Stone Kissed

Jan 05, 2011 Diana rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobooks, modern-gothic

Audiobook. Two stars for the book and the narrator gets a lump of coal.

With the exception of a few poignant, very nicely executed scenes between Delia and her estranged father, the book's are-you-serious factor is off the charts. I can run with a fantasy as well as anyone, but I need a little more believability and cohesiveness than I found here. There are omniscient stone statues who can walk and talk and have sex. There's a good witch and a creepy, evil, zombie-like witch.

I guess I could hav...more

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Jan 04, 2011 Kaethe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Kaethe by: Keri Stevens

Shelves: witches, architecture, art, debut, fantasy, feminism, fiction, humor, romance, strong-smart-female-protagonist, format-ebooks, contemporary

I loved reading this. I haven't read much romance since high school, when historical titles by Victoria Holt and others were found so profusely on the paperback lending shelves at church. [Oh, like you didn't read them, too?] Had you asked me about "paranormal romance" I would have told you I thought sparkly vampires were stupid, and stalking is not love.

Stevens' book was something of a great awakening for me. For one thing, I'm delighted that romance has gotten away from euphemism and into the...more I loved reading this. I haven't read much romance since high school, when historical titles by Victoria Holt and others were found so profusely on the paperback lending shelves at church. [Oh, like you didn't read them, too?] Had you asked me about "paranormal romance" I would have told you I thought sparkly vampires were stupid, and stalking is not love.

Stevens' book was something of a great awakening for me. For one thing, I'm delighted that romance has gotten away from euphemism and into the realm of the explicit and instructional. Girls of any age can use some advice. And amazingly to me, "I'm not a prude but I sure have been reading like one", the sex is appealing, by turns sweet, and hot, and even amusing.

Humor is the big revelation, though. Stevens' amused the hell out of me. The paranormal aspects work as elaborate metaphors, where Delia speaks and listens to statuary, and her stone family is just as irrational as any other, sometimes acting a a bawdy chorus, at other times dispensing fashion advice. If Delia and Grant are rather more perfect than most people, the statues turn out to be even more humane. Adding to the realism of the core romance, there are moments of giddy awkwardness between the couple, one particular scene, in which Dalia fails "Seduction 101", made me laugh out loud.

What else? Well, there's a major historical home renovation underway, gratifying to those of us who are stirred by words like radiant heating, and low-e windows. The dramatic plot that pits Delia against her distant cousin Cecily was fine, but in future works, I'd rather have had more scenes of the romantic duo just being together.

I strongly recommend this to fans of Meg Cabot's Insatiable or Jennifer Crusie's Don't Look Down for that tricky balance of action, adventure, and humor. I'm already looking forward to Stevens' next book, as well as her recommendations of other titles.

Full disclosure: Advance electronic reading copy provided by publisher. I requested it, because Stevens is a GoodReads friend, and the only other mother I got along with when our oldest kids were in preschool together.
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Nov 03, 2011 Celine rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, romance

It took me almost a month to finish this book. Not because it's such a long book, or so intricately written, but just because after reading every twenty pages I had to put Stone Kissed down again. This story annoyed me to no end.

Delia can talk to statues. In her work as restorer this can come in quite handy, but in the social plane not so much. When her father has a terrible accident she is forced to sell the house of her childhood. The buyer, the influential Grant Wolverton, makes her feel thin...more

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Dec 27, 2010 Lori {Romancing the Dark Side} rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-in-2010, nocturne-reads-reviews, my-ebooks, paranormal-romance, witches

A refreshingly new kind of paranormal romance!

Stone Kissed has the perfect ingredients for a great story: an original plot, suspense, great humor, tons of romance and a little bit of magic. A great “lazy weekend” read that will leave you with a smile and satisfied!

Read my full review here:
http://paranormal-romancejunkies.webs...

*Reviewed for Nocturne Romance Reads

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May 06, 2011 Kate L rated it 2 of 5 stars

This was a weird one for me to rate. I absolutely loved the main character's totally random ability to communicate with statues, but there were many, less wow-y aspects of the book to consider. I'll get what I didn't love over with in the beginning, then we'll end on a positive note:) The antagonist of the book wasn't all that great. I mean, she was some weirdo succubus chick who totally creeped me out, but she wasn't really all that much of a threat to the main character, and after all, isn't t...more

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Mar 31, 2011 OpenBookSociety.com rated it 4 of 5 stars

Keri Stevens
Stone Kissed

Review brought to you by OBS staff member Heidi

*Spoilers*

Delia is the last of the Steward witches. She’s not your typical casting spells and smoking cauldrons type of witch, though. Her “gift” is that she can animate statues, she talks to them and they talk back and can even move when she’s in the vicinity. As you can imagine, when people see a girl constantly talking to statues, they all start to think she’s a bit on the crazy side.

