Chick Lit Plus Blog Tour: A Heart in Sun and Shadow

Welcome to another stop on the blog tour for Annie Bellet's novel A Heart in Sun and Shadow. This tour is being organized by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours and I'm happy I got to be a part of it.

Let's start with the synopsis from Goodreads and then I'll get into the review:

In an ancient Wales that never was...

Twin brothers Emyr and Idrys are cursed to live as hounds; Emyr by night, and Idrys by day. The twins believe they will be trapped this way forever until they meet the fierce and curious Áine, a changeling woman born with Fey blood and gifts struggling to fit into a suspicious human world. Áine unravels the fate of Emyr and his twin as all three of them fall in love. To free her lovers from the curse, she embarks on a journey to the realm of the fey where she confronts her own unique gifts and heritage. Ultimately, she must decide where her heart truly lies and what she's willing to risk to get what she desires most.

I decided to take a chance on this novel as it's most definitely not a chick lit book. I used to read all sorts of fantasy type novels when I was young and for some reason I got away from it as I got older. Good news - I found that I still enjoy a fantasy story. It's such a work out for my imagination which is probably why I loved them when I was younger. This book definitely needed a reader with a good imagination as there was a strong fantastical element to it. I admit, at times I found the story a little bizarre but at the end I appreciate how the story made its way to the conclusion.

I was a little confused at the beginning since the prologue introduced a character, Áine, who didn't reappear for a good while. We get the entire back history of Emyr and Idrys and how they become cursed before Áine comes back into the story. I understand that's part of the whole prologue deal but it just didn't work for me. Maybe it's because the story switched back to Áine's perspective and I read her back story before she was finally introduced to Emyr and Idrys the three of them. Of course, it could be just me. :)

There was a lot going on in this novel but it kept me intrigued from start to finish. I think this is the kind of book that you need to read with an open mind and a good imagination. I didn't love it but I enjoyed reading it. I don't think I'll continue reading the series myself, but I'm sure many other fantasy lovers would devour these books. All in all, I liked A Heart in Sun and Shadow (clever title, by the way) and am glad I got the chance to read it.

Happy reading! :)