Heart Mate (Celta's Heartmates, #1)

Oct 27, 2012 Mary: Harry Dresden's Love Slave rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

Well I liked it but it didn't feel like the first book of a series to me. I needed more of an introduction to the world. It felt like a 2nd or 3d book. Like I should already know what a lot of things meant. Not that it was hard to figure out or follow. The cats were funny. I would read more of the series but I don't feel an overwhelming need to rush out and find the rest.

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Jul 11, 2008 Rhapsody rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: paranoraml/fantasy romance readers, Anne Bishop/Dara Joy fans

Shelves: fiction, romance, romance-fantasy, romance-futuristic-sci-fi, romance-paranormal

Excellent paranormal romance, and not formulaic the way almost all the others I've read lately have been. It was a mixture of paranormal, fantasy, and sci-fi. A regency-like society, where those with powerful Flair (magic) are the nobles, lives on a planet named Celtan. T'Ash was nobleborn, then grew up Downwind (in the slums) after his family was murdered. He eventually managed to regain his noble place in society and get his vengeance and now owns a jewel shop, where he uses his particular Fla...more

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Feb 09, 2013 Aurian Booklover rated it 5 of 5 stars

After losing his parents, his family, and his inheritance at age 6, Rand T’Ash has been lonely his whole life. Escaping the men who murdered his family, he fled into Downwind, and survived. Grown up, he has taken his revenge on the men responsible, and taken up his position as a High Lord again. But he never regained the polish most nobles have effortlessly. He doesn’t know how to behave courtly, and he certainly has no idea how to woo a woman. Let alone the woman destined to be his HeartMate. B...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Amy Hasten rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is my last required read on GoodReads and I thought it would only be fair to right a review on this book. I was walking though the library and I saw a book by this author that just caught my eye, it was about my eye level and I figured it was a sign that I needed to read that book. It was pretty good, I wouldn’t rank it near my favorite book (a J.R. Ward book) but it was still pretty interesting to read. Alright this is a very confusing world apparently it is a world that is in the future w...more

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Jan 30, 2012 pauliree rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, read-in-2012, reread, science-fiction

It was hard to categorise this book, being that although it is clearly SF, set on another planet and the characters having psy powers, it portrays itself as more a magical setting, with wonderful psy gifts almost fantastical in appearance. Whatever the category, I loved it. This is the second time I have read this, the first much earlier on in my paranormal romance phase, and I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it. I liked the original setting, not a vampire in sight, and the hero is suitably ang...more

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Dec 28, 2011 Starry added it

Shelves: books-that-i-didn-t-but-will-finish

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 19, 2011 Holjo rated it 3 of 5 stars

Summary: The planet of Celta has been settled and colonized by humans who left Earth in pursuit of magical freedom. On this planet, those who possess magical power (or flair as it is called in this book), are considered the nobility of the race. Those with no flair or very little flair are considered the lower class.

T’Ash is part of the highest magical class on Celta. He grew up in the slums called Downwind after his family was brutally murdered when he was only six years old. T’Ash has fought h...more Summary: The planet of Celta has been settled and colonized by humans who left Earth in pursuit of magical freedom. On this planet, those who possess magical power (or flair as it is called in this book), are considered the nobility of the race. Those with no flair or very little flair are considered the lower class.

T’Ash is part of the highest magical class on Celta. He grew up in the slums called Downwind after his family was brutally murdered when he was only six years old. T’Ash has fought his way back into the aristocracy, but he has led a very lonely life while doing so.

The day comes when his divination stones predict that he will finally meet his Heartmate. He has been waiting for this woman his entire life, and he expects her to accept him immediately. Unfortunately, his mate is not so easily won. Danith is fiercely independent and she resents being told what to do by the powerful T’Ash. She wants to live a simple life, surrounded by friends and family, and without any obligations to the aristocracy. As a result, she continually rejects his pursuit of her.

As the story progresses, T’Ash and Danith continue their cat and mouse game. Sometimes they are close, and sometimes they push each other away. In the end, they must decide if they are both willing to compromise for the sake of love.

