Review: Kiss at Your Own Risk

Kiss at Your Own Risk (Soulfire - Book 1) by Stephanie Rowe

Publication Date: January 2011
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Genre: Paranormal Romance
ISBN-13: 9781402241956
ISBN: 140224195X

(Received for review from Sourcebooks)

Purchase: Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Books-A-Million, IndieBound

If you live in Morehead, KY or the surrounding area:

Purchase from our local independent bookseller: CoffeeTree Books
Borrow from our local library: The Rowan County Public Library

Stephanie Rowe on the Web: Website, Blog, Facebook, Twitter

Excerpt from Kiss at Your Own Risk

Synopsis (Barnes & Noble):

HE NEEDED A KILLER WOMAN.

Blaine Underhill was one lucky man. Having recently escaped over a century and a half of imprisonment at the hands of an evil witch, he's determined to save his still-enslaved friend. But in order to do so, he'll need the help of one of the world's most lethal women.

SHE WAS DROP DEAD GORGEOUS, LITERALLY.

Trinity Harpswell is sick and tired of being a black widow. Having managed to go three years without accidentally killing anyone she loves, she's one short week away from freeing herself from this killer curse forever. When Blaine tracks her down and convinces her to help him, little does Trinity know that the next seven days are going to be murder!

Thoughts:

Stephanie Rowe's new Soulfire series starts off with a bang. The first book in the series, Kiss at Your Own Risk is a blazing adventure that will keep readers on the edge on their seats and flipping those pages. With everything from romantically challenged witches to Death in a business suit, this is great start to a new paranormal series.

Trinity Harpswell has only one week left before she will be free to live life and find love like she's always dreamed of. But, she has to go another week without killing anyone she loves. That might sound simple if she wasn't a Black Widow. Cursed since childhood, Trinity is almost free when she meets Blaine. Blaine has recently escaped from the same witch that cursed Trinity, but he had to leave a friend behind. He has one chance to free Christian and that's killing the witch, but he'll need a Black Widow to help him. Trinity and Blaine will race against time as Christian lays dying. Will true love allow Trinity to overcome the curse or will she be lost to the curse forever?

I found this book quite interesting. I always love it when an author comes up with something really unexpected. The idea of a real black widow was new and refreshing in the paranormal realm. With so much being written about vampires and werewolves this was something distinct and different. Stephanie Rowe has crafted a novel that has tons of action and adventure, while still giving readers the romance they crave.

I really enjoyed reading about Trinity and Blaine. Their relationship isn't what you would expect. Blaine knows from the beginning that Trinity has been chosen by the witch to house her spirit once she is dead. Meaning she will basically come back to life in Trinity's body. So he plans to let Trinity kill the witch and then he will kill her, but it doesn't quite turn out that way. What a way to start a new relationship! Trinity fights her feelings for Blaine all along the way, and when she finds out he plans to kill her that seems the perfect solution. This is definitely a case of opposite attracting despite themselves. A very interesting love story.

One of the best parts about the book was the interesting set of supporting characters and what they could do. Trinity's best friend Reina is Death's assistant and lends a dark aspect to the story. Jarvis is a sword-welding friend of Blaine's and Christian can turn his body into metal scales. The witch, Angelica is full of surprises and Augustus who smells like rotten banana's has some serious pink dust from Hell and that's just a few of the interesting bunch of characters Stephanie Rowe has created.

This book is witty, adventurous and actually makes a few really good points along the way about forgiveness and standing on your own two feet. I would recommend it to readers of paranormal romance who want a departure from the regular paranormal fare of hero's with sharp teeth and heroines with fur. I liked the book a lot and I'm looking forward to the next one in the series.

What is the riskiest thing you've done for love? Stephanie Rowe wants to know! She is giving away a $100.00 Amazon card and there are four ways to win. Click HERE for more details.

Kiss at Your Own Risk is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from book bag!





Four time RITA Award nominee and Golden Heart Award winner, Stephanie Rowe is a nationally bestselling author and has more than 25 contracted titles with major publishers such as Harper Collins, Dorchester and Harlequin. Stephanie has charmed reviewers with her unique blend of humor and otherworldly magic. She lives outside Boston, Massachusetts.