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Warders #1
Su Hogar (Los Centinelas nº 1)
Julian Nash acaba de ser ascendido en su trabajo y va a festejarlo, sin embargo su felicidad se desvanece cuando una hora antes de la fiesta descubre que su acompañante lo engaña y que tendrá que prepararse para una larga noche en la que será el único invitado sin pareja.
Pero eso cambia cuando un viejo conocido, Ryan Dean, lo saca de apuros en esa embarazosa situación. Durante la cena descubren que entre ellos hay algo más que amistad: también hay admiración mutua y candente atracción. Pero llegar a conocer mejor a Ryan , y encontrar un lugar en su vida, traerá a la de Julian sorpresas aterradoras y peligros paranormales que jamás esperó o soñó que existieran.
Pero eso cambia cuando un viejo conocido, Ryan Dean, lo saca de apuros en esa embarazosa situación. Durante la cena descubren que entre ellos hay algo más que amistad: también hay admiración mutua y candente atracción. Pero llegar a conocer mejor a Ryan , y encontrar un lugar en su vida, traerá a la de Julian sorpresas aterradoras y peligros paranormales que jamás esperó o soñó que existieran.
115 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
227 people are currently reading
1017 people want to read
About the author
Mary Calmes
125 books5,019 followersMary Calmes believes in romance, happily ever afters, and the faith it takes for her characters to get there. She bleeds coffee, thinks chocolate should be its own food group, and currently lives in Kentucky with a six-pound furry ninja that protects her from baby birds, spiders and the neighbor’s dogs. To stay up to date on her ponderings and pandemonium (as well as the adventures of the ninja) follow her on Twitter @MaryCalmes, connect with her on Facebook, and subscribe to her Mary’s Mob newsletter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 323 reviews
August 23, 2012
My Review Of His Hearth, or, How Mary Calmes Got Me Drunk
I blame What Can Be. I really enjoyed it, but more than ever it was apparent Calmes uses one cast of characters and one setting, with just a slightly different twist each time. I know it and I no longer care. She's like toasted marshmellows: over-sweet, no substance, but a delicious guilty pleasure.
So, I'd had a hard day, I was away from home, and I had a bottle of Baileys.
I did something that may have been ill-advised. Before reading His Hearth, and based on previous reading experiences, I wrote a Mary Calmes drinking game.
I'm only grateful I decided to put the Baileys into hot chocolate. I'm not going to share the number of Baileys hot chocolates I went through, but I went to sleep fully dressed and lying the wrong way around, clasping my net book. If it had been straight shots I'd be dead.
Should you be foolish enough to follow suit, I include the rules below. Should you buy an audio edition this could actually be a fun group activity, rather than a solitary first-sign-of-alcoholism. Just FYI, I am definitely not an alcoholic: that was my first drink since January. Admittedly the binge aspect looks bad, but how could I know!!?
The list seemed harmless! I figured maybe five or six of these in any one book. Maximum!
I was wrong.
***
The Mary Calmes Drinking Game
If one character hosts a TV show, take a drink.
If one character caresses another character's cheek, take a drink. If they only just met and they're basically strangers, take two.
If there's an Hispanic best friend (m or f,) or best friend’s partner, take a drink.
If there’s a pregnant character, take a drink. If there’s a birth, take a drink. If the MC is the birth partner for a pregnant character, take two.
Take a drink if someone is kidnapped.
Take one drink if the MCs name starts with a J.
Drink on each mention of the word “dessert,” or on consumption of a dessert (this includes pie).
If there’s a surgeon or doctor character who does not perform a medical procedure on the MC, take a drink. (If they’re a neurologist or neurosurgeon, take two.)
If the story mentions Chicago, take a drink. If the story is set in Chicago, take two.
One drink for each mention of a jazz club.
Every time you encounter waggled eyebrows, take a drink.
Take a drink if the MC entertains a small child. If they're 6 years old, everybody drinks.
When one MC dances with a woman, take a drink. If he dances with multiple women at a work event, or a partner's work event, take one drink for each dance partner.
Every time one MC calls the other “baby”, take a drink.
If there’s a festive family party or special occasion, take a drink.
Every time tongues are tangling, take a drink.
On the word “peacoat”: everybody drinks.
If someone makes a newspaper swan, take a drink.
One drink if there’s an ex-boyfriend who wants to get back with the MC (double if he’s batshit crazy).
One drink if one MC is/has been literally or effectively an orphan.
***
Remember, read Mary Calmes responsibly!
I blame What Can Be. I really enjoyed it, but more than ever it was apparent Calmes uses one cast of characters and one setting, with just a slightly different twist each time. I know it and I no longer care. She's like toasted marshmellows: over-sweet, no substance, but a delicious guilty pleasure.
So, I'd had a hard day, I was away from home, and I had a bottle of Baileys.
I did something that may have been ill-advised. Before reading His Hearth, and based on previous reading experiences, I wrote a Mary Calmes drinking game.
I'm only grateful I decided to put the Baileys into hot chocolate. I'm not going to share the number of Baileys hot chocolates I went through, but I went to sleep fully dressed and lying the wrong way around, clasping my net book. If it had been straight shots I'd be dead.
Should you be foolish enough to follow suit, I include the rules below. Should you buy an audio edition this could actually be a fun group activity, rather than a solitary first-sign-of-alcoholism. Just FYI, I am definitely not an alcoholic: that was my first drink since January. Admittedly the binge aspect looks bad, but how could I know!!?
The list seemed harmless! I figured maybe five or six of these in any one book. Maximum!
I was wrong.
***
The Mary Calmes Drinking Game
If one character hosts a TV show, take a drink.
If one character caresses another character's cheek, take a drink. If they only just met and they're basically strangers, take two.
If there's an Hispanic best friend (m or f,) or best friend’s partner, take a drink.
If there’s a pregnant character, take a drink. If there’s a birth, take a drink. If the MC is the birth partner for a pregnant character, take two.
Take a drink if someone is kidnapped.
