This Same Earth (Elemental Mysteries, #2) by Elizabeth Hunter

Sep 22, 2012 BamaGal rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Excellent PNR series; highly recommend.

Shelves: pnr-uf, mystery

After just two books, this series is shaping up to becoming one of my all-time favorite PNR series. So incredibly well written, and an excellent action mystery/adventure for discerning tastes. It's like an old serial, with a dash of 'Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego' for adults. There are so many wonderful characters inhabiting this superb series.

5 years after leaving Beatrice to let her grow, finish graduate school, and establish herself in her professional life; Giovanni has finally re-e...more After just two books, this series is shaping up to becoming one of my all-time favorite PNR series. So incredibly well written, and an excellent action mystery/adventure for discerning tastes. It's like an old serial, with a dash of 'Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego' for adults. There are so many wonderful characters inhabiting this superb series.

5 years after leaving Beatrice to let her grow, finish graduate school, and establish herself in her professional life; Giovanni has finally re-entered her life. Even though B is still traveling to Gio's home in South America each year, she is trying to move forward. She has a long-standing bf, but can't quite shake the ghost of Gio to make the ultimate commitment to him. Gio's return shakes up her life; and leads to the ultimate end of her current relationship.

Gio and B pick up the threads of where B's vampire father has disappeared to, and what secrets he holds that would lead the evil vampire Lorenzo on yet another killing spree as he also hunts for him. Traveling the world on their own hunt for B's father, they begin trying to pick up the pieces of their own relationship; as they search for and discover the secrets and clues B's father leaves for them to discover. The four 'elemental' powers of the various vampires don't come quite as much into play in this book as the first one; but the vamp powers are still quite different and fun nonetheless. B has also begun to question her own mortality. My only nit is that it takes B longer than strictly necessary to come to terms with her relationship with Gio. The sexual tension between them is wonderful reading, but it goes on just a tad too long before the resolution.

This is a vampire world unlike any I've ever read. Hunter delves deeply into the lives of her creations; crafting characters who are richly drawn and multi-layered. Although these are very much character driven books; the wordbuilding is excellent, and the world the author has created is amazing. Elizabeth Hunter is a remarkable, talented author; and I'm so happy to have discovered her work. The next book in this serial "A Force of Wind" is due out in March. Excellent series; highly recommend.(less)

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Dec 05, 2011 Prangon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, fantasy, vampire, paranormal, arc, review-copy, read-in-2011

Originally posted on The Nerd In Heels
This Same Earth by Elizabeth Hunter is the second book of Elemental Mysteries series. Firstly, thank you Elizabeth for letting me read this awesome book, I think I might have died from my curiosity after reading the first chapter of this book a while back.

This Same Earth picks up five years after A Hidden Fire ends, revealing what happened in Beatrice De Novo's life in the mean time. Beatrice has left a world of supernatural behind or so she thought until Gi...more Originally posted on The Nerd In Heels
This Same Earth by Elizabeth Hunter is the second book of Elemental Mysteries series. Firstly, thank you Elizabeth for letting me read this awesome book, I think I might have died from my curiosity after reading the first chapter of this book a while back.

This Same Earth picks up five years after A Hidden Fire ends, revealing what happened in Beatrice De Novo's life in the mean time. Beatrice has left a world of supernatural behind or so she thought until Giovanni Vecchio came back in her life. However Beatrice is reluctant to accept Giovanni back in her life after being abandoned by him for five years.

Giovanni's absence in Beatrice's life for so long was the biggest mystery in my opinion when he clearly is smitten with her. To Gio his rationality to leave Beatrice alone, is to give her a chance to have a normal life and exactly what I figure he would say. Which from Geo's prospective might have seem like a good idea, but they both suffered from the separation. They go through quite a rocky road before Beatrice can trust Gio to not leave her again and give into his persuasion to establish a relationship between them.

Carwyn and some of his children were introduced in the story however because of Carwyn's tragic loss we miss the jovial Hawaiian shirt wearing snarky priest very much. Some new vampires and their clan is introduced, new alliances are formed due to Beatrice's 'new family'. The search for the missing De Novo is highlighted in this story more than ever. Stephen De Novo, Beatrice's father has hidden himself from the world and everyone seem to want him on their side or rather want what he possess.

This Same Earth ends with a beautiful wedding and with the starting of a family. Vampire Human love is always so difficult! It's hard to decide what is best for the human, turn the human into a vampire or not. After reading so many vampire series I have come to realize that it's actually a very hard decision (for me). If the human lover is turned into a vampire I whine oh god they are robbing the human from it's humanity! If not turned into a vampire, well I still whine why isn't the human turned into a vampire so they can live happily ever after. That is one of the biggest set backs for me while I read any vampire series, really! As for Elemental Mysteries series, its yet to be seen what Beatrice will choose even though it seem quite clear in this book what she will happen.

All in all a really good book with a great cover. Kudos to Elizabeth for giving readers this awesome series. I know for me March can not come sooner, until than I am going to eagerly wait ~~or stalk Elizabeth till she hands over THE FORCE OF WIND~~. Recommended to all the paranormal readers out there. If you love a good vampire series this is definitely it. You can start by reading A Hidden Fire (less)

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Jan 14, 2012 Bookie | The BookChick rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-star-read, elizabeth-hunter, hist-myth-elements, read-again, vampires

Book Description:
Beatrice De Novo thought she had left the supernatural world behind…for the most part. But when the past becomes the present, will she leave her quiet life in Los Angeles to follow a mystery she thought had abandoned her? Where has Giovanni Vecchio been, and why has he returned? Giovanni has his own questions, and he’s looking to her for answers.

