Refreshing...

I was skeptical at first, I thought I was over the vampire paranormal genre, I am a sucker for a good PNR,and shame on me I missed it, a guilty pleasure I wanted assuaged.

Not holding out much hope this book pleasantly surprised me. One it has a great story line and individual characters and two there's no instantaneous love at first sight , there's drama, a very delicious vampire with an unusual power, who actually does not dare scratch that itch, I understand why. Though when he does fall foul of his feelings or has to put up a front, sparks fly.

The story and relationship unfolds slowly without losing any pace, glad this independent author decided to publish, EH has put my faith back into the genre. Mystery, romance and drama I found this PNR refreshing and will definitely read more.

7 people found this helpful

Awful narration.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I love this series and feel that this story has been ruined by poor narration. Gio is Italian not Transylvanian and Carwyn is Welsh not a plummy Englishman. l managed about an hour before giving up. I'll stick to dead tree format and enjoy this slow burn love story in all it's nuanced, sassy layered glory.

What other book might you compare A Hidden Fire to, and why?

Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews, this series also has a strong female lead, brilliant world building and interesting characters. Shifters and magic rather than vampires but still sexy, funny and not too fluffy.

What didn’t you like about Dina Pearlman’s performance?

I want my audio books to allow me to enjoy the story without being distracted constantly by the narrators performance. Regional accents must be right or at least neutral if the performer cannot imitate them accurately. This laboured rendition made me regret purchasing the audiobook version of a well loved story.

Did A Hidden Fire inspire you to do anything?

To not listen to the rest of it and be grateful I didn't pay full price for it!

Any additional comments?

Buy the paper or e-book, settle down and enjoy the slow build up, this does take more than one book. The characters grow into themselves and the stories are definately not fluffy or sparkly. Beatrice is an amazing protagonist who really blossoms as the series moves on.

5 people found this helpful

Great story bad narration

I loved this book when I read it but am really disappointed by the performance. The narrator does the most awful accents I have ever heard. Very disappointing as I love the story.

3 people found this helpful

My series of this year year

Where does A Hidden Fire rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

top five and i've heard many

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Hidden Fire?

Well they say "absence makes the heart grow fonder" !! and only when you read you will understand what i mean Besides the the mystery around gio and the humour between B & G I loved the way Elizabeth set out the history.

What does Dina Pearlman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Dinas character voice changes were excellent. Her voice for Beatrice and Gio were just as I imagined when i read the books earlier in the year .

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

If life were this exciting you would want to live forever

Any additional comments?

This isn't a teenage " Vampire Diarie"s or Twighlight. this is an adult story (not as in rudeness more in terms of maturity) I actually didn't know it was based on human and vampire world until a few chapters in. Beatrice (or B in early parts) found out stuff the same time as we did, very clever how that was writing in a slow reveal of information. I probably wouldn't have read it otherwise thinking it was going to be a teen goth book lolIt is worth joining

Elizabeth Hunters facebook page.she is a newish author with a building fan bass and answers most posts. its amazing the research Elizabeth goes into while preparing for her books. in the summer she was blogging to us all from istanbul where she was researching for another book series.

The whole series needs to be heard/read not just this book.

There are 4 elemental mysteries books followed by a onward series called elemental world that explores the characters more and uncovers more of the mystery of vampire politics crime and drug situation as well as further character development. This series is still expanding I believe.

A Hidden Fire (Elemental Mysteries Book One)This Same Earth (Elemental Mysteries Book Two)The Force of Wind (Elemental Mysteries Book Three)

A Fall of Water (Elemental Mysteries Book Four)Building From Ashes (Elemental World Book One) Waterlocked (An Elemental World Novella)Blood and Sand (Elemental World Book Two)

Blood and Sand (Elemental World 3) was my favorite in the second series and explored the character of Boajia

Extract: From BLOOD AND SAND...

Natalie was trying to take her first tai chi lesson seriously. Really. She was. But the feel of Baojia moving her arms and legs into various positions, then standing really close to move her from form to form was more than a little distracting. "You should really put on a shirt if you want me to concentrate." He moved in front of her and tilted her chin up as she stood with arms stretched out and legs half-bent. "I don't have many clothes here, and I'm not going to ruin my nice shirts practicing. Now focus." She muttered, "Kind of hard to do after that thing you did an hour ago." A lift at the corner of his mouth was the only reaction she got.

2 people found this helpful

Awful narration

I have these books and thought I'd like to listen to them. I gave up and went back to my hard copies. The narrator is bad. I have never heard a Welsh accent like it. In fact ALL the accents leave a lot to be desired
It spoilt the book for me

1 person found this helpful

Couldn't stand the narrator

I'm not sure if this book is good or not as I couldn't get past the first hour of it. The narrator is terrible. Her voice is horrible, her accent is just plain weird - something between New York, Midwest and Southern - and very off putting. Her attempts at foreign accents are equally bad and her reading style is unpleasant. Will stick to the to the Kindle version.

1 person found this helpful

Predictable and disappointing

If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?

I think this is more aimed at teenage girls...very Twilighty.

Would you ever listen to anything by Elizabeth Hunter again?

No, it has put me off completely.

Have you listened to any of Dina Pearlman’s other performances? How does this one compare?

This was my first and she did a good job. It was the story that couldn't hold my interest, not her performance.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment. From the reviews it sounded like it bucked the trend but I waswrong.

1 person found this helpful

My favourite author. Accents could be better?

I have read and reread her entire collection. I think she’s a fabulous author.
I have been so excited for the audible version. And I loved it. BUT. The accents?? Carwyn is not Welsh! And couple of other accents seem to come and go!
I will 100% listen to the next one but I’m sure it will 100% still bug me!
Love you Elizabeth Hunter!!

Fantastic story but...

I love this story and the series by Elizabeth Hunter. I have the ebook and paperback so I thought I'd try the audio. This is unabridged but the accents spoiled it for me. Carwen is supposed to be Welsh, not posh English. Gavin is supposed to be Scottish not the strange Irish/English/American with a twang of Scottish here and there. And the Italian accent of Lorenzo was a cartoon Italian villain. It is a shame because the story is so strong. I will be getting the rest of the series but that's because there is no other version to listen to.

Brilliant ⭐️

There are so many mediocre books in this genre that when you find a gem like this you need to savour it, enjoy it and keep it! 5+ stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️