Dark Heart Rising (Dark Heart, #2)

Dec 04, 2012 Natasha Pascall added it

My enjoyment of this book was ruined slightly but the many, many, MANY typos, spelling errors and muddled names. It felt like nobody proofread it which as really annoying! On every page there seemed to be something wrong which stopped it from flowing and made me contemplate giving up but I didn't because it was a really good book. I read it in a day because it was so exciting. My friend, who recommended it to me said there was a twist at the end and I was not disappointed. Vanya is an amazing c...more

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Aug 04, 2012 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was okay.
It really wasn't bad, I just felt like it took me forever to read it. I mean the overall plot was good, and it was interesting. I just think it dragged on. Also there wasn't enough, like, details. I just don't understand how Luca and Jane were so in love all of the sudden?
There wasn't any like serious passion, i guess is what i'm getting at. Like neither Jane nor Luca explained why they just simply couldn't live without eachother. I mean don't get me wrong, I did want Luca an...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Liттlє Lαмв rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, shape-shifters

ヽ(｀Д´)ﾉ ...

This is one of those books where I could not stop reading it, but wanted to throw it out my window at the same time. I became so angry at Luca in this book! I understand he is suppose to be portrayed as a 'loyal' man but he would become so wrapped up in trying to please his mother to the point of having no compassion what-so-ever towards Jane. "I will only allow myself to cry one tear over her then never again." COMPASSION. It was hard for me to finish near the end when he wouldn't ev...more

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Feb 28, 2012 Morgan rated it 3 of 5 stars

2.5 stars
........this....book....makes....my....eye....TWITCH

~~Shall I count the reasons why?~~ Heres why:

1. Jane is sixteen, she is naive, makes the same mistakes all over again...end result:causes more hell than she's worth. (plus I just don't like her, to say in the least. She does everything a strong femal lead should not!!!!!)

2. Monroe tries to make it angsty by starting off by saying Luca and Jane are broken up...ok...why? Oh, right well because Lucas parents are mean and make him marry this...more

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Jul 07, 2012 JB The Book Addict rated it 3 of 5 stars

I like how this series is progressing!
This book is jammed packed with action as well as secrets left and right.
I really enjoyed the narrative switches in this novel. I don't recall the narrative having switched at all during the first book, but in this one, we get to see, not just inside Jane's head, but inside Luca's and Raphael's too, which is really interesting and, especially with Raphael, gives us a much deeper understanding of his character.
The story itself was easy following with unpredi...more

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Oct 30, 2011 Indigo rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: young readers,female

After only just getting together after there romantic love story in 'dark heart forever' they get ripped apart once again due to Luca's parents decision on him getting married to another werewolf.Lila.
Whilst in Paris with her gran, Jane meets Soren.A cool,casual, gorgeous guy who lived and studied there,in Paris.
However,after a night out with him,Jane quickly discovers one of his many secrets.He knows about nissilum,Luca and all the other things she was trying to forget about. Soren followed her...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ok. So I really liked the first book and the second book had a lot of potential... But then I started the second book and was like" um wtf? I thought luka and Jane were together and now...they're not?" lee didnt reveal the whole I'm-sorry-I-can't-be-with-you-Jane-because-my-parents-want-me-to-MARRY-someone-else thing until like chapt 3... Until then I was like 1.) why is Jane so sad...2.) where the eff is luka... And 3.) what grandmother just let's her 16 year old granddaughter meander around Pa...more

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Oct 07, 2011 Maria rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned-books, review-books

I was confused if this started out a few months after the first book or a year or two??? Basically from the beginning we find out that Luca and Jane didn't get their happily ever after. Luca's family is unhappy with him being with a mortal girl and they choose to wed him off to another werewolf like himself, Lila. Luca chooses his family over Jane. I really kinda admired that, I mean the sense of trust and loyalty he had to his family. Well, the book starts off from there...Jane is coping with t...more I was confused if this started out a few months after the first book or a year or two??? Basically from the beginning we find out that Luca and Jane didn't get their happily ever after. Luca's family is unhappy with him being with a mortal girl and they choose to wed him off to another werewolf like himself, Lila. Luca chooses his family over Jane. I really kinda admired that, I mean the sense of trust and loyalty he had to his family. Well, the book starts off from there...Jane is coping with the fact that she can't have Luca and she tries to get on with her life but unfortunately for her the supernatural world will not leave her alone and it comes in the form of Soren. On a chance meeting - Jane is thrust back into the supernatural world, as she and Soren help each other both get what they want.

The only new character in this book is Soren. I really enjoyed his wit and sarcasm he really was quite the opposite of Luca in a lot of ways. Like the last book there was a plot point that was pretty of obvious but besides that most of the story came with surprises and I found out what I thought was obvious actually has strings attached. I know that sounds confusing but I don't want too spoil...

