Starling Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway

I'm excited to host a stop on the Starling blog tour! This is the third book in The Secrets of the Eternal Rose series by Fiona Paul. This tour is hosted by Book Nerd Tours and you can find the tour page here.  I have a review and a giveaway for you all!

Starling (The Secrets of the Eternal  Rose #3) by Fiona Paul

Hardcover, 336 pages

Published: March 20th, 2014 by Philomel

Source: Publisher for Tour

The dark, seductive conclusion to the thrilling Secrets of the Eternal Rose trilogy!
In the final book in the trilogy, Cass and Luca are back in Venice trying to find the Book of the Eternal Rose to clear Luca's name and keep them both out of prison. But the hunters become the hunted when the Order of the Eternal Rose figures out their plan. Filled with twists and turns, danger and torrid romances, this novel brings the Secrets of the Eternal Rose novels to a thrilling, heart-pounding, sexy conclusion.

Like the description says, this really was a heart-pounding conclusion! Once I started reading I really didn't want to put it down. It has constant action and very little time to sit back and read. I liked this though and it kept me reading when other books have lost my interest because of their slower pace.

The streets and canals of Venice in this time period are vibrant and alive. It's easy to imagine the setting itself, but also all the people within it, even those that are just passersby.

Cass has always felt like a strong character to me. While she might be slightly torn in where her heart lies, she knows strongly in her heart what is right and wrong. When she knows people are being killed she knows she will do anything to save them. To bring down this Order even if she has to do it by herself. Her strength shone in Belladonna but it came through very much in this one as well. There was a time or two that I wasn't so sure she knew what she was doing, making some rash decisions, possibly putting trust into the hands of people she maybe shouldn't. But in the end she really came through and I enjoyed her growth in this one.

A large amount of her growth was obvious in the romantic sense. She had to make a decision about who she loves. We may have thought she already decided, but there are things that come into play here that we don't quite know for sure. Fortunately, she does. While I'm not a big fan of a love triangle, this felt like a realistic one. I can't get into it without spoilers, but you have to remember the teenage heart and how easily it is to get swept up into romance. How it all played out left me happy.

I'm sad to see the series end but I'm very happy with this conclusion. I most definitely recommend this series!

4 stars!

Disclosure: I received this book for review purposes, all opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.

    

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Fiona Paul lives in the Midwest but travels a lot since she can’t breathe if she spends too much time away

from the ocean. She graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a major in psychology and spent a year teaching English in Seoul, Korea while she was deciding what she wanted to be when she grew up. Answer: everything. In addition to being a teacher and writer, she’s also worked as a saute cook, sporting goods manager, veterinary assistant, and registered nurse. When she’s not working, you can usually find her kayaking, reading, or helping turtles cross the road. Her future goals include diving with great white sharks and writing more books, not necessarily in that order. Venom is her first novel.

Giveaway:

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