Shadowlander

Shadowlander (Shadow Sisters #1) by Theresa Meyers
Release Date: November 1, 2011
Entangled Publishing
ISBN13: 9781937044503

4/5 Stars

Goodreads Synopsis:
Four sisters, three rules to live by, one big problem.
O'Connell Family Rule #1: Don't let the Fae know you see them.
O'Connell Family Rule #2: Don't talk to the Fae.
O'Connell Family Rule #3: Never, ever follow them.
Most people only believe what they can see. Gifted with the ability to see the deep, dark fae of Shadowland, Catherine Rowan Mary O'Connell would prefer not to. When the fae abduct her friend Maya, Cate breaks the sacred O'Connell Family Rules and sets a trap for the handsome fae who haunts her every step.
Rook, High Court Advisor to the Shadow King, has been following Cate since she was sixteen. When Cate reveals herself as one of the fabled "Seers", Rook is stunned—she is one of the few that can permanently open the gates between their worlds. If he turns her over to the Shadow King, his court will rule the human realm.
Cate knows she has precious little time to find Maya. By midnight, the glamour of Mid-Summer's Eve will fade, leaving her trapped forever in the Shadowland, but Maya's abductor won't give up the woman he's mesmerized easily.
The midnight hour is almost at hand. Cate must choose: her freedom or her destiny.

Occasionally, you'll see that I venture out of my little YA bubble to try something different, and this adult paranormal romance was one of those ventures. Because this is something a bit different from my normal review books, I want to keep it in the separate category it belongs in.

Shadowlander is a romance novella; it was designed to be different from the majority of YA books (often trilogies) I tend to read, and I want to respect it as such.

1. Original Descriptions:
   I really want to applaud Theresa Meyers for her lack of cliches and overused phrases that often litter romance novels. She very tactfully strays from that, and makes Shadowlander stand out all on its own by doing so. It isn't going to be like every other romance novel you've read, simply because the writing and wording is so different as she describes the various scenes.
2. Steamy- like a sauna:
   But that isn't to say that Shadowlander lacks the usual passion, because it doesn't in any way or form! This novella is just slick with sexual tension and racy scenes, and as I mentioned above, that are cleverly portrayed. Cate and Rook portray one of my favourite couples in books, just because of how they interact with each other teasingly- and they don't waste any time!
3. Fae for grown ups:
   I may technically be an adult, but there are still so many things I love about the YA world. Yet at the same time, some times you just need something a little different. And Shadowlander provided some aspects I always love to read about (fantasy, love, adventure) but put them in a more grown up setting. Because CONFESSION: I don't always relate to teenagers anymore, as much as I love to read about them (and often do continue to relate to them). But really, this is like Iron Fey all grown up.

Normally, I would say that I found the pacing to be jarring in a story like this and it really is, to an extent. Cate and Rook's relationships moves very quickly but there's a reason for this: it's a romance novella. Novella meaning its a short book, and romance meaning that's the ultimate purpose of the story. So yes, it can feel sudden to read about- but haven't we all felt that sort of instant attraction at some point? And I was pleasantly surprised by how well the plot was set up and carried out. It never felt like it was moving too quickly, and set up the next book rather nicely.

e-galley provided by publisher in exchange for my honest review; no other compensation was received.