The Enchantment Emporium (Gale Women, #1) in Action Heroine Fans

Apr 18, 2013 Mike (the Paladin) rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: didn-t-finish

I'm sorry if you like this book...and I'm tired.

It seems more and more that when I pick up a book looking for an Urban Fantasy I get paranormal romance. I suppose that I set the bar lower than some for deciding what is PNR. And at the risk of being stoned I find more often than not if it's a female author it's going to lean that way (not always I know. I kind of like Rob Thurman's Leandros series).

The idea behind this book sounded good and caught my interest. I went out and bought it based on r I'm sorry if you like this book...and I'm tired.

It seems more and more that when I pick up a book looking for an Urban Fantasy I get paranormal romance. I suppose that I set the bar lower than some for deciding what is PNR. And at the risk of being stoned I find more often than not if it's a female author it's going to lean that way (not always I know. I kind of like Rob Thurman's Leandros series).

The idea behind this book sounded good and caught my interest. I went out and bought it based on recommendations here. It opened up alright. The set up telling us about the Gale women (and Gale men and Gale boys and so on). Our young heroine seems to inherit a "junk shop" (read magical junk shop)...seems to inherit because the aunties don't believe grandma (from whom the shop is inherited) is dead.

The family is interesting, the connection to the fey is interesting, the shop is interesting the book was promising...except for (again) it's preoccupation with what I suppose we can call, "affairs of the heart".

The aunties want Alysha (our heroine) to get over the cousin she was thought to be planning to marry (Gale girls apparently always...or almost always marry Gale boys) loving someone else (a young man whom at the opening of the book he lives with). There is the discussion of which girl another highly prized Gale "stud" may choose...and on and on and on.

At one point Alysha meets a "reporter" and wonders during the conversation if "his hair would feel as silky as it looks if she brushed it back". She's distracted by his hands, his eyes, and the distractions of what's, "under his clothes".

Think about a book where a male writer goes on and on about being distracted by what's "under the clothes" of the women he meets...the "hero" wanting to "brush back their hair to see if it's a silky as it looks". The male would be a stalker...

Anyway...burned out, sick of the (forgive me) estrogen and I'm laying it aside. I read about a quarter of the book...I don't want to put any more time into it.

If it's for you enjoy...it's not for me, I'm apparently NOT the target audience. ...more

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Aug 23, 2010 Catherine rated it liked it

This was so close, so very close to being awesome. We've got a extended bi and poly family norm, likable characters and a plot with oodles of potential. I got pulled in for the first third, then she lost me by the end of book, at which point it's a chaotic mess in place of the awesomeness with which we began. Sigh. It's still a pleasant, fast-paced read - good end of summer veg out stuff, but I can't say I'm not a bit disappointed. ...more

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