Heather Burch
Author of Halflings (A Halflings Novel)
Series
Works by Heather Burch
Guardian: They chose to protect her. But forgot to guard their hearts. (A Halflings Novel) (2012) 66 copies, 5 reviews
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- Gender
- female
- Short biography
- I write full time and love being involved with groups that promote books! Writing young adult and romantic fiction has been the most exciting writing journey of my life! Before novels, I wrote teen curriculum published in both the U.S. and Asia Pacific.
I've had a blast the last several months traveling the country and meeting fans! From Missouri to Miami, I've gotten to meet awesome enthusiasts at book stores throughout the U.S.
I'm repped by the AMAZING Karen Solem at Spencerhill Associates.
I've taught in the U.S. and Mexico at women's and teen conferences. Teen conferences ... sooo fun!
I've always been drawn to epic stories about love and loss. Though I have a wide range of tales, from sagas of love lost then rekindled to high adventure young adult novels. In all, you will find a common thread. I call it the soul-mate factor. Enjoy the journey as we dive into characters who--whether saving the world or just their own lives--find their inner strength and risk it all for that elusive thing called love.
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Reviews
THIS IS NOT A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW.
Kindle First books are usually hit or miss. Unfortunately, this one was a miss.
One Lavender Ribbon tells the story of Adrienne, who just moved to Florida after a bitter divorce. At only 28 years old, she feels like her life is over. After six years of putting up with her ex-husband's constant insults, she finally escaped and is pouring all of Eric's settlement money into renovating a Victorian home on the Florida coast. During her renovations, she finds a show more stack of old letters tied together with a lavender ribbon. Through the letters, she finds William Bryant, the World War II veteran who wrote them, and Will Bryant, his young, attractive grandson.
The premise of the book is fine, I suppose, but I had two questions that lingered in the back of my mind while I was reading.
The first was whether Eric was supposed to be older than Adrienne. He's a "brilliant cardiologist" who always put his work first... at 28? I doubt it. At 28, he likely wouldn't even be done with his residency yet, let alone the fellowship he'd need to do for anybody to take him seriously. Either a stunning lack of research on the author's part, or Eric is at least in his mid-30's.
Assuming this book takes place in the present day, William's age is way off. He talks about fighting at Normandy (1944). The book was published last year (2014). This means that Normandy was 70 years before the present day. William is 81. Was he 11 years old when he enlisted, or is he lying about his age? Or maybe, again, the author failed to do her research. "World War II? Those veterans are probably like 80, right? I'll make him 81. Yeah, that sounds about right."
These are the kinds of things that editors should fix.
As if the general lack of fact-checking wasn't bad enough, everything else was terrible, too.
The writing. "Apprehension crawled over her skin like fire ants." Really?
Adrienne. Why is she good at everything? She's a master party planner. She's a culinary genius. She can do any home renovation project on her own, even though she has no experience.
Will. Will is the actual worst. I don't understand what Adrienne saw in him, because he was mean to her literally from the first second they met.
"Will is not like Eric," she reminds herself every three seconds, because that's about how often he snaps at her.
"I'm going to get through this day because it's for Pops, but I swear, you have no idea how much trouble you're causing," Will says to Adrienne, after she literally PAYS FOR HIS PARENTS' FLIGHT HOME FROM AFRICA OUT OF HER OWN POCKET. After he told her how upset he was that his parents wouldn't be able to make it to Pops' birthday party. A normal person might say thanks, but Will thinks Adrienne should stop causing trouble.
For some inexplicable reason, Adrienne is drawn to Will. They're both grown adults... who think kissing is scandalous? I mean, I don't need my romances to be filled with sex, but come on. These two blush and giggle whenever the topic of kissing comes up.
So, anyway, clearly I was not a fan of the relationship between Will and Adrienne. I was actually really happy that, throughout the course of the book, Adrienne actually stuck to her guns and refused to let Will take advantage of her. She gave him several chances, all of which he threw away. She was, for once in her life, putting herself first.