Review: There really wasn’t anything unique about either the setting or the love story in this book. Celta is a planet in outer space, but it is basically an identical copy of London in the 1800s. There is the aristocracy, social standing is entirely based on title, each class sticks to their own kind, men basically “own” the women like property, and the dangerous slums are a short carriage ride away from the respectable neighborhoods. Nothing really new here.

As far as the love story, it is one that has been done thousands of times before. Boy wants girl and chases her. Girl rejects boy over and over. Boy eventually gives up. Girl realizes she made a mistake and goes after boy. They live happily ever after. You could switch around the girl and boy characters, but the premiss is the same. Having been done so many times before, this love story was predictable and not especially interesting.

The one part of the book that I did find interesting was the use of magic. The people on Celta use their magic all day long. It is used for mundane purposes like cleanliness, and it is used for life-saving purposes like battle and weaponry. I enjoyed reading about the different ways their powers could be manipulated and controlled. I also liked the concept that their magical powers would come to the characters during different stages of magical maturity. While I mostly enjoyed this part of the book, there were a few moments when I thought that the use of magic for every little thing was a bit of a copout – I mean, if magic is always the first choice, then why would anyone need to think of a more creative solution to a problem? They don’t.

I didn’t dislike this book, but I can’t give it anything more than an “okay” rating. There was nothing about it that made me particularly excited about reading further in the series. However, I bought 4 books in this series at Border’s going-out-of-business sale, so I’m sure I’ll read them at some point in the future. You never know, it could get more interesting as we meet new characters and new storylines.

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Mar 02, 2013 Yui rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-in-series, o-g-series-char-trade, romance-romance

This was a hard read.
The world of Celta is intriguing and fresh.
It is full of new possibilities.
Sadly, it is poorly executed.
As an avid reader, I yearn for new ideas.
Few writer do this well enough.
Some over explain, some circle and avoid. And some let the story speak for itself.
It's exciting. But hard to be excited when you don't understand it.
Heart Mate was the worst I've read so far.
It read like there's a missing prequel.
Even the missing GLOSSARY would not be of help to improve my reading expe...more

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Feb 04, 2012 Mikaela rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: celta

This is a fast paced read, filled with romance, action, and Zanth of course. No Celta book would be complete without a Fam. The setting is a refreshing mix of regency customs and magic. Every part of the world feels solid. From the nobles to the Downwind gangs. But what made the book so good were the romance between Danith and T'Ash.
I loved reading about T'Ash and Danith's romance. Everything went wrong from the start for T'ash. Danith rejects him. But their romance shouldn't be an easy one. T'...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Crystal Lee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Crystal by: scifi romance group

Shelves: crystal-s-scifi-romance-challenge, scifi-romance-15-book-reading-chall

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. WARNING: SPOILERS, BUT I’LL TRY NOT TO COMPLETELY RUIN IT FOR YOU. Also, be forewarned, this is a lengthy review.
7/23/12 written when ¼ of the way through the book
Complaints:
Robin Owen’s doesn’t explain a lot of terms. I had to read reviews on Goodreads to figure out that fam means familiar and it’s an animal or person that can speak mentally to each other. The main character, T’Ash, can do this with his cat. A cat I found very annoying—not much into talking animals. But I did like how it showe...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Tina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, sff-romance

Dang it, Goodreads completely ate my review. Ah well.

To sum: Liked world building. Likes the hero. Liked the heroine. Did not like the romance. Not really a fan of the fated-mates trope. Can be convinced when it is made convincing. Didn't happen here. He was adorable in his earnestness and awfully awkward courtship but it always felt like he was doing it because she was fated. I did kinda buy into his investment in her, though. She rejects him throughout. He constantly pursues. She constantly ru...more

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Nov 04, 2011 Sherri *The Lady Hillindale* rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, alpha-male, disappointment, futuristic, heroine-i-hated, heroine-is-an-dumbass, scifi

I debated starting this book because it's part of a series and I just didn't want to get invested in a new series....although to be fair, it's almost impossible these days to read a book that ISN'T part of some series in some way. Luckily, I won't have to worry about that. Let me tell you why this didn't work for me: the world building sucked.