As I mentioned the only new character is Soren - and Lila I guess...but she wasn't in it a lot. This is mostly about Soren and old characters we met in the first book - we saw quite a lot of Vanya, and I really enjoyed her character and seeing so much of her as well as Luca's family, Raphael and of course Luca and Jane. Jane really did mature from the first book she became stronger and less naive yet she still technically ended up believing a complete stranger like the first book and that led to bad consequences later on...I mean come on I though she would have learned by now considering the tragedy that happened last time. Besides that I still like Jane as I mentioned she really grew up from that naive and shy girl.

Another point I liked in this book is that we see Nissilum (a parallel world where supernatural creatures leave in peace) isn't as in order and peaceful as the rulers have led to be believed. Under all that superficial peace there's an underlying chaos that people are trying to cover up. Most of the book is really centered around that.

Though the book had some similar plot lines from the first book I still enjoyed seeing more of our old characters - I wish we saw a little more of Jane's family but since this was mostly centered around Nissilum maybe that wasn't really possible. I also love how it's mostly set in Nissilum and how the majority of the plot centers around it. I honestly haven't heard a lot about this series and I'm a bit surprised by that perhaps it's because it's written by a UK author. I did enjoy this series so far and I'm wondering what's in store for Jane next in Dark Heart Surrender which is to be released next year. (less)

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Apr 24, 2012 Dani (Pen to Paper) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-books

Giveaway of books 1-3 in this series at Pen to Paper

I love how this series is progressing!
I mentioned in my review for book one, Dark Heart Forever, that the plot was quite predictable, and I had pretty much everything figured out, quite early on. The plot to this instalment in the series is much less predictable, you'll be glad to hear (although, I'll reiterate that the predictability of book one didn't really damage my enjoyment of the book).
I did work out basically what was going to happen in...more Giveaway of books 1-3 in this series at Pen to Paper

I love how this series is progressing!
I mentioned in my review for book one, Dark Heart Forever, that the plot was quite predictable, and I had pretty much everything figured out, quite early on. The plot to this instalment in the series is much less predictable, you'll be glad to hear (although, I'll reiterate that the predictability of book one didn't really damage my enjoyment of the book).
I did work out basically what was going to happen in the end, but there were details that I hadn't guessed, and did come as a little surprise to me (although, I'll admit, not a huge surprise), and it took me a little longer to work out than the previous book. Again though, this did not really remove any enjoyment - in fact, I think I enjoyed this book more than book one!

Jane's character grew so much during this novel - she is certainly no plain Jane! She was still recognisably the same character as before, but she'd grown a giant backbone - and good for her! Despite everything that was happening, she tried not to let it get her down, and she tried to be happy for Luca, if he had truly decided to follow his family's wishes - but she also stood up for herself, when the occasions to do so arose. She stood by her own beliefs, and what she considered to be the right thing, and I really respected her character for that - I'm not sure I'd have been able to do the same, in her position!
I have to say though, I did have a chuckle to myself, at the image of Vanya dressing her up as a vampire - very daring!
Oh, and how glad I was to see more of Vanya. Her character is intoxicating - I LOVE her. She's almost certainly my favourite character in the series so far.
As for Luca, his loyalty to his family throughout this novel is both admirable and incredibly annoying, all at once. Yes, he's selfless, we get it - but he's supposed to be with Jane, damn it! I loved his character's turn around though, when he finally stands up for himself, and chooses his own happiness over the control and selfishness of certain members of his family. I'll be really intrigued to see what happens next!

I really enjoyed the narrative switches in this novel. I don't recall the narrative having switched at all during the first book, but in this one, we get to see, not just inside Jane's head, but inside Luca's and Raphael's too, which is really interesting and, especially with Raphael, gives us a much deeper understanding of his character - which is another of my favourites, by the way. Although, he doesn't beat Vanya - she's just way too cool.

I mentioned at some point in my review of book one, that I would love to learn more about Nissilum, and see more of that world - and this book definitely delivers! I'm thrilled that the majority of the book took place in Nissilum, and that the story dives deeper into the secrets kept by each of the families and species, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how this will develop further - especially with Raphael and his new personal mission.
In fact, I'm just looking forward to seeing how everything will develop more!

Better than book one, and recommended for fans of general/urban fantasy & YA fiction.(less)

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Oct 14, 2011 Indigo rated it 3 of 5 stars

After only just getting together after their romantic love story,in 'dark heart forever' Luca and Jane are once again ripped apart by Luca's parents desicion on Luca marrying another werewolf,Lila.Which,evidently means Jane can no longer be together.
Whilst in Paris with her gran,Jane meets Soren..a cool,casual,gorgeous guy who lived and studied in France.
However,after a night out with him,Jane quickly discovers he knows about Nissilum,Luca and she was trying so hard to forget about.
Soren followe...more

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May 18, 2012 Livie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked this book but at times I wished I could shout at Jane! Her charecter really grew in this novel but what was she thinking with Soren! But I did enjoy the plot and at times I cryed *a lot*! Luca is so sweet and noble and it wretched my heart out to see them apart! So we begin with Jane and her life without Luca. She is miserable and feels as though Luca doesnt love her anymore *although we all know thats not true*! It was also coool to see into Raphaels crazy mind! And we found out a lot a...more

