Photo credits: David Mark Edited by Vaishali Title: Sealed with a Kiss Author: Cassie Cole Genre/Themes: Contemporary Romance, Adult Fiction, Action-adventure, Polyamorous reverse-harem, Military Publisher: Juicy Gems Publishing. Year of Publication: 2020. Format: E-book - kindle app. R E V I E W ... ‘As much as I wanted the Diadem, I don’t want to leave behind a world where the greatest treasures have all been found.’ “I have many questions for you, Dakota Bettiker.” “Ask away.” “Are you named for North Dakota, or South Dakota? And also, how did you fall into the company of such hideously ugly men?” The offended looks on my three companions’ faces made me double-over with laughter. A L I T T L E A N E C D O T E... CONFESSION. Books weren’t my first love, films were. Please suspend your weapons of attack before you pummel me with the weight of your reader scorn. I know what you’re thinking, this is bookish blasphemy! I’ll admit, I wasn’t the traditional ‘I came flying out of the womb with reader specs and an appetite for words’. I took my lawful time to secure a love for reading but I still loved stories. A lot. And well, cinematic narration I found, was a fantastic, reachable medium to spread some of the most far-reaching types. With the lunch money I saved up every day, I’d wait for a free school period to visit my local supermarket so I could browse, with a reserved but patient and strategic enthusiasm, through my favourite collections and genres. Top picks were fantasy, adventure, action, thriller and suspense. That was the advent of what would become my meager chorus of accumulated favourites. ‘National Treasure’ was among them, and to this day, is still a winning front-runner. The action, adventure, the humour, the suspenseful phases of the quest, the ethos of cultural conservation, the chase for historical accuracy and Benjamin Gates’ - played by Nicholas Cage - honourable intent in righting a false claim coalesced into a cinematic piece that made me dream of adventure and to one day find my own treasure-worthy truth in life. My point, fellow reader, is that after scouting out the premise of ‘Sealed with a kiss’ by one of my favourite reverse harem romance authors, Cassie Cole, I couldn’t betray the wave of giddy joy I felt In thinking ‘a written hunt that just might possess the escapade of classic adventure’? YES PLEASE. Why? Because this turned out to be an ambitious piece of romantic fiction that stands on the cavernous floors of its own merit while paying a praise and celebrating the amazing films I’ve loved. T H E S T O R Y Dakota Bettiker, just like Cole’s traditional type of leading protagonist is astute, poised, independent and professionally tactful with something to prove, a vulnerability that can sometimes sabotage her rational state of mind. A compliment rather than a criticism. Vulnerability lends a lot to gain and to explore for any character, within and without, and that’s why emotional resonance, well...resonates. She didn’t disappoint. The archetype might be consistent but it's a safe reliability. Treasure questing is a hunt of solitary proportions and Dokota has set her adventurous boots and linear senses on the biggest odyssey of her life: finding the lost Khan Diadem. The mighty and mystical ancient relic has stained her pupils with thrilling glee and outfitted her pursuit for victory in every shade of impetus but predominantly of sentimental incline. A travel-heavy, foot-over-foot schedule is the resolute life of a treasure seeker, but settling in the mist of her mother’s archaeological bequest and troubled by an inheritance that surrounds her daily, Dakota decidedly shoulders the goal of a lifetime to complete a deeply-valued collection of artifacts that belonged to one of the most notorious rulers in history. She just needs the crowning piece. Shame she’s not the only one on the hunt though… After a hot night spent with a gorgeous traveller, Dakota wakes to find that her nighttime visitor, Roman Cedeno, is none other than competition, a fellow archeologist who cares more for the payout and the payday. He also lied to her. Roman and Dakota may share the same mission but they don’t share the same cultural values. After refusing an offer to two it to the finish line, they’re pitted apart…and so the chase begins and so the plot thickens! M Y T H O U G H T S I rarely say it. I seldom use it, but