First of all, there is no prologue. You would think if you're going to introduce this new world with new characters, there would be some sort of setting up...more I debated starting this book because it's part of a series and I just didn't want to get invested in a new series....although to be fair, it's almost impossible these days to read a book that ISN'T part of some series in some way. Luckily, I won't have to worry about that. Let me tell you why this didn't work for me: the world building sucked.

First of all, there is no prologue. You would think if you're going to introduce this new world with new characters, there would be some sort of setting up of the story. Nope. You're left to muddle your way through the story interpreting ranks and names and locations all on your own. For example:

-the residents of Celta are descendants of earth. there is no mention of how they got to Celta, why they chose the name Celta over any other name, and why they came in the first place. were the persecuted? were they fleeing war? famine?

-you're left to figure out on your own the difference between Miz, Lord and Lady, Great Lord, Gentle Lady, Grand Lord and Grand Lady. huh? and some of the characters are from "first families". does that mean there was more than one colonization, or is that the designation for the first families who arrived. (wouldn't that pretty much make them ALL first families then?)

-men all have a T in front of their name, such as T'Ash. a woman will have a D, such as D'Mallow. Why? Why not T?

- everyone on the planet has some form of magick or unusual power. EVERYONE. why? how? again, no explanation.

The hero seemed like a genuinely good guy. His family was slaughtered when he was a young child, and he ran away and raised himself in the slums of "Downwind". (Downwind of what?) But again, the world the author has built leaves much to guessing. How did a 6 year old survive on his own? And what is Downwind? One thing I didn't like about him though was that his overwhelming lust for the heroine caused him to speak in monosyllables when he was around her and aroused, and this was explained that he was "reverting to his Downwind upbringing". Huh?

The heroine I never liked. She was an orphan and afraid to trust anyone. She didn't think she deserved true happiness and was prepared to settle with a man just because he had a family (not the hero). Here's this titled, rich, incredibly good looking man who is strong enough to protect you, wants you and almost begs you to make a life with you and you spend 85% of the book pushing him away. Why? Because she wants a "simple, uncomplicated life". Whatever. If unhappiness and poverty are your thing, you'll love this gal.

The story and the world and the characters all had potential but it never went anywhere and I spent more time frustrated than enjoying the book. I'm glad I didn't invest in more than one book in the series.

1 star / F(less)

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Aug 06, 2012 Sandy rated it 4 of 5 stars

HEART MATE (Celta’s Heartmates #1) by Robin D. Owens

HEART MATE is the first storyline in Robin D Owens’ Celta’s Heart Mates series. A fantasy romance novel, Heart Mate is the story of two people, each with a past filled with sorrow and pain, and a loneliness that threatens to engulf their being.

Background: Celta is a planet colonized by the people of Earth over 400 years ago. The people of Celta have magical powers known as Flairs and psychic ability is the norm. The political structure includes...more HEART MATE (Celta’s Heartmates #1) by Robin D. Owens

HEART MATE is the first storyline in Robin D Owens’ Celta’s Heart Mates series. A fantasy romance novel, Heart Mate is the story of two people, each with a past filled with sorrow and pain, and a loneliness that threatens to engulf their being.

Background: Celta is a planet colonized by the people of Earth over 400 years ago. The people of Celta have magical powers known as Flairs and psychic ability is the norm. The political structure includes the 13 Greathouses and the colony First Families. A society and culture based on magical spells, Divination (foretelling) dice and cards, life Passages, animal familiars and a belief that each man and woman will find their Heart Mate-their one true love.

Rand T’Ash is 37 years old, a Greatlord, Nobleman and member of the Noble Council, Stonemaster, gem caller and the sole surviving member of the Ash Grand Family. As a Noble he is respected, but he is also feared for the ‘berserker savagery’ and the murder of the people who destroyed his family and his home when he was only 6 years old. Rand T’Ash knows he will find his Heart Mate this night, but will she accept the HeartGift he crafted during his last Passage almost 20 years earlier. But growing up in the Downwind ghettos of Druida have pummeled his self-esteem and with that the knowledge that he was never properly raised in the art or procedures of courting.

