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Rowena's Key (2013)

by A.J. Nuest(Favorite Author)

4.1 of 5 Votes: 5

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

HarperImpulse

series

The Golden Key Chronicles

review 1: The key would unlock his future and the safety of his kingdom, but he never imagined the sorceress would unlock his heart…Antiques restorer, Rowena Lindstrom, finds herself the owner of an ancestral armoire containing a hidden key and a magic mirror leading to another realm!But the handsome warrior prince waiting on the other side is truly the final straw. This must be an elaborate joke, right? As she struggles to discover the truth, Rowena learns Prince Caedmon Austiere needs the key to save his kingdom. In the end, she cannot deny him anything. Including her heart.This is the first book in a series, and starts with Rowena regretting buying an armoire which certainly looked better on the internet but now it's sitting in her bedroom, it doesnt look so good, even after a ... morefew drinks. The back is warped, the drawers are swollen shut, and she is considering taking a crowbar to parts of it in the morning. There's one secret drawer that opens however, which contains an ancient looking key. It doesnt open anything however, so she takes to her bed.It opens more than she realises however, and she meets Prince Caedmon, the second, bastard, son of the King, who is as shocked to see Rowena (predicted to appear as The Sourceress) as she is him.Despite not being the chosen one, it soon transpires that the legitimate Prince is not the one destined to work with the Sourceress to protect the kingdom from the enemy at the gates. Rowena and Caedmon then spend the next three nights locked in seclusion, where Caedmon is not allowed to tell any lies. At the end of the three nights, Rowena needs to decide whether she is going to hand over the key. She doesnt know everything, so her decision has to be made on what she has learnt whilst stuck in the seclusion.The alternate world is sketchy in this story which perhaps isn’t a bad thing for this book – the story is restricted to the Rowena’s view through the mirror, which is fairly static in the room, apart from one wander round the room.There are a number of extra characters – some better sketched than the others (Ollie) but this is ultimately about Rowena and Caedmon.The last few chapters set up the story well for the following book(s) and does make the reader (me) tempted to read at least the next story in the series. I'm being particularly vague here to prevent spoilers.....
review 2: The descriptions in this novella are absolutely priceless, the detail exquisite. Nuest has the perfect mix of eloquence, subtlety, and brashness with this tale. You can’t help but laugh at the literal clash between fantasy and reality. It is the fundamental basis of this fast paced and suspenseful tale. And what a perfect cliff-hanger of an ending… The author balances concluding the current dilemma with giving us something we need to get back to. It is one of those fantasies that every woman would love to live and that every man would love to be part of. There are really only 2 major players in this novella and they are both phenomenally well developed to suit who they are and the lives that they lead. Both their similarities and their differences shine through making you laugh and sigh in turn. The supporting cast was also quite intriguing. They were definitely the extremes of the stereotypes they portrayed. This whole cast is definitely larger than lifeOverall this was a brilliant escape from the everyday. I, for one, will definitely be on pins and needles until I get to the sequel. I can definitely see this becoming one of my new favourite series. Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review. less

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