Five *Christie Rich*

Publishing Date: August 10, 2011

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Series: Elemental Enmity

List Price (Digital): $0.99
Sensuality Rating: G

Summary:

          "Rayla Tate was just a child when her mother disappeared from her life forever. Raised by her aunt Grace in a small town, she has lived a relatively uneventful but extremely sheltered life. She doesn’t know it yet, but she is special. She has been hidden from the Fae who have lived secretly among us since the beginning of time. Descended from an ancient blood-line of Elementals, only she has the power to crown the first Fae high-king.

          Sick of provincial living and the dictates of her aunt, Rayla flees the safety of her home and runs away to college with her best friend. However, excitement over her new found freedom is short-lived when she finds herself being chased by a mysterious stranger on her way to school. She is drawn to him immediately but resists the compulsion she feels. He disappears into the night, but she is certain he is following her.

          Rayla struggles to deal with the encounter while she adapts to her new environment. To make matters worse, Aunt Grace reveals that Rayla will soon be hunted by a pack of fae lords, each hoping to claim her power for his own. She soon finds herself surrounded by stunning men. Are they Fae, or is this just normal college life? More importantly, who can she trust when she can’t trust herself to be near them?" -Amazon

My Opinnion:

           While I LOVE a good a paranormal romance, this one just didn't do it for me. Dark, deadly, mysterious men are always attractive. Unfortunately, I think in this book, there are too many macho male characters. Rich didn't give each individual character enough development, so it was extremely hard for me to get involved in the story. I couldn't become Rayla or fall in love with Zach (or any of the Fae lords), so what's the point in finishing the book?

          Five was too fast-paced. It's great for a story to start out action packed, but when the characters are going and going and going and the novel doesn't seem to have a stopping point, it gets annoying. Rayla learns about the Fae lords were after her in a SINGLE call. That hardly appears believable. 

          Another thing, the way Rayla is attracted all the Fae lords like bees on honey was irritating. Even if she can't help the irresistible draw of all those brawny men due to the magical draw of Elementals to Fae lords, it still feels a bit slutty to me. 

          All in all, while I liked the originality and paranormal feel, Five disappointed me more than it caught my attention.