Danith Mallow is a bookkeeper, with little Flair who regularly shops at T’Ash Phoenix-a high end, upscale jewelry store where the pieces magically call to her. But this evening one piece in particular grabs her attention. Believing the necklace has been charmed, Danith runs from the shop to find that intentions of the shop owner are beyond her beliefs. When a mysterious stranger is found in her home bearing the necklace, she is once again drawn to its’ powers. But the necklace had been stolen and someone from T’Ash’s past has made his presence once again known.

Throughout the story Rand T’Ash will struggle in his attempts to convince Danith that they are Heart Mates. She is a non-believer in the lure of a Heart Mate and continues to refuse T’Ash’s gifts of jewels and flowers. At times the number of gifts becomes humorous especially when Princess aka Pansy, Danith’s cat struts through the house bedecked in all of the jewels including earrings and chains. Rand’s Fam Zanth is an overgrown house cat who is both companion and conscience for a man troubled by his past and continues to play match maker whenever he can. And it is Zanth’s presence that soothes Rand whenever his inner beast wants lose.

There are several storylines that coalesce and merge. Danith’s discovery of her Flair and affinity to animals: Rand’s friendship with the Holly Family and his honor to pay back a debt: the gang-style slayings and attacks against Rand, the Holly Family and his Fam: Danith’s friendship and falling-out with the Clover family: and of course, Rand’s sad albeit humorous attempts to woo and court Danith. Zanth’s demands for an emerald collar will remind everyone of a spoiled child.

HEART MATE is a fantasy of fairy tales and the HEA. To be honest, I do not know WHAT the people of Celta are, but for the sake of the storyline, they are Celtans with magical powers and the ability to teleport and speak telepathically. As I read I thought Fae or Elves, but they are what they are –characters from the imagination of Robin D Owens. A heart-warming storyline, that at times I had to reign in a few tears especially when Rand T’Ash admitted he was lost, a strong and powerful man lost in the knowledge that he had been rejected by the one person who could save his soul. These storylines get me every time.

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Mar 01, 2011 Linda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal

I just re-read this book, it is the first in the series. I love this world that Robin Owens has created. It is different, but not so out there that you don't understand what is going on. If you enjoy the Jayne Castle books I would aslo recommend this series.

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Sep 28, 2010 Suzanne the Mighty ~Satin Seductress~ rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Suzanne the Mighty ~Satin Seductress~ by: Daffodil

Shelves: fantasy, magic, quirky, romance, sci-fi, mages-witches-magic-users

Set on the distant planet of Celta, the human colony has grown in to a new world over the last 400 years. All the people there have small magical ability and alot have a Flair, a personal magical speciality, automatically putting them into the Noble class. They also have the potential to have HeartMates, their fated soulmate. GreatLord T'Ash has finally found his HeartMate and he trying to use all his wiles to try and get her to bond with him, but still trying to hide his past of that as a homel...more Set on the distant planet of Celta, the human colony has grown in to a new world over the last 400 years. All the people there have small magical ability and alot have a Flair, a personal magical speciality, automatically putting them into the Noble class. They also have the potential to have HeartMates, their fated soulmate. GreatLord T'Ash has finally found his HeartMate and he trying to use all his wiles to try and get her to bond with him, but still trying to hide his past of that as a homeless urchin living in the slums. Danith Mallow is just a normal Miz, middleclass and Flaireless, who doesn't think she is good enough for the GreatNoble T'Ash, with his powerful Flaire and grand name and house.

I really wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't. At first I thought it sounded like quite a sweet and romantic story about two people facing what they see as their faults ad their tragic pasts and becoming a strong united front. But, that wasn't what it was like at all. By the last page I was relieved that I had finished it, and am glad that I didn't buy it. I found the world a bit strange and nothing seemed to flow quite right. I found the secondary characters to be a bit flat and two dimensional. And mostly I just couldn't stand either Danith or T'Ash.

Both these main characters just got on my nerves. Danithas she seemed to reject T'Ash for no apparent reason, didn't try to sort any of her problems out, just run away. And T'Ash, because surely not all men are that stupid, he knows how important family is to Danith, so what does he do? He tries to take her away from the self made family that she has!

As well as the characters, the plot and flow of the story was jerky and problems seemed to come and go with no conclusion, events would start happening, then something else would be happen leaving the previous thread unresolved or unsatisfactorily concluded.

