Saturday, March 2, 2013

~Ava & Liberty Ann's SSR Dual Review of The Progeny (The Progeny Series #1) by Ashlynne Laynne~


"The Progeny"
Author: Ashlynne Laynne
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 348
Source: Author in exchange for a honest review.
Published: February 1, 2012






Author's Website: http://ashlynnelaynne.com/

Buy Links: Amazon

Goodreads Blurb:
 “No fate other than the one I choose.” The timeless creed, and tattoo, bore by the Rousseaus— a vampire clan with the purest bloodline of any vampire family. Out of this clandestine group came one who was different, yet the same: Ascher - a half-bloodling— half- human, half vampire.

Ascher questions the purpose for his existence and which world he truly belongs to: the human world or the vampire world. Two months from sealing to Ursula— a prearranged union to a woman he abhors — he’s at his wit’s end. He knows if he calls off the sealing, the Romanian clan will strike with deadly force, but he cannot see eternity with a cold empty shell of a woman like Ursula.

Just when he thought life was complicated enough, he meets Shauna— a beautiful, bi-racial human wiccan — and immediately develops an unshakable attraction to her. She makes him feel alive and vital despite his origins and Ascher makes a decision that turns his immortal world upside down.

Ava's Review:

The Progeny is two firsts for me. The first of an amazing, original exciting, memorable, touching and fun paranormal read and my first time reading anything by Ashlynne Layne. A definite MUST read for any paranormal romance fans out there that enjoy a magical and endearing story.

Ascher is a devastatingly handsome one of a kind male in his world. Not so much ridiculed for being different, but cherished and smothered in some ways. He picks on himself more than any others do. He’s a very special male that finds himself alone no matter the company, incomplete even though he is whole and unhappy even though joy surrounds him. That’s until the day he meets Shauna. Once he sets his eyes on her, his whole existence changes in the very best of ways.

Shauna is another that is a beautiful person inside and out but does not have a sense of belonging anywhere. Being different in anyway makes it hard for her to be accepted by many. On top of that, she’s had a VERY traumatizing past that constantly haunts her. She’s never had a real relationship in any way shape or form, except for with her sister. Their bond is unbreakable and true. When she meets Ascher, he world tilts on its axis  and further exploration of why he makes her feel the way she does is in order.

I absolutely LOVE these two together and cannot wait to see what happens next for them and the rest of their family and friends. An amazing group of people (characters) that are so lovable (well except for one or two meanies), that they linger in your mind even days after you’re through reading…



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Liberty Ann's Review:

I am a huge Vampire fan and have read many a book that includes them.  The Progeny is new to me as is the author Ashlynne Laynne.  Since I am always looking for new authors to follow and was so excited at the prospect of a new Vamp series, I could hardly wait to begin.

The Good:  You know things are starting out the right way when the main character makes you curious from the very beginning.  Oh Ascher, you can be my half-vamp honey any day!  Ms. Laynne did a terrific job of sharing the internal conflict that Ascher feels with his impending loveless nuptials vs starting a war.  When he meets Shaunna, day becomes night and night becomes day.  The chemistry between the two of them was instant and I loved getting to know them both as they struggled with finding their way.  Ms. Laynne gave me plenty of information on each character without dragging the story down.  In fact, while the beginning was a bit slow, once it began to pick up speed, whoooo!  It was a serious page turner.  Eventually it crested and we were brought back down without being left hanging.  The plot was intriguing and I was enthralled.

The Bad:  As I learned in Physics, to every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction and such is somewhat the case here.  The slow start was a bit rocky.  That could be attributed to a variety of things.  Grammatically, there were some fairly significant errors.  Thankfully, those can be easily fixed in a second edition.  Ms. Laynne is a new author and this is the first book in the series.  There are bound to be a few pot holes along the way.

The Snuggly:  Ahh, the Snuggly.  I knew Ascher and Shaunna were drawn to one another right from the start but I had no idea just how hot their lust for each other would burn!  Oh honey...bring me a fan!  The intimate scenes were seriously spicy.  They went from zero to sixty in nothing flat.  I was amazed that they did not just combust!  But I'll let you in on a little secret.....I really, really liked it!  Now where is that fan? ;)

The Rest:  Action, sex, witchcraft, bloodlust, power plays, murder...this story had it all.  And when you are reading a paranormal book, you cannot ask for much more.  I look forward to reading the next book in the series (ooh, I love a good series!) and watching both Ascher and Shaunna grow and mature. As I said, this is NOT a YA novel.  It is for adults.  But if you are an adult paranormal romance lover, pick up your copy of The Progeny today.  If you are lucky, you will have a new author to follow and a series to read just like me!



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2 comments:

  1. I just wanted to drop in and say thank you to Liberty and Ava for the awesome reviews. Reviews are a necessity for authors, but can either go really good or terribly, and a dual review could potentially crush you. I love these characters and this story. Both are near and dear to my heart. I've been in love with vampires since I laid my eyes on the delicious Brad Pitt and those mesmerizing baby blues(guess I've dated myself now). Oh my goodness! This is what an author lives for, the chance to write something they dearly love and have others joy in it. Both you guys have made my weekend! I'm really glad you enjoyed The Progeny and I hope you enjoy Blood Bonds.

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