Take one drink if the MCs name starts with a J.
Drink on each mention of the word “dessert,” or on consumption of a dessert (this includes pie).
If there’s a surgeon or doctor character who does not perform a medical procedure on the MC, take a drink. (If they’re a neurologist or neurosurgeon, take two.)
If the story mentions Chicago, take a drink. If the story is set in Chicago, take two.
One drink for each mention of a jazz club.
Every time you encounter waggled eyebrows, take a drink.
Take a drink if the MC entertains a small child. If they're 6 years old, everybody drinks.
When one MC dances with a woman, take a drink. If he dances with multiple women at a work event, or a partner's work event, take one drink for each dance partner.
Every time one MC calls the other “baby”, take a drink.
If there’s a festive family party or special occasion, take a drink.
Every time tongues are tangling, take a drink.
On the word “peacoat”: everybody drinks.
If someone makes a newspaper swan, take a drink.
One drink if there’s an ex-boyfriend who wants to get back with the MC (double if he’s batshit crazy).
One drink if one MC is/has been literally or effectively an orphan.
***
Remember, read Mary Calmes responsibly!
March 29, 2018
3 Stars
Soooo…. I didn’t read the synopsis before diving in. Whoops.
I literally just saw the name 'Mary Calmes' on a new release in my libraries digital app and I swan-dived into the crack-y goodness without delay.
Basically, I was going along thinking this was another one of Calmes’ classic contemporary romances, only to be blindsided by some sudden supernatural madness right towards the end there. And, yes, the supernatural elements literally just popped up out of nowhere around the 80% mark and turned this story into a whole other thing. That’s on me, though, because like I said, Meags didn’t do her research like a good little reader.
However, I’m not complaining, because I love me some paranormal fun with my romances. Although the introduction to the supernatural world of the Warders was only very briefly touched on here, and I honestly could have done with more structure and exploration on the topic, because I honestly don’t really even get what they are or why they do whatever it is that they do. Maybe it had something to do with protecting the world from demons or some such? I guess I wasn’t paying enough attention to the deets because I felt so blindsided by the ninja warriors (AKA the Warders) when they suddenly appeared in the story. But I’m sure my confusion will be fleeting and an info dump is on my horizon in the sequel. That’s how these things go, right!?
Aside from the unexpected paranormal themes, this story has all the elements I’ve come to expect from a Calmes romance, including the good, the bad, and the ridiculous.
There are intsa-feels and some crazy intense passion between the MCs.
There is some scorching hot man-on-man loving, full of possessive growliness and declarations of forever on the first night.
There are a bunch of rando male characters popping up at every turn, looking to get with the insanely desirable MC who doesn’t know how insanely desirable he is, because, duh!
There is even a bunch of incoherent dialogue between the MCs that hurt my head in so many ways that I found myself just staring off into nothingness until I could regain my equilibrium (or regenerate some of my lost brain cells, perhaps).
It’s crazy, but it’s the fun kind of crazy.
I’ll probably check out the rest of the series just to work out what the heck is up with these Warders and their world protecting ways.
Soooo…. I didn’t read the synopsis before diving in. Whoops.
I literally just saw the name 'Mary Calmes' on a new release in my libraries digital app and I swan-dived into the crack-y goodness without delay.
Basically, I was going along thinking this was another one of Calmes’ classic contemporary romances, only to be blindsided by some sudden supernatural madness right towards the end there. And, yes, the supernatural elements literally just popped up out of nowhere around the 80% mark and turned this story into a whole other thing. That’s on me, though, because like I said, Meags didn’t do her research like a good little reader.
However, I’m not complaining, because I love me some paranormal fun with my romances. Although the introduction to the supernatural world of the Warders was only very briefly touched on here, and I honestly could have done with more structure and exploration on the topic, because I honestly don’t really even get what they are or why they do whatever it is that they do. Maybe it had something to do with protecting the world from demons or some such? I guess I wasn’t paying enough attention to the deets because I felt so blindsided by the ninja warriors (AKA the Warders) when they suddenly appeared in the story. But I’m sure my confusion will be fleeting and an info dump is on my horizon in the sequel. That’s how these things go, right!?
Aside from the unexpected paranormal themes, this story has all the elements I’ve come to expect from a Calmes romance, including the good, the bad, and the ridiculous.
There are intsa-feels and some crazy intense passion between the MCs.
There is some scorching hot man-on-man loving, full of possessive growliness and declarations of forever on the first night.
There are a bunch of rando male characters popping up at every turn, looking to get with the insanely desirable MC who doesn’t know how insanely desirable he is, because, duh!
There is even a bunch of incoherent dialogue between the MCs that hurt my head in so many ways that I found myself just staring off into nothingness until I could regain my equilibrium (or regenerate some of my lost brain cells, perhaps).
It’s crazy, but it’s the fun kind of crazy.
I’ll probably check out the rest of the series just to work out what the heck is up with these Warders and their world protecting ways.
January 7, 2019
3 Stars
Here’s what I expect in the world of Mary and this was really no surprise...
Assholes be assholes
No is never taken for an answer
Obliviousness is a forgone conclusion
Eyebrows waggle
Channels clench
Holes flutter
It’s baby honey, forever and ever love you, you’re mine
For this series, toss in demons and the hunters who go after them, and this is a setup for what I’m sure will be a mind boggling world of complicated rules and laws where haters gonna hate and the good guys are going to be put through absolute hell on their way to finding lurve.
Or something close to that...
Here’s what I expect in the world of Mary and this was really no surprise...
Assholes be assholes
No is never taken for an answer
Obliviousness is a forgone conclusion
Eyebrows waggle
Channels clench
Holes flutter
It’s baby honey, forever and ever love you, you’re mine
For this series, toss in demons and the hunters who go after them, and this is a setup for what I’m sure will be a mind boggling world of complicated rules and laws where haters gonna hate and the good guys are going to be put through absolute hell on their way to finding lurve.
Or something close to that...
February 3, 2015
Or should I say, BOOK CRACK! (SRAL says no to drugs, yo!)