I really didn't like this book and I am not going to be continuing this series, I have seen be given such good reviews but I just couldn't see it, the romance wasn't believable, the characters irritating and irrational and the story, well I have yet to find one!(less)

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Jan 27, 2011 Andrea rated it 3 of 5 stars

I picked this book up because I vaguely remembered reading the first one and liking it.

Apparently I read the first one when I thought talking cats were just the coolest thing ever. Ugh. The story is actually good, but sometimes, the cats, they are just too much. Too annoying, too "I'm a cat! LOOK AT MEEE!" I did like the talking dog though. He was a much more interesting character.

I also thought that this novel was also interesting in that the hero goes through a really sad, hurtful divorce. Th...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Diana rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, fantasy, science-fiction

Oh GoodReads, how you have failed me. How could your recommendation algorithm point me to this? Yes, I like romance. Yes, I like fantasy, and science fiction. But this story? The social structure, based on magic power, was the most interesting aspect... and the least prominent. This book reminded me of those cheesy novels where the "mate bond" is inexplicable and immediate, a final authority granting one woman the heart of a super hot, wealthy / powerful / famous / all-of-the-above man without r...more

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Jun 29, 2010 Dana Marton rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was my first taste of this new series and I'll be definitely coming back for more. T'Ash is a powerful lord on the distant planet of Celta. When divination tells him that he'll meet his heartmate that day, he has a fair idea who the woman might be, and is looking forward to bringing her home that night. Oh, how wrong he is! The most delightful courtship ensues, full of surprises and a comedy of errors at times. He is so not prepared for his lady resisting. A high level of danger adds to the...more

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Jan 13, 2011 Bronwyn Rykiert rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, series

This book was recommended to me but I found it hard going, though it okay. It had all the ingedients for a great book but it just didn't really do it for me.

Rand T'Ash's family had been killed when he was 6, he survived by running away and he lived on the streets in the Downwind. As an adult he reclaimed his heritage as one of the first, grand families of the planet Celta.

It is now time to meet his heartmate and marry so they can have children. The chosen woman Danith Mallow wants nothing to do...more

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Feb 19, 2012 Angela James rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, fantasy-romance

I'm fairly sure I've read this book before, though I don't recall much of it. The series was recommended to me, so I'm giving it another try.

Yeah, this one was not for me. I didn't much care for the heroine, I got impatient with the hero's inability to speak in more than one or two word sentences most of the time, and the end was just too precious for me.

On the upside, I really like the world the author has set up, and I'm willing to give the next book a try at some point, because authors do i...more

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Apr 05, 2013 Lover of Romance rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, futuristic

Rand T'Ash lost everything as a young boy, his home, his family, and had to learn to fend for himself most of his life until recently now that he is a nobleman and highly sought after artisan, he is now looking for his heartmate, and when he finds out who she is, he sets out to seduce her, only she doesn't seem to want to be seduced and keeps rejecting Him. Rand at first where Danith is coming from, because he once came from the kind of life that she is living currently, and he only desires to h...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Rinelle Grey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi-romance

This is a touching story of T'Ash and Danith, heartmates, who are destined to be together. But even destiny needs people to grow and accept it, and both T'Ash and Danith have some growing to do. I loved this story, and the growing romance between the characters, but my favourite character was Zanth, T'Ash's cat familiar. He made me laugh out loud several times

All this is set in a background of another world, where everything is both different and the same. Robin Owens manages to make this world...more

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Nov 22, 2012 Mara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Jamie

Shelves: futuristic, fantasy, romance

3 1/2

Romance set in a futuristic/fantasy world. The focus is entirely on the romance, so there's no other thread outside it, nor there is much world-building. In this case I can't find it a fault, as it is clearly labeled, so I didn't expect much else.

As a personal preference, I like books with more meat, with a life outside the main couple. Still I really enjoyed reading this.

I doubt I'll be reading the next books, but I would recommend to give it a try and see if it may be your cup of tea.

