Review: Out in Blue (Return to Sanctuary) by Sarah Gilman

Title: Out In Blue (Return to Sanctuary)

Author: Sarah Gilman

Release Date: August, 2011

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

Category: Paranormal Romance

Type: Kindle/Paperback

Click Here To Buy Now!

Book Blurb:

In a violent world where fallen archangels are hunted for their valuable plumage, Wren knows one thing for certain: the human woman who saved him from a poacher attack will die if she stays with him. The demon responsible for his parents’ gruesome deaths two decades ago pines for the chance to rip apart any woman who stands under Wren’s wing.

Wren doesn’t expect Ginger to stay by his side once she discovers his ability to drain life with a mere touch, yet she lingers. When an unusual talent of her own reveals the location of Wren’s father, Wren’s isolated world implodes. With the help of the demon protectors he’s sworn never to trust again, Wren risks everything to rescue his father, confront the demon who stalks his and Ginger’s every step, and claim his eternity with the most courageous woman he’s ever known.

Book Exerpt:

       The tattoo of a bloody knife and scattered feathers caught Ginger Magellan’s attention. Her stomach curdled at the sight of the archangel poachers’ insignia. The bearer of the gruesome illustration ordered an espresso from the petite girl behind the bar.

       “There isn’t a fallen archangel around here, is there?” The barista’s voice rose.
       “Not for much longer, there won’t be.” He turned away and pulled out his cell phone.
       From where she sat in the café, Ginger wrapped her hands around her coffee and stared into the dark brew, eavesdropping on the poacher’s conversation.
       “The house has been abandoned for years, but it’s the right place. I saw him fly in the fog this morning. Devil has a balcony entrance on the third floor.”
       Devil. Ginger hid a snort of disgust under a fake cough.
       The poacher continued after a moment. “Yeah, white wings, black markings. It’s Wren, for certain. And not a Guardian in sight. He’s all ours.”
       Ginger tensed. No Guardians? Why would an archangel be without his demon bodyguards?
       “Meet you there in thirty? He’ll be back before the fog clears.” The poacher accepted his drink from the barista with a charming grin. She refused his payment and wished him luck. He blew her a kiss and left the café.
       Clenching her teeth, Ginger tucked a twenty under her coffee and rushed for the exit without waiting for change. She stepped into the foggy autumn morning, shivered, and buried her hands in her pockets. Two police officers chatted next to their cruiser, but she turned and hurried in the other direction. Archangel poaching, though technically illegal, was applauded and encouraged by most of the human population. She couldn’t trust the police.
       She’d warn this “Wren” herself.

Review:

So I am at somewhat of an impasse with this book. There was a lot that I enjoyed, but a few things that I struggled with as well. First, I really liked the idea of the story. I haven’t come across any romance/paranormal involving fallen archangels and demons as their elite protective body guards (Guardians). I was also hooked by the cover. When I am unfamiliar with an author, the cover plays a huge role in my decision to both purchase and buy. The cover wooed me immediately. Kudos to Gilman for realizing and delivering on the importance of a cover that grabs the reader!

The story itself is captivating and unpredictable. I was not able to predict what would happen next for most of the book. My attention was held until very near the end, when the story seemed to lose a bit of its hold on me.

There are two major problems that I have that left a bad taste in my mouth. The first is that the characters were in-love faster than instantly. There was no attraction, no conflict over whether or not each was really in-love; it was just kind of BAM, right there. Now I am all for the instant attraction that inevitably turns to love, but this was so quick it bordered crazy. Wren’s use of “Gin-love” for Ginger and both of them referring to each other as “mates”, kind of put a damper on things for me. Not to mention the eternal bond created when mating. I would think any woman with common sense would step back a second and really evaluate such a monumental decision with everlasting effects. The other problem that kind of irked me was that the story fell flat toward the end. By that time it was predictable in the sense that you knew what choices would be made and what the outcome would be. I just had a problem with everything being wrapped up so quick and pretty in contrast to all of the drama that took place in the rest of the story.

What really disappointed me was that I received mixed signals from the author. Well, it actually began with the publisher’s disclaimer “Paranomal with Strong Romantic Elements”. What? Okay, I suppose I set myself up for disappointment based on the untrue disclaimer, but I dislike when I feel unfulfilled. Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate the tamer varieties of novels. After all, I have friends and family who do not appreciate the erotic genres. But I am stuck because the sex is tame, but then you have F**K thrown out in quite a few places, not really allowing me to recommend this book to the more conservative reader. The absence of the F-word would have allowed me to hit an entirely different group of readers that might not normally venture towards a paranormal romance. Granted, the situations likely would have called for an F-bomb or two, but as a reader/reviewer, I need to know who to recommend the books I read to; a struggle I am currently in the midst of.

Personal negatives stated, these complaints are really quite trivial compared to some books I have read. Nor are they big enough to keep me from giving Gilman another shot. I liked that the epilogue gave a quick glimpse into how Wren and Ginger were doing while simultaneously setting up Jett’s story for the next book in the series. Jett very obviously has a helluva past and a ton of issues to sort through. The book has a solid set-up, I just hope that it lives up to its potential. Gilman clearly has a terrific idea in the Return to Sanctuary series. She did her job in pulling me in with both description and cover. I choose to look favorably toward the future in assuming she will keep me interested in Jett’s story and the multitude of unanswered questions about his life that the book will undoubtedly address. Overall, this book was entertaining. Despite my issues with the book, I feel that my time was well spent. Out in Blue is worth the read, so check it out.

(E-book won on Blog contest, http://booksonthehouse.com )