it’s happening. This book was of the unputdownable variety. That’s not a phrase I use flippantly, but honestly, I pushed myself into late nights just to keep reading. I truly had forgotten the mortal peril of going without Cassie Cole crusade. This includes but is not limited to; bookish slumps, wondering why love is one pair deal, feeling the direct deficiency of exploratory, headstrong heroines who rule the roost and have a heart large enough for three. ‘Sealed with a Kiss’ broke my miserable drought and charmed me with its enthusiastic attraction. I loved it. From first page to last. Cover to blurb. Word to word. From height to width, this was lit. Romance has made itself my melody, I’ll swagger, strut and sway with its pitch, and Cassie Cole sports a special make that orchestrates a harmony that recharges, fascinates and climaxes to love that comes in sets of three. If you’ve read from Cole, you’ll know her affinity: multiple partner love and an action-dense, active plot. With Dakota as head of the pack, Luke and Wade, her two serving, top-tier ex-SEAL mercenary recruits and Roman, her quick, cocksure, thirsty equal, we’ve got a cast of characters who all identify as individuals. Each protagonist has a presence. Luke, the silent safeguarding stoic, Wade, the southern, boyish comedian and Roman, the self-facilitating hunter who’s aim to carve his name in stone sometimes compromises his ethical compass. Fact that binds with fiction makes for some of the most compelling stories and persuasive reads. Cassie Cole monopolises on this with a story that boasts a stainless strand of research. Smartly studied with a proportional depth of research, there’s plenty of historical information to eat up without those heavy info dumps that can clog up those vital neural pathways. A well-guaged level of detail and direction defines the lacework of a Cassie Cole novel. The dialogue is naturally engaging and well-placed. It reminds me of big screen film where dialogue effectively places itself for strategic impact and comedy value. All the while feeling effortlessly artless. I can only say good things about it. The plot itself is much thicker than the actual romance and the romantic connections so i wouldn't expect impressively detailed romantic developemts. Though you will get needed vulnerability and cursory, mellow moments from the characters between the story-building developments. ‘Sealed with a Kiss’ manages to expertly invoke some resonance and matter within a quickly paced adventure sequence. This is a story that combines a swift, streamlined pace with tension, suspense and constant movement broken up by a lot of flowing comedy. I was giddy with giggles and smiles through a GOOD portion of the book from the laughable moments alone, and the humour goes a way in latching onto levity while the heart skips with the uptick of the plot. It just made me feel good. If you read from this author you’ll know she writes reverse harem, polyamorous romance so you’re in for some singular and multiple partner situations. I’ll admit that the sexy scenes do unfold rather quickly, the details of which can sometimes read as bare, but the brevity of theses scenes meets the fast moving plot so synchronicity balances itself out. The character relationships could use some owl-eyed attention to level the more human developments with the rate surrounding story, but that's all i have in the name of critique... T H E F I N A L Returning to a Cassie Cole novel is like a homecoming, replete with a fuzzy welcome mat, a buoyant reception and dewy-eyed nostalgia from arriving back to familiar territory. With Cole’s novels though, you won’t be without the chiselled man muscle that can only be found in her books, not in your home. Characteristically, stories don’t always make for smooth reading experiences for me because among substantial cognitive dysfunction, i experience the heavy disability of someone who lives with chronic illness. I also have readers OCD as branch of OCD itself. It’s not fun. At all. It's a transformative quality for a story to make you feel light on your feet and light on the inside... I'll offer some context. I've lived with chronic illness for a number of years. It's truly debilitating and i describe it as living a half life, or even less than that. I see it as a hellhole on my worst days, with only a hellscape for a view. When Katniss