Delia inherited the house she grew up...more

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Mar 25, 2011 Vasya rated it 3 of 5 stars

I couldn't put a tag on this book. Not exactly fantasy or paranormal, but not exactly realism too. I just didn't get the feeling that there was something abnormal with Delia, because talking to statues just felt so natural, I even had a feeling like I could just go find one and have a little chit-chat with her.

I had some hard time with keeping up with the romance between her and Grant, though. I just couldn't get into it properly, and I felt like there was a lot left out, and that there was a lo...more

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Feb 24, 2011 Keri Ford rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, contemporary

Such a great read. Delia is a beta heroine. I don’t think I’ve ever given that term to a girl before, but if there was ever a beta heroine, it would be Delia. She’s completely adorable! She’s part of a long line of witches (skips generations) and has the ability to talk to statues. It’s a gift she enjoys, something that’s a part of her as well as her arms and legs are a part of her. She does hide her gift from people though, after being punished by her parents over the matter.

Grant was overbeari...more

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Feb 20, 2011 Bookmom rated it 3 of 5 stars

Delia is forced to give up her apartment and business when her father is badly burned in a fire that does a lot of damage to the home that had been in the Steward family of witches for generations. With no homeowners or health insurance, how fortunate that Grant, her father's antiquities competitor, is anxious to purchase the house and business, giving her enough money to take care of her father. It tears Delia apart to have to give up the home she loved, but had been forced out of when her fath...more

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Jan 25, 2011 Kt from A Book Obsession.. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: received-for-review

The premise of the book was great but I unfortunately found the romance in this book to be slightly unbelievable, at least on Grant's side. Perhaps unbelievable is the wrong word. A better description would be distant, in that I wasn't really sucked into it. Grant just was too calm and calculating about the whole thing, and it made it very hard to believe that he actually loved Delia. Love is something that is supposed to be all consuming, not something you weight the pros and cons of. I admired...more

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Jan 20, 2011 Janga rated it 4 of 5 stars

First, I’m not a big fan of paranormals. I know there are some that are brilliantly written, but they just don’t appeal to me. Generally, I read them only if they are written by an author who has autobuy status with me from a different subgenre (Christina Dodd, for example) or if they are gentle reads (Debbie Macomber’s angels, for example). But I enjoy Keri Stevens’s tweets on kids, pets, and books, and I wish her success as a debut author. These were reasons enough to read her book.

I was surp...more

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Jan 16, 2011 Becca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, netgalley, books-read-in-2011, arc-s

Delia comes from a long line of female witches, but this power they have doesn't go to each generation Delia's mom was normal so Delia has been trying to hide her power for as long as she can remember. Delia can talk to stone statues and they also talk back to her. When she was young she lived in a house that had been on her mothers side of the family for five generations, but when her mother died her father sent her away to school and they both decided on avoiding each other as much as possible...more Delia comes from a long line of female witches, but this power they have doesn't go to each generation Delia's mom was normal so Delia has been trying to hide her power for as long as she can remember. Delia can talk to stone statues and they also talk back to her. When she was young she lived in a house that had been on her mothers side of the family for five generations, but when her mother died her father sent her away to school and they both decided on avoiding each other as much as possible. But when Delia learns that her father is in a the hospital and her home was set on fire she is forced to make some tough decisions.

Here enters Grant. Grant looks like an angel but can be cold because he trusts no one, he's in the business of acquiring artifacts and he has his eyes set on Delia's home. Delia is forced to sell the house to Grant because she can't afford to pay medical bills and restore the house which she had only learned a little while before is actually legally her home not her fathers. But Delia also makes a deal with Grant that she can help restore her family home, and help fix it up.

Grant and Delia share in instant attraction. There was an incident when Delia was younger when she met Grant for the first time and helped him make a big discovery, and since then he has been her childhood love. But Grant doesn't remember Delia right away he just knows that he feels actual emotions when he is around her and feels compelled to make a business into a more personal one. I really enjoyed Grant and Delia's romance, the two were definitely different. Delia fell hard and fast for Grant but continually pushed him away because she couldn't see a future with him. Grant cared for Delia, even if he believe she was slightly crazy, and he tried to pull her closer while rationalizing his feelings.

I also enjoyed the stone statues. They each really had their own personality and emotions. They were great side characters and you could tell that they cared for Delia. My personal favorite statue was Bert, I thought he was adorable and I want one like him. Another side character in this book was Cecily she is a distant cousin of Delia, and she also has her sights set on Delia's home, and now her man. Cecily isn't everything she seems and she adds a great mystery and danger element to the story. My only complaint to the story was Grant seemed to have a small power himself of being able to find things and I wish that was developed a little more. But other than that I really enjoyed this story it was a different kind of power, and a great creative story. (less)

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Dec 27, 2010 Carissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

"Delia. You are but silk and bone dust. Steward House was here long before you, and she'll be here long after you are resting inside with your mother."