The sequel to A Hidden Fire will reunite Beatrice and Giovanni to continue their search through the past while both wrestle with the f...more

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Dec 11, 2011 Vivian rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed reading A Hidden Fire so much that I promptly bought and read the next book in the series. Giovanni and Beatrice's story continues in This Same Earth, book two in the Elemental Mysteries series by Elizabeth Hunter. Beatrice has been abducted by Lorenzo and was held captive for several weeks before being freed by Giovanni, Caspar and Tenzin. Although she wasn't tortured or hurt physically, the emotional torture has left its mark, primarily because she thought that Giovanni had willingly...more I enjoyed reading A Hidden Fire so much that I promptly bought and read the next book in the series. Giovanni and Beatrice's story continues in This Same Earth, book two in the Elemental Mysteries series by Elizabeth Hunter. Beatrice has been abducted by Lorenzo and was held captive for several weeks before being freed by Giovanni, Caspar and Tenzin. Although she wasn't tortured or hurt physically, the emotional torture has left its mark, primarily because she thought that Giovanni had willingly traded her for a book.

It takes awhile for Giovanni to convince Beatrice that this was not the case, but he gradually gets her to see that Lorenzo was going to abduct her no matter what so he simply played along with him. To give Beatrice time to heal from the emotional trauma of her abduction, not to mention witnessing the horrific fight between the two different vampire factions, Giovanni takes to the mountains of Chile. Beatrice and Giovanni are given the opportunity to show their feelings for one another and their relationship becomes much closer, or so Beatrice thinks. Regrettably their lives cannot be put on hold forever and Beatrice must return to the States to attend graduate school. So off they go, Beatrice to LA for school and Giovanni to try and track down her father, his errant son and to amass allies in the ongoing battle with his son.

Beatrice spends an enjoyable few years in graduate school and makes friends. She returns to Chile each summer but her time there is spent without benefit of Giovanni's company. She knows that she loves him and tells him so in a series of journals. Each year she says she's not going to return to Chile but her ticket is mysteriously left at her home and she returns. Fortunately she is afforded the opportunity to read through some of Giovanni's journals and learns a bit more of his past lives.

Fast forward a few more years and Beatrice is twenty-eight years old. She is an accomplished young woman, fluent in several languages, a homeowner, an employee at the Huntington Library in California, and in a relationship with a loving man, Mano. It has been six years since she saw Giovanni and she's trying to move on with her life, or so she thought until Giovanni mysteriously reappears. Giovanni is now the legal guardian and "uncle" to a precocious, street-smart twelve-year-old named Ben.

Beatrice must deal with renewing her relationship with Giovanni and building a relationship with Ben, her eventual breakup with Mano, and an introduction to her great-great-great-grandfather (I think I left out a few more greats but you get the idea), who just happens to be a water vampire that oversees LA. What follows is a series of fast-paced incidents including the abduction of one of Carwyn's sons. Beatrice and Giovanni wind up going to Ireland, England and France trying to track down leads on the whereabouts of Lorenzo and Beatrice's father, Stephen. Through it all Beatrice must confront her feelings for Giovanni and ultimately decide if she wants to have a relationship with him as a human or be turned.

This Same Earth is another fast-paced paranormal, romantic suspense read. There's slightly more action and intrigue in this story and more background information is given providing insight into Giovanni, Carwyn, Tenzin and even Lorenzo. The story ends leaving the reader hanging and waiting for more. Regrettably the third book in this series, The Force of Wind isn't due out until February/March 2012, but I'll definitely be putting it on my TBR list.(less)

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Feb 19, 2012 Melindeeloo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: friendable, paranormal-romance-vampire

The fact that I loved the first book in Hunter's Hidden Mysteries, A Hidden Fire, was actually the reason that I was hesitant to start This Same Earth. I liked the slowly building relationship between book scholar vampire Giovanni Vecchio and library science intern Beatrice De Novo in the first book and was actually just fine with the hopeful ending, but the the teaser for This Same Earth at the end of that book had the effect of putting me off this one a bit. That said, I ended up really liking...more The fact that I loved the first book in Hunter's Hidden Mysteries, A Hidden Fire, was actually the reason that I was hesitant to start This Same Earth. I liked the slowly building relationship between book scholar vampire Giovanni Vecchio and library science intern Beatrice De Novo in the first book and was actually just fine with the hopeful ending, but the the teaser for This Same Earth at the end of that book had the effect of putting me off this one a bit. That said, I ended up really liking the way that This Same Earth actually starts with a prolog of B's journal entries, so that when we finally get to the first chapter (from the teaser) it is not as difficult for us diehard romantics to read.

As This Hidden Earth begins, Gio has left B to allow her to have a chance to live her life, and left a big gaping hole in her heart. But despite what he thinks are noble intentions, he really hasn't allowed to her to heal since he's snuck in and left her tickets back to their special place each year and since B's sensed other evidence that Gio has been watching her even though he has kept silent and invisible. In the five years since they were together, B's done her best to move on and carve a life for herself. She's gotten her graduate degree, a dream job, and acquired both a true best friend and a boyfriend who she loves. But having B actually move on really wasn't in Gio's plans - and when he finally turns up to reinsert himself into B's life and resume his pursuit, he's a bit surprised to find a less than warm welcome - and I really wanted to slap him too, so there is a big 'you go girl' from me when B does.

