Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Clematis attracts attention whether he wants it or not, and in response, he's turned himself into the ideal fairy, or, at least, what humans think is the ideal fairy. He works hard to embody every fairy stereotype. He can be a sulky prince or a submissive flirt, slutty and arrogant, or silly and soft. Everyone wants him, just not for long. Well, everyone except the fairy Clematis secretly adores. But Clematis has never expected a happily ever after.

Then another fairy curses Clematis to be seen as he really is, and Clematis is terrified. He knows the truth, that all there is to him is beauty and sex. That’s all that anyone has ever wanted from him. Even his happiness, what fairies call someone who shines more to them than anyone else ever could, does not want the mess that Clematis knows he is beneath the glitter.

Except now there is magic in the air, and everything Clematis has done to protect himself from the cruelty of the world no longer works. He’s been cursed, or so he thinks. But he forgot that a fairy’s power lies in truth, and that fairy curses are often blessings in disguise, and happiness might be within his grasp, after all.

Note from the author: Being(s) in Love: Magical creatures known as beings emerged from hiding amid the destruction of the First World War. Since then they’ve lived on the margins of the human world as misunderstood objects of fear and desire. Some are beautiful, others fearsome and powerful. Yet for all their magic and strength, they are as vulnerable as anyone when it comes to matters of the heart.

First edition published by Dreamspinner Press, November 2018.

Book Review

“If no one has taught you about love, perhaps it’s time you were forced to learn, Fairy Clematis. The light you want will never find you if you stay in the dark.” – Tulip, A Dandelion for Tulip

Everlasting is the setting for this latest story in the ‘Beings in Love’ series, and at its center are Clematis and Flor, secondary characters from previous books. Both of them are fairies, and if I previously believed that only fairy-human relationships are difficult – well, I know better now. Flor used to be in love with David before he and Tulip got together, and is now sort of adrift, not sure he is meant to fall in love and/or find “the one” for him. Clematis is as insecure as they come, has no idea what love is, and thinks sleeping with others will make them like him. What a pair! Between Flor trying to find his feet after David and the anguish Clematis feels every day of his life for multiple reasons, this was a heartbreaking story to read. I loved every second though; partly because I knew a happy end was coming and partly because Clematis just tried sooo hard and I wanted to be there to root for him. I was completely spellbound.

The meaning of love is different from person to person, but Clematis, who has never experienced it, has an extra hard time figuring it out. His parents rejected him when he was a baby, his adoptive mother was a fairy and easily distracted, and with all the abuse Clematis has suffered, he believes it will never be his to experience. He has figured out that being seductive gets him out of dangerous situations, so he uses his body to avoid problems – only, that creates a whole new set of issues. He may want to fall in love – theoretically – but he is deadly afraid of the pain when rejected, so he figures it is better not to try. The walls around his heart are almost impenetrable, yet they will have to fall if he ever wants to be happy.

Clematis’s friends have a hard time understanding him, not surprising with nobody really listening to him and with Clematis not daring to open up. He wants to work with children, but that is not acceptable to bigoted humans. He suffers abuse from his anti-being boss who makes his job almost impossible for him. It is a miracle that he has survived as long as he has! He has a few remarkable achievements, but because nobody takes him seriously, least of all Clematis himself, they go unnoticed. Then Flor begins to really “see” Clematis, but that opens up a whole new can of worms. Flor has problems himself, and between the two of them, it seems that they will never be able to leave their past behind them and get the future they deserve.

If you like supernatural worlds with intricate rules and difficult-to-understand fairy magic, if inner journeys to freedom are your thing, and if you’re looking for an emotionally draining read about a romance with more obstacles than should be legal and some surprisingly kinky fairy loving, then you will probably love this novel as much as I do. It is a brilliant addition to the series!

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by the publisher for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook and audio
Length	Novel, 321 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	26-May-2020
Price	$4.99 ebook, $14.95 audiobook
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Clematis-Being-Love-Book-ebook/dp/B085N88L8Y