Grandmere didn't mean to be callous. None of them did. But tact and diplomacy had no hold in hearts of stone. They spoke their truths with neither apology nor restraint. "Don't you see, you silly child? Steward House does not belong to you. You belong to Steward House."

~ Stone Kissed

Delia Forrest has problems. First off, she's a witch---which migh...more

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Dec 11, 2010 Laurie Gold rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: pnr

"The blurb for Stevens' debut appealed to me, partly because I've long been a fan of the ancient Greek Pygmalian myth. Again, though - and I feel rather like a broken record for trotting this complaint out so very often - the story's execution did not come close to meeting its promise. Why? I just couldn't get behind the idea of a man loving a woman he believes is either a thief or delusional. Frankly, it was easier to get past the idea of his loving a thief because I've read and enjoyed romance...more

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Nov 29, 2010 Chibineko rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

The great thing about Carina Press is that it allows for newer authors to be published in e-format. Sometimes however, I wonder how some authors aren't published in paper format. Keri Stevens' Stone Kissed is one of those books that I really do believe deserves to be published in paperback format as well as e-book format.

While the synopsis makes this book sound like it's some thriller focused around someone hunting Grant & Delia, it's really not that type of book. The main thrust of the book...more

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Nov 19, 2010 Christine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, galley

I was surprised to find out this is a full-length novel since most galleys from Carina Press are less than 100 pages, but this story was so good I stayed up way too late to finish it.

Delia can speak to statues and they talk back to her! It's a strange power, I know, but it's so quirky and I love how the statues protect Delia, but still play around with her. They're like a dysfunctional family.

Grant Wolverton has a talent, too - for finding treasure in the unlikeliest of places. And Grant wants D...more

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May 08, 2011 Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs, pararnormal-romance

What an odd story this was. It focused on Delia, a woman who can communicate with stone statues. She's been called back to her hometown, because the family manor has burned with her father inside. Her dad survived, but was badly injured and requires costly care. Grant Wolverton, a successful businessman and childhood crush, offers to buy the ancestral home. And though Delia doesn't want to let it go, she has to accept, in order to pay the medical bills. She stays on with the estate, though, to h...more

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Jan 25, 2011 Ronda Tutt rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: erotic, paranormal-romance

Interestng Concept!

Not a bad read, the story line concept of a witch being able to talk and communicate with statues is great. Though I enjoyed this concept I felt a little lost at points because there weren’t enough explanations of what was actually happening in the scene to get a full idea of what the author was trying to get across.

For example, in a scene, a cousin to Delia was some type of evil witch that killed several people for their essence/life force power. However the author’s descript...more

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Mar 06, 2011 Crystal ♥ RBtWBC rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: request-netgalley

Rating: 2.5 - Okay

Stone Kissed has an interesting and unique concept for a story line but it left me wanting.

Delia Forest is from a long line of Stewards, where every few generations a witch is born with special powers. Delia can talk to stone statues and with her gift, they talk back.
But because of her parents treatment of her and her ‘delusions’ she hides her powers (though everyone seems to know anyways) and is a bit of a wallflower. She left her hometown and leads a quite life as a stone con...more Rating: 2.5 - Okay

Stone Kissed has an interesting and unique concept for a story line but it left me wanting.

Delia Forest is from a long line of Stewards, where every few generations a witch is born with special powers. Delia can talk to stone statues and with her gift, they talk back.
But because of her parents treatment of her and her ‘delusions’ she hides her powers (though everyone seems to know anyways) and is a bit of a wallflower. She left her hometown and leads a quite life as a stone conservator in D.C., restoring statues and conversing with those who are more family to her then her own flesh and blood. But when a fire destroys her ancestral home and badly injures her father she must return to Steward House.
Upon her return she find mounting hospital bills, a father that will need constant care if he survives and a house in disrepair. Her small business and her father’s lack of upkeep & finances will no way cover everything and she is forced to accept Grant Wolverton’s, who swoops in like a vulture, offer to buy the house. She’s able to work herself into the deal though by overseeing the restorations to the house and this way she doesn’t have to totally give up her home.

