The LUV'NV: Blog Tour {Review & Giveaway}—Gargoyle Addiction by Livia Olteano

Friday, August 9, 2013

Blog Tour {Review & Giveaway}—Gargoyle Addiction by Livia Olteano

Gargoyle Addiction

by Livia Olteano

Otherworlds Summons #1

Publication: July 12th, 2013 by Livia Olteano
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance | Urban Fantasy

Amazon B & N Kobo Goodreads

Summonari don’t trust. Under their command, they summon any number of creatures from the Otherwolds—but never trust them outside of the summoning.

Gargoyles don’t love. Fierce descendants of dragons, they function on power and fear—never love.

Karla isn’t the happily-ever-after type of girl. No territory-hungry guy is going to stick flags all over her unclaimed grounds.

Kann’s world is death and betrayal. As Dar Primus of Haus Varis, he’s expected to follow tradition but he’s not your regular gargoyle. In fact, he’s anything but.

One fateful Friday night, Otherworlds collide. Stuck together in one world or another, Karla and Kann face everything from Awakenings and turbulent love to Festnavals and bloodthirsty scorned suitors.

If there’s one thing they can’t escape, it’s the addiction to each other. And they’ve got it bad.

Gargoyle Addiction blew me away. I'll be honest—I didn't know what to expect, having never read a Paranormal Romance with a gargoyle before picking up this book, but it was not the sexy, fun, and engaging storyline in a thoroughly developed world that the author, Livia Olteano, delivered. The premise is every bookworm's dream ... kind of. Maybe.

Karla is a bookworm with a pretty well-balanced life. When she gets her hands on an ARC of the next novel in her favorite series, she wasn't expecting to fall asleep with her cheek plastered to the pages, only to wake up with the smexy, conniving villain in her bedroom. Not only does she soon realize that hot fictional characters might be better appreciated from afar and that her favorite author is not so original or imaginative, she learns more about the Otherworlds around her, herself, and the legacy left to her that most Otherworlders believed was a fable itself.

I found Karla and Kann's journey exciting, with all types of shapeshifters, lore, and action. The Otherworlds were fascinating with their own rules and traditions. Though I wish there were indicators in POV switches, I easily overlooked the absence of them because Karla's and Kann's narrations were fun and unique, the pages capturing their attitudes and personalities without telling but showing.

What I appreciated most, though, were the consistency of the characters and how their "mating" was portrayed. Karla is independent where Kann is forceful and dominant. As the alpha gargoyle in his line, he is demanding and will get what he wants, no matter the means; he is a villain, after all. While they might physically enjoy the sexual aspect of being mated, neither of them like the dependency, and they have no illusions of what's between them (after they clear the air on how Kann ends up in Karla's life, that is). They know their draw to each other is nothing more than magic and a chemical bond.

Their emotional connection slowly begins to form the more they endure together, but they never veer from who they are and their goals. Even as feelings develop, Kann still plots and commits evil (by human, not gargoyle, standards), and Karla knows who she is, what makes her happy, and where she doesn't belong. I loved how they didn't have the insta-love, only insta-forceful-lust, how they acknowledge it, and how they did what was best for themselves. They didn't kid themselves. They might not have had a choice in their bond, but they made the best of it, which eventually led them to where they needed to be.

The sex ... it was freakin' hot, tastefully descriptive and numerous yet not over the top. The story doesn't revolve around the romance completely, either. The plot, pacing, and world-building was wonderful, action-packed and clear, bringing me into the different worlds and characters lives. I adored most of the secondary characters and distinctly remember all of them, too.

There was even a moment when my heart shattered. No, seriously. My eyes watered. My nose stung. I made an ugly face, trying to hold in the emotion that seemed to smack me out of nowhere as I rubbed my chest with a hand, while at the same time I wanted to smile because the moment was just so ... "aww" with a sigh but also a "that hurt, dammit."

My love for Gargoyle Addiction crept up on me, as the story progressively made me more invested in the characters without knowing it. I love when that happens. Don't you? I remember every part of this book, even after reading it a week ago and only writing the review now. I'd definitely recommend it to NA and Adult fans looking for an interesting PNR/UF that's a turn from the typical vamp or werewolf premise. I'm already aching for the next installment in the series and look forward to reading more of Livia Olteano's work.

eARC provided by the author via Bewitching Books Tours.
Thank you!

Visit the Gargoyle Addction Tour Schedule for guest posts, interviews, and more reviews

Livia Olteano

Her Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Livia lives in Europe where she listens to obscene amounts of music and devours every reading material in sight. When she’s not doing either of the two, she fiddles with anything remotely customizable within reach.

She believes stories are the best kind of magic there is. And life would be horrible without magic. Her hobbies include losing herself in the minds and souls of characters, giving up countless nights of sleep to get to know said characters, and trying to introduce them to the world. Sometimes they appreciate her efforts. The process would probably go quicker if they’d bring her a cup of coffee now and then when stopping by. Characters—what can you do, right?