Member Reviews

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  • Rated 4 stars

  “Nice to be back in Celta. Looking forward to the next visit.”

  Tami H wrote this review Tuesday, May 27 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 0 stars

  “Having just read of Jane Austen's Regency England, it became fun to compare that restrictive society to the one in this Sci-Fi romance. The inhabitants of this Earth colony have structured their social classes according to the power of the magic and psychic abilities that developed upon colonization. Very rigid, the need to form alliances with those of upper class standing is crucial. A development of this world is the HeartMate, the only person to whom one is linked, heart, mind, body and soul. This gift doesn't happen for everyone, and it is the finding and keeping of the HeartMate that gives the story it's flavor. Dufleur is powerful with working time, but she must set aside experimentation and testing of her strengths to attend to her first social season. She knows her HeartMate is out there, but she feels she must ignore him until she can restore the family name from her father’s scientific indiscretions. Saille is head of house for his respected and influential family, but finds that kind of power useless in luring his HeartMate to him. Reading the previous 5 books would have made the story more cohesive, however Robin D. Owens did very well filling in enough of the past storyline that this tale felt complete. The fact is that it whetted my appetite and I’m going back for the others. Posted on PW Blog Beyond Her Book by Barbara Vey 01/10/08”

  BookReporter wrote this review Sunday, January 13 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 5 stars

  “the only problem I had with this book was they swapped to Trade size. Loved the story the whole Thyme time thing really worked for me”

  Megan_Bamford wrote this review Wednesday, December 12 2007. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 3 stars

  “A nicely long installment in the series. Typical romance-novel conventions and predictability. I always seem to enjoy these books even though they're technically not that well-written.”

  Bee B wrote this review Monday, November 5 2007. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 4 stars

  “Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques
  Rating: 4.5
  
  
  Imagine a fantasy world in which people have various Flairs of power while intricate family relationships are paramount. Such is the world in which HeartMates exist, couples who have a strong bond despite the fact that the road is never easy….
  
  
  
  Dufleur Thyme has a Flair for time, but hasn’t been allowed to legally experiment with it ever since the explosion that killed her father. Her determination to clear her father’s name overrides everything else, particularly since she can’t legally use her own Flair.
  
  
  
  Saille T’Willow knows Dufleur has his HeartGift and that she is his HeartMate, but her constant rejection is battering his very soul. His recent ascension to leading the family is fraught with unknowns as his now cryogenically encased MotherDam was a master at manipulation. Her deviousness may have cost him the very HeartMate he desires. Will Dufleur and Saille be able to overcome the obstacles that threaten the bond between them?
  
  
  
  What splendid world building! Robin D. Owens makes the world of Celta come alive with her vivid images. The intricate details are beautifully conveyed and serve to enhance the storyline. From the legal aspects provided by SupremeJudge Ailim Elder to the social and political arenas explored through Passiflora D’Holly, Robin D. Owens provides readers with a thorough but entertaining view of this exciting world. HEART DANCE is the sixth book in the series, but can easily be read as a stand alone. Having read only the previous book, HEART QUEST, I can tell you that reading the prior books only increases my appreciation for this series as the stories and threads intertwine quite smoothly.
  
  
  
  Both Dufleur and Saille are such tortured characters that one can’t help but hope for their happily ever after. Saille is a gifted matchmaker, but his skills were long denied by his deceitful MotherDam. Even worse, he can’t seem to break through the icy barrier that separates him from Dufleur. Dufleur has had her own series of tragedies, from her father’s death to being held captive by cult members seeking to kill her. Suppressing her Flair just isn’t an option for her, but the only way she can get the law overturned to allow legal experimentation with time may cost her the one man who cares for her. Both characters are so noble and yet the distance between them seems insurmountable. Thankfully, Robin D. Owens is a master at what she does, ensuring that readers will be thoroughly satisfied as the story ends.
  
  
  
  Robin D. Owens creates such poignant and gut wrenching moments in HEART DANCE. This magical fantasy world is rife with heartbreak, betrayal, love, and friendship. The FamCats remain utterly adorable, and the antics of Fairyfoot and Myx add just the right touch of humor. This is a series I’m definitely going to have to go back and read the earlier books, as Robin D. Owens has me hooked!
  ”

  debiw781 wrote this review Sunday, October 21 2007. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 4 stars

  “The former D’Willow had been a most disagreeable GreatLady now she lays in stasis in a cryogenic tube on the earthship Nuada’s Sword waiting for someone to find a cure for the virus that is killing her. Among her evil deeds were:
  
  - Making matches knowing that she no longer had the Flair for it.
  