I really enjoyed This Same Earth, and I enjoyed it almost as much as I did the first book. A good part of the 'almost as much' is that while there was a great deal of discovery in the first book there is more pain in this one. Gio has miscalculated the hurt that he inflicted on B and something sad happens to two of Carwyn's children too. As a result, there is less humor this time around because there is less playful banter between B and Gio, and Carwyn is in a much more serious place in his life as well.

Initially, one thing that dimmed my enjoyment of This Same Earth just a tad was another non-consentual visit for B with Gio's son - I don't really want to see this being a recurring event in the series - but continuing on with the story, I saw the purpose for it and for B getting to see what was going on with Carwyn's family as well. Both gave B, and the reader, some crucial information about vampire mates and also offered a view of the liability that B presents as a human who is privy to information about Gio's life and his search for her father.

Things that I really liked about the book: I liked the characters both old and new and I still really love B, I liked that she is trying to make herself as strong as possible so that she can fight back - and I liked her training sessions with one of Carwyn's daughters. I also really liked the puzzle that B gets to solve and the fact that she is the only one who can solve it, and I liked the journal entries at the start and end of the story. But most of all, I liked the feeling that there isn't going to be one step forward two steps back in her relationship with Gio.

So Hunter's This Same Earth is another strong entry to her series and I feel lucky that I had book friends who turned me on to these self published hidden gems and I am also really glad that I've found Hunter's series at just the right time to be able to read the first two books almost back to back and that I only have two weeks to wait for the next book, The Force of Wind.(less)

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Dec 05, 2011 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, from-author

I love this series!

I have not been this excited about a series in a long time! The first thing I did when I finished A Hidden Fire (book one) was email Elizabeth Hunter to ask her when book two would be out. Guess what I did as soon as I could after finishing up This Same Earth? That’s right, I tweeted Ms. Hunter to find out if book three is finished or not. The answer I got was yes, but it does not come out till March of 2012. But The characters that Elizabeth Hunter writes are so worth that wa...more I love this series!

I have not been this excited about a series in a long time! The first thing I did when I finished A Hidden Fire (book one) was email Elizabeth Hunter to ask her when book two would be out. Guess what I did as soon as I could after finishing up This Same Earth? That’s right, I tweeted Ms. Hunter to find out if book three is finished or not. The answer I got was yes, but it does not come out till March of 2012. But The characters that Elizabeth Hunter writes are so worth that wait.

This Same Earth was a very different book than A Hidden Fire. This Same Earth dealt so much more with relationships than the first book, and I’m not just talking about Gio and B’s relationship (although that was played out) it was everyone and how each person, or vampire relates to the other. This did slow the book down at times but I felt like I had a better understanding of how the vampire world in this series related to one another as family, as lovers, and as husband and wife and it was nice to learn that through B’s eyes.

B or Beatrice (she goes by both) was stronger but more emotional in This Same Earth. She has spent years physically away from Gio and when he comes back into her life she understandably doesn’t know if she can trust him again. I really felt for B as she was pulled back into Gio’s world when she finally opens up to why Gio leaving hurt so much it almost brings you to tears. Gio drove me a little crazy in This same Earth. I think I just don’t like the fact that his character has such a hard time being wrong or not in control…yes, he saw the error of his ways eventually but it got to me. I did like reading all the scenes with he and Ben. Ben is a twelve year old boy Gio adopted a year ago, seeing them together showed a different side to Gio, and it helped make up for less Casper time.

All of the old cast is back along with some new faces. We get to meet B’s I-don’t-know-how-many-greats grandpa. He is a very strong and powerful water vampire and quite the character. I hope to see more of him in the future. And of course my favorite vamp was back, Carwyn! I will not give any real spoilers but I got to see a new side of the happy go lucky priest. (Who just so happens to be my major vampire crush at the moment)

The world that Elizabeth Hunter started in A Hidden Fire was enriched in This Same Earth and I am impatiently waiting to see how she continues to build the Elemental Mysteries world in The Force of Wind when it comes out in 2012. Really Elizabeth Hunter, if you need anyone *cough* to read *smiles very sweetly* The Force of Wind extremely early *wink, wink* I’m sure I could try to fit it in my schedule Yes people, this series is so good I have no shame. Oh, and there is is a sneak peek of The Force of Wind at the end of This Same Earth, and it is so good.

Happy Reading,
Rebecca
www.bendingthespine.blogspot.com (less)

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Dec 07, 2011 Tee loves Kyle Jacobson rated it 5 of 5 stars

This Same Earth is a fantastic follow up to A Hidden Fire. As you all know I love the library and can lose myself in there. So when I first heard about this series and that it took place in a library I was like Holy Cow I need to read this! I was not disappointed :)

This Same Earth picks up where A Hidden fire left off. Gio and Bea are no longer together. Gio let Bea go to college in California to get her Master's and to have a life. But every year he leaves tickets for her to go to their favorit...more This Same Earth is a fantastic follow up to A Hidden Fire. As you all know I love the library and can lose myself in there. So when I first heard about this series and that it took place in a library I was like Holy Cow I need to read this! I was not disappointed :)

This Same Earth picks up where A Hidden fire left off. Gio and Bea are no longer together. Gio let Bea go to college in California to get her Master's and to have a life. But every year he leaves tickets for her to go to their favorite place Cochamo Valley in Chile. She goes every summer saying this is it she will not return but every summer she packs up and goes in hopes of seeing Gio. She loves the house in the valley and spends her summer nights dreaming of Gio and longing to touch him. Gio has decided he wants Bea to have a normal life and tries to stay away from her so she can move on but he to is suffering and missing her.

