Although not all my reviews are spoilery, which I do not consider this one to be, here is a little warning just in case.

 Review Written: 27th April 2012

Dark Heart Surrender by Lee Monroe

This book is the third in the series and because I have not reviewed the first two, here is a quick 411. Jane Jonas is the protagonist, and she falls for Luca who happens to be a werewolf and lives in a world called Nissilum with other werewolves, vampires, angels, etc. The first two books featured the pair finding a way to be together because Luca’s folks were all ‘no way are we letting our son marry a human.’ Think Romeo & Juliet just with magical creatures & the absence of Shakespeare’s writing.  Fortunately, Dark Heart Surrender starts with Luca living with Jane in the mortal world (he’s decided to leave his world, get a job and live with Jane’s family full time.)

One evening at dinner, Jane’s sister Dot, starts talking about giant foxes – on Nissilum, these foxes, or the Vulpecula,  were human by day, and as the temperature dropped in the evening, they turned to foxes. They saw themselves as more intelligent than werewolves so there was a rivalry. It just so happens, while at work, Luca finds a necklace in a puddle of fresh blood. While at school, Jane has been asked to look after new student Polly and help her settle in. Of course, as a reader, you can’t help but feel suspicious. Especially when Polly wants to set Jane up with her brother Ade – he’s looking for a ‘match’ and as Jane states, it is “an odd way to describe a girlfriend, at least coming from a teenager.” (p.49)

As the book progresses, I dislike Polly & Ade even more. The true extent of their vindictiveness and evil nature is revealed as you read on. They’re very human in the way they twist words – so that everyone turns against Luca, even casting doubts in Jane’s mind about the ‘perfectness’ of her boyfriend. They are also successful in turning Jane’s very limited number of friends against her – when Ade starts dating her friend Ashley, she believes Jane wants Ade for herself. So, through the great power of female teenage jealousy....the two fall out through no fault of Jane’s own.

The tag line on the cover of this book ‘will love tear them apart this time?’ can finally be asked. For a brief moment, yes; Luca and Jane need help and yet Jane’s solution to the problem is sending Luca back to Nissilum. It’s him the Vulpecula want (there is a rivalry between the two families), so back at home surrounded by his family, he will be safe. However, Jane won’t be when she’s left behind on Mortal Earth at the mercy of the antagonists.

The climax is reached and resolved in a couple of chapters. Cue the reappearance of Luca in werewolf form and oh, the happily ever after. The ending tied together all three books quite nicely, if not a little quickly. The book is very easy to read and can be achieved in one sitting (considering you do not have something else to be doing, an essay for an example, which a certain reviewer should be doing with her time.) I'm assuming this is the last in the appeared trilogy - the Q&A with the author at the back states she is writing another series 'very much rooted in reality.' On this note, I do believe Monroe has ended Jane and Luca's story quite nicely.

NEXT REVIEW: AMANDA HOCKING'S SWITCHED