Transcendence by Shay Savage

 5 BRILLIANT STARS

ARC received from author in exchange for an honest review

As a lover of the romance genre, I have read my fair share of novels.  Some were amazing. Others were not so terrific, and a select few have become favorites near and dear to my heart. But NEVER have I EVER encountered a story that stirred such a vast array of emotions like “Transcendence”.  It is difficult to translate this experience into words, for it touched my soul in a way no other read has. This is a story of innocence. A story of true love and all the beauty that love radiates when a man and a woman, who are literally worlds apart, unite and conquer all the barriers that lie between them. It was simply beautiful witnessing the life and love of Ehd and Beh. It warmed my heart, filled me with awe, and their story is a must read for true lovers of romance.

It is a testament to the talents and abilities of an author when their words hold such power, that a reader has no choice but to become so emotionally involved and captivated. Shay Savage possesses that magic and her tale managed to make me laugh, bring streams of tears pouring out of my eyes and fill my heart with joy. How this was accomplished with very little dialogue is beyond me. But, it happened, and I was hooked - for Beh and Ehd’s journey totally consumed me. Letting go of these characters was a difficult feat. And I can say with certainty that “Transcendence” is a definite re-read. Hoh! How I truly loved visiting Ehd and his cave.

 

 

We are introduced into this strange new world through the thoughts & experiences of our hero,Ehd, a prehistoric cave man, who is a lonely soul. Having lost his entire family & tribe, Ehd faces a cruel world on his own and is on the brink of giving up. Finding reasons to survive becomes more difficult each day.

But thankfully, Ehd manages to push himself forward, despite his miserable solitary existence. His efforts are rewarded when a lovely girl literally falls into his life and turns his world inside down.

Elizabeth, (known as “Beh” by the beloved Ehd), is propelled from her own time, transported into the past and has no way of returning home. She is terrified when finding herself trapped in a hole and in a strange environment. Ehd comes to her rescue.  This strange girl quickly fascinates him.  She is different – wearing peculiar clothing, making weird noises with her mouth, and constantly crying. Ehd’s Alpha side dominates and he quickly steps in as her protector.  She gives him purpose, a reason to fight and persevere. Beh is a gift, which Ehd cherishes, and he instantly claims her as his mate. He finds himself doing anything and everything to give her comfort, security and most importantly… stop her incessant need to talk.

Yup, Ehd is a typical Alpha-Male with the add touch of being gentle, kind and endearing. It was so easy to fall in love with his character.

Beh becomes his priority as well as the center of his universe. But, making Beh his mate is an insurmountable challenge. Firstly, they have difficulties communicating, for Ehd does not speak. The concept of language is unknown to him with the exception of ‘name sounds’. Ehd finds it hard to grasp Beh’s frame of mind and he is at a loss in trying to understand her.  Additionally, seeing her in distress wears on him. Beh is troubled, and he does not know why she is so troubled. Her constant dishearten state causes him great pain, shakes his confidence, and leads Ehd to believe himself an unworthy mate. 

Ehd becomes heartbroken and fears she will leave him and solitude is no longer an option now that he has seen Beh’s light. As his uncertainties grow, Ehd’s determination becomes stronger, as does the need to provide Beh comfort and affection. And through patience, they discover new ways to interact and express themselves. A connection develops, Ehd’s becomes more confident in his abilities and the bond between the couple grows stronger. As their relationship blossoms, Ehd realizes his happiness begins and ends with Beh. It is here when the Ehd’s character entered into my heart.

        

Ehd’s persona totally captivated me. My heart ached for Ehd during his darkest hour - when he felt despair, hopeless and weak. I cried when he all but gave up on life. I was euphoric when Ehd finally found hope and love in all that was Beh. There were times when I laughed hysterically at his crazy antics and thoughts swirling in his mind…

See…he is absolutely adorable.

Beh was a lovable character as well.  Overcoming the problems of communication, she adapted to the strange world Ehd had opened up to her. They became a team – helping, supporting and teaching one another.  Her struggles were eased through his patience and tenderness. And it is through his strength, that Beh became strong enough to perform the ultimate sacrifice - deciding to remain in a world so foreign from her own and to spend her life with Ehd. Her reward was Ehd’s everlasting devotion.