*scratches*
Um...WTF was dis? I am still confused. This was Mary Calmes...urban fantasy? *squints*
Why did the paranormal aspect happen at 75%?
What da fuck is a warder? Are they human? Alien mutant paratroopers that love butt sex? Stealthy magic ninjas that fight crime at night?
Does the baddies sleep during the day?
I love Mary Calmes. Badly. Dearly. Madly? I dunno but she's my chicken soup for my reader's soul. She is my balm...she's Mary Calmes.
I don't give a flying shit if she has the same ingredients in her stories (for the most part--sometimes she can surprise you, ex. Mine) that shit works for me.
Doesn't work for you? Okay! More for me!!
But this must have been beginning Calmes because this was clunky like a motherfucker. The excessive repetition about the same shit the character just said like every other page, the weak paranormal/Buffy-like plot device thrown in and the domestication of well, just about everything.
The title is "His Hearth" I should have known something was going to be homey, right?
I think my biggest problem is being stuck on the characterization of the main characters. Julian is 6'3", believes in monogamy, doesn't do one night stands, kisses like he's fucking your soul and his tongue is a monster dick.
Basically he has it going on. (And he doesn't know it...of course)
So he got cheated on by this guy he was seeing on the day of his promotion, he goes out drinking to celebrate the promotion and try to forget the cheating. And he meets a client, high profile male model/ reality TV star Ryan Dean.
Ryan Dean is like a walking erection. His whorish ways are LEGENDARY. Our boy likes to fuck. (Nothing wrong with that) So like a predator that smells rebound prey, he's on Julian/Jules' jock. My issue is--you know what? Let me summarize it and you can maybe see my conundrum.
Julian drinks his Patron, knocking it back, feeling nice. Hottest mofo (Ryan) on two legs presses against him with a stiff dick, wants to bone. But Julian believes in monogamy, likes to get to know who he has sex with, wants a relationship. So...Ryan basically invites Julian back to his place to slap skins.
Julian's all "no...I don't do that. Thanks anyway, Ryan."
Ryan's all "let me just stick the tip in [or something to that effect]"
Julian's all "no, no. I'm not like that. You have a reputation for fucking and leaving."
Ryan then changes the game, "I like to pump butts BUT lemme invite you over for brownies."
Julian's all "no no. I'll kiss you and that's it. M'kay. Monogamy forever."
Ryan proceeds to ply this guy with more drinks (standard I want in your drawers behavior), Julian continues his monogamy spiel.
And then you know how the night ends?
Ryan - 1 ; Julian - 0
Why drag out the inevitable? I couldn't get over it. Just fuck him already and be done! The first 40% was this dragged out back and forth and he still boned him anyway!
Raspberry cheesecake brownies (FROM SCRATCH) were consumed, along with cocks. It was a mix of mixed signals, weaker fantasy and over explaining.
BUT...
I got possessive "mine"-ing, consuming kissing and buttsex. Oh and everlasting monogamous love.
SO...
This is probably my lowest Mary Calmes rating.
BUT...
I want to read the rest of the series.
Fuck it. Long live Mary Calmes!
January 20, 2025
Where do I start with this?
It’s been sitting around on my ipad for awhile.
Originally, if I’m being honest I struggled with this authors books. I found that (for me anyway) the crazy OTT plots and the endless fashion descriptions were just too much.
But she won me over. Having just re-read A Matter of Time and the Marshalls series I decided it was finally time to give this ago.
And since I love paranormal reads I was almost giddy with excitement.
Hot mess is how I would describe it.
The characters are all good and likeable but...
Julian doesn’t sleep around. In fact he hasn’t even had sex with his boyfriend yet. So I understand why he’s reluctant to go home with Ryan. Although this was dragged out and annoyed me no end. But it seems that while he struggles with easy sex he accepts all the paranormal stuff straight away.
I liked Julian, I really did but I couldn’t understand why all of a sudden he seems irresistible to everyone.
I’m going to try the next book Tooth & Nail and see how I go with that. Then I’ll decide if I’m going to continue with the series.
June 19, 2018
Okay so this was just strange. I love Mary Calmes. I love her OTT crazy stories but the paranormal stuff happening at the end was just, well, strange. It almost didn’t fit. Or at least it would have benefited from being longer. But I’ll definitely continue with the series.
January 7, 2019
I saw this one in my feed because one of my GR friends recently read it...And since I am still going strong with my "clean up your TBR-list" new years resolution, I figured this one would be a good one to jump into and finally read...
It was just as crazy OTT as I expected and everyone just loves Julian (who of course does not know how loveable and handsome he is) :P
This story actually started out pretty great, I was hooked from the very first page...it's just that around 70 % things took a bit of a turn.
For such a short book, the paranormal stuff came into play very very late...as in when the book was almost finished. Therefore things went way beyond OTT. Everything but the kitchen sink was thrown in and things were not always clear... I still don't know exactly what a "Warder" is. I mean are they regular age...are they being trained somewhere, how many demons do they fight...and many many more questions...
That said, there are a lot more books in this series, so maybe I should read those first..before I start whining.
Not one of my faves by Mary, but who knows what will happen with the next book.
It was just as crazy OTT as I expected and everyone just loves Julian (who of course does not know how loveable and handsome he is) :P
This story actually started out pretty great, I was hooked from the very first page...it's just that around 70 % things took a bit of a turn.
For such a short book, the paranormal stuff came into play very very late...as in when the book was almost finished. Therefore things went way beyond OTT. Everything but the kitchen sink was thrown in and things were not always clear... I still don't know exactly what a "Warder" is. I mean are they regular age...are they being trained somewhere, how many demons do they fight...and many many more questions...
That said, there are a lot more books in this series, so maybe I should read those first..before I start whining.
Not one of my faves by Mary, but who knows what will happen with the next book.
August 4, 2010
Okaaaay...I'm not sure where to begin.
Currently, I'm about 3/4 through this novel, and pretty much nothing has happened except a bunch of meandering around, sans focus.
