5 stars!
I never thought I'd read a romance set in Bulgaria but now that I have, I'm enchanted. I had to pull up Google maps and check it out.
This was such a sweet, well-written story with plenty of paranormal to keep it interesting. The characters were well developed, the setting was beautiful and exotic, the plot was complex, and the ending was satisfying.
There were just enough foreign words to keep in line with the tone but not so much that it was confusing. I especially loved all of the traditions and superstitions that made this book cozy like a bowl of hot tomato soup. I consume mass quantities of stories set in Scotland for the same reasons - magic seems possible, maybe even probable, in places like this.
Even the secondary characters have back-stories. I enjoyed that. One of my favorite things in a book is being introduced to a seemingly insignificant character only to find them woven flawlessly into the story. So much research, thought, and care went into crafting this book. It's a tale of "Love endures all" set in a mystical village by the sea in a town where the samodiva (Balkan nymphs) are more than legend. And now I want a karakachan!
The writing was beautiful with a high attention to detail. You can tell when the samodiva speak because of their use of archaic language, a level of dialogue mastery I particularly appreciate. You'll want the bat-poop-crazy bad guy to get his comeuppance. You'll get annoyed with Stefan because he's so thick and cynical sometimes. Above all, you'll love this story and will be captivated by it.
Book 2 is coming in 2015 and I can't wait! I read the preview in the back and it's one heck of a cliffhanger!
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