Adventures in Ink (Reviews): Rare Form by Jen Crane Book Review + #Giveaway

Rare Form

Descended of Dragons

Book #1

Jen Crane

Genre: New Adult Romantic Paranormal Fantasy

Release Date: October 6, 2015

Publisher: Carpe Noctem Publishing

ISBN: 9780996575614

ASIN: B0116EHJIO

Pages: 228

Goodreads Rating: 4.75

My Rating: 4.5

Book Description:

A Secret Past
Fiery redhead Stella Stonewall can’t decide between a margarita and a manhattan. The rest of her life? Please. Stella has never really fit in, and her pretty world comes crashing down when she learns it was never her world at all.

Rowan Gresham is domineering, brooding, and as sexy as chocolate-dipped sin. When he transports Stella to the magical realm of her parents she recognizes her rightful place immediately. Gresham’s motivations are less clear.

A Scorching Chemistry
The enigmatic Gresham aids in Stella’s metamorphosis and their chemistry ignites, though a long-time girlfriend and a significant age difference stand in the way.

A Battle for the Rest of Her Life
Stella’s life fast-tracks to extraordinary when she enrolls at Radix Citadel for Supernatural Learning, an enchanted college whose students turn furry on the regular. As Stella learns to navigate the magical new world of Thayer she must also find her animal form, a task as elusive as her ancestry. Stella soon faces an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to learn to manipulate an animal form she never knew she possessed.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25599454-rare-form

My Take:

Sonofabitch

Holy hell, that was a great book. When you start the book, though are introduced to Stella, a strong willed sometimes pain in the as red head who was under the impression that she was a boring ole human. Enter Rowan Gresham, swoon, who tells her there is more to this world than she could ever dream.

What I liked most, was not the romance though that was great, but the story development. You really get to read Stella's story. There are time gaps but it's something that's done in a very nonchalant manner. It's not glaringly obvious that an extended amount of time between scenes had passed it's almost like an afterthought. But even with those gaps of time, you really get to know Stella and her group of friends, all while getting a pretty vivid glimpse at Thayer and her new school and life.

Hey romantic life is not at the forefront of the story and while there is a slight attempt at what can only be called a love triangle, it's kinda not really a thing because as I just said, romance isn't these point of this story. She had 2 suitors but neither are mentioned in that context more than a handful of times. I am of course on a team but both guys are adorable and mysterious so its not like you know more about one or the other. It all comes down to chemistry and she had that with both of them. Even so, it doesn't even really feel like a love triangle in the normal sense.

I'm also a fan of the odd names of these characters, it makes this new world seem more tangible and real. Believable.

4.5 Quills

It's a fast read. They chapters are not very long, but they are informative and enthralling. I'm really excited by this promising new series and really liked the glimpse into the next book. As always, stay tuned for more reviews... I definitely plan on continuing this journey with Stella and friends and I'll be sure to post my thoughts here!

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About The Author

Though she grew up on a working cattle ranch, Jen Crane has been in love with fantasy and science fiction since seeing a bootleg tape of Quantum Leap in the 90’s.

She has a master’s degree, and solid work histories in government and non-profit administration. She’s been published in reputable newspapers and magazines.

One day, though, she said, “Life’s too real for nonfiction. I’m gonna write about love and magic.”

Jen is happily living out her dream in The South with her husband and three children, striking that delicate balance between inspiration and frustration.