Fighting Destiny a sexy erotic romance that is sure to knock your socks off, if you can see past the rough edges.
Overall: ★★★★☆ 
This book drummed up a lot of commotion over on on Facebook 's Erotic Book Club in the past few months, so I couldn't wait to get my hands on it to see what it was all about. I read review after review of the work, most of which were extremely positive despite the attention called to the lack of editing of the piece. So with guarded yet baited breath I dove in and was....
Pleasantly surprised. The plot immediately pulled me in, they were assassins and secret agents, people of power and mystery.
"Confirmed, Syn—be careful. There's no contingency plan,” Adam replied
quietly.
“Wouldn’t have it any other way,”
I said with more bravado than I was currently feeling.
If I got caught we cut ties.
I continued through the work, unable to put it down, despite some hiccups, and felt myself growing attached to the characters. It is very apparent that Author Amelia Hutchins poured her soul into this little gem, giving us a steamy, passion filled romance.
Cover: ★★★★★
The cover pulled me in, it is one of the more professional covers I have seen for works of Erotic Fantasy/Romance. I want to know who did it so that I can commission them myself.
Originality: ★★★★★
I love the idea of a Fae World (I am currently working on a novella/novel in that genre as we speak!), so it comes as no surprise that Fae would peak my interest, but it isn't what makes it original. The way she executes a story about the Fae is.
The Fae are out and the humans know about them. It is a world of magical realism where technology, magic and the Fae collide. The Fae are the top tier of social class and they are ballsy.
The Fae's preferred method to generate the highest emotion in humans was through sex. Seems there was some truth to those old stories about Succubi and Incubi and the Fae not only consumed emotions—they could also take all or part of the soul while feeding.
Plot ★★★★☆
I loved the romance plot. I loved the Fae/Transition plot. I felt like they were well thought out and that they had very good buildups, pinch points, climaxes and resolutions. I was very impressed. Though I have to say that the main "crime" story could have been better. It was predictable and in places felt hurried (I don't want to give away too much, so I am being careful not to include details). I found myself not so much caring about that aspect of it, but turning page after page to find out what is going to happen between Syn and Ryder. Especially when old flames rear their ugly heads.
Over all, I thought it was really well done. I can't wait to see the plot layout for the next installment of the series.
Character Development ★★★★☆
I felt like the character development was well done. It was thought out and well rounded, while at the same time being very deep and working well with the plot. There were areas that could have been addressed a bit more, things that could have been teased out with the two main characters, but overall I felt very satisfied.
Oh sweet baby Jesus, what the hell had I just agreed to do? The blood in my body was draining to one place, and it was as good of an excuse to use as any. When I was around Ryder, I spoke gibberish, and my brain was located in my nether region. I had to get away from him and fast before I did something I would live to regret. You didn’t sleep with a man like Ryder and walk away the same woman you had been before. If I gave in, things would change inside of me, forever.
There were times when I did want more from the secondary characters. Larissa for example, it felt like there was more to her story. Sometimes I felt like we shouldn't trust her, even. Several times Syn questions her. I need more there.
Oh and Z. What is his story? That sounds like a sexy spin-off all its own.
Editing: ★★☆☆☆
This is where Ms. Hutchin needs a little help. It's a diamond in the rough but nothing a good (or great) line editor can't fix. (Hint, Hint, If you are reading this, Ms. Amelia: This professional editor would be more than happy to go through your work.)
There are overused words, underused commas, general punctuation issues, some word choice issues, and the general need for some cleaning up here and there. But, despite this, the read is still worth it (if you can tolerate those kinds of things).
I know, I know, there is a huge push from Self-Published Authors to be as spotless as we can be in our writing, and I don't blame them. But really, if you like Alpha-Romances, this one (while it could use a good editor, *ahem*) is worth it.
The Sex ★★★★★
Come on, admit it. This is the most important part of this piece, of any piece, really. The part that you can't wait to get to when you open this book.
Warning: Contains some hinting at Dubious Consent. This is somewhat sexy but also a little scary, though not unprecedented (seriously- go look. Dubious Consent, AKA DubCon, is a huge seller on Amazon). Even Terry Goodkind has it in his Sword of Truth books. I'm okay with it (Hell, I even wrote some DubCon) .
Ryder released my face and moved to the end of the exam table, deftly lifting himself up and moving my legs around his hips as he did so. I groaned as he lifted my body, slowly, effortlessly. His hands placing my own over his shoulders as his slid gently down my back. I ground myself against him and enjoyed the deep rumble that ripped from his chest. I was on fire, and he was the cure.
Except that Hutchin's doesn't get to the actual sex until several chapters later! The teasing and titillation kept me from screaming in frustration (and throwing my book out the window), but also made me burn thought this book in less than five hours (straight, because I am insane that way).
But when you do finally get to the sex... it is worth the wait. I'm not going to add any sexy excerpts because I want to keep it clean and save you from any spoilers.