These two butt heads right off the bat, Delia thinks Grant is a cold jerk and he thinks Delia is a disillusional liar, but there is an instant attraction between them as well. When the sparks start to fly it leads this couple to really good and erotic love scenes. Their relationship was well developed and realistic, though I would of loved to see the author spend more time establishing Delia’s feelings for Grant into ‘adult feelings’ instead of Grant being the childhood crush she harbored from their one meeting when she was a teenager, fancying herself on love after that. I did admire her strength in their relationship and outside of it. Grant on the other hand was a well-developed character. He started out distrustful due to an even worse upbringing then Delia, but was attracted to her nonetheless. He eventually succumbs to his physical attraction but is still weary and then after time and revelations he comes to fully trust and love her.

A whacked-out succubus, Delia’s cousin Cecily, is the villain of the story; committing murders to feed and wanting Steward House's power and Grant's wealth and hawt body for herself. And she will take down anyone who stands in her way.
The end result of her victim’s squeed me out a bit, but I wonder how she was able to turn bodies to globs of mess when she was through with them? She is truly evil but I also question how, living in the same small town together their whole lives, did Delia not know the existence of her cousin until this point?

Numerous scenes with the statues provided comedic relief and I really enjoyed their part in the story line. I did feel that the story jump around at some points and it left me a bit lost, as if I missed some explanations somewhere and a big portion of it did move slowly for me. But towards the end the author seems to find her groove and the book ends nicely on a happy note. Though I was confused as to who the narrators were in the epilogue and was left with A LOT of unanswered questions.

Stone Kissed is a nice little dive into a quirky small town world of romance and magic. Not a bad read, very imaginative, but didn’t quite capture my attention. I would be interested to see what this author comes up with next though. (less)

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Dec 28, 2010 Mandi Schreiner rated it 2 of 5 stars

Delia has a very distant relationship with her father, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t devastated when her childhood home, Steward House burns in a fire. Her father is left in a coma as a result. Not having much money, and knowing she will have substantial medical bills in the near future for her father, she decides to sell Steward House to Grant Wolverton. She has had a crush on Grant since childhood, but he doesn’t remember her. Very wealthy, Grant who deals in antiques and art, offers to rest...more Delia has a very distant relationship with her father, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t devastated when her childhood home, Steward House burns in a fire. Her father is left in a coma as a result. Not having much money, and knowing she will have substantial medical bills in the near future for her father, she decides to sell Steward House to Grant Wolverton. She has had a crush on Grant since childhood, but he doesn’t remember her. Very wealthy, Grant who deals in antiques and art, offers to restore Steward House, and Delia reluctantly hands over the deed for a great sum of money.

Delia herself is a stone conservator – but that is not where her special abilities end. She can also communicate with the stone statues. They keep her company but they have also made her the town outcast. Stories have been swirling about her odd behavior in the small town she is from. Now that she is back in that small town, gossip starts again. Afraid to let Steward House go completely, she offers to take over the remodel. Grant agrees – and neither can quite let go of the attraction that is building between them. But the question of who set the fire is still unsolved and there is another woman in town who has her eyes set on Steward House and Grant.

Stone Kissed is an odd little book. I say that because it is different – and I really wanted to like it. But I had some problems. It starts off rough and the first third of the book I had a really hard time with. The sentences and changes from scene to scene were jerky and not smooth. I didn’t understand Grant and had a hard time with the intense attraction Delia feels for him. About halfway through things start to settle down and I became more immersed in the story. It is a dark book. Delia has an awful relationship with her father who is now comatose so she has guilt in that area. She had to give up her home which she feels a great connection to, and she has to figure out these intense feelings for Grant. I had a hard time buying into the romance. The actual sex scenes are very sensual, but I didn’t get Grant’s love for Delia. Delia herself has had a crush on Grant for years, so her side makes more sense. But for most of the book, Grant thinks Delia is delusional for her claim to talk to statues and he thinks she is a thief for taking his statues from him. Yet he still falls in love? I buy into the fact he lusted after her and likes her in his bed, but not love.

I liked the statue aspect and how they interacted with Delia. I also think the villain in this story is well done – nothing is held back in terms of the evil emanating from her. But the overall tone of the book is so dark and depressing. I tend to like darker books, but there wasn’t anything to grasp onto as we waded through the serious stuff. I never quite understood Delia and Grant. And when I don’t believe in the love between the hero and heroine, I can’t be satisfied by the story.