Gio can no longer take being seperated from Bea so he decides to pay her a visit. She is furious with him and does not want anything to do with him because she is hurt and has moved on. But Gio being Gio (God I love him!)does not give up. He asks her to help him with a translation of some letters he needs and she agrees to help him and be nothing more than friends. As time goes by Bea realizes that she and Gio work well together. They decipher the letters to help find out where her father is hiding but then the unexpected happens and someone that is very close to them needs them.

Bea has to make a very hard decision and that is to go and help Gio and her friend or stay behind and chance losing Gio again. What is a girl to do? Will she chose her new life or will she chose Gio? Will they be together? And will they find her father? What will Bea do when she comes face to face with the monster who kidnapped her?

He leaned toward her, and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “I definitely want back in your life. And I like the hair, by the way. It suits you, though I do miss the length. I had dreams
about that long hair—” (Gio)

Come along for the greatest ride of a lifetime. See Gio and Bea in action and meet some new characters and enjoy the old ones.Come see what Carwyn and Tanzin and Lorenzo have been up to....... (less)

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May 22, 2013 ~*~Princess Nhya~*~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Solid 4 Stars

A great second installment to this series. Heartbreak, suspense, drama, and erotic intrigue abound in this one. The stakes are getting higher. The clues are plentiful. We meet some great new characters in this one as the plot moves along. Love it. Alot more questions than answers in this one. But so what! I'm loving it.

Why I could only give this one 4 stars inspite of all this greatness, is because of one thing... Giovanni & Beatrice. Through the entire 1st book and for the majo...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Hillary Hunt rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Meh.

Right away, I felt Giovanni had become a different, less likable character. He basically abandons Beatrice for 5 years because *he* has deemed that an appropriate amount of time for her to get some life experience and grow up so that she'll really be ready to be with him. Why didn't he wait 10-15 years, why just 5? Probably he doesn't want to wait too long or else she wouldn't be in her scrumptious twenties anymore when she turns immortal! And five years doesn't leave her a huge window of ti...more Meh.

Right away, I felt Giovanni had become a different, less likable character. He basically abandons Beatrice for 5 years because *he* has deemed that an appropriate amount of time for her to get some life experience and grow up so that she'll really be ready to be with him. Why didn't he wait 10-15 years, why just 5? Probably he doesn't want to wait too long or else she wouldn't be in her scrumptious twenties anymore when she turns immortal! And five years doesn't leave her a huge window of time in which she could get married and have children. So I don't buy that this was a selfless thing he did for her. It struck me as being entirely selfish and manipulative, and when he marches back into her life his entitled claim on her was yuck. This conflict creates the romantic suspense for the rest of the book while we wait for Beatrice to decide she forgives him, and I didn't care for it.

No one enjoys a good romance more than me, but the schmoopy love scenes in this book were over the top. When she cries, he scoops her up in his arms and rocks her like baby. He's constantly consoling her like she's a child. The declarations of love were melodramatic to my tastes.

I already thought the author was going out of her way to avoid sexy times in the first book, so I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised to find this book would be the same. How any woman could resist having sex for so long with a dude she's co-sleeping with, making out with, and coming whenever he bites her neck is the real mystery of this book! That Beatrice has loins of steel! When sexy times finally happen (towards the bitter end), it's all fade to black business and very brief. WTF! I expect this sort of thing in a YA book, but in adult fiction, it annoys me. I guess if you prefer "clean" romances, you'd like this. However, skanks like me doth protest.

Everyone is just so *dazzled* by Beatrice. She can do everything so well and is practically perfect in every way. Over and over again we're told how amazing, how intelligent, how interesting she is. The key word there being told, not shown.

The plot was just okay for me. I feel like it's a little vague what exactly was going on, and the details always seemed to be hurriedly thrown in after all the lovey-dovey stuff. I honestly think this book would've been better if there was more focus on the mystery aspect and the romance was more subtle.

And lastly: the new character, Ben, seemed rather pointless and the scenes involving him bored me. I skimmed over any scene with Ben. I felt the author trying to force this heart warming family dynamic with him and I just wasn't feeling it.

It honestly got a bit Twilight-ish with the prudish, soapy romance and forced "aren't we all a big happy family."

Overall: Too much fluff, not enough grit.

(less)

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Aug 07, 2012 Tammie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy-paranormal, romance

I did not like this one as much as A Hidden Fire. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. I was really put off at first by the five year gap in time. Giovanni and Beatrice have to start over in their relationship in this one because of that gap in time. I think what annoyed me the most about this book was the way they went around in circles in the relationship. There was too much repetition and not enough moving forward.

I don't mind reading mushy stuff either, but I get tired of it when it's...more

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Mar 28, 2012 Mara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: PNR fans

Recommended to Mara by: BamaGal

Shelves: borrowed, pnr, mystery

It's a testament of this author's ability that a book in which next to nothing happens (in the action sector) hooks its readers. This Same Earth pick ups the story of Hidden Fire and then repeats it. B and Gio have to start again and face -again- the same problems and enemy.

I'm impressed by the deep knowledge Ms Hunter shows in her story. And all without an ounce of info dump. Its puzzle is intriguing and kept me reading to the end. But I admit the first third or half of the book was a bit diff...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Katya rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampire, urban-fantasy, favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 4.99 Stars (***Careful Contains Spoilers***)

Okay....I loved the first book of this series. I loved the characters...the writing style, the details, the mystery...it is about finding a manuscript by the way....and finding the heroine's father, who's own situation is intertwined into this story which has multiple layers. Sounds complicated right? it is...deliciously so.