Veronica Hardy is a professional editor and author who enjoys writing reviews in her spare time, for fun. She is not compensated by authors, publishers or online retail markets for her opinions. If you are interested in a book review or editing services please email her at Veronica.R.Hardy@gmail.com.
"Confirmed, Syn—be careful. There's no contingency plan,” Adam replied
quietly.
“Wouldn’t have it any other way,”
I said with more bravado than I was currently feeling.
If I got caught we cut ties.
I continued through the work, unable to put it down, despite some hiccups, and felt myself growing attached to the characters. It is very apparent that Author Amelia Hutchins poured her soul into this little gem, giving us a steamy, passion filled romance.
Cover: ★★★★★
The cover pulled me in, it is one of the more professional covers I have seen for works of Erotic Fantasy/Romance. I want to know who did it so that I can commission them myself.
Originality: ★★★★★
I love the idea of a Fae World (I am currently working on a novella/novel in that genre as we speak!), so it comes as no surprise that Fae would peak my interest, but it isn't what makes it original. The way she executes a story about the Fae is.
The Fae are out and the humans know about them. It is a world of magical realism where technology, magic and the Fae collide. The Fae are the top tier of social class and they are ballsy.
The Fae's preferred method to generate the highest emotion in humans was through sex. Seems there was some truth to those old stories about Succubi and Incubi and the Fae not only consumed emotions—they could also take all or part of the soul while feeding.
Plot ★★★★☆
I loved the romance plot. I loved the Fae/Transition plot. I felt like they were well thought out and that they had very good buildups, pinch points, climaxes and resolutions. I was very impressed. Though I have to say that the main "crime" story could have been better. It was predictable and in places felt hurried (I don't want to give away too much, so I am being careful not to include details). I found myself not so much caring about that aspect of it, but turning page after page to find out what is going to happen between Syn and Ryder. Especially when old flames rear their ugly heads.
Over all, I thought it was really well done. I can't wait to see the plot layout for the next installment of the series.
Character Development ★★★★☆
I felt like the character development was well done. It was thought out and well rounded, while at the same time being very deep and working well with the plot. There were areas that could have been addressed a bit more, things that could have been teased out with the two main characters, but overall I felt very satisfied.
Oh sweet baby Jesus, what the hell had I just agreed to do? The blood in my body was draining to one place, and it was as good of an excuse to use as any. When I was around Ryder, I spoke gibberish, and my brain was located in my nether region. I had to get away from him and fast before I did something I would live to regret. You didn’t sleep with a man like Ryder and walk away the same woman you had been before. If I gave in, things would change inside of me, forever.
There were times when I did want more from the secondary characters. Larissa for example, it felt like there was more to her story. Sometimes I felt like we shouldn't trust her, even. Several times Syn questions her. I need more there.
Oh and Z. What is his story? That sounds like a sexy spin-off all its own.
Editing: ★★☆☆☆
This is where Ms. Hutchin needs a little help. It's a diamond in the rough but nothing a good (or great) line editor can't fix. (Hint, Hint, If you are reading this, Ms. Amelia: This professional editor would be more than happy to go through your work.)
There are overused words, underused commas, general punctuation issues, some word choice issues, and the general need for some cleaning up here and there. But, despite this, the read is still worth it (if you can tolerate those kinds of things).
I know, I know, there is a huge push from Self-Published Authors to be as spotless as we can be in our writing, and I don't blame them. But really, if you like Alpha-Romances, this one (while it could use a good editor, *ahem*) is worth it.
The Sex ★★★★★
Come on, admit it. This is the most important part of this piece, of any piece, really. The part that you can't wait to get to when you open this book.
Warning: Contains some hinting at Dubious Consent. This is somewhat sexy but also a little scary, though not unprecedented (seriously- go look. Dubious Consent, AKA DubCon, is a huge seller on Amazon). Even Terry Goodkind has it in his Sword of Truth books. I'm okay with it (Hell, I even wrote some DubCon) .
Ryder released my face and moved to the end of the exam table, deftly lifting himself up and moving my legs around his hips as he did so. I groaned as he lifted my body, slowly, effortlessly. His hands placing my own over his shoulders as his slid gently down my back. I ground myself against him and enjoyed the deep rumble that ripped from his chest. I was on fire, and he was the cure.
Except that Hutchin's doesn't get to the actual sex until several chapters later! The teasing and titillation kept me from screaming in frustration (and throwing my book out the window), but also made me burn thought this book in less than five hours (straight, because I am insane that way).
But when you do finally get to the sex... it is worth the wait. I'm not going to add any sexy excerpts because I want to keep it clean and save you from any spoilers.
Veronica Hardy is a professional editor and author who enjoys writing reviews in her spare time, for fun. She is not compensated by authors, publishers or online retail markets for her opinions. If you are interested in a book review or editing services please email her at Veronica.R.Hardy@gmail.com.
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