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Dec 01, 2011 Keisha Keenleyside rated it 4 of 5 stars

very much like the first one.
dark heart rising is gripping, though im not sure why, unlike the first Dark Heart Rising is less predictable making it better but the thing that lets the novel down is i pretty much got the feeling it was the same as the first just with a slight difference. This was a good read and i finished it in pretty much a day just wish there was a bit more depth.
i found myself disliking Luca in this more than i did in the first. mainly because i cant tolerate people like him,...more

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Aug 23, 2011 Amy Louise rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-paranormal, romance

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

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Apr 26, 2012 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked the first book better, but still enjoyed the plot. I found my self enthralled about another "world/universe" that was deemed as Utopian, but behind the scenes there was the beginning of a revolution of sorts. (of course this involved paranormal creatures, but still interesting.)

Although the purpose of the book was to continue the love/soulmate story, just liked how it was a subtle progression.

As I said in the first book, these are not amazing works of literature, but they are entertainin...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Kim rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, date-a-book

I enjoyed the first book in this series, but 'Dark Heart Rising' disappointed me a bit. The text flowed fine, but Jane became so weak. She spent every waking moment obsessing about her love for Luca and how heartbroken she was that he broke up with her to marry another girl. She couldn't give up and kept torturing herself with wanting to see and be near Luca. To top it all off, Luca wasn't in the book all the much.

I thought the sub-plot involving Raphael searching for answers about his father w...more

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May 18, 2013 Nisareen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Spoiler Alert! At the end of Dark Heart Forever, Evan turned out to be Raphael, the son of Anna’s teenage love Gabriel. Raphael wanted revenge because he mistakenly believed that Anna had broken Gabriel’s heart and caused his death. Luca, Dayla and Lowe saved Jane and her family from Raphael’s wrath when they were able to prove that guilt ridden Gabriel had in fact broken Anna’s heart when he deserted her. A sombre Evan returned to Nissilum along with Luca and Dayla. In Dark Heart Rising, the se...more Spoiler Alert! At the end of Dark Heart Forever, Evan turned out to be Raphael, the son of Anna’s teenage love Gabriel. Raphael wanted revenge because he mistakenly believed that Anna had broken Gabriel’s heart and caused his death. Luca, Dayla and Lowe saved Jane and her family from Raphael’s wrath when they were able to prove that guilt ridden Gabriel had in fact broken Anna’s heart when he deserted her. A sombre Evan returned to Nissilum along with Luca and Dayla. In Dark Heart Rising, the second installment of the Dark Heart series, Luca finds himself in a bind when his parents, unhappy with him being with a mortal, betroth him to another werewolf, Lila. Luca is duty bound to obey his parent’s wishes and a heartbroken Jane is forced to contemplate life without him. To take her mind off Luca, Jane joins her grandmother on a trip to Paris where she meets a Hungarian art lover, the mysterious enigmatic Soren Balzac. It’s not long before the two strike up a tentative friendship.

Jane comes to discover that her meeting with Soren was not by chance after all when he reveals that he is from Nissilum and wants to help reunite her with Luca in order to prevent him from marrying Lila whom he happens to love himself. Jane is unsure if she can trust Soren after his initial deception but is swayed by the thought of being with Luca again.

Celeste and Cadmium incarcerated Raphael on his return to Nissilum for his actions in the Dark Heart Forever. He has been released and supposedly cured of the ‘madness’ that had been inflicting him. With Cadmium seriously ill, Celeste has hopes that Raphael will step up and fulfil his duty as ruler of Nissilum. Raphael however still seeks answers to his father’s disappearance and uncovers some startling discoveries that reinforce his beliefs that Nissilum’s rule is not what it seems.
Jane and Soren return to Nissilum. Raphael is surprised when he sees Jane and intrigued by Soren whom he sees as a kindred spirit. Luca however is shocked when he sees Jane with Soren and struggles to keep his emotions in check for the sake of his family. Jane’s only true ally is Luca’s sister Dalya. Jane has further reservations about Soren when she meets his one ally in Nissilum, the vampire Vanya, who Jane almost fell victim to in the previous book. What dark secret is Soren hiding and what are his true reasons for being in Nissilum?

I really enjoyed this sequel and thought it was better than the first book. The plot moved along nicely with lots of suspense and twists that I didn’t see coming unlike the first installment - Soren being the son of Gabriel and Vanya for example. That Gabriel certainly has a lot to answer for although he’s as yet to make an appearance – something that will hopefully be remedied in the next installment?

The development of Jane’s character throughout the book was pleasing. She’s more mature and emotionally stronger in this book. Vanya was a surprising revelation too. I found her quite creepy in the last book but we see a wonderful zealous and loyal side to her in this book. Her ironic dry sense of humour as well as the scene where she dresses Jane up as a vampire made me laugh. Soren was a pleasant addition to the book as well. He had his secrets but he also had genuine reasons for keeping those secrets. In the end his intentions were honourable. Also how cool is the fact that he’s half angel half vampire!