Everdeen is deep in the hunger games and she receives those Sponsor packages that fall gracefully from above, the ones that make a big difference in healing and a painful death? That's what great stories are to me. Parcels of promise. I've realised that Cassie Cole's stories parcel such promises. They offer an amazing distraction with tear-apart action. ‘Sealed with a kiss’ was an unproblematic read, both in writing style and content. It was both and easy and delightful to digest. It’s also officially the best book I’ve read so far this year. The hunt can consume the hunter and the hunter can become blindsided by the object of the hunt, especially within a chase that promises no bounty. Dakota is hand in hand with the reins and ready to shoulder the abiding odyssey, but a highly strung business invites a thrilling, magnetic chase for a cursed artifact with a strong gravitational pull. Every clue in and every lead hooked strengthens the allure of an invaluable item. One that sounds her name and keeps her captive eyes on the ancient prize, poised at an uncalculated distance. The best quests lead to the most unexpected places. Sometimes the answers are a lot closer to home and I’m glad I got to enjoy this within the comfort of mine. You’ll get a taste of foreign landscapes that span the globe. Remote haunts, ancient chasms, old-age stratagem, tombs and clues, chasing traces and mending bridges, lead after lead, history and mystery, old-world tradition and a high-tailed mission, thrills and spoils, making friends and breaking trends all in the name of an object that has earned the name of a cursed legend. Admirers of ‘National Treasure’, ‘Lara Croft: Tomb Raider’ and ‘Indiana Jones’ with a penchant for open-plan romance will love this. I’d go as far as to say, ‘Sealed with a Kiss’ is almost as cinematic as theatrical screenplay. Romance can easily stand alone, but with an amazing, involved plot and winning comedy, it becomes romance with wings. An adventurous, witty, action-packed reverse harem rom com where the biggest search leads to the biggest gain; men or treasure, you pick. With an evolving, advancing, moving setting, Dakota’s search can be likened to a book lover’s hunt where the next story might make or break the thrill of the long and hard-won wait. Her search for a relic is an itch to scratch with the mother of all backscratchers. I needed more than on man’s love right now, and Cassie Cole pairs love in threes so well. I gave this book 4.5/5 stars - P O T E N T I A L_C O N T E N T_ W A R N I N G: A few sex scenes (some taboo, some multiple partner situation). Profanity advises to watch your step for those f bombs. Mentions cancer. S O M E C O N C E R N S... 1) Something I'm a bit concerned about with Cole's novels is the lack of sexual, protective safety. We just don't know whether the main characters engage in protective sexual activities, all the more necessary really with multiple partners, but the author never mentions, in this book along with ones I've read before, whether the characters are practicing safe sex or not. --------------------------------------- M Y R A T I N G S Y S T E M: ★ - 1 star: I did not like the book ★★ - 2 stars: The book was okay ★★★ - 3 stars: It was a good, solid read ★★★★ - 4 stars: A great book ★★★★★ - 5: A phenomenal read --------------------------------------- R E L A T E D P O S T S : ● Book Review: 'Triple Team' by Cassie Cole ● Book Review: 'All In' by Cassie Cole I love interacting with fellow readers, reviewers, bloggers and writers! Hearing about reader opinion is the fuel to my reader appetite, so get in touch and comment below! SHARE ON FACEBOOK L E A V E A C O M M E N T A N D L E T' S T A L K A B O U T |
VaishaliBorn in the UK Archives
February 2024
Categories
All
2019 Reading Challenge
Vaishali • [Vicarious Living] has
read 15 books toward
her goal of
30 books.
hide
2020 Reading Challenge
Vaishali • [Vicarious Living] has
read 1 book toward
her goal of
20 books.
hide
2021 Reading Challenge
Vaishali • [V.L. Book Reviews] has
read 1 book toward
her goal of
10 books.
hide
2022 Reading Challenge
Vaishali • [V.L. Book Reviews] has
read 0 books toward
her goal of
5 books.
hide
2023 Reading Challenge
Vaishali • [V.L. Book Reviews] has
read 0 books toward
her goal of
5 books.
hide
DisclaimerAll images of book covers on this site belong to the authors and publishers of the books.
|