The novel begins with Julian, our main character, out for dinner in celebration of his recent promotion at the publicity firm where he works. Unfortunately it's not much of a celebration for him, since he just came from catching his boyfriend in the act of cheating on him. Then to make matters worse, said ex-boyfriend shows up at the restaurant and confronts Julian, blaming everything on him because apparently Julian wouldn't have sex in the 2 months they'd been dating. (Julian is really into long-term monogamy, and not jumping into bed, so he says.) But not to fear, just as the scene between Julian and The Ex is getting ugly, one of Julian's clients shows up to save the day.
Ryan Dean is one of Julian's past publicity clients. He's a world-famous model and has his own local TV show as well. So he's hot, famous, super awesome, blah blah, and also apparently has been harboring some secret crush on Julian and just so happened to be in the restaurant when Julian's Ex was yelling at him. (Okaaay...completely implausible characters and situations...check.) So then Ryan and Julian go home and have sex...bareback. This, of course, is right after Julian kept going on and on about how he doesn't like to jump into bed with people and just broke up with his boyfriend over the issue. (WTF?)
That's pretty much everything that's happened in the first 75% of this book. I'm thinking I'm going to skip the last 25%.
So there are lots of problems with this book, mostly having to do with the total lack of plot, lack of character development, lack of direction, lack of realism - you get the idea. I felt like I was reading someone's brainstorming ideas or something, because there's just nothing cohesive about this that I would call a "story." I could go on, but I'm getting tired of even thinking about it.
Bottom Line: Seriously, one of the worst things I've read in a long time. Absolutely not recommended. However, I have read some decent stuff from this author in the past, so I think she needs to calm down and stop putting books out so quickly because this just isn't cutting it.
**UPDATE**
Un-freaking-believable. This story takes a total 180 turn at around the three-quarters mark. And not in a good way. More like a "This is now officially the worst book I've read all year" way. The supposed "twist" pretty much came out of nowhere and absolutely did not fit with the tone already set in the first 75% of the book. All in all, I found it to be completely unrealistic bordering on ridiculous. I quit reading, for real this time.
Currently, I'm about 3/4 through this novel, and pretty much nothing has happened except a bunch of meandering around, sans focus.
The novel begins with Julian, our main character, out for dinner in celebration of his recent promotion at the publicity firm where he works. Unfortunately it's not much of a celebration for him, since he just came from catching his boyfriend in the act of cheating on him. Then to make matters worse, said ex-boyfriend shows up at the restaurant and confronts Julian, blaming everything on him because apparently Julian wouldn't have sex in the 2 months they'd been dating. (Julian is really into long-term monogamy, and not jumping into bed, so he says.) But not to fear, just as the scene between Julian and The Ex is getting ugly, one of Julian's clients shows up to save the day.
Ryan Dean is one of Julian's past publicity clients. He's a world-famous model and has his own local TV show as well. So he's hot, famous, super awesome, blah blah, and also apparently has been harboring some secret crush on Julian and just so happened to be in the restaurant when Julian's Ex was yelling at him. (Okaaay...completely implausible characters and situations...check.) So then Ryan and Julian go home and have sex...bareback. This, of course, is right after Julian kept going on and on about how he doesn't like to jump into bed with people and just broke up with his boyfriend over the issue. (WTF?)
That's pretty much everything that's happened in the first 75% of this book. I'm thinking I'm going to skip the last 25%.
So there are lots of problems with this book, mostly having to do with the total lack of plot, lack of character development, lack of direction, lack of realism - you get the idea. I felt like I was reading someone's brainstorming ideas or something, because there's just nothing cohesive about this that I would call a "story." I could go on, but I'm getting tired of even thinking about it.
Bottom Line: Seriously, one of the worst things I've read in a long time. Absolutely not recommended. However, I have read some decent stuff from this author in the past, so I think she needs to calm down and stop putting books out so quickly because this just isn't cutting it.
**UPDATE**
Un-freaking-believable. This story takes a total 180 turn at around the three-quarters mark. And not in a good way. More like a "This is now officially the worst book I've read all year" way. The supposed "twist" pretty much came out of nowhere and absolutely did not fit with the tone already set in the first 75% of the book. All in all, I found it to be completely unrealistic bordering on ridiculous. I quit reading, for real this time.
August 18, 2018
Pretty much!!
dnf
March 27, 2013Okay, God, I CAN'T finish it. I'm sorry.
The moment that I read the words demons, like 3/4 part of a story that is supposed to be contemporary, I just had it. It started good, I actually enjoyed Julian's "voice" for once. I thought he was quite funny, I still enjoyed it until first meeting with Ryan, I thought it was cute. But then Ryan sort of "forcing" Julian to come home with him ... I actually counted 11 "come home with me" + 2 "come with me" + 1 "coming home with me" in about 50 pages ... I started wanting to pull out my hair. Then after pulling and pushing, Julian came home with Ryan, and Ryan practically told Julian that Julian was a good boy, who didn't sleep around, so he needed to get laid (I mean, WTF??), then yeah, do me bareback, seriously, it's okay, just trust me on this, and I thought I wanted to slap Ryan for not respecting Julian's wishes ...
and like I said, 3/4 quarter of the story DEMONS COME IN?? Not to mention, there are few distractions in the story, like suddenly a story of a client, in the middle of Julian/Ryan first interaction or a sudden ex appeared (WTH?), and I had no idea what they were meant to.
I just had it ... I don't want to finish this. Another disappointment story from her, and I don't think I'm checking her other titles anytime soon.