Rating: D+(less)

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Jan 08, 2011 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, paranormal-romance, read-in-2011

For the most part, I really enjoyed this book. I thought Delia's power was different and pretty cool (hey, I don't know anyone who can talk to statues so it was definitely in the "different" category) however, I wish that Grant's twitch of ability had been explored a bit more. At least I assume that his ability to find things was supposed to be considered an ability. Look! Now I'm second guessing myself! No, I'm sure he had an ability beyond what a normal person would have. (It was referred to a...more

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Nov 23, 2010 Barbara ~*Lindt Ninja*~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal

Delia Forrest has a talent that makes her uniquely qualified as a stone conservator: the statues she restores speak to her. As the last of the Steward Witches, her unique talent kept her isolated in the small community she grew up in and it was a constant source of friction between Delia and her father, enough so that she left her beloved home. Now years later, she’s received a devastating call: there’s been a fire at Steward House and her father’s in critical condition in the burn unit. As trie...more Delia Forrest has a talent that makes her uniquely qualified as a stone conservator: the statues she restores speak to her. As the last of the Steward Witches, her unique talent kept her isolated in the small community she grew up in and it was a constant source of friction between Delia and her father, enough so that she left her beloved home. Now years later, she’s received a devastating call: there’s been a fire at Steward House and her father’s in critical condition in the burn unit. As tries to untangles his finances, she finds out her father’s let his insurance lapse and with his medical costs mounting by the minute, unexpected and unwanted help arrives in the form of Grant Wolverton, a man she’s secretly had a crush on since she was fourteen.

Grant had taken one look at the burn-damaged Georgian and knew it was the place he was going to call home; he just needed to get Delia out of it first. What he didn’t count on was being inexplicably attracted to her, and after she signed his ridiculously exorbitant check, he found she’d be around all the time since she had no intention of letting anyone else oversee the restoration of Steward House. There’s no question that he wants her, but there’s also no question that she seems to be up to something with her furtive behavior in her father’s warehouse which happens to hold a number of valuable statues.

The land Steward House sits on holds power; it’s what the statues of the Steward mausoleum mean when they tell Delia that she never owned Steward House, it owned her and it’s why when Grant went there, he felt that click that told him he belonged there. Delia has a distant cousin Cecily who also wants to have that power; Cecily is a succubus, someone who can draw energy from men during sex. She’s furious that Delia sold the house to Grant and now is going to do everything in her power to get it back from him.

I really loved Grant and Delia, together and separately. Her personality was amplified by the statues she spoke to, especially the ones in her apartment. I think I’ve read a pretty wide selection of paranormals lately (obviously not a huge, huge amount, given the influx), but I can’t recall one with talking statues and I liked the concept, especially when they started giving Delia advice on her love life. I understood her reluctance to open up to Grant, this wasn’t a case of a heroine that was just being stupid and holding on to a secret longer than she needed to. Grant was for the most part, a rarity: an open book. He was man enough to just go for what he wanted, be honest about it and not say things he didn’t believe. When he made mistakes, he said so. He was pretty patient with Delia and I loved that he was so sweetly confused by his feelings for her. I like a befuddled guy in lust.

They get a new paragraph for their bedroom hotness. They also have futon hotness. It’s not overly graphic, but it’s enough that it’s yummy pages-worth of excellently executed deliciousness. Enough adjectives? I can come up with more, but suffice to say, the two of them have some very happy sweaty sheet time.

I admit, I was a little perplexed by the need to have Cecily be a succubus; it did work, plot-wise, but I wonder if just making her a royal pain in the ass would have worked too and could have been less confusing in spots. It’s likely it would have lost some of the paranormal element though, so maybe it was just me. There were also some bits of additional plot at the hospital where Delia’s dad was that sort of didn’t fit for me, but again, they worked with the Cecily story.

Ending on a positive note, there was a very tantalizing little tease involving Grant’s pretty and very interesting sister Miranda and his best friend Lars. I sense a nice story to tell.
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Mar 21, 2011 Jess the Romanceaholic rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-read, netgalley, paranormal-romance, magick, mental-deficiency-or-disorder, family-issues

This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romanceaholic

This book was even better than I'd expected from reading the blurb. Delia not only speaks with statues, but can hear them speak in return. Because of this, we readers are treated to a wide array of quirky characters, most of which can only interact with Delia.

Estranged from her overbearing father, Delia returns when he is gravely injured in a fire at their family home, Steward House. While a successful restorer, Delia o...more

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Jul 01, 2011 Marsha rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Adults

"Stone Kissed" is a strange tale about a young woman named Delia who restores and talks to statues. It seems the statues are Delia's family and her only friends. Everyone in the strange little town Delia grew up in realizes she is a bit piculiar;but, she is harmless. After a fire at her family home, Delia is left with medical care and bills from her estranged father. She ends of selling the home in order to try to make ends meet. She convinces the rich bachelor, Grant to to hire her to restore t...more

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Apr 04, 2011 Kari rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, 2011

I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I started Stone Kissed, the debut novel by Keri Stevens. I was pleasantly surprised. From the first chapter, I was swept into the story which is well written and engaging. Stone Kissed was a nice change of pace from the usual paranormal stories that I tend to read. Delia Forrest is the last in a line of witches who can communicate with stone figures and statues. As the story progresses, her love for Grant causes the stone figures to come alive. I really l...more

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Apr 05, 2011 Cleffairy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Published at: Library of Lights

Date published: 27th Jan 2011

Review link: http://mykindaland.com/?p=90

Paranormal romance creep me out, period. It never sits too well with me, but Stone Kissed is an okay read. Okay as in… while I think it’s not quite the stuff for me, I think it’s still a great story nevertheless.