One of the highlights of the book was the chance to explore Raphael’s story and perspective. I found myself understanding his motives and even liking him. I respected him for doing the right thing by Soren when he had every reason to see him as a threat.
I'm really looking forward to seeing how the author will develop further in the next installment Dark Heart Surrender - especially with regards to Raphael and his new personal mission to find his father in the mortal world. It will be interesting to read how Luca copes with the mortal world now that he has decided to join Jane there.
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Jan 26, 2013 Aioki Reika rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

“Things are so damn complicated”

I can’t believe I finished reading this easily, I can’t put it down. I love it the way I love the first book.

The story makes me giggle a lot like my feelings wanted to explode and sometime I can feel my heart breaking as the things are so damn complicated. I even encountered having a headache.

It’s about Luca having an arrange marriage and also our main protagonist Jane is here to the rescue and who could ever thought a new character would appear?! His name is Sor...more

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Nov 25, 2012 Sara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Jane and Luca have broken up and they are living their heartbreak separately. Luca is betrothed to Lila by his family. He has to show an example of himself and listen to their wishes and forget his. Jane spends some time in Paris with her grandmother and meets a stranger called Soren. He talks to her about going back to Nissilum to claim their lovers back. Jane agrees but doesn’t trust him completely yet. She is about to start college and on her first day in Art class she meets her new teacher…...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Anj Se rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, romance-fiction, supernatural-romance, series, ya, adventure, college-romance, ebook

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

This is a very interesting trilogy. I don't know if this one is better than the previous one but it is entertaining. It started that Luca leaves Jane to follow his parents' wants and to marry Lila. Lila is a great extra.. I can't feel her presence in the story, oh well,like I care. As the story progress, Soren, a new character came in the story. At first, I don't really like him, because during those times, I am still hoping for Raphael to comeback as he realized that he develop...more

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May 18, 2012 *Lily's Labyrinth* rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, wolves, june, 2011, everything, school

Uuuuuuuuuuuggggghhhhhh this book really frustrated me. It was good but there were times when I was like ' wake up Jane I know he still secretly loves you but you look like a pathetic ex girlfriend going after him every time he turns you down' I was routing for her to go and try to get him back but then I started to feel bad for her.
I didn't really like Luca in this book, didn't really impact me either in the first book. In this book he was really just a big p#$$! sorry but its true. He did ever...more Uuuuuuuuuuuggggghhhhhh this book really frustrated me. It was good but there were times when I was like ' wake up Jane I know he still secretly loves you but you look like a pathetic ex girlfriend going after him every time he turns you down' I was routing for her to go and try to get him back but then I started to feel bad for her.
I didn't really like Luca in this book, didn't really impact me either in the first book. In this book he was really just a big p#$$! sorry but its true. He did everything his mom told him to do, he was willing to marry someone he didn't know or love just to make his mom happy. He didn't think about himself or what he was doing to Jane. What happened to all the love he said he had for Jane, what about his happiness. I know that choosing your family over a bf/gf is way important but when you are forced to do something that is wrong why would you want that wtf but Luca did want that 'its the best for his family' its all bullcrap to me. She came to him from a freaken different world and all he did was just ignore her.There was no help from his part, none at all. And of course there had to be a happy ending, she just forgets what really happened and just accepts him back. I would've loved it if she would've said 'no let me think about it' or just simply NO, of course they would be back together in the next book.

Soren was a little suspicious to me from the beginning, we didn't really know much about him, but Jane just accepts this strangers help like nothing. He had alot of secrets that we later find out. I didn't know how I felt about this guy, he came and told Jane stories but they just couldn't been lies so It was a little hard to trust this character, we saw how that turned out with Evan/Raphael. But I did feel bad for him at times, he turned out to be a good friend, but Jane doesn't like him anymore :(

Raphael was also a shady character, he was like a total complete person in this book. Like if the fist book never happened, he didn't really acknowledge Jane like he forgot that he wanted to kill her and her family just a couple of months ago. It was a little surprising how he changed for the better, there were times when the old him came out and he wanted to attack people but then there were times when he wanted the truth to be told, probably just to help him but did change and wanted Jane and Luca to be happy together and he wanted to know who really was Soren and he wanted to help him at the end he did also go crazy for a second but he was interested in finding his dad.

Usually siblings in books turn out to be evil little things, trying to sabotage and blackmail the main characters but in this book I liked Dalya, in the first book a thought she was going to try and make things hard for Jane and Luca but no it was Lowe who is the evil sibling, just trying tu make Luca angry and always saying evil things to Jane, I think he is just jealous, idk why but something is up with that boy. Dalya wanted Jane back and to see her brother happy. But the parents always seme to be the annoying ones, always keeping secrets that just end up hurting people instead of protecting them like they say they intended in doing. Always wanting to be in they kids business, annoys me. Vanya turned out to be a little surprise to me. She had seemed evil to me before but she did look out for Soren and Jane, she began slowly earning my trust. It showed she cared for Soren, they're little secret. Don't really care much about Lila though, does that make me a bad person, she was just described as a baby, needing alot attention. I'll read the next book to see how it all ends, hopefully good.