Book one ended in 2003....B has gone on to Graduate School, lands a great job, makes friends and buys a house. She has been buildi...more

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May 20, 2013 Nina Rose rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-fiction, guilty-pleasure, i-don-t-know-anymore, i-like-it, urban-fantasy, vampires, paranormal

3.75 stars.

Yep, I am on a forgiving phase. Beatrice didn't grow much of a backbone to be honest, I don't really understand their time apart. I honestly feel that it was mostly for Gio's benefit because he had commitment issues. Beatrice, whom everyone says has "grown up" is mostly the same, she barely had the nerve to call Gio on his shit and give him ultimatums.

I wanted to slap them both for the longest time but... I kind of liked this sequel, it improve on a really good concept. I know, shock...more

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May 01, 2013 Victoria Limbert rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, adventure, dark-brooding-male, erotic, great-characters, humour, love, magic, mystery, paranormal, reviewed, romance, suspense, vampires, urban-fantasy

I gave the first book 5 stars. A Hidden Fire was fantastic, unique with a beautiful romance story entwined around the mystery of lost history books and revealing old letters. The background to the story was amazing, but This Same Earth didn't quite hold me as fully as the first book.

The plotline was very 'samey, following a similar path as A Hidden Fire. The beginning was great with Beatrice writing in a journal about her up and down emotions over a 5 year period, which Gio read to remain close...more I gave the first book 5 stars. A Hidden Fire was fantastic, unique with a beautiful romance story entwined around the mystery of lost history books and revealing old letters. The background to the story was amazing, but This Same Earth didn't quite hold me as fully as the first book.

The plotline was very 'samey, following a similar path as A Hidden Fire. The beginning was great with Beatrice writing in a journal about her up and down emotions over a 5 year period, which Gio read to remain close to her while giving her the space to grow as a normal human...A little twilightesque but Elizabeth Hunter's world building, descriptions and character development far outshines Steph Meyer....which is hard for me to say as I am a fan of Twilight!

I very much enjoyed watching the story unfold as Gio tries his hardest to win Beatrice back after abandoning her for 5 years, believing he was doing the right thing, and Beatrice gives him a hard time and doesn't make the fight easy...yay to her! and wooohooo a female protagonist with her own mind in a vampire novel! woop! Gio does stoop to a little manipulation to win her back but that's fine, we all do it right? and Beatrice is intelligent enough to hold her own. But...the plotline was very similar to the first book in the fact that they were on the trail of a book (Gio's way of spending time with Beatrice) and Lorenzo is still trying to take Beatrice. She is captured...again...held against her will...again. Though thankfully this time she is no victim. Our Beatrice has been studying martial arts after the last time she was captured by the insane vamp and is taking care of herself.

The book never really hits that climatic moment...Beatrice's rescue is a little easy and the action is over far too soon. I was more interested in Carwyn's loss than Beatrice being the target. And after building up that amazing passion between Beatrice and Gio the sex scene didn't quite hold the same heat! it didn't give me the shivers that the kisses between them did.

Elizabeth Hunter has still become a favourite author of mine and I will continue reading the series as I love Gio and Beatrice as characters, Carwyn is by far my favourite vamp and the new characters the writer brings in to the story are all full of secrets and mysteries which I cant wait to delve in to.

I hope the third book is a 5 STAR read. This Same Earth is still a great book, a wonderful love story and a fun mystery woven around our myths and histories. I would recommend all Vamp lovers to read this.(less)

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Apr 06, 2013 Maria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: magic, vampires

This is the second book in the Elemental Mysteries series and it was as good as the first one. The story takes us five years after the events of the first book and so many things have change. Beatrice is living a normal life. Yeah, at least she believes that she lives a normal life. She has friends, boyfriend and job. But Giovanni isn’t there and she hasn’t seen him for five years. But one day, he’s back and he wants her. And of course, their old enemy is back also.

Beatrice is very different in...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Daisey rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-that-i-threw-across-the-room

Ok so maybe the way I feel about this book is my fault. I read the first book A Hidden Fire because it looked interesting and it was a cheap buy on Amazon. I really liked the twist on the vampire genre with the addition of the elemental powers. I really liked B - strong female character who knows what she wants. She has had to work hard to get what she wants. Stands up for herself, etc.
Then she meets Gio and even by the end of book 1 she is still pretty independent and wants to live life her way...more Ok so maybe the way I feel about this book is my fault. I read the first book A Hidden Fire because it looked interesting and it was a cheap buy on Amazon. I really liked the twist on the vampire genre with the addition of the elemental powers. I really liked B - strong female character who knows what she wants. She has had to work hard to get what she wants. Stands up for herself, etc.
Then she meets Gio and even by the end of book 1 she is still pretty independent and wants to live life her way. I loved the secondary characters - Isadora, Caspar and Carwyn probably more than B and Gio.

Then we get to This Same Earth and here is B getting on with her life. She has made a life for herself, has a job she loves and everything is going well. Then Gio comes back after "deserting" her for five years and he wants to start their relationship again. At first B is against it but after a couple weeks she is over it and ready to jump on the Gio Express again. Most of the book is B whining about how she loves Gio but, can't trust him. And Gio just can't live without B because she is his balance and he has never found that with a woman ever. Ugh! On and on and on and on. I love him - I don't trust him - but, I love and want to be with him forever. This drags on way too long. Too much tortured angst - she might as well be a moody teenager.

I knew this series was going nowhere for me once B began considering becoming a vampire so she can be with Gio forever. That was the beginning of the end for me. I just hate the notion that the weak human female has to become a vampire in order to be with the hunky, sexy vampire forever. Why? If she was so intriguing as a human that Mr. Vampire has to possess her then why does she have to turned into a vampire too? To me this is the classic - oh I love you but, I will love you so much more if you change this or that about yourself first. Dye your hair, lose some weight, get implants, become a vampire - all the same in my book. I had this same issue with Cat and Bones in the Night Huntress series.

