Review: Hearts Unloched

Hearts Unloched by Claire Gem
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hearts Unloched is my second Claire Gem read, my first being Phantom Traces, and I found this one to be just as enjoyable as Phantom Traces. The enjoyment came from very different factors for the two books, but both were thoroughly addictive. After finishing Phantom Traces I was sure I’d be jumping into more of the author’s, and after finishing Hearts Unloched I know without a doubt I’ll be working my way through all the books she has written. Without a doubt, Claire Gem has captured my heart.

As with Phantom Traces, Hearts Unloched sounds like a romance in the paranormal world. That it is, but it is also so much more than that. We do have the paranormal element of the world, but the romance feels very much like that of the contemporary variety. I’ve found this to be the case with both of the Claire Gem books I have read, and I really enjoy this about her work. It is wonderful how the paranormal world is so well mixed in with the real world, that it allows the romance to read like that of a contemporary romance – it really is a wonderful skill to have. Throughout the story, Claire Gem offers us everything you would hope for from a gripping romance: development of the characters, tension, twists, and uncertainty of how things will end. Each element of the story – both of the contemporary variety and the paranormal variety – complement each other so well, and it is wonderful to watch the story develop.

Honestly, it is difficult to decide what held my attention more – the day-to-day drama or the specific paranormal drama. You see, throughout, we’re given plenty of both. The contemporary aspects allow for the jealousy and drama of the characters; the paranormal aspects allow for the mystery and tension of the overall story. The two go together so well that I could rant and rave about it all day.

Moreover, everything works together really well to bring about a wonderful mix of emotions. I especially enjoyed the way in which the story was linked back to the events of the past. The past plays a very important role in this story, and watching the emotions that were linked to it were wonderful. It wasn’t simply due to the paranormal elements that were highlighting these emotions – even though that was wonderful – but simply the way in which the interaction between individuals and the way in which the past was slowly brought to light that made it wonderful.

In all honesty, though, if forced to make a choice, I would say the paranormal aspects were my favourite part of this story. I was a little bit let down by the lack of spooks in Phantom Traces – I had wanted more events – and Hearts Unloched certainly delivered. The paranormal world pops up in so many wonderful ways, it is done so well, and I cannot wait to experience more of the paranormal in the author’s other works. It was so atmospheric, there were so many wonderful scenes, that I couldn’t help but fall a little bit more in love with the paranormal elements this time around.

What stopped me from giving a full five stars with this one was because of the romance. I came to truly love it by the end of the story, yet it took me a very long time to finally buy into the character’s relationship. For the first half of the book I felt as though it was simply convenient for the story. Although this aspect does play an important role for the overall story, I couldn’t help but feel a lack of interest about whether or not they managed to get a happily ever after. I was indifferent really, reading it more for the other aspects of the story. When I compare this to Phantom Traces, I cannot help but feel a bit let down. With Phantom Traces I was rooting for the romance from the very start, and I’d wanted the same feeling with this one. Instead, it wasn’t until I was a decent proportion through the book before I finally fell for their romance. From that point on, though, Claire Gem did pull out all the stops – the end in particular was amazing.

Overall, it was a wonderful read. As I’ve already stated, I’ll definitely be reading more of the author’s work in the future. She’s certainly someone I’m going to be watching, that’s for sure.

As a final note, I would like to thank the author for contacting me for a review of Hearts Unloched – it’s very much appreciated.

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