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Sep 12, 2011 Ange rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, books-i-own, fantasy, young-adult, werewolves, romance, paranormal

Dark Heart Rising is the second book in the series Dark Heart Forever. The book follows on from the first a couple of months after. We find out that Luca and Jane are now apart and Luca is in the world of Nissilum. He is forbidden to see Jane by his family. Jane is left heart-broken and sad and takes a trip to Paris with her Grandmother.
In Paris, Jane meets the mysterious and strange Soren. They quickly become friends but there is something dark and secretive about Soren. Jane is not sure wheth...more

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Aug 14, 2011 Gillian Cohen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lee Monroe is an amazing writer. I will be the first to admit it took me some time to read DARK HEART RISING but that was not by choice. Recovering from an operation can delay even the best book.

Again we see Jane at a crossroads when it comes to her ove ife when a tall, dark and handsome gentleman steps into her life while on holiday with her grandmother in France. At first Jane is hesitant to be around Soren and I don't blame he comes off a bit creepy and seems to have a hidden agenda. She's ba...more Lee Monroe is an amazing writer. I will be the first to admit it took me some time to read DARK HEART RISING but that was not by choice. Recovering from an operation can delay even the best book.

Again we see Jane at a crossroads when it comes to her ove ife when a tall, dark and handsome gentleman steps into her life while on holiday with her grandmother in France. At first Jane is hesitant to be around Soren and I don't blame he comes off a bit creepy and seems to have a hidden agenda. She's battling with the loss of Luca but feels that she needs to move on even if she does love him he has moved on whether it be by choice or not.

I noticed a connection between Soren and Jane because they have both lost someone that they love dearly which seems to bring them closer in the beginning, until later.

I noticed that Jane hs grown so much in DHR that she is able to try and move on after Luca has pushed her away as he is trying to do the right by his family even if it means that he might loose his one true love. Yes, he is doing the noble thing to make his parents and Lowe happy but what about his happiness? Its brought up a lot in conversations with Raphel, he belives that Lila is just second best and if you don't love someone why should you be forced to marry tham? The marriage will not be filled with love-there is an old saying that you will grow to love them in time. I don't agree, one should be with someone that they love not settle for second best.

Raphel also has a strong part in the book, he is trying to move on from his mistakes but he knows that he is not the same person since his come back earth, but he will do anything to keep up the pretense to his great-mother Celeste so he isn't locked away like some animal. He also makes a startling discovery that is someway connected to Soren's story.

I don't want to carry on because I'm afraid that I will spoil this amazing story for everyone, but I will say one more thing. Be prepared for some interesting twists and turns. People will come toghether and secrets will be aired.

Happy Reading :)

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Sep 15, 2011 Savannah (Books With Bite) rated it 4 of 5 stars

I finally dove into this book and did not regret it! I loved reading every moment of it. I just couldn't get enough.

One thing I enjoyed about this book is the tortured lovers. I know this many sound weird, but I liked the struggle between them. It made the ending much more sweeter. Even though the tortured lovers were separated, against all odds they came together. I loved that both of them learn so much more about each other and had to carefully think about the decision they were making.

This b...more

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Mar 23, 2012 Abi Holligan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Description:

Dark Heart Rising is the sequel to Dark Heart Forever it carries on with Jane back in the mortal world trying to come to terms that she has lost the love of her life, Luca, to Nissilum and his parents. Jane goes on a trip to Paris to visit her grandmother for some much needed time away to relax, here she meets Soren Balzac, he wants to get to know her, and they talk about all different things. When Soren mentions that he could take Jane back to Nissilum to help her get back Luca, sh...more Description:

Dark Heart Rising is the sequel to Dark Heart Forever it carries on with Jane back in the mortal world trying to come to terms that she has lost the love of her life, Luca, to Nissilum and his parents. Jane goes on a trip to Paris to visit her grandmother for some much needed time away to relax, here she meets Soren Balzac, he wants to get to know her, and they talk about all different things. When Soren mentions that he could take Jane back to Nissilum to help her get back Luca, she wonders who he is, and how he knows this. He says that he has someone there also he wants to bring back, Lila, the person that Luca's parents have betrothed him to. So they have a mutual interest in trying to break them up because each of them wants the other.
The world of Nissilum is about to be rocked with the return of Jane and Soren, Luca tried to keep his emotions in check and do as his family asks of him. Jane just wants him back, but when she realises he is content with making his family happy she just wants to go home, but is Soren really there for Lila? Or is there another reason altogether?