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Mar 10, 2013 Ashley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: hes-hot-and-rich-whats-the-problem, are-we-there-yet, you-re-a-stupid-cow

I decided to start this series after reading the synopsis for one of the later books. I wanted to read that one, but of course, I just can’t start with that one. Gotta start at the beginning... Anyways, it was an interesting start. At times. Let me explain.
The idea is great. Colonists flee from Earth after facing prosecution for their psi-powers. They land on a new planet they call Celta and develop a social hierarchy based on the strength of their mental powers. With me so far? 'Kay, so the eli...more I decided to start this series after reading the synopsis for one of the later books. I wanted to read that one, but of course, I just can’t start with that one. Gotta start at the beginning... Anyways, it was an interesting start. At times. Let me explain.
The idea is great. Colonists flee from Earth after facing prosecution for their psi-powers. They land on a new planet they call Celta and develop a social hierarchy based on the strength of their mental powers. With me so far? 'Kay, so the elite psi users are capable of forming a Heartbond, which is sort of like having a soul mate. To find their Heart Mates they create a Heart Gift using their psi-powers. For some reason only the guys are able to create the Heart Gifts. And only if they are elite. Lower class couples can kiss that dream goodbye, I guess. No true love for them. Oh well, apparently Heart Mates are considered somewhat mythical to lower classes because our heroine doesn't even believe in them.
Character wise I was half impressed and half seriously annoyed. I really liked the hero. T'Ash is great. Very hot, very rich, suitably broody, the last of his house, and in possession of a complicated past. But above all, he’s terribly lonely. When he finally finds his Heart Mate, he thinks life is about to be all rainbows and butterflies. It’s not. Why not, you ask? Because T’Ash has absolutely ZERO skill with women and his Heart Mate is a stupid cow. Which brings me to our heroine, Danith. Now, Danith started out okay. She was an independent, working class woman with a complex about her lack of flair. Okay, I get that. I, too, am an independent, working class woman with my share of complexes. And, yeah , so T’Ash is a little pushy and not super talkative about his feelings (or anything, really). But COME ON! He’s super hot and super rich and tells you you’re his Heart Mate and he’ll treasure you forever! And you’re an accountant or something (not that there’s anything wrong with that)! What’s the problem, you stupid cow?! Did I mention that he’s a master jeweler? Yeah, free shiny things for the rest of your life.
I’m not saying she should have just fallen into his arms or anything. No, no, no. But when a book reaches three quarters of the way done and she’s still just rejecting him over and over again...Well, it makes me want to throw the book against the wall. So frustrating. And it was almost enough to discourage me from the next one. I’m glad I grabbed the next one, though, because after skipping through a chapter from book three, it looks like things are going to be a lot of fun in upcoming installments. And the side characters were mostly likable. I love the Hollys and can’t wait to hear about Holm.
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Dec 17, 2012 Atunah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, science-fiction-romance, recomended, library-paperbooks, read-2012

I took my postings about this book I did on a board and just transferred them over. Sometimes what comes into my head first works best :)

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This was really weird.
Good things are that cats can be familiars in that world. The world is on another planet and 400 years ago colonists came. So they have first families and grand families or something like that. Its kind of set up like a society in the 1800's. Class system. Just that they use magic. The higher up the more...more

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Feb 24, 2010 Sarah Maddaford rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: can-be-read-alone, familiars, first-in-series, mythology-misc, romance, sci-fi, arlington

This definitely fits the classic definition of a romance novel. The focus of the story is on the romance between Danith and T’Ash who struggle with their feelings for one another until the last chapter. The goal of the romance is eventually marriage and children because Danith wants a large family and T’Ash needs to continue his family line. The narration is split between the two leads in order to show all of their feelings and emotions.

This book fits into the subgenre of alternate reality roma...more This definitely fits the classic definition of a romance novel. The focus of the story is on the romance between Danith and T’Ash who struggle with their feelings for one another until the last chapter. The goal of the romance is eventually marriage and children because Danith wants a large family and T’Ash needs to continue his family line. The narration is split between the two leads in order to show all of their feelings and emotions.