Then, of course, Will decides to actually be nice for once... And her friend is like, 'You're avoiding him so you won't get hurt, but you're hurting yourself by avoiding him' and I'm just like... wait, what? Whose side are you on, Sammie? Am I supposed to think that's deep or something? No! Will has been continually acting like a petty child, and your friend is smart enough to put an end to it. You're really going to stick up for that guy, the one who accuses her of "causing trouble" whenever she does something nice for him? No. I almost stopped there. The notes on my Kindle for that chapter are "NO" followed by "nooooo" followed by "nope nope nope."
Finally, if you read my romance reviews, you probably know that my biggest pet peeve is this insta-marriage phenomenon that's plaguing almost every genre right now. Adrienne was 110% done with Will, and then out of nowhere, he interrupts ANOTHER WEDDING to propose to her. Again, what a child. Making everything about him. No, that is super rude to the couple getting married, and it's super inappropriate to put her on the spot like that. I can't believe Adrienne said yes. I was so mad. I actually threw my tablet on the ground and walked away. I'm still mad. Will was a jerk throughout the entire book, and Adrienne completely gave up everything that she believed in to marry him, just because he was nice to her one time. She completely disregards the niggling feeling that he's just like her ex. And this is supposed to be romantic? It's supposed to be a HAPPY ending that Adrienne realized her feelings and convictions don't matter and she should just listen to Will, even though he's a jerk. No. I can't get on board with that.
One star. Maybe less.
[see all my reviews at the bibliophagist] show less
Kindle First books are usually hit or miss. Unfortunately, this one was a miss.
One Lavender Ribbon tells the story of Adrienne, who just moved to Florida after a bitter divorce. At only 28 years old, she feels like her life is over. After six years of putting up with her ex-husband's constant insults, she finally escaped and is pouring all of Eric's settlement money into renovating a Victorian home on the Florida coast. During her renovations, she finds a show more stack of old letters tied together with a lavender ribbon. Through the letters, she finds William Bryant, the World War II veteran who wrote them, and Will Bryant, his young, attractive grandson.
The premise of the book is fine, I suppose, but I had two questions that lingered in the back of my mind while I was reading.
The first was whether Eric was supposed to be older than Adrienne. He's a "brilliant cardiologist" who always put his work first... at 28? I doubt it. At 28, he likely wouldn't even be done with his residency yet, let alone the fellowship he'd need to do for anybody to take him seriously. Either a stunning lack of research on the author's part, or Eric is at least in his mid-30's.
Assuming this book takes place in the present day, William's age is way off. He talks about fighting at Normandy (1944). The book was published last year (2014). This means that Normandy was 70 years before the present day. William is 81. Was he 11 years old when he enlisted, or is he lying about his age? Or maybe, again, the author failed to do her research. "World War II? Those veterans are probably like 80, right? I'll make him 81. Yeah, that sounds about right."
These are the kinds of things that editors should fix.
As if the general lack of fact-checking wasn't bad enough, everything else was terrible, too.
The writing. "Apprehension crawled over her skin like fire ants." Really?
Adrienne. Why is she good at everything? She's a master party planner. She's a culinary genius. She can do any home renovation project on her own, even though she has no experience.
Will. Will is the actual worst. I don't understand what Adrienne saw in him, because he was mean to her literally from the first second they met.
"Will is not like Eric," she reminds herself every three seconds, because that's about how often he snaps at her.
"I'm going to get through this day because it's for Pops, but I swear, you have no idea how much trouble you're causing," Will says to Adrienne, after she literally PAYS FOR HIS PARENTS' FLIGHT HOME FROM AFRICA OUT OF HER OWN POCKET. After he told her how upset he was that his parents wouldn't be able to make it to Pops' birthday party. A normal person might say thanks, but Will thinks Adrienne should stop causing trouble.