  - Sending her male relatives away from the family residence while subjugating the females.
  
  - Keeping the knowledge of her family’s HeartMates from them.
  
  - Being responsible for ruining the reputation of Vulg T’Thyme and the banning of time experimentation.
  
  All of these things now affected the new GreatLord Saille T’Willow. Saille had been banished to the country for being male and for having a greater flair for Matchmaking than his MotherDam. Now he was the head of the Willow household and greatly preferred by the rest of his family. Saille had felt a Heartmate connection and not knowing who she was had taken a great risk in sending his heartgift out into the city to find her, and it had. But she had tossed it right back out again.
  
  Dufluer Thyme has had a lot on her plate recently. She’d been kidnapped and nearly murdered by a cult and had also lost her father and the family residence when his time experiment had gone awry. She had found Saille’s heartgift but had sent it on its way. She had no luck with personal relationships and needed no distractions from the illicit time experiments she hoped would cure her father’s good name.
  
  Of course Saille’s heartgift finds its way back to her thanks to Dufluer’s FamCat Fairyfoot who wants to live in a GreatHouse. Now knowing who her HeartMate is, it is more difficult for Dufluer to resist the temptation even though he is the grandson of her enemy, but soon the two are at odds over her experiments. Saille can’t bear the thought of his HeartMate putting herself in danger. Dufluer can’t live without practicing her primary flair and her only chance for redeeming her father’s name may be in finding the cure for the woman who could ruin both their lives. Her rival T'Agave will stop at nothing to make sure she fails. Both are keeping secrets close to the vest. Will they learn to trust of will this be their last Heart Dance?
  
  Oh my, to think that a selfish old woman could adversely affect so many lives, even while lying in a state of stasis! But never fear D’ Willow gets exactly what’s coming to her and so do her much beleaguered family members. Robin D. Owens puts a fantastic new spin on the Romeo and Juliet theme which luckily has a much happier ending on Celta! Another great read.
  
  Reviewed for PNR Reviews”

  PNRGroupManager wrote this review Monday, October 8 2007. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 4 stars

  “The hero is the first male matchmaker in the Willow family in many generations. His HeartMate, his perfect match, was hidden from him by his powerhungry grandmother, so he sent his Heartgift—the gift that will seduce his heartmate into his arms—out to bounce around the city. His heartmate—now that she's touched his gift—has the Flair for time, but experimentation with time is illegal in the city. And her experiments might cure his nasty grandmother and allow them to wake her from her suspended animation. Lots and lots of complications in this story—good read, as Robin's books always are.”

  Gail Dayton wrote this review Saturday, July 28 2007. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 4 stars

  “Brought to you by Night Owl Romance © Night Owl Romance 2007
  
  Reviewer: Leslee Sears of Night Owl Romance
  http://www.nightowlromance.com
  
  I eagerly await each book in the Celta’s Heartmates series. This is the story of Dufleur Thyme and Saille T’Willow. I had a feeling that Ms. Owens would write about them next as they were such strong characters in her last book. One of the things I love about these books is that we get to check in with previous characters.
  
  Dufleur Thyme has a wonderful Talent with needlework but her Primary Talent is with Time. She has been experimenting with Time illegally in order to clear her house name and father’s reputation. She has no desire to find her HeartMate as that would interfere with her goals. After her father died in an explosion while conducting his experiments, GreatMistress D’Willow convinced everyone that it should be outlawed. As a result of both, Dufleur and her mother lost their home, their good name as well as their income. Since then, GreatMistress D’ Willow convinced Lark and Ruis Elder to put her in a cryogenic tube on the space ship, Nuada’s Sword, in order to prevent her death due to a virus that has no cure at the present time. Her heir, Saille T’Willow has taken control of family home and business much to the delight of everyone in the family. He lives in fear that his grandmother will be cured and will resume control of the family. D’Willow did everything in her power to make everyone miserable, especially her heir. Saille knows that Dufleur is his HeartMate and works to convince her to accept the bond with him.
  
  This was a wonderful addition to the world of Celta. I enjoy learning more about their world and the wide range of Talents that have developed. The characters are, as always, strong as well as relatable.
  
  The writing flows effortlessly and it was a struggle not to devour it in one sitting. I have been a fan of Ms. Owens since HeartMate was released and she did not disappoint this devoted reader.”

  NightOwlRomance wrote this review Thursday, July 19 2007. ( reply | permalink )