The moment that I read the words demons, like 3/4 part of a story that is supposed to be contemporary, I just had it. It started good, I actually enjoyed Julian's "voice" for once. I thought he was quite funny, I still enjoyed it until first meeting with Ryan, I thought it was cute. But then Ryan sort of "forcing" Julian to come home with him ... I actually counted 11 "come home with me" + 2 "come with me" + 1 "coming home with me" in about 50 pages ... I started wanting to pull out my hair. Then after pulling and pushing, Julian came home with Ryan, and Ryan practically told Julian that Julian was a good boy, who didn't sleep around, so he needed to get laid (I mean, WTF??), then yeah, do me bareback, seriously, it's okay, just trust me on this, and I thought I wanted to slap Ryan for not respecting Julian's wishes ...
and like I said, 3/4 quarter of the story DEMONS COME IN?? Not to mention, there are few distractions in the story, like suddenly a story of a client, in the middle of Julian/Ryan first interaction or a sudden ex appeared (WTH?), and I had no idea what they were meant to.
I just had it ... I don't want to finish this. Another disappointment story from her, and I don't think I'm checking her other titles anytime soon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2023
Honestly, I remembered very little so I, super glad I did the re-read.
Ryan was super pushy and it was borderline too much but with the PNR element it made sense. Definitely a curious bit of PNR with Mary's signature twist. I'm not complaining.
On to the next one!
Re-Read 2023
Nice new cover!
Doing a quick re-read of the series in anticipation of Trick Of Light coming out on the 28th!
*******
It's Mary, of course I loved it! Why oh why did I not read it sooner?? I am going to devour this series I just know it.
Ryan was super pushy and it was borderline too much but with the PNR element it made sense. Definitely a curious bit of PNR with Mary's signature twist. I'm not complaining.
On to the next one!
Re-Read 2023
Nice new cover!
Doing a quick re-read of the series in anticipation of Trick Of Light coming out on the 28th!
*******
It's Mary, of course I loved it! Why oh why did I not read it sooner?? I am going to devour this series I just know it.
November 30, 2012
1. I've compiled all the people who are really good-looking in this book:
Cash
Phoebe
Ryan Dean
Julian
Peyton
Keith
Which for such a short book, means it's more than half the cast (and I'm even being generous by not adding the other warders and Channing which I'm sure are really good-looking too)
It's like, IDK, the book is set in the studio for America's Next Top Unisex Model or something.
2. As usual, everybody wants to have sex with J, which gives us a question: Given that for every guy who wants to get in his pants, you use one drop of white paint, what would you get?
This includes
Ryan Dean
Channing
Random guy at the club
And Mitch Carmichael, who showed up mysteriously for no discernible reason other than to underline how desirable J is.
3. Which brings a few more questions:
-Are they performing eye-surgery or making goo-goo eyes at each other?
-How can he dissect eye colors in a (presumably) dimly lit club?
-Why would Ryan have eyes that are grey, brown, green, olive and dark green? Is he wearing a kaleidoscope?
-Also, why is everyone so successful? I feel so threatened; Here I am, flipping burgers and fingers at MacDonald's and everyone in this book is just so amazing at their job it's like failure isn't even an option.
Verdict:
All my nitpicking aside, this is typical Mary Calmes. If you want to self-insert yourself into the book and enjoy the description of how everyone fawns over, long for, loves, and want to have sex with the narrator MC, read this. If you're having a lousy day at work and want to feel like you're the best on your job there is, read this.
Otherwise, no.
July 28, 2010
I love the way Mary's mind works. She takes the ordinary and twists it into something extraordinary. HIS HEARTH starts out with the feel of a sweet contemporary and then turns into something more. I'd like to go on, but I don't want to ruin the surprise for anyone. :D
Another great story and one I'm sure to reread again in the future.
Another great story and one I'm sure to reread again in the future.
June 21, 2018
I swear, I remember liking the rest of the series, but I just did not like this one much at all. The pace was too fast, the MC was too "Jory", as usual, and there was too much going on, with not nearly enough time focused on the whole paranormal demon hunting aspect, which really seemed to come out of left field.
I came to the conclusion while rereading this that Mary Calmes essentially writes fanfiction of her own characters. She created a specific set of characters, and just uses them over and over again, in different settings and worlds. Jory, Jory as a government agent, Jory as a wereleopard, Jory as an ad agent, dating a demon hunter, but always always Jory- the cute quirky guy that EVERYONE loves. The secondary characters change up a bit. a lot of times it's just another Sam, but sometimes, we get two Jory-esque characters for the price of one.
I shouldn't complain, everyone knows what they're getting into when they pick up a Mary Calmes book, I just didn't feel that this particular one was done nearly as well as others by this author.
I came to the conclusion while rereading this that Mary Calmes essentially writes fanfiction of her own characters. She created a specific set of characters, and just uses them over and over again, in different settings and worlds. Jory, Jory as a government agent, Jory as a wereleopard, Jory as an ad agent, dating a demon hunter, but always always Jory- the cute quirky guy that EVERYONE loves. The secondary characters change up a bit. a lot of times it's just another Sam, but sometimes, we get two Jory-esque characters for the price of one.
I shouldn't complain, everyone knows what they're getting into when they pick up a Mary Calmes book, I just didn't feel that this particular one was done nearly as well as others by this author.
October 3, 2015
You can totally tell this is a Mary Calmes book: the protagonist is not aware how hot he is but everyone else is and everyone adores him. People push and push and push to get him into bed. This was not one of her best but it was probably the hottest. Smokin' sexual tension and then red hot sex, although the sexual tension went on a little too long. I was thinking, "Enough already," near the end of that part. There wasn't much else to it until the sudden swerve into fantasy land. But I like the set up, very Buffy-esque.
Nitpicks: I hate hate hate it when authors have someone's hazel eyes changing color depending on mood. It's complete and utter bullshit. They change depending on the colors around, including paleness/darkness of skin.
Nitpicks: I hate hate hate it when authors have someone's hazel eyes changing color depending on mood. It's complete and utter bullshit. They change depending on the colors around, including paleness/darkness of skin.
November 23, 2010
This was a good book. It’s not a deep book so the characters aren’t developed as a lot of people like them to be but I didn’t mind that.
