The Paper Gardens

There was a lot more plot to this than I was expecting, which was definitely a pleasant surprise. It's nice when I pick up a paranormal romance that's not all about the sex.

The relationship between Rafe and Shannon was the best part of the book. While what they want to be for each other isn't *technically* a forbidden love, it IS a difficult one. Shannon's dark and depressing past makes it hard for her to trust Rafe. Given what she went through, it's perfectly understandable.

...it also doesn't hold up as an excuse for very long, since Rafe has worked with Shannon long enough to be able to sense her mood by listening to her heartbeat, and knows that she's attracted to him.

What most of the romance in the book boils down to are both Rafe and Shannon waiting for the other to make the first move.

That, and all of the brooding over dark and depressing pasts makes the first half of the book drag on quite a bit. The story manages to hit its stride about halfway through, though, and ends on a sappy note.