My Review:

*May contain spoilers*

So Dark Heart Rising pretty much takes off where Dark Heart Forever left off. Jane is in the mortal world, Luca in Nissilum both pining for each other, but basically the only reason they can't be together is that Luca wants to please his family and follow the Nissilum law, even though he is unhappy and about to marry a girl he barely knows. Which seems like a silly reason really.
Jane meets Soren Balzac in Paris on a trip to visit her grandmother, I found Soren quite creepy at first, he seemed to know too much, and always went behind Jane's back, such as, asking her grandmother whether she could stay out late, rather than ask Jane if she actually wanted to. But then I became curious of him, he claimed that he could get Jane back to Nissilum and he wanted her help, he wanted Lila, the girl about to marry Luca, and obviously Jane wanted Luca - they could help each other out. Jane agrees in the end after some persuading from her new art teacher, also Soren Balzac which was funny, and tells her parents she 's going away on a field trip.
In Nissilum, Jane sees that Luca looks happy and he doesn't want her so she wants to go home, but Soren wants her to stay.
Through the story she leaves, then she comes back after hearing Soren's story and decides even though there is no hope for her and Luca, she can maybe help Soren with Lila.
Soren's story was quite out there, at the age of 10 or so he was a young wolf boy - cub and found out his parents, weren't his parents and they had lied to him, his real father told him, but wanted nothing to do with him, Soren got angry and ended up killing his whole family except for Lila, with whom he had a strong bond with, but Lila saw the bodies on the floor, Soren was ordered to leave Nissilum and Lila was adopted, Soren wants to have Lila back in his life again and he knows he did wrong.
The perspectives change a few times in the books, from Jane to Raphael and sometimes Luca, Raphael is planning on taking his family down somehow after he finds out his great mother lied about his father's death - he is not dead and is on the mortal world somewhere.
Soren gets arrested for trying to explain to Lila who he was, when she can't remember, he pushes her and she starts to remember bits from her past. Jane and Vanya the vampire her and Soren have been staying with try to get Soren out.
In the mean time Raphael finds out that his father is also Soren's father! Shock and later on Vanya says she is Soren's mother! Another shocker, which leads to everyone in this little circle finding out that Angel Gabriel had a child with vampire Vanya and so Soren is part vampire and angel and wolf... I think. This was a shock, it was nicely put together though.
It ended with Jane and Luca leaving together to go back to Earth and a few things up in the air, like what Raphael was going to do next, and where Lila and Soren were going to go, but I guess that will be answered in the next installment.
Overall, quite a good story, I spotted quite a few mistakes in the book, sometimes I wished Luca would just turn around and tell his family to get lost, especially in the end he left to go to Earth anyways! Seemed like all this was pointless, but nevertheless I was entertained by the storyline, especially Soren's character and back story. (less)

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Jul 06, 2011 Sally rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: own-bought, 2011-reads, alternate-worlds, fallen-angels-or-angels, girly-books, vampires, werewolves-shifters

Sequel to Dark Heart Forever
This book follows Jane again in her obsession with her green-eyed werewolf boy Luca, in a story filled with werewolves, vampires, angels and a crossing into a parallel world called Nissilum. It also comes complete with a love triangle, plenty of action, a mystery, heartbreak, magic, betrayals and political intrigue. Should be the perfect book for me right?
Why just 2 stars? I think this book was sent to straight to publication without being edited. Aside from the numer...more Sequel to Dark Heart Forever
This book follows Jane again in her obsession with her green-eyed werewolf boy Luca, in a story filled with werewolves, vampires, angels and a crossing into a parallel world called Nissilum. It also comes complete with a love triangle, plenty of action, a mystery, heartbreak, magic, betrayals and political intrigue. Should be the perfect book for me right?
Why just 2 stars? I think this book was sent to straight to publication without being edited. Aside from the numerous glaringly obvious spelling and grammatical mistakes, the continuity in this book is awful. For instance, in one chapter Raphael notices Jane wandering into the palace kitchens at a party and thinks that she is up to something, but then Jane is off somewhere else, then chats to Raphael, and only very much later does she wander through the kitchen looking for Soren. Another time, Jane and Vanya are barricaded inside the house because Lowe is violently protesting outside, but then in the very next chapter Lowe is at home with Luca having a nice cosy chat. IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE!! I could almost forgive these kinds of mistakes in the first few chapters where Jane first meets Soren and the narrative leaps about through time without explaining anything- fair enough, we are hurrying through their meeting to just get to the meat of the story and are allowed to just assume that some conversation took place. Jane is going to Paris. Jane is in Paris. Jane meets Soren and he asks her if she wants to go get a coffee. She says yes. It is suddenly the next morning and Soren is ringing her up. Jane is back home in England again. WHERE WERE THE INTERACTIONS IN THE MIDDLE?
Another thing I noticed- sometimes it is said that Soren's parents were murdered when he is 6 years old, and then later on, someone says that they died when he was ten. (WHICH IS IT?) I tried to quickly find the quotes to back this up (and haven't yet), but I did find the first time Soren tells his own story and listen to how confusing this is-
"There once was a good boy. A boy born into a hard-working law-abiding family, who raised him to be good-mannered, considerate and honest... The boy lived happily until he was ten years old when something happened to destroy everything he believed in...
On his sixth birthday, a man came to the door..." (p172)
HOW CONFUSING IS THAT?!
And finally- the shifting perspective. Most of the chapters are told in the first person from Jane's point of view- it is Jane herself telling the story. But some of the chapters also focus on either Luca or Raphael and these are told from the third person perspective. This is absolutely fine once you get used to this shifting style and you can think 'right, we are focusing on Luca now'. Except in chapter 41 where both Luca and Jane are in the scene and the author can't seem to decide if she is following Luca in the 3rd person or Jane in the 1st person and jarringly shifts perspective WITHIN THE SAME PARAGRAPH! I personally think that this is a really amateurish mistake, and really bewildering for the reader.
The first book left me so confused because I genuinely couldn't decide if it was genius or complete rubbish- but this is just bad. Aside from the bad writing the story itself is only ok. The different scenes making up the jigsaw of the story didn't really fit together, and some parts just felt irrelevant. Luca was moody and mean at times, Jane needs to stick up for herself more, and I still have no idea whose side Raphael is on. I don't think I have accidentally let some spoilers slip in this review, but because the book is so bad my advice is to just avoid it like the plague. (less)