For me, Ehd is THE PERFECT storybook Alpha and holds a special place in my heart.  Why? Because he is a man who places his woman’s happiness before his own. He is a man, who loves so deeply, and believes a life without his mate is not a life worth living.

He would cease to exist without his Beh, his soul mate.  Seeing the world through eyes of an innocent man who utters only two words, “luff” (love) and “khizz” (kiss) was amazing. Within their small cave, they shared a love so powerful and everlasting. They developed trust, built a family, suffered through hardships and shared passion.  For me, it was the perfect romantic story – simply magnificent.

Before Beh, I hadn’t thought about the loneliness in such a way. Maybe I just ignored how I felt when I would lie awake and look out into the darkness of my cave, listening to nothing except the crackling of the fire and the wind outside. I only remember feeling empty inside.  Now that Beh is beside me, like she has been for the first part of the spring season, I feel warm and full.

“Transcendence” is an exceptionally poignant love story about a simple man, whose sole purpose was to love, provide, comfort and protect his mate. All the joy Ehd received throughout his life came from Beh, the family they created and the life they shared. There are no words to express how much I cherished their story. From the imagination of Shay Savage came brilliantly written tale demonstrating that love is the most powerful force – for it is eternal, never-ending and can transcend all obstacles.

 

Transcendence

Rare and Precious Things by Raine Miller

Arc provided by author in exchange for an honest review

4 out of 5 Stars

Mr. Blackstone is back and he is as charming and sexy as ever.  The continuing love story of Ethan and Brynne is a scorching hot read filled with romance, angst, passion and answers to questions that left me dangling at the end of “Eyes Wide Open”.

Ethan, being a true Alpha, holds nothing back in “Rare and Precious Things”.  From a fairytale wedding night, to a beautiful honeymoon, Ethan proves to be the most romantic husband every woman dreams of.

As a soon to be dad, Ethan shows Brynne his sweet, gentle side.  How he constantly tends to her every need while still the ever-persistent dirty talker, is adorable. All that, and oozing even more sensuality than ever before, is all Brynne needs to help her through one of the most bitter-sweet times of her life.  Still mourning the violent passing of her father, as well as being kidnapped by a crazed lunatic, should have Brynne spinning out of control.  But it is Ethan’s love and looking forward to the life and family they are building together, which keeps her grounded. It is here where her character grows stronger, thanks to Ethan’s support. In exchange, Brynne eases the darkness that threatens to consume Ethan.  These two broken souls heal one another.

There are some nefarious characters, which re-enter their lives and try to disrupt Byrnne and Ethan’s happiness.  They mainly focus on Byrnne and the ugliness she had suffered in the past. But, with her husband’s assistance, she becomes stronger, more powerful and more in control of her emotions.  Her faith in their love and marriage gives her the courage to move forward.

However, Ethan is facing a more difficult time handling the ghosts from his past. His nightmares are becoming worse and more frequent.  The burden of carrying so much guilt, for events that were out of his control, is becoming too much for Ethan to bear. It is   Brynne’s love that helps him to cope with all the darkness that consumes his soul, and she becomes his salvation.

In the hours of the darkest kind, Brynne has ever been my light. My lover who saw inside my battered soul and freed me.

My beautiful girl let me know, and showed me, yet again, what a rarity I possessed in her love, as she had from the very first. Rare.

Brynne’s love was something rare—a gift. A precious gift I’d been given, by some divine twist of fate that had brought her into my world…and changed everything about me.  About how I saw things, about what I dreamed for the future, about my capacity to move beyond the shadows of my past. Brynne’s love changed absolutely everything. 

Of course there is drama.  A heartless mother-in-law, friends from the past that serve as a reminder of all his guilt and a few highly intense moments, are just some of the bumps in the road these happy honeymooners face.  But, all’s well that ends well for Ethan and Brynne and their future together.  So happy to see this couple grow and support one another.  Their love is strong and their passion is all consuming.  Ethan is more erotic than ever. And if you want to know if the baby is a boy or a girl, I highly recommend you to pick up a copy of “Rare and Precious Things” today. 

Rare and Precious Things (Blackstone Affair)