The book starts with Julian in a position where a cheating ex confronts him at a celebration dinner and is saved by a friend, Ryan, who’s also a client. It goes onto Ryan and Julian eventually hooking up and starting to date. Ending with Julian getting a surprise when he’s attacked in his own home by demons and learns Ryan is what’s called a Warder. They protect humans from dangerous creatures and Julian is his Hearth, a person Warders emotionally invest in. Without Hearths’ Warders will die and unfortunately there aren’t many of them out there. But Julian is one and he’s Ryan’s. When Ryan explains this, Julian takes it pretty well. Accepting what he’s told and eventually asking to kind of experience it by watching as Ryan fights the demons.
I would have rated this 5 stars and the only reason why I didn’t was because I felt the relationship between Julian and Ryan wasn’t developed as much as it could have been and I thought the ending was rushed. There’s definitely action, romance and paranormal elements in this book but I would have liked to see more of the aftereffects of Julian and Ryan after Julian learns the truth. As it was, once he learns it and sees Ryan fight the bad guys, we don’t get much else.
Forewarning, some people might not like this book because they may think it’s unbelievably impossible for any of this to happen but that’s the point. It’s fiction, and on top of that, fantasy, so there are no rules. When reading this book, you have to keep that in mind because whether the blurb makes it seem like it or not, this is a contemporary fantasy, not just a contemporary, but it’s still an enjoyable read and you’ll get a few laughs from it, too.
The book starts with Julian in a position where a cheating ex confronts him at a celebration dinner and is saved by a friend, Ryan, who’s also a client. It goes onto Ryan and Julian eventually hooking up and starting to date. Ending with Julian getting a surprise when he’s attacked in his own home by demons and learns Ryan is what’s called a Warder. They protect humans from dangerous creatures and Julian is his Hearth, a person Warders emotionally invest in. Without Hearths’ Warders will die and unfortunately there aren’t many of them out there. But Julian is one and he’s Ryan’s. When Ryan explains this, Julian takes it pretty well. Accepting what he’s told and eventually asking to kind of experience it by watching as Ryan fights the demons.
I would have rated this 5 stars and the only reason why I didn’t was because I felt the relationship between Julian and Ryan wasn’t developed as much as it could have been and I thought the ending was rushed. There’s definitely action, romance and paranormal elements in this book but I would have liked to see more of the aftereffects of Julian and Ryan after Julian learns the truth. As it was, once he learns it and sees Ryan fight the bad guys, we don’t get much else.
Forewarning, some people might not like this book because they may think it’s unbelievably impossible for any of this to happen but that’s the point. It’s fiction, and on top of that, fantasy, so there are no rules. When reading this book, you have to keep that in mind because whether the blurb makes it seem like it or not, this is a contemporary fantasy, not just a contemporary, but it’s still an enjoyable read and you’ll get a few laughs from it, too.
February 26, 2020
I like Mary Calmes but honestly I HATED this book! I so wanted to DNF but I needed it for a challenge so I finished it. Now I probably would have disliked the book no matter what but I think the audio made it about 10 times worse. By far the worst audio I have listened to. No difference between character voices and it was read in a monotone voice throughout. It was truly awful.
The story - right from the beginning it just felt odd to me. The whole begging to come home with him was just weird. Ryan is supposed to be this gorgeous, super popular, rich guy but he's begging Julian to come home with him over and over. Talk about not taking no for an answer. Julian wants to be friends first before starting a sexual relationship. I liked that about him a lot - unfortunately he gives in and goes home with Ryan and of course has sex with him that night. Not only that but it's without a condom. REALLY? We already know Ryan has A LOT of one night stands but hey let's through all my rules for myself out the window and on top of that have sex bareback.
Talk about instant love - this one had it in spades. Then on top of that the first 75% of the book is just a regular contemporary story and then suddenly there are demons. It comes out of nowhere and the reactions the characters have to finding out that demons exist and there is a group of men who fight them is ridiculous. What demons exist and you fight them. Okay - cool let me tell my best friend and his wife about them and they can accept it immediately as well.
Just No
The story - right from the beginning it just felt odd to me. The whole begging to come home with him was just weird. Ryan is supposed to be this gorgeous, super popular, rich guy but he's begging Julian to come home with him over and over. Talk about not taking no for an answer. Julian wants to be friends first before starting a sexual relationship. I liked that about him a lot - unfortunately he gives in and goes home with Ryan and of course has sex with him that night. Not only that but it's without a condom. REALLY? We already know Ryan has A LOT of one night stands but hey let's through all my rules for myself out the window and on top of that have sex bareback.
Talk about instant love - this one had it in spades. Then on top of that the first 75% of the book is just a regular contemporary story and then suddenly there are demons. It comes out of nowhere and the reactions the characters have to finding out that demons exist and there is a group of men who fight them is ridiculous. What demons exist and you fight them. Okay - cool let me tell my best friend and his wife about them and they can accept it immediately as well.
Just No
April 8, 2020
The whole concept of hearth, its necessity and the role of warders is very appealing. I liked the idea and the warders themselves. The band of brothers of sorts who protect the city from demons is so cool. I really liked the story. It was perfect length in my opinion. I got why Ryan was a tad needy considering what happens to his lovers when he is with them. I would have been worried if not scared as well. One thing I didn't like was this image: both men were gorgeous but didn't think of themselves as gorgeous and kept complimenting each other covertly and overtly. It was a little annoying at times. I wish one of them had, I don't know, a mole or too much chest hair or something to even out the level of gorgeousness going around. Otherwise, I was suitably entertained. I will continue with the series
September 5, 2010
I really liked this story. It's very "sneaky": starting out as a perfectly normal romance, it quickly gives quite a few hints that something else might be going on. A mystery, I thought. Ryan has some deep dark personal secret that he isn't ready to share with his lover Julian.
And when the truth of the actual story twist hits you, it changes pace, full-force into paranormal land. Nicely done!
And when the truth of the actual story twist hits you, it changes pace, full-force into paranormal land. Nicely done!