So I got halfway through the book and decided I would stick it out because I had paid for the book and maybe I might be ok with the plot line. Maybe this time it would be different, maybe she won't become a vampire. but then I got to the point where B realizes that she can't be on extended vacation from her job forever and says, "Well, I guess I'll have to quit my job" and Gio smirks! Smirks!!!!! Flames shot out of my eyes at that point. Really?? She works for years to get where she is and gets her dream job but Gio is so smug about her giving all that up to be with him? GRRRRRRRR!!!! If this hadn't been an e-book on my Kindle Fire I would have thrown it across the room!

So, I'm done with this series which is a shame because it had potential for me. I like the new twists although some of the conventions kind of get old. Like all the vampires having "children" - it gets hard to tell who belongs to who and if they are genetically related "children" or "sired" children. Oh, and the one thing that seriously bugged me that the author uses over and over is the way B asks Gio questions.

"Gio?"

"What?"

This makes B sound like a five year old instead of the intelligent woman she is supposed to be. Just makes my skin crawl to see a strong character reduced to being a pet.

I know I am in the minority here as there are many five star reviews and as I said my disappointment with this book is probably my fault. I probably need to give up on the vampire genre because the convention seems to be that the human must always become a vampire so that hero and heroine can live together forever..... I wish just once that an author would have the guts to defy that logic and end it without the traditional vampires living together forever ending.(less)

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Jul 13, 2012 Samantha rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-time-favorites, lendable, sexy-times

Again, a fantastic read. I finished this in two days... I worked, I slept, I read. Period. The beginning pissed me off so bad (kind of a spoiler, but not really...) because the prologue is just a bunch of journal entries written by Beatrice and she hasn't seen Gio in FIVE FREAKING YEARS and has moved on with her life. Wait, WHAT?!? I was mad. I was so mad for her, I even stopped reading for a bit. But who was I kidding, I couldn't stop! I won't tell you what happens, because that's part of the f...more

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May 28, 2012 Nina Pedrosa rated it 5 of 5 stars

I had such high hopes for this book after I read the first one and I'm so glad to say that I was so not disappointed! The author just has a way to keep us interested in the story and to keep rooting for Gio and B to just get in on already! :)
I loved Carwyn in the first book, but I think it was very refreshing to see this new side of him on this one and to see that he is the sweeter vampire ever, besides Gio of course. Oh, and how about B kicking some serious vampire asses!? Hers and Gio's arqgui...more

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Mar 15, 2012 Roxanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

“Why didn’t you come?” she sobbed. “Why? I waited for years! I never loved a man the way I loved you. I’ve never loved anyone that way. I never wanted anyone that way.”
For the first time in his immortal life, he felt as if his heart could bleed from another’s pain. Giovanni could only whisper, “I know.”

This Same Earth is the second book in a four part series (Something I only just realized and for some reason I thought it was a trilogy. *Facepalm*) and it was just as good as the first one. This...more “Why didn’t you come?” she sobbed. “Why? I waited for years! I never loved a man the way I loved you. I’ve never loved anyone that way. I never wanted anyone that way.”
For the first time in his immortal life, he felt as if his heart could bleed from another’s pain. Giovanni could only whisper, “I know.”

This Same Earth is the second book in a four part series (Something I only just realized and for some reason I thought it was a trilogy. *Facepalm*) and it was just as good as the first one. This book roughly takes place 5 years after book 1. Now it may seem like a long time but remember Gio is a vampire and a year to him is a day in vampire years. However Beatrice doesn't see it that way, she feels betrayed and abandoned after everything they have been through. So when Gio waltz back into her life and wants her back she goes a little crazy, and who can blame the poor girl. After 5 long and painful years Beatrice has finally started to get over Gio, she has a successful career, loving boyfriend and a best friend any girl could ask for.

“I can almost promise my benefits package is better than the Huntington.” He saw her trying to suppress the smile. “Did you just say ‘package?’” she snickered.

While I enjoyed the start of this book and all it's drama I did get a little sick of Beatrice's crying like ALL the time. If I didn't feel so sorry for her I would have gotten fed up with her a lot sooner. But I can totally understand her being angry at Gio even though he thinks what he did was right by staying away for 5 years. Anyway that's not even the point of the book lol I'm getting sidetracked. OK so this book is mostly about finding Beatrice's dad who seems to be extremely good at hiding and trying to find where the hell Gio's son Lorenzo is who seems to be targeting anyone with close ties to Beatrice.

She rubbed her face into his chest and released a sigh. “Don’t leave, okay? Stay with me. Just…stay.” He closed his eyes and sent up a silent prayer that she would do the same. “Always.”

While this book didn't have as much action in it as the last one I still enjoyed it immensely. It felt like a worldwide game of cat and mouse with all the traveling they did. The ending leaves us one step closer to finding Beatrice's dad and what he took from Lorenzo that everyone seems to want so bad. We've already been given hints in this book but the puzzles pieces haven't fallen into place yet. I look forward to reading book 3 and sincerely hope there isn't a huge gap between books 3 and 4.

Oh and I totally loved the new addition to the Vecchio family. Ben is adorable and I can't wait to read more about him. (less)

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Mar 14, 2012 Natalie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal

In the beginning I was a little nervous, because I felt like Giovanni was acting a little different that normal. I didn't like that. He was being more demanding, but it didn't last so it was okay.

