Rhapsodic

This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: Rhapsodic

Imagine being fifteen and standing over the corpse of a man you just killed. It doesn't matter that Calypso did it out of self-defense. Every way she sees it, her life is ruined. But then an idea comes to her. One that is as dangerous as it is tempting. If she cuts a deal with the Bargainer, she'll owe him a favor but he'll clean up the mess. Taking the chance she calls the Bargainer. And as she frees herself from one problem, she starts down a path leaden with more. And each time she calls the Bargainer, she gains another favor owed. Until the day the Bargainer comes to collect. Whatever he wants as a favor, she won't be able to say no.

As a character, the Bargainer is the right mix of darkness and hero to make him attractive. He is still a rather controlling man which does not garner my attention, but his other traits made him more tolerable. Calypso on the other hand is a conflicted character, who both appreciates and hates her abilities as a siren. She stood her ground in most situations and while she wasn't always successful, she did everything within her power to try.

Rhapsodic is a paranormal romance, so the focus is going to be on relationship development over plot. But I thought it had a good underlying story, I just wish there had been a bit more time spent on certain scenes. Each conflict resolved itself rather quickly but did end on an action-heavy note. Being immersed in each moment I wanted to see it create a longer-lasting emotional pull. The overall resolution to these conflicts would have felt more satisfying this way. I also thought it would be a good moment for characters to show how much they cared for each other through actions as well as the dialogue within the story.

Now let's talk about resolution. While the overarching plot and mystery resolved itself, it was another abrupt end. In the final battle, I would have loved to see more back and forth to allow the Bargainer time to shine and show off his abilities. I also wanted to see more discussion and story surrounding the fallout from the main conflict. However, even though there was an abrupt end to it all Laura Thalassa did leave behind an enticing hook. Calypso has some interesting developments that are left wide open to develop in the next book.

Will I read the next book? That is up in the air at the moment. I do want to know how Calypso is going to recover from her ordeals in Rhapsodic. And I'd like to see some secondary characters come back to learn more about them. While I am not a romance reader, I did appreciate the magic and supernatural elements of this book. If you enjoy stories that focus on romance accented with fantasy this is the book for you.