August 28, 2010
Reviewed for heartsonfirereviews.com
There is something annoying about this book for me and I’m not sure what exactly it was. I can’t decide if it was the fact that once Julian and Ryan hook up, Ryan says “Julian” or “Jules” ad nauseum. That could have been it. Or, it could have been that the blurb is definitely misleading, in that this is a paranormal book, not a contemporary (which is what I thought it was). Finally, it could have been (and I think this might be it) the fact that while Julian is a self-confessed good boy, who is so slow to have sex with lovers (wanting it to matter, to be important) that his cheating ex blames him for his cheating, that it is mentioned repeatedly how “he doesn’t do that” to the point of okay, we get it, when suddenly he is not only sleeping with Ryan immediately but doing it bareback. Ryan, who sleeps with everyone for one night and then discards them. That was off putting, because it changed Julian’s character for me, made him less real and more fictional to fit the story.
That being said, the idea of the Warders was a really good one, that I liked a lot. They protect the city from demons, and are fighters who need a hearth, someone of their own that keeps them strong and gives them a place to recharge, a home. This is interesting, and worth continuing the series. The writing was catchy and Julian really was funny. The story is told in first person from Julian’s perspective and we really don’t get a lot of insight into Ryan (Ryndall). A pretty good opening to a series, and I’ll try another one to see what I think.
There is something annoying about this book for me and I’m not sure what exactly it was. I can’t decide if it was the fact that once Julian and Ryan hook up, Ryan says “Julian” or “Jules” ad nauseum. That could have been it. Or, it could have been that the blurb is definitely misleading, in that this is a paranormal book, not a contemporary (which is what I thought it was). Finally, it could have been (and I think this might be it) the fact that while Julian is a self-confessed good boy, who is so slow to have sex with lovers (wanting it to matter, to be important) that his cheating ex blames him for his cheating, that it is mentioned repeatedly how “he doesn’t do that” to the point of okay, we get it, when suddenly he is not only sleeping with Ryan immediately but doing it bareback. Ryan, who sleeps with everyone for one night and then discards them. That was off putting, because it changed Julian’s character for me, made him less real and more fictional to fit the story.
That being said, the idea of the Warders was a really good one, that I liked a lot. They protect the city from demons, and are fighters who need a hearth, someone of their own that keeps them strong and gives them a place to recharge, a home. This is interesting, and worth continuing the series. The writing was catchy and Julian really was funny. The story is told in first person from Julian’s perspective and we really don’t get a lot of insight into Ryan (Ryndall). A pretty good opening to a series, and I’ll try another one to see what I think.
February 9, 2017
Crazy even for Mary !
October 25, 2020
What on earth did I just read? Lol!!!
First half of the book is Ryan trying to get Julian to bed, then...they were suddenly soul mates? *scratches head*.
But funny enough. I want to continue with the series...
First half of the book is Ryan trying to get Julian to bed, then...they were suddenly soul mates? *scratches head*.
But funny enough. I want to continue with the series...
July 31, 2017
I went into this book blind. And thank God, because I wouldn't have picked it up.
It was nice, like bookish drug, but still not my cup of tea.
It was nice, like bookish drug, but still not my cup of tea.
Read
November 25, 2010This is was quite a “fast” story, meaning that the reader is plunged in the middle of it with little preparation and sometime I add the feeling to having lost the thread. But sincerely I think that was the purpose of the author, and my feeling is also that this is, in the author’s mind, only a first story in a series and so probably the loose ends where nothing else that the starting point of following stories.
Julian is an apparently average and old fashioned guy; he doesn’t like to sleep around, and so, even if he has a six weeks long relationship with a colleague, they have never had sex yet. For a reason or the other, his boyfriend is not so happy, and he decides to cheat on Julian right the day Julian has got a promotion and is invited by the big boss to an important dinner with his partner. Suddenly Julian becomes the hottest guy around, from not having neither a boyfriend to take to dinner, he has: the said boyfriend praying forgiveness, an hot former model and tv entertainer wanting absolutely to take him home, an very wealthy businessman who would like to take him away from his dinner and finally an hot stranger in a bar crusing him without shame. Moreover, Julian’s last boyfriend, the one before the cheating one, comes back asking for a second chance.
I was really wondering if Julian hadn’t taken a love potion that makes him irresistible, but apparently that was not the reason; I spent a lot of time trying to link the above men with the following story, but aside for Ryan, that is the fomer model and future boyfriend, there is no further connection with the men… is the author thinking to use them for another situation? If not some of them, like the businessmen or the stranger in the bar, are worthy of a story, their characters come out in only few sentences.
Almost half the book is spent in one night, like an old movie: the night seems to last forever, before dinner, during dinner, after dinner, at home, during the night… a lot of events will happen and all in one night. And during this night there is something else that let me a bit perplexed: why the author described Julian like a very old fashioned man, absolutely no sex with stranger, and even safe one night stand is not his thing, and then, even if Ryan has not exactly a stellar reputation, he has unprotected sex with him? True, Ryan told him he is tested every 6 months, and last test was 2 weeks before, but Julian has not seen Ryan’s test, and in any case, it didn’t sound right to me that he accepted to do that first night they are together.
This was an all right story, but I think it will be best read with a sequel, to help the reader the close the loose ends.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003XNTZMA/?...
Julian is an apparently average and old fashioned guy; he doesn’t like to sleep around, and so, even if he has a six weeks long relationship with a colleague, they have never had sex yet. For a reason or the other, his boyfriend is not so happy, and he decides to cheat on Julian right the day Julian has got a promotion and is invited by the big boss to an important dinner with his partner. Suddenly Julian becomes the hottest guy around, from not having neither a boyfriend to take to dinner, he has: the said boyfriend praying forgiveness, an hot former model and tv entertainer wanting absolutely to take him home, an very wealthy businessman who would like to take him away from his dinner and finally an hot stranger in a bar crusing him without shame. Moreover, Julian’s last boyfriend, the one before the cheating one, comes back asking for a second chance.
I was really wondering if Julian hadn’t taken a love potion that makes him irresistible, but apparently that was not the reason; I spent a lot of time trying to link the above men with the following story, but aside for Ryan, that is the fomer model and future boyfriend, there is no further connection with the men… is the author thinking to use them for another situation? If not some of them, like the businessmen or the stranger in the bar, are worthy of a story, their characters come out in only few sentences.