I enjoyed reading this book, but I found it rather difficult to cope with the suspense and the mystery. This book made my head spin and at some point, I thought there ought to be more ch...more

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Dec 22, 2010 Ruby rated it 3 of 5 stars

Review first published on http://rubysreads.com.[return][return... requested this book and then wasn� t sure I was going to read it because of the lack of success I had with the other Carina Press book, Like Clockwork. Then, my computer broke and I was both extremely upset and out of commission (as far as blogging and the internet were concerned). Thus, I picked up my Kindle to search for something to ease my pain. I have a lot of stuff on my Kindle right now and most of it is Teen/YA. Since I w...more Review first published on http://rubysreads.com.[return][return... requested this book and then wasn� t sure I was going to read it because of the lack of success I had with the other Carina Press book, Like Clockwork. Then, my computer broke and I was both extremely upset and out of commission (as far as blogging and the internet were concerned). Thus, I picked up my Kindle to search for something to ease my pain. I have a lot of stuff on my Kindle right now and most of it is Teen/YA. Since I was in the mood for an older protagonist, I went for Stone Kissed. It� s a good thing, too, because I was pleasantly surprised by this debut. It was a fun, absorbing read that I swallowed in one big gulp.[return][return]Stone Kissed is told in three alternating P.O.V.� s.: Grant, Delia, and Cecilia. I� m not giving anything away by saying that Cecilia is the antagonist in Stone Kissed. I� ll leave you to find out her exact issues, suffice it to say that she� s evil, but not without complexity. The hero and heroine are Delia and Grant, who met many years prior to the story. Although Delia remembers Grant all too well, Grant doesn� t recall Delia at first, though this is a Paranormal Romance, so of course he feels an instant attraction.[return][return]Delia and Grant meet for the second time under unhappy circumstances. Delia� s father, from whom she is estranged, is caught in a fire in Delia� s ancestral home. He� s not only badly burned, but he� s unconscious. Delia rushes to her father� s bedside despite the fact that they haven� t gotten along in years. Not since her mother� s death. Delia quickly figures out that not only has her father allowed her house to fall into disrepair, he� s also racking up astronomical hospital bills. Delia is forced to make a choice that wrenches her heart� she must sell her father� s business and the family home that her mother left her after her death. Even worse, she must sell it to Grant Wolverton, which is how the two meet for the second time.[return][return]Both Delia and Grant are tortured souls. Grant had a bad childhood with an addict mother and a revolving door of � uncles� who abused him. When he was rescued, it wasn� t by a loving grandfather, but one who intended to mold Grant into an efficient machine. Grant lives only to give his sister the life he wants for her. But as he discovers, it� s not necessarily the life she would choose for herself.[return][return]Delia� s childhood, on the other hand, was troubled by her parents� belief that she was delusional because she could communicate with statues. It made her father furious, and his fury was exacerbated by Delia� s mother� s death. The two became estranged. Delia found it easier to leave her father and Stewardsville than to stay and face his constant criticism. Unfortunately, leaving her father meant leaving the house� which meant leaving it to his neglect.[return][return]Delia is one woman in a long line of Steward witches (though her mother was normal as a sunny day in California). Delia� s power manifested itself in her ability to talk to stone statues. The stone statues, in turn became the family that her mother and father never truly offered her. This was a nice touch. I liked that Delia felt so personally about each statue. And that they cared for her in return.[return][return]As for the relationship between Delia and Grant, I both liked and disliked it. I� m a fan of love at second meeting stories, especially when the characters knew each other in childhood. That� s not exactly the scenario here, but it� s close. I also felt that Delia and Grant had good chemistry together. What I wasn� t so certain about was the way that Grant sometimes treats Delia. For one thing, after they sleep together, he doesn� t try to get in touch with her for a week, and then it� s only after he learns that Delia� s father has regained consciousness. Later, Grant decides that he� s going to marry Delia despite the fact that he thinks she� s nuts (because she can talk to statues). I� m not a big fan of that plot. You know the one I� m talking about. The one where the hero decides that he loves the heroine so much he� s willing to overlook what he thinks are serious flaws. After the Night by Linda Howard comes to mind. Unless the hero gets his comeuppance and learns his lesson about being high, mighty and judgmental about his heroine� s � flaws� , and he does some serious grovelling, then he probably won� t be redeemed in my eyes.[return][return]Stone Kissed was not a perfect novel, but I think it really has promise as a debut. I� d be willing to try a sophomore outing by Keri Stevens. I think she� ll only get better. Though I hope she doesn� t put quite so many love scenes in the next book.(less)

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Nov 30, 2010 Wenj rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, read-2010

Review provided by Black Lagoon Reviews:

Stone Kissed, the debut novel by author Keri Stevens, is a masterful beginning to what I am sure is going to be a wonderful writing career. This story was richly developed with an original, unique plot that kept me reading late into the night. With a solid writing style and a fun premise this is definitely a novel that I would recommend to anyone who appreciates a beautiful statue or a simmering romance.