This book fits into the subgenre of alternate reality romances. It is set on another world in a future when magic/psychic powers have driven people away from Earth to colonize a place where they can be accepted. The science fiction elements are clearly secondary to the romantic elements to the point that many of the former simply exist to further the latter.

is a racy romance. From the first time they meet, the sexual tension between the characters is extremely intense. There is description of arousal and attraction before love is mentioned. About half way through the novel is an instance of mental sex between them. This is followed by several in-person encounters after Danith decides to try a relationship. The HeartBond necessary to completely tie them together is consummated during sex as well.

I probably would have put this book down very near to the beginning because the whole romance seemed very contrived. The male main character is trying to win his HeartMate despite having the social skills of a monkey. The female main character just wants a big family with a simple, easy man. The intense sexual tension between the two is highly awkward on his part and completely in denial for much of the book on her part. By the time they consummated their relationship, I was ready for some descriptive detail, but the author shied away from it by concentrating on their mental link to one another. If you’re going to write erotica, you should go ahead and write it well.

I was highly annoyed by several things in this book. T’Ash does not go by Rand, his first name, even in his thoughts. Maybe this was intended to show that he hadn’t reconciled his present self with his past, but it was awkward. Also, the book has severe problems with using correct English. Ostensibly to fit the science fiction feel of the book, several names of common items have become squished together words or purely descriptive names of things. For example, an animal that the colonists domesticated for riding is called a striderbeast. In addition to the weird words, there is a dialect called Downwind speech that is very similar to Ebonics except with even less sentence structure. It’s supposed to show that these people are low class and uneducated, but it’s just hard to read.

It wasn’t a horrible book, but I find that I am more interested in romance as a strong secondary element rather than the focus. I would be hesitant to recommend this book to a patron that did not ask for a racy romance because the sex in the second half is rather frequent even if it isn’t quite as explicit as the earlier tension hints that it should be.

A science fiction reader who enjoys a strong romantic element to stories might enjoy this book, but there might not be enough science fiction elements to satisfy them. This book might also appeal to a fantasy reader because the Flairs read more like magic than science fiction at times, but again the focus is on the romance with much less detail devoted to the Flairs. All in all, I’m not certain that non-romance readers wouldn’t put this book down in frustration because it fits a very specific romance pattern and doesn’t really try to conform to science fiction even though it fits the science fiction subgenre of the romance genre.(less)

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Dec 27, 2010 Sandra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, pnr-uf

Wow, where to start? I suppose this could be classified as a sci-fi romance cause it happens on another planet; but they're descended from humans, 400 yrs ago, so they aren't aliens. And they all have psychic powers to some degree. So things happen like 'magic'.

This story of Rand T'Ash, orphaned at 6 to grow up in the Downwind (the slums), and his HeartMate Danith Mallow is anything but predictable. Rand has reclaimed his heritage as the Lord of a GreatFamily, indeed one of the FirstFamilies, bu...more

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Oct 05, 2009 Cindy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: keepers

Rereading...
Heart Mate is a strong start to the Celtan Heart Mates series.

The hero is a man of the highest class who grew up in the slums after his family and home were destroyed by enemies when he was six. The man be became has destroyed those enemies and rebuilt his home - now he wants a wife, a heartmate who will love him exclusively and help him establish the family and home he so desperately wants. Once he identifies Danith as his heartmate, he expects her to fall into his arms. Unfortunat...more

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Dec 17, 2007 Turdlemary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: advisory

This book is a futuristic romance book and it takes place somewhere called Celta. This is another world because Earth had gotten too populated with people, so a whole bunch of them decides to set off to find another place where they could dwell. The "high class" people all have some sort of ability that runs in their family and there are such things as heartmates in this world. Heartmates is a couple that bonds with each other mentally, emotionally, etc. and there are things called Fams which ar...more

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Oct 17, 2011 Crystal rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: futuristic, huh, fantasy, traded

Why, oh why, do fantasy romance authors have such difficulty leaving well-known fantasy series elements out of their writing? One author all but had Galadhrial make a guest appearance. This series, half-way through the *first chapter* made me think a colony of dark elves had been relocated from Menzoberranzan. The names, the class structure, the destruction of a "Greathouse"...

Now that I got that mini-rant off my chest... The H is a dim bulb. He's pushy, overbearing, and doesn't want the h to as...more

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Heart Mate (Celta's Heartmates #1)

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