Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Dashing Druid / Lyn Horner


Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Western Romance/Historical Romance/Supernatural

Approximate word count: 115-120,000 words

Availability    
Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO  Paper: YES
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

Originally trained in the visual arts, Lyn Horner has worked as a fashion illustrator and an art instructor for Art Instruction Schools (famous for their “Draw Me” heads). Looking for a creative outlet after her kids left home, she started writing. Darlin’ Druid was the first of her Texas Druids series, which this book continues. She also has a Kindle ready memoir, Six Cats in My Kitchen. For more, visit Horner’s website.

Description:

Dashing Druid continues Lyn Horner’s unique Texas Druids saga. This sensual western romance stars Tye Devlin, the eldest of three psychically gifted siblings. Descended from legendary Irish Druids, Tye is an empath. He ‘feels’ others’ emotions. Over time, he has learned to block out most of the ‘racket’ in order to save his sanity, but when he meets Texas cowgirl Lil Crawford, he has no defense against her hidden pain.”

“Set in the 1870s, against a backdrop of Texas ranch life and an iconic cattle drive, this epic love story pits Tye and Lil against dangerous enemies and their own feuding families as they fight their personal demons. Will they decide love is worth the consequences? Will Tye’s gift turn out to be a blessing or a curse?”

Appraisal:

I enjoyed Darlin’ Druid, the first book of this series. Its combination of a solid western romance storyline with a unique twist on the formula, provided by the infusion of a significant amount of the supernatural was a fun read that was very different. Dashin’ Druid continues the story, this time focusing on Tye Devlin, the brother of the heroine in the first book, and the romance that kindles between him and a neighbor who has a history with his new brother-in-law.

For much of this book, the supernatural aspect of the series felt almost absent; mentioned, but low key and insignificant to the plot. However, the sexual tension between the hero and heroine was so strong that throwing in too much of the supernatural would have felt like overkill. During the later part of the book, the supernatural talents of the Devlin family come more to the fore, as tension of all types increases.

In the final analysis, I enjoyed this book even more than the first. I suspect part of that is that I (and I’m guessing most people) are able to become engrossed in a book easier and quicker if they have already “established a relationship” with the characters by reading and liking a prior book in the series.

FYI:

Some mild adult content.

Could be read as a stand-alone, although reading the initial book of the series first is probably preferable.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: ***** Five stars

11 comments:

Lyn Horner said...

Al,
Thank you for your wonderful review of Dashing Druid. I'm delighted to know you enjoyed it. I hope some of your readers will give it a try. Book three is in the works and will, I hope, be completed by early 2013.

?wazithinkin said...

Lyn, every now and then I like a little cowboy action. I have White Witch and just grabbed a sample of Dashing Druids. I look forward to reading your books. Thanks, Al for the review.

Mel Comley said...

Excellent review Lyn. I look forward to settling down with Dashing Druid over the summer when life isn't quite as hectic. :-)

Lyn Horner said...

Linda, you might want to read Darlin' Druid after White Witch, then go for Dashing D. As Al says, they can be read as stand alone books, but you'll probably enjoy them more if read in sequence.

Mel, thanks so much for stopping by. I keep waiting for life to slow down so I can read all the books stacked up on my Kindle. LOL! Maybe in my next lifetime.

Carra Copelin said...

Great review, Big Al, for this book, Dashing Druid, and your previous review of Darlin' Druid. Lyn is very deserving of your praise as her characters are well developed and her plotting/action moves the story along at a good pace. I eagerly await the third installment in her Druid series. Congrats, Lyn!

Alison E. Bruce said...

I started Darlin' Druid, then stopped and got White Witch and read that first. I'm glad I did. Dashin' Druid will have to wait for the summer, but I'm looking forward to it.

?wazithinkin said...

Okay, thanks Lynn!

?wazithinkin said...

eeeekkk! where is my editor? Sorry about the second n, Lyn! *blush*

Lyn Horner said...

Carra, I appreciate your sweet words of praise. Thanks for popping in.

Alison, you made the right choice. White witch is not a must read, but I think it enriches the series to know what the Devlins went through before heading west. I hope you enjoy all the books.

Linda, no problem. My name has been spelled so many different ways, I don't even notice anymore. Many thanks for your interest in my Druids. I hope they don't disappoint.

By the way, I'll be blogging about real Druids, ancient and modern, here on Big Al's site next week. Y'all come back!

?wazithinkin said...

Awesome, Lyn! I will look forward to your post next week!

BooksAndPals said...

Lyn's guest post will be next Tuesday.