What really captured me when I started reading this n...more Review provided by Black Lagoon Reviews:

Stone Kissed, the debut novel by author Keri Stevens, is a masterful beginning to what I am sure is going to be a wonderful writing career. This story was richly developed with an original, unique plot that kept me reading late into the night. With a solid writing style and a fun premise this is definitely a novel that I would recommend to anyone who appreciates a beautiful statue or a simmering romance.

What really captured me when I started reading this novel was the wonderful fluidity of the writing. The voices that Stevens gave the characters was realistic and organic helping to develop the characters and to bring her whimsical world to life. The mystery that she creates surrounding the Steward House and it's fabled history as being the home of the Steward witches is somehow quaint and intriguing at the same time. As is the energy that seems to radiate from beneath its stone foundation. But, for me the most endearing quality that Stevens conveyed was the way she brought creatures and beings of stone to life. Starting off inanimate and offering up advice, these statues were endearing and their voices had a somewhat timeless quality, but quickly they evolved into ambulatory sentient beings. This was both incredible and yet believable in the context of the novel. It seemed only natural that they should evolve in this manner no matter how absurd it should sound.

The atmosphere created were also wonderfully done with the statues fitting in wonderfully with the settings involved. For instance, the hospital that had a sense of hope and grief was perfectly matched with the statue of St. Francis. His tone was one of comfort and friendship. Bert, the stone hare, was childlike and sweet adding a homey quality to the already warm and inviting Steward House. And who can forget the plurant? While this statue tends to remain immobile until there is great need, she brings with her a sense of quite protection and respectfulness standing vigil next to the gates of Delia's family mausoleum. This adds a since of quiet to the cemetery that looms despite the rest of the statuary that comes to life under her watch. Through this parallel nature the atmospheres became tangible and reflected in the inhabitants of the locale, thus creating a setting that simple descriptions alone could not accomplish.

The characters were wonderfully developed as well and had me rooting for them from the start. I instantly liked Delia, a somewhat reserved and shy woman who is fiercely loyal and charming. The fact that she talks to statues is endearing, despite the fact that they actually do talk back. The stone figures are more her family then the flesh and blood world around her until she meets Grant Wolverton, a man she has been infatuated with since her youth. Grant himself is charming as well, yet he is a complete opposite to Delia. He is aggressive, determined and a scrapper in the truest since of the word acquiring his wealth and power through hard work and determination. Yet, like Delia he's got a bit of a power in his blood as well. He is able to sense treasures, valuable relics in the most improbable of places. When Steward House and Delia holds the same allure for him, he does everything in his power to acquire them both. Thus, the romance between Delia and Grant is nicely organic, with the natural ups and downs that come with any relationship. This was an appealing aspect to them for me. I hate it when things are all sunshine and roses. Delia's self worth issues play a large part in this and Grant has his work cut out from him in assuaging these fears. It makes the relationship simmer between them and I was completely engrossed in the drama and suspense these tense moments added to their story.

In fact, the overall evolution of the characters (both stone and flesh) was wonderfully accomplished. The statures become more human and self aware while the human characters become, well, more human. Their personalities become more vibrant as does their emotions. Everything about this is completely organic and continues the fluidity that is evident within the writing style. The contradictions in the magic surrounding the characters also becomes more evident. For example, the power generated by Delia is a life force that builds unlike her cousin Ceciley, a succubus, who burns through life force and is constantly in need of devouring more.

Stone Kissed is definitely a wonderful first novel filled with whimsy and magic. The story and characters are tautly written and enchanting and I will definitely be keeping my eye on this author!
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Dec 28, 2010 Kelsey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal

I really liked this book. It had great characters and a great storyline. Delia Forrest is the last of the Steward witches. She grew up being ashamed of her gifts (being able to speak to statues). Her father verbally abused her and always found a way to keep her away from home. Now an arsonist has set fire to her family home, Steward House, with her father in it. He is in critical care and she must come home to take care of him. Once she is home, Grant Wolverton makes her an offer she can't refus...more I really liked this book. It had great characters and a great storyline. Delia Forrest is the last of the Steward witches. She grew up being ashamed of her gifts (being able to speak to statues). Her father verbally abused her and always found a way to keep her away from home. Now an arsonist has set fire to her family home, Steward House, with her father in it. He is in critical care and she must come home to take care of him. Once she is home, Grant Wolverton makes her an offer she can't refuse. He wants to buy the house and restore it but he will pay her to oversee the entire operation. With the piling medical bills for her father, she has no choice.