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Aug 02, 2011 Erin Ashley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: werewolves, paranormal-romance

So far this has been one of the best series I have started reading this year.

Sometimes the second book to a series can be a real let down, and I have read quite a few sequel let downs before. This book was just as amazing as the first though. The only downfall I can give it is the amount of spelling mistakes that were riddled through it. I know every book has to have at least one or two mistakes in it but this was excessive. The first book didn't have barely any mistakes in it, but this one had...more So far this has been one of the best series I have started reading this year.

Sometimes the second book to a series can be a real let down, and I have read quite a few sequel let downs before. This book was just as amazing as the first though. The only downfall I can give it is the amount of spelling mistakes that were riddled through it. I know every book has to have at least one or two mistakes in it but this was excessive. The first book didn't have barely any mistakes in it, but this one had a mistake on every 5 to 8 pages. I felt sorry for Lee Monroe for that to have happened, I hope a future printing might correct those mistakes, but other than that, this book I found to be flawless.

The romance in this book is not as strong as the first but that is to be expected because of the circumstances. Although it isn't as strong it is still there, you know that Jane still loves Luca as much as she ever has but she is willing to try to let him go if that is what he wants, because of his family. You also realise just how much Luca is trying to repress his feelings for Jane while he is being put through his arranged marriage to Lila, who does seem sweet if just a little too girly. You know that Luca and Jane's love is truly strong and deep even though they are apart for the time being. They only rekindled at the end of the book, but I didn't actually mind that it took until the end for them to get back together and deal with the sacrifices and struggle that they were going to face for the future. I see it as a true love, it is one of the few real types of love that I have read about in a fictional story.

Obviously the parts in this book that strike a nerve is the idea of arranged marriages and doing exactly as your family says you should do. There is no leniency with this subjects, Nissilum is a place where you do as you are told and thats it, it eliminates any need for fighting and disagreements if everyone just does as they are told. I don't blame Raphael for rebelling against those ideals, they are brought up to believe this way of living but no one is allowed to have any other ideas of how something should be. Raphael might have gone the wrong way about things but he still discovered hidden truths and learnt a new way of doing things. I really would like to think that Lowe gets what is coming to him, he is a pompous character who see's fit to abide by the rules but bully people and make sure he teaches them a lesson, a lesson that he has no right to dish out. He is by far my least favourite character and seriously needs a reality check. Same with his and Luca's parents, but then again, that is the way they have known and have been brought up in.

I like that Soren was a new addition to this book, he made for an interesting read and I had a feeling all along that he wasn't really as he seemed a lot of the time. He had secrets that he wasn't going to confide in Jane and he did a good job of hiding them. I hope he is in the next book and maybe see something exciting happen with him.

Overall, I could discuss this book for quite a while but to sum it up, it was amazing. A fantastic sequel and a well rounded story, apart from the numerous spelling/punctuation errors that were made. I know that a series such as this one could get picked at by a lot of people out there, but for me, I found it well written and at times it seemed older than the age group it was probably written for. A definite read and re-read :)(less)

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Jun 05, 2011 SJH (A Dream of Books) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, werewolves, vampire, paranormal, for-review

'Dark Heart Rising' is the sequel to 'Dark Heart Forever'. I read the latter last year and really enjoyed it, so I was eager to get my hands on this one. I also wanted to read it because Lee Monroe is a British author and I love to support homegrown writers.

The book starts with Jane and Luca now apart, which I wasn't expecting. I thought that after the events of the previous installment, we'd finally get to see the two together but it seems not. Luca is now betrothed to someone else and Jane is...more 'Dark Heart Rising' is the sequel to 'Dark Heart Forever'. I read the latter last year and really enjoyed it, so I was eager to get my hands on this one. I also wanted to read it because Lee Monroe is a British author and I love to support homegrown writers.

