternative therapies” basket.

Re the review, I have this on its way to me and I can’t wait. I love Ms Campbell’s work and had the pleasure of meeting her at conference this year – she’s a fun, clever lady. I love the idea of two broken people healing each other. I also like the idea of truly exploring how powerless women were in Regency times – a lot of Anna’s work has touched on this idea, and while I am addicted to Regency/historical romances, I must admit the notion of how freaking powerless most women were is very, very scary. Plus I am a huge sucker for damaged heroes. Can’t get enough of them.

It wouldn’t surprise me that the first 3 years of my little girl’s life follow her long into adulthood. And while she will (hopefully!) function at a very near normal level, I’m not sure that her story (and that of people suffering from PTSD) make for a very good HEA. We readers (or me myself, anyway) want a HEA, and generally that doesn’t include the yucky stuff that won’t go away. In my real life, we change the definition of success – it’s not settling for less that you can have, it’s being satisfied with what you can get. And that’s not your typical, satisfying HEA.

I’ve not read this book, but I’ve read some of Hoyt’s that have heros dealing with PTSD and my respect for how very well she’s handled the PTSD and my enjoyment as seeing someone overcome and get a HEA has far outweighed my annoyance at the miraculous healing. I don’t really even mind the kittens and rainbows. I want them IRL, and they feel far away. Oddly, it doesn’t make me bitter to read them… just happy and hopeful.

PTS is serious business, and I guess I take it personally on behalf of people who have PTS when it’s glossed over as unimportant or fixed with nothing but a hot, sexual encounter. This, a magic hoo-hoo will not cure.

So on second thought, I think I’ll skip Ms. Campbell’s story. It might just make me angrier.

Sorry. Off pedastal now and going back into lurkdom.

Writing about PTS is very difficult. You have to get the seriousness of the condition across while also giving your character hope for a chance to heal. Sometimes those heroes simply become too maudlin to do well in romance.

I wrote a story about a soldier returning from Iraq (All the Right Reasons), and I had to do quite a bit of research on PTS. A “kittens and rainbows” ending, especially one that comes too easily, does a real disservice to PTS victims. Judging from reviews, I successfully avoided that pitfall. (Not braggin’, just reporting what others have said…) I’d like to see how Ms. Campbell handled her ending so I can make comparisons.

Nice review, Jane. Thanks for covering a story with this sensitive topic.