Review: A Hidden Fire by Elizabeth Hunter

Review: A Hidden Fire by Elizabeth Hunter 

Synopsis:

"No secret stays hidden forever."

A phone call from an old friend sets Dr. Giovanni Vecchio back on the path of a mystery he'd abandoned years before. He never expected a young librarian could hold the key to the search, nor could he have expected the danger she would attract. Now he and Beatrice De Novo will follow a twisted maze that leads from the archives of a university library, through the fires of Renaissance Florence, and toward a confrontation they never could have predicted.

A Hidden Fire is a paranormal mystery/romance for adult readers. It is the first book in the Elemental Mysteries Series.

Before Reading:

I found this hidden treasure over the Christmas break. I was browsing through the free books on Amazon when I found it. Since it was free and I needed a book to read, I downloaded it to my kindle. Best decision I made that week when it came to book buying.

*WARNING*: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW!!!!!

My Review:
I will admit I wasn't expecting much from this book. I thought at first it would just kill some time and I might delete it from my kindle later; it didn't take long for me to change my about it. From the first few pages of the story I was sucked into the supernatural world Elizabeth Hunter created.  She adds a creative twist to vampires and the way she wrote her characters was amusing and at the time made me bit my lip in fear of the worst happening with the different twists the plot took. By the time I finished it I was ready to kill Lorenzo, smack Giovanni for being an idiot at the end, and sit down with Beatrice and eat ice cream with her.

What I liked:
Description, description, description. Description makes the world go around. Alright, maybe not but I love when an author uses it as a tool to enhance the story. With A Hidden Fire the description was just plain wonderful. I love how she uses it to show everything looks and it helped make the story in my opinion. It was easy to imagine how everything looked and there were times where I imagined the story as a mini movie playing in my head.

Besides the description I also loved the twist Elizabeth Hunter used when dealing with vampires. I will admit, I had no idea vampires were part of the book when I picked it but it didn't bother me in the least thanks to the way she created them. Ms. Hunter's vampire are unique in the way that every single vampire is able to use an element: Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth. I believe this is the first time I have read a book were an author gave such a twist to vampires. It was refreshing. I also enjoyed the way she made them able to control people by touching them. 

If I wasn't already in love with the book, the characters made sure to change my mind. It wasn't hard to be intrigued by all the mysterious secrets Giovanni seemed to hold or start laughing with Carwyne as he teased and poked Giovanni or want to become friends with Beatrice. They were all likable characters. The one character that should of died but didn't was Lorenzo, the king of creepiness and evil. I hate him so much I just wish I could stake him. He doesn't show up into the end but his work is shown throughout the book. It's his fault Beatrice lost her father. If it wasn't for him her father would still be human. I really hope he dies in the next book. It will make me smile.

What I didn't care for:
The only thing that bothered me was Lorenzo didn't die in this book and the way Giovanni allowed Beatrice to be kidnapped. In the end I understand way the slimy douchbag didn't die and Giovanni's actions are explained but that doesn't stop me from wanting to hit him.

There wasn't much of the book that bothered me. The plot was good, characters were awesome and the romance was perfect. The one thing I was glad about the romance that didn't happen was Giovanni and Beatrice not having sex. I'm not sure why but I feel if they did it would have ruined the book for me. I am praying that the next few books manage to get buy without showing whats happening in the bedroom.

Overall:
I gave A Hidden Fire 4 stars out of 5. I enjoyed it more than what I thought I would. It was easy to get pulled into the story and by the time it ended I was ready for the next book Some point in the future I will read the next 3 books; I can't wait to see what Ms. Hunter will do next.

Link:  Buy A Hidden Fire by Elizabeth Hunter on Amazon for free!