Reviewed by Becca
Retro review by Dan
TITLE: Elemental Love
SERIES: Warlocks #1
AUTHOR: L.M. Somerton
PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing
LENGTH: 191 pages
RELEASE DATE: March 29, 2016
BLURB:
An untrained warlock is a dangerous man to love.
On his twenty-first birthday, Evrain Brookes discovers he is an elemental warlock. The spell suppressing his talent lifts and he has to get used to a whole new existence. The protection that kept him safe during his childhood is gone, his skills are wild and uncontrolled and there are those that seek to use him for their own gain.
Evrain’s grandmother is a witch, his godfather another warlock. Between them they do their best to keep Evrain on the right path. He learns that in order to gain control of his formidable powers he will need to ‘channel’ through a life partner, a process that only happens with consent and through love. But how will he ever find a man prepared to put up with a Dominant warlock for a boyfriend?
Dominic Castine has no idea that Evrain’s grandmother sees him as a prospective partner for Evrain. He tends her garden and she teaches him about herbs–a trade off they both enjoy. He is drawn to Evrain’s charismatic presence but doesn’t understand why he wants to drop to his knees and submit to him.
When Agatha is murdered, Evrain and Dominic are thrown together as she manipulates them from beyond the grave. Dominic becomes the pawn in a terrifying game between warlocks whose powers he barely comprehends.
In the end, lives will depend on his courage, his willingness to grant Evrain control and the power of love.
RETRO REVIEW:
Elemental Love is the start of a new series by L.M. Somerton. I’ve read and enjoyed books from the author before, and when I saw she was starting this new series, I was more than happy to sign up for the book!
In this new series, Ms. Somerton is introducing us to a group of warlocks and witches who live amongst us. While that is a formula that has been used before, the author did a good job with creating a story that was entertaining, while at the same time doing some minor world building which I’m guessing will be used in upcoming installments.
Our story begins twenty-one years in the past, when a baby is born into a magical family…a family that has only produced witches for the last 500 years. No one expected a warlock. When he is born, his grandmother instantly puts a spell on him, effectively blocking his magical powers until his twenty-first birthday to protect him from evil outsiders who might try to seize him to build their own powers.
Skip to today, Evrain is turning twenty-one, and boy is he in for a surprise. What follows is a fairly predictable tale…complete with new found magic, an evil warlock, the murder of a close relative, a prince charming, adversity and the triumph over it. Do you see where I’m going here? Honestly, except for the concept of the warlocks needing a life partner who they can “channel” their magic through, there was really nothing new in this tale.:
I liked it well enough, it was written well, and well edited, but to me it seemed to lack some necessary oomph. It had sex, and some kinky plant manipulation bondage, but overall it left me a little flat.
I will have to call this one Good/Average.
BECCA’S REVIEW:
L.M. Somerton has been a one click for me long before I read Olly, but especially after I read that series. Olly will always be my favorite, but I do enjoy more of her work. And this has been one series I have been looking forward to reading. I love the whole paranormal scene to begin with and this was just perfect for me. I think my only problem with the whole thing, was that they kept everything from Evrain until he was 21, when everything came crashing down. I understood why hiding him in the first place, but as he got older they should have started exposing him and telling him so it was all one big surprise that was too much.
Evrain was born one powerful warlock. His grandma, Agatha, and his godfather, Gregory, felt it from the minute he was born. Agatha had spelled him from people who would want to do him harm or try to use him in a bad way, but when it came time for his 21st birthday, it burst from him and was too much. Now not only was he having to deal with all the power flowing through him, he had to try to keep it reigned in. But without his mate, or lover, someone he could channel, he had no way to keep it under control. Until he met Dominic. Then all of a sudden everything became clear. Unfortunately, the people he was shielded from now knew of his existence and are stopping at nothing to try to control him and his powers. And Evrain is now in a race to beat the man with his godfather before anymore damage is done.
Like I said, my only complaint is they didn’t ease Evrain into what he needed to know. As he got older, they could have eased him into it. I don’t know how I could handle it if all of a sudden I got a rush of power I couldn’t control and then told why I have it. It’s a scary thought. So, I can just imagine how Evrain felt. Then knowing he was being set up by his grandmother. That was hard on both Evrain at first and Dominic for a while. He had his thoughts about Agatha about possibly being witchy, but Evrain had sent him in total disbelief. And I can’t blame either one of them. It’s a lot to deal with. A lot to try to process. And for Dominic even more so because he was just a lowly human with no powers. What did Evrain see in him?
But I loved the characters. I loved how they meshed. Including his godfathers. His grandmother was a pistol too. Of course, you need a good bad guy and his little minions to balance out the good. And damn were they evil. I’m glad I’ve finally gotten a chance to read this book and start this series. It’s a damn good start and I can’t wait to see what happens next. There’s a lot that could happen and a lot for Evrain to learn.
RATING: 
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