Grant has his own unique abilities; he is able to find that one special and rare item which suits him well since him and his business partner, Lars, are art and antiques dealers. Grant himself has an abusive past and spent most his life protecting his sister, Randi. One of the main reasons for buying Steward House was to build a safe place for him and his sister.

Right away we feel the attraction Grant and Delia have for each other. It sizzles right off the pages and I was always waiting for that "moment" and when it finally happened I was cheering them on!

Enter the nemesis, Cecily Johnson, who is Delia's distant cousin. She is a succubus and wants everything Delia has. This women has some serious mental issues and makes for an interesting foe. She has tried many times to get the Steward house but Delia's father was immune to her "charm". Delia notices something odd about her also and has the feeling that she shouldn't let this women touch her at all.

Now that Delia is home it seems that the statues are becoming more alive. They even start to walk! Now on top of trying to hid from everyone that they talk to her (even though the whole town knows and don't care), she now has to go chasing down the statues that decide they want to explore the town at night!

This book had romance, intrigue and humor. Worth the read! I hope there is another book because I think there was something going on between Lars and Randi and I would definitely read that story! (less)

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Dec 10, 2010 Kristin - *Nocturnal Bites* rated it 4 of 5 stars

Stone Kissed is Keri Steven's debut novel, featuring Delia Forrest, a stone conservator who can communicate with statues. I was immediately drawn to this book, primarily because of the unique story line. No vampires or shape shifters here.. Instead, Keri introduces us to a world filled with talking statues, witches, a psychotic succubus, and an ancient town that harbors special powers. Oh, and did I mention this story features a budding romance with hot, smexy love scenes?

This book is a fun read...more Stone Kissed is Keri Steven's debut novel, featuring Delia Forrest, a stone conservator who can communicate with statues. I was immediately drawn to this book, primarily because of the unique story line. No vampires or shape shifters here.. Instead, Keri introduces us to a world filled with talking statues, witches, a psychotic succubus, and an ancient town that harbors special powers. Oh, and did I mention this story features a budding romance with hot, smexy love scenes?

This book is a fun read. Delia Forrest is young, courageous, but also shy and timid, if that makes any sense. Delia is like a maternal mother hen when it comes to her statues and the way she cares for them is so sweet. There is also some friendly bickering that goes on with the statues, which is downright hilarious.

Delia is thrown off her rocker when her childhood crush mysteriously appears to buy her house. Delia takes the money, because she needs it to pay her father’s medical bills. Grant Wolverton has a knack for finding treasure. So, it is no coincidence that he is there to bail out Delia in her financial predicament t in exchange for the deed to her home. What Grant does not know, however, is that he will become so inexplicably drawn to the owner of the house. The way Delia makes Grant feel is totally new to him. In response, Grant begins to change from being self-absorbed, and egotistical to someone capable of eternal love and commitment.

The chemistry in this book is great. As I said before, the love scenes were hot and I easily became a fan of the “Grant + Delia” duo! The suspense in this novel came in the form of a Psychotic Succubus. A cousin to Delia, Cecily wants the Steward house for herself, and proves that she will stop at nothing to get it. In addition to the house, Cecily also sets out to seduce Grant, a task that proves easier said than done.

I enjoyed this book. Stone Kissed is a great start to a series and I eagerly anticipate the next installment. Some clues in the book lead me to believe that Grant’s sister as well as best Friend will play a larger, if not primary future story line. Hopefully, we shall see!

Like most brand new series, however, I did have a few issues…The first being an initial lack of connection between Grant and Delia. Obviously this was resolved, or I would still be ranting about it. Also, I could have used a little more background story. Another 40-50 pages would have been great, especially in telling more about Grant and Delia’s childhood/upbringing. Despite these minor flaws, Stone Kissed was a good read. Definitely one for the PNR Junkie’s TBR pile.

"Quote"-Worthy
She tried to scuttle past St. Francis, but he was having none of it. The old cleric whistled. "Ooh, la la! Would you look at that?" His bird chirped.... "You're a monk. Act like one."..... "You're a woman. It's good to see you can dress like one."

"I am sorry, Grant. I don't come with the house".......... "No," he replied slowly. "I haven't yet seen you come here."........

Overall Rating: 3.75/5
Full Review @ Nocturnal Bites
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