Almost half the book is spent in one night, like an old movie: the night seems to last forever, before dinner, during dinner, after dinner, at home, during the night… a lot of events will happen and all in one night. And during this night there is something else that let me a bit perplexed: why the author described Julian like a very old fashioned man, absolutely no sex with stranger, and even safe one night stand is not his thing, and then, even if Ryan has not exactly a stellar reputation, he has unprotected sex with him? True, Ryan told him he is tested every 6 months, and last test was 2 weeks before, but Julian has not seen Ryan’s test, and in any case, it didn’t sound right to me that he accepted to do that first night they are together.
This was an all right story, but I think it will be best read with a sequel, to help the reader the close the loose ends.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003XNTZMA/?...
May 20, 2011
Well, now I understand what most of the reviews for this book were talking about. There was likely three or four stories that someone, be it the author or the publisher, tried to stitch together. The result was more Frankenstein than seamless. Holy crap balls, this was hot mess.
Our heroes both seemed to suffer from either some kind of multiple personality disorder or the male form of PMS. I haven't seen personalities shift so fast since my office Christmas party. The smut, which could have been the saving grace, was oddly lacking. This was likely the fault of those personality switches. And the demon hunter thing? Totally came out of left field.
In fact, I would have rated this three stars if the paranormal plot had been left on the cutting room floor. Or if the story and characters had been fleshed out into a full book. If I, as a reader, had been able to get to know them better (hell, if they had gotten to know each other better!) and the plot had been spun out to a novel length, I really think this could have been a good book. As it is, this novella left me needing a neck brace from the whiplash and a headache from banging my head on they keyboard.
Our heroes both seemed to suffer from either some kind of multiple personality disorder or the male form of PMS. I haven't seen personalities shift so fast since my office Christmas party. The smut, which could have been the saving grace, was oddly lacking. This was likely the fault of those personality switches. And the demon hunter thing? Totally came out of left field.
In fact, I would have rated this three stars if the paranormal plot had been left on the cutting room floor. Or if the story and characters had been fleshed out into a full book. If I, as a reader, had been able to get to know them better (hell, if they had gotten to know each other better!) and the plot had been spun out to a novel length, I really think this could have been a good book. As it is, this novella left me needing a neck brace from the whiplash and a headache from banging my head on they keyboard.
July 30, 2010
FYI: This is not the contemporary that the blurb leads you to believe. A huge pet peeve with me is when the blurb misleads you as to what sort of genre or subgenre a book is.
I am reading along enjoying Mary Calmes trademark style a la "A Matter of Time" and in the middle of the book slap you upside of the head holes open up in the floor and suddenly Ryan is a warder. WTF? Used to be he was a model now he's some kind of supernatural being? Warning crankiness to follow: After this unpleasant shock, it was clear after the fact that there was some clumsy foreshadowing that Ryan was not what he seemed to be. It felt like it was a short story (a contemporary) then she decided to make it longer so added the paranormal aspects to it and went back to the original story and added a couple sentences to make it seem planned.
Aside from the crankiness-causing unexpected 180 turn in storyline, it was a cute, little read.
Aftertaste: cranky
I am reading along enjoying Mary Calmes trademark style a la "A Matter of Time" and in the middle of the book slap you upside of the head holes open up in the floor and suddenly Ryan is a warder. WTF? Used to be he was a model now he's some kind of supernatural being? Warning crankiness to follow: After this unpleasant shock, it was clear after the fact that there was some clumsy foreshadowing that Ryan was not what he seemed to be. It felt like it was a short story (a contemporary) then she decided to make it longer so added the paranormal aspects to it and went back to the original story and added a couple sentences to make it seem planned.
Aside from the crankiness-causing unexpected 180 turn in storyline, it was a cute, little read.
Aftertaste: cranky
December 1, 2011
The easy acceptance of all things paranormal/supernatural is fascinating to me. And not just in this book, but generally...After reading so many books with demons, I would probably react the same way though...Oh, you are a guardian of diamond sword that will save the human race from the devil himself??? COOL!!! Anyways, I'm not saying that I don't like it...in fact, I loved this one. Julian was a great character and Ryan? Hmmm, yummy :)
March 3, 2017
3.4 Stars
Meh. A little confusing and obviously only the first part of a series with a 'verse that needs more expounding upon. The most appealing aspect of the book is that there was a distinct lack of a Jory. That alone is reason enough to give the second one a try...
Meh. A little confusing and obviously only the first part of a series with a 'verse that needs more expounding upon. The most appealing aspect of the book is that there was a distinct lack of a Jory. That alone is reason enough to give the second one a try...
July 29, 2010
This was a great book - I wish we could go into the relationship a bit more after the big reveal, though.
Hopefully there will be a sequel.
Hopefully there will be a sequel.
November 26, 2022
I almost DNF'd this at 50%, but since it was such a short book I decided to push through. It didn't get better, just stranger. I was completely shocked when this turned into a paranormal romance; I didn't see that coming.
I didn't like Ryan from the start. Julian made it very clear that he didn't like one night stands and that he had no intention of going home with Ryan, but Ryan refused to take no for an answer. On top of that, Julian had had quite a bit to drink, so him being railroaded into going home with Ryan made me very uncomfortable. I also felt no connection between Julian and Ryan.
The paranormal twist was OTT. Although I love a good paranormal romance, this one didn't interest me and I have no plans to continue with the series.
I didn't like Ryan from the start. Julian made it very clear that he didn't like one night stands and that he had no intention of going home with Ryan, but Ryan refused to take no for an answer. On top of that, Julian had had quite a bit to drink, so him being railroaded into going home with Ryan made me very uncomfortable. I also felt no connection between Julian and Ryan.
The paranormal twist was OTT. Although I love a good paranormal romance, this one didn't interest me and I have no plans to continue with the series.
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