The book starts with Jane and Luca now apart, which I wasn't expecting. I thought that after the events of the previous installment, we'd finally get to see the two together but it seems not. Luca is now betrothed to someone else and Jane is nursing a broken heart. To take her mind off Luca, she joins her grandmother on a trip to Paris, where she meets the enigmatic Soren who has links to Nissilum. Jane isn't sure if she can trust Soren but he tells her that he can help her get Luca back, so swayed by the thought of being with the boy she loves again, she decides to trust him. However, Soren is hiding some dark secrets of his own which might endanger the very people that Jane holds dear.

Unlike the first book, I found this one a little slow to completely engage me. Although I was happy to see Jane again, as I really liked her character, I did get a little annoyed with her at times because she seemed to be making many of the same mistakes over again. However, I think that is part of what makes her such a unique person. She's been hurt in the past but she's still willing to trust people and give them a second chance. The story is largely concerned with Jane trying to get Luca back again which meant that although there were some interesting new characters introduced into the series, we didn't get to see much of Jane and Luca together. I'm hoping that this will be remedied in the next book.

The majority of the story was set in Nissilum which meant that I got a better insight into how the world works and the laws and regulations on which it has been built. This was interesting but it also meant that there was a lot less interaction between Jane and her family, which is one of the elements that I previously enjoyed. In the first book there was a good balance between Nissilum and Jane's home which helped to keep the story grounded and I felt that that was a little lacking this time.

The plot got more exciting as the story progressed and the pace really picked up in the second-half of the book which had plenty of secrets being revealed and lots of twists and turns thrown in. Overall, although I didn't enjoy this as much as 'Dark Heart Forever' it was still a good read and I'll certainly be looking out for the next book in the series.
(less)

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May 26, 2011 Donna {Book Passion for Life} rated it 3 of 5 stars

** Possible Spoilers**

After saying I wouldn't rush out and buy this book because the first book Dark Heart Forever was....just okay, I still ended up and rushing out to buy it when I found out it had been released early in one of our local supermarkets.

Dark Heart Rising starts a few months after the end in book one. Alot has changed between Jane and Luca, for one, they've broken up and he's engaged to marry someone else. While Jane is left reeling over her broken heart, she tries to move on and...more ** Possible Spoilers**

After saying I wouldn't rush out and buy this book because the first book Dark Heart Forever was....just okay, I still ended up and rushing out to buy it when I found out it had been released early in one of our local supermarkets.

Dark Heart Rising starts a few months after the end in book one. Alot has changed between Jane and Luca, for one, they've broken up and he's engaged to marry someone else. While Jane is left reeling over her broken heart, she tries to move on and forget about Luca. While in Paris visiting her grandmother she meets a boy named Soren who offers to help her get Luca back. While they take on their journey, Jane realises that there is more to Soren than meets the eye and his is hiding a deadly secret, once that could put the whole of Nissilum in danger including Luca.

It was pretty easy to slip back into Jane's worlds after the events of book one. I found this time around, I was better connected to the characters and that I enjoyed them that much more. I was really interested to find out what had happened between them and although I was a little disappointed that they had broken up, I also found it a necessary story line that makes you really see what the world of Nissilum is really like. Hiding secrets around every corners and taking away people's free is only some of the things that happen there and I was glad that we got a peak into that. A few new characters were introduced into the story too like Soren and overall, I think he was a great addition. I also really loved that we got to see more of Vandra, and that we got to see a completely different side of her that was portrated into book one. This one I much preferred.

The story itself was easy following with unpredictable twists to the story and also a few predictable ones but they kept me interested until the very end. I noticed there were quiet a few typo's in book to but hey, not everyone is perfect. The only major problem I had with the book was Luca. I completely understand he was was trying to please his parents and follow the rules of Nissilum but my god, I have never wanted to shake a character so much in my life than I did with him. He was just so frustrating for pretty much the entire book. He spent all his time moody, cold and so sad by trying to ignore Jane that he was just willing to over look his and Jane's happiness. In the end, he did redeem himself but I really hope that Luca doesn't come back.

Overall, I did enjoy this book more than book and I will look forward to reading more about Jane and Luca's story. (less)

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Jul 28, 2011 Autumn rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: who ever read the first one

Recommended to Autumn by: ME

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

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Jan 08, 2012 Emily rated it 2 of 5 stars

I read this book quite a while ago and it must have been boring as I only vaguely remember what happens.
To start with, the amount of spelling errors really got on my nerves, how can you read a book that hasnt been fully looked at properly?
It wasnt 0/5 because some bits were interesting and made me want to read on. I havent read the first book, so this may make my opinion biased. I love romances which is why I loved the fact she was trying to get Luca back, but it was still a slow read. 2/5

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Dark Heart Rising (Dark Heart #2)

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