The story continued nicely. Beatrice hadn't heard from Giovanni in five years, so she had time to finish school and start building a life of her own. Then he shows back up and he is still as in love with her as ever. She tries to deny it, but she loves him too.

One of the biggest pulls for me in this w...more

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Feb 12, 2012 Douglas Meeks rated it 5 of 5 stars

The sequel to A Hidden Fire (Elemental Mysteries) which is This Same Earth (Elemental Mysteries) and I find it one of the more interesting reading experiences in quite sometime. First the fact that are 2 books is almost a misnomer since it really is a continuing story and second I find it amazing that the author manages to take what is basically a love story and inject just enough action and mystery into it to keep you from getting bored with a very slowly evolving love story. Normally a tale su...more

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Dec 05, 2011 Sapphyria rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is Book 2 in the one of the most amazing series' I've read.

"This Same Earth" begins 5 years after the ending of Book 1, "A Hidden Fire." The prologue to the book shows us diary entries from her 2 week - 1 month vacations in Comancho starting with year 2005 and going through year 2009.

In 2009, we see that B has made a nice life for herself; She's now a librarian and has a hot boyfriend, a new house, and her best friend Dez. While she can't stop thinking about Gio, even after so many years ap...more This is Book 2 in the one of the most amazing series' I've read.

"This Same Earth" begins 5 years after the ending of Book 1, "A Hidden Fire." The prologue to the book shows us diary entries from her 2 week - 1 month vacations in Comancho starting with year 2005 and going through year 2009.

In 2009, we see that B has made a nice life for herself; She's now a librarian and has a hot boyfriend, a new house, and her best friend Dez. While she can't stop thinking about Gio, even after so many years apart, she has managed to move on as best she can. Then one day, out of the blue, the man behind the green eyes and smoke, falls back into her life, bringing with him 5 years of longing, pain, and loneliness. Of course, this reignites all the anger she's walled up inside, putting Gio's plans on a slow track. B's emotions are raw and with good cause. How can someone just up and leave without a trace (or very few) and then drop back into her life like he was never gone? Well, Gio learns the hard way that maybe he wasn't as smart his professor-mind thought he was. Her exact words to him are "Why didn't you come?" My heart broke when I read this entire passage because I felt the exact same way. I do understand his methodology and reasoning for his absence....which you will have to read about yourself....but I felt B's pain just like it was my own. I saw and felt Gio's suffering when certain things finally dawned on him, as well. There are a lot of inner struggles that face both B and Gio throughout the book.

We see a different side of Carwyn in this installment. He isn't the charming, snarky Father from book 1. Events that take place at the hand of Lorenzo (you know, the bad guy from A Hidden Fire)are devious, underhanded, and cruel. They cause pain unlike what happened previously.

Even with the serious undertones, there is still sarcasm, humor, snark, and general things that made me smile; things that I came to love in A Hidden Fire. For example: "I'm serious. I'm exhausted, and I just had a verbal fencing match for the last two and a half hours. So calm your fangs, and tell me what the heck is going on."

Just as I stated for "A Hidden Fire," book 1, "This Same Earth," book 2 is FANTASTIC.

The sequel is smartly written and takes you on another emotional rollercoaster from start to finish. There is still the quest to find B's father and attempt to locate and now-mostly-healed-up Lorenzo. Along the way we come to understand just how important family really is--whether it's biological or created through other methods.

B is emotional as ever but it's never written in a way that makes her appear weak. She is a very strong heroine and gets stronger as the novel progresses. Gio is, well, Gio. He finds out that his well placed intentions may or may not have been perceived the way that he intended them to be. The plot is excellent and everything is properly executed.

**I highly recommend this series.**
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May 05, 2013 Penny rated it 5 of 5 stars

Finished it in one day - loved it! I love the way it slowly unwinds and draws you in, it doesn't read like a straightforward timeline, but rather alludes to things before eventually letting you see the full picture a few chapters on. I love the way Gio's and B's relationship has also slowly unwound, which again i find so refreshing in this genre. Whereas in other books its all tongues lashing bodices ripping within a few pages in, their love was finally made true only towards the end of the 2nd...more

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Apr 11, 2013 Liza rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the 2nd book. As mentioned before from other readers rating this book, the romance behind the whole mystery story was kind of like stretched gum. It went on and on and on..... However, the story does keep you hooked and you find yourself not wanting to put the book down. There are some lines that I really liked, such as "Love is a single soul dwelling in two bodies". Is this an original from the author, I wonder... Deep...
There are also passages where B blurts out a funky comment, very...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Lori McD rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013_read, action, adventure, chick-lit, contemporary-times, coming-of-age, drama, easy-read, faith-spirituality, fantasy, intrigue, kindle-book, own, paranormal, romance, series, spies, suspense, urban-fantasy, vampire

3.5-4 stars

This series, like many in the paranormal genre, is tough to categorize and shelve. So don't hate me if you don't agree!

"This Same Earth" is book 2 of 4 in the Elemental Mysteries series. It's a tough book in a number of ways:

1. Slow Opening:
The Prologue is a series of journal entries that Beatrice writes to Gio from his home in Cuchamo. At the end of book 1, Gio visited Beatrice's house in Los Angeles and left her plane tickets for the trip. We find out in the prologue that Gio repeat...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Didi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, angst-in-my-pants, book-boyfriend-material, betrayal, favorites, finding-the-one, kick-ass-heroine, love-aint-easy, my-vampire-lover, paranormal-romance, second-chances

As seen at www.choicebookreviews.net

I ASKED MYSELF A FEW QUESTIONS GOING INTO THIS BOOK:

1. CAN I LOVE IT MORE THAN A HIDDEN FIRE?

2. CAN MY EXPECTATIONS BE EXCEEDED?

3. WILL IT INCREASE MY HUNGER FOR GIO AND B?

The answer to all these questions was a resounding YES!!!

