When Rachel McKenna uncovers a Japanese katana her first day on the job at the Jade Dragon antique shop, she awakens an ancient spirit and two souls become one… Rachel McKenna is a college student flunking her pre-law courses with dreams of making it big on the local art scene. A closet bookworm with an overbearing mother and no social life, she’s just one step away from becoming a college dropout. Atsuhiko Abe is a former samurai from the golden age of a feudal Japan turned modern day art dealer. The victim of a four centuries old curse, he is in search of his ancestral sword to atone for the sins of his past and avenge the death of his beloved wife. When Atsuhiko answers the call of his familial sword, he is brought face to face with an ancient enemy, the spirit of his late wife Haruko, newly resurrected from the dead, and Rachel McKenna, the innocent young woman Haruko has taken as a host. Duty bound, Atsuhiko vows to protect Rachel from the reach of their shared enemy while seeking forgiveness from the ghost of his beloved. As fate draws them closer together in heart, body, mind, and soul, Atsuhiko and Rachel must learn to live with their newfound connection and emergent love while unraveling the secrets of a long-forgotten tragedy before history repeats itself.
Elaine Sherman is a writer of paranormal romance with an obsession for dark fantasy and forgotten lore. When not penning a novel, she enjoys watching old re-runs of Dark Shadows, catching up on the latest Manga and reading a horde of Indie books.
TL DR: An Interesting story that is beautifully written, funny and captivating. It left me eager to for the next work from Sherman.
The introductory story to the journey between Rachel McKenna and Atsuhiko Abe was most notably, a beautifully written novel. Sherman weaves an elegant tapestry here, and the characters are both likeable and very human. Sherman has a wry sense of humor and it brings out a lot in the characters. The relationship between McKenna and Abe feels pretty natural, and there is enough twist and intrigue throughout the work to keep you engaged to the very last page. Though there were some reveals that I would consider to be heavily hinted at, there is still plenty of unexpected and natural moments. The story has a great mix of tension, humor, mystery and discovery, and the world feels natural. I generally do not read too many romance novels myself, preferring sci-fi, and fantasy adventures personally, but I am really glad I picked this one up. If you are looking for a not-to-heavy read and an interesting story, look no further.
Very thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had great characters; especially, Abe. The story has some great action, horror bits, and the relationship between the two main characters is actually believable for once! The only real critique that I would give for the book is that it had some smaller plot points that could have been fleshed out a bit more, everything gets a satisfactory ending; however, it feels like the book needed one more chapter. I'm not usually a fan of these types of titles but I really enjoy reading indie authors and this one is a book that i'll come back to again!
I liked this book. though it was slow sometimes and i was really irritated by the main female lead Rachael. The female lead from the beginning was rude and had a bad attitude. Even though she is 20 she is really childish and does not listen. I did like the male lead Atsuhiko, even though he can't be trusted. Despite my annoyances, the book was good with a mix of romance, mild suspense, and mystery.
This was a strong start to the Jade Dragon series, it had that fantasy element that I was looking for and was engaged with what was happening. It uses the urban fantasy element that I was wanting and was glad the world worked overall. The characters had that overall feel that I was wanting and enjoyed the concept. Elaine Sherman wrote this well and was engaged from the first page.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Great start to this series. I found the book very interesting, as I have read little to nothing about Japanese history and folklore, and this book did not disappoint. The plot was gripping and the characters were well written.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Very good and intriguing story about 2 individuals from 2 different worlds (past/ present, mortal/immortal, class and cultures, etc.) This book has a mixture of everything from history, paranormal, romance, suspense, and mystery.
The first book on this series was a strong start. I enjoyed the author’s style. The descriptiveness allowed me to visualize the scenes. I look forward to getting to know the main and supporting characters better as the series continues.
A fantasy romance about two people whose lives are thrown together and set on a quest. Rachael is a host for Atsuhiko’s wife’s ghost. Together they face challenges that are set in front them and slowly see each in a different light. A wonderfully written story and characters.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I took this recommendation and I’m so glad I did! At first I wasn’t engaged since I didn’t even know what I was getting into but about halfway through I became enthralled with this new magic underworld I was in. I loved the characters and am excited to see what happens in book two!