I absolutely loved, LOVED the second installment in the Elemental Mysteries series! I didn't think it would top the first but it did. No, it exceeded it! This series is shaping up to be an amazing one and I can't get enough!

We pick up...more

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Feb 05, 2013 Genea rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-new-adult-reading-challenge, favorites

Giovanni's and Beatrice's epic adventures continues in this second installment of the Elemental Mysteries series. It's five years later and Giovanni has come back to claim B as his, but she was so hurt by him and isn't having any of that. Giovanni believed he was doing what's right for B when he let her walk away five years ago, he thought she needed time to mature and grow into her own person. That was good of Giovanni to care about B enough to realize that her jumping into his world without th...more Giovanni's and Beatrice's epic adventures continues in this second installment of the Elemental Mysteries series. It's five years later and Giovanni has come back to claim B as his, but she was so hurt by him and isn't having any of that. Giovanni believed he was doing what's right for B when he let her walk away five years ago, he thought she needed time to mature and grow into her own person. That was good of Giovanni to care about B enough to realize that her jumping into his world without thinking it through might cause regret. Nice Giovanni, your such a arrogant bastard fooling yourself and everyone that your were only doing this for B, (channeling Beatrice here)he was also protecting himself, he was worried that a hundred years later B would hate him for stealing her human life and it's rewards. He was worried that she only had a crush or maybe wouldn't want to take the ultimate step of becoming like him. I get it, he was afraid of getting hurt since he has never cared for anyone in five hundred years the way he cares for B. That's my feelings on that matter but I still loved him, no worries.

This sequel was so amazing that I don't think I can accurately convey the events that took place in this story. Let's just say that there was actually adventure and mystery in this epic story, Giovanni and B's journeys across the globe added some of the best parts to the story. It had an historical feel to it which in turn added that epicness I was getting. I liked seeing Giovanni's and B's feelings for each other grow into to something with substance and grit which made it very believable. There was a lot of new interesting characters with their own agenda. In real life, hate politics with a passion but the vampire politics was interesting to see. Excited about the addition of Benjamin to Giovanni's new family, hope to see more of him in the series. There is so much to experience in This Same Earth, it was definitely filled with anticipation and danger. Great storytelling and an exciting thrill ride. I digress.(less)

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Apr 29, 2013 Jaime Hendrickson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

I'm not going to get into details about the book, their are countless other reviews that have already did it. It's a good book,and although you would think that the vampire/human romance thing has been done to death I must say I'm pretty hooked on this.My Only criticism is that I wish she would describe the characters physically better. just a description ,she might have did it in the first book I don't remember. I know B has dark brown hair and is solid from her martial arts training. I know Gi...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Marsha rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Adults - Historical Fiction lovers

(3.5 stars)
Elizabeth Hunter is truly a marvelous writer. Her attention to detail and historical references makes her books compelling. However, the one thing that she does that truly bothers me is that she often takes to long to get to the point, stringing the reader along, and when they finally reach the end, it is anti-climatic.

"This Same Earth" finds B living in Los Angeles five years post Gio. She has graduated grad school and has taken a job at the Huntington Museum in Pasadena, and has pur...more (3.5 stars)
Elizabeth Hunter is truly a marvelous writer. Her attention to detail and historical references makes her books compelling. However, the one thing that she does that truly bothers me is that she often takes to long to get to the point, stringing the reader along, and when they finally reach the end, it is anti-climatic.

"This Same Earth" finds B living in Los Angeles five years post Gio. She has graduated grad school and has taken a job at the Huntington Museum in Pasadena, and has purchased a home. She even has a boyfriend, Mano, who truly loves her. Unfortunately, each year, B goes to Cochamo Valley, Chile to wait in vain for the ever elusive Gio. He never shows, leaving her heartbroken. However she vows to move on.

Then, one day, Gio shows up at the Huntington requesting her assistance and a chance to renew their friendship. This time he has a young boy, Ben, with him. Ben's character adds a great deal of levity to the series that was truly needed. Gio has hurt B badly and it is clear it will take quite some doing to get her to trust him again. As he goes about this process, B learns that she has an extended family in California and truly has no choice but to re-enter the vampire world if she is going to survive.

The first one third of the book was marvelous; but, the second third dragged and made me feel as though the author was just stalling in order to stretch out this book and this series. The romantic tension was hot but when the issues were resolved it was somewhat anti-climatic. If you are going to make your readers wait for sex between the main characters; then, you had better deliver one truly hot love making scene. Unfortunately, Ms. Hunter's was lukewarm.

At this point, I am not sure whether to go on with the series because I do not want to read overly drawn out book after book that barely progresses the plot. I think I will take a break from the series for a while and read more reviews of books 3 and 4 before I make up my mind. Read the book for yourself and decide if this series is for you.

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Apr 10, 2013 Charlene rated it 5 of 5 stars

After being totally enchanted by the first in this series, I'm finding myself drawn even further into this world. Beatrice has been fighting for the last 5 years to create a real life for herself, outside of the vampire world. She's got a degree, a job she loves and an amazing boyfriend. Except...she can't quite forget about the vampire she fell head over heels for in Houston. When Giovanni shows up again and tells her he's not leaving this time and is here to claim her she's angry, frustrated a...more

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This Same Earth (Elemental Mysteries #2)

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