For some inexplicable reason, Adrienne is drawn to Will. They're both grown adults... who think kissing is scandalous? I mean, I don't need my romances to be filled with sex, but come on. These two blush and giggle whenever the topic of kissing comes up.
So, anyway, clearly I was not a fan of the relationship between Will and Adrienne. I was actually really happy that, throughout the course of the book, Adrienne actually stuck to her guns and refused to let Will take advantage of her. She gave him several chances, all of which he threw away. She was, for once in her life, putting herself first.
Then, of course, Will decides to actually be nice for once... And her friend is like, 'You're avoiding him so you won't get hurt, but you're hurting yourself by avoiding him' and I'm just like... wait, what? Whose side are you on, Sammie? Am I supposed to think that's deep or something? No! Will has been continually acting like a petty child, and your friend is smart enough to put an end to it. You're really going to stick up for that guy, the one who accuses her of "causing trouble" whenever she does something nice for him? No. I almost stopped there. The notes on my Kindle for that chapter are "NO" followed by "nooooo" followed by "nope nope nope."
Finally, if you read my romance reviews, you probably know that my biggest pet peeve is this insta-marriage phenomenon that's plaguing almost every genre right now. Adrienne was 110% done with Will, and then out of nowhere, he interrupts ANOTHER WEDDING to propose to her. Again, what a child. Making everything about him. No, that is super rude to the couple getting married, and it's super inappropriate to put her on the spot like that. I can't believe Adrienne said yes. I was so mad. I actually threw my tablet on the ground and walked away. I'm still mad. Will was a jerk throughout the entire book, and Adrienne completely gave up everything that she believed in to marry him, just because he was nice to her one time. She completely disregards the niggling feeling that he's just like her ex. And this is supposed to be romantic? It's supposed to be a HAPPY ending that Adrienne realized her feelings and convictions don't matter and she should just listen to Will, even though he's a jerk. No. I can't get on board with that.
One star. Maybe less.
[see all my reviews at the bibliophagist] show less
Yet another angel-themed book to face my scrutiny, and I am happy to report that Halflings makes the cut and earns my stamp of approval. There are a few hiccups and unanswered questions, but overall I found the story captivating enough to want to keep reading and finally have enough curiosity to pounce on the sequel. It also helps that these Halfling boys oozed with such hotness and tough-but-vulnerable personalities that I would do anything to spend more time with them. What can I say? I show more cannot resist a well-crafted male specimen who has hope to be redeemed from the Dark Side. Halflings has the same action-packing suspense as Angelfire and an interesting angel re-invention like Angel Burn, and I am totally looking forward to seeing how Nikki and company fare in GUARDIAN. show less
This is a trend that is both amusing and interesting to me: angels come to earth and go to high school as part of their “mission” and invariably fall for a hot human. What’s going on the zeitgeist?
Traditionally, young adult literature is said to offer a window through which teens can examine their lives and the rarified world they inhabit. Modern-day issues are discussed in contemporary language, and whether invoking fantasy or a “problem,” usually young love or “coming of age” show more is woven into the story. If there is a moral, or message, the goal is for it to be subtle, and not browbeaten into the reader.
Angels struggling to keep focused on their heavenly mission while being tempted by humanity is the perfect way, it seems to me, to accomplish both browbeating and subtlety all at the same time. Halflings does a particularly nice job of that, because this is a story about angels who are not totally divine or irreparably fallen; rather, they are in between.
“Halflings” or “lost boys” (although there are a few females) are half fallen angel and half human. They cannot be admitted to heaven, but they can stay out of hell by fighting on the side of good. When not on a mission from God, they hang out in “the midplane,” which is an intermediary supernatural realm. Small groups of Halflings are assigned to a caretaker, who receives communications from Heaven about their missions. Will is the caretaker of the three “lost boys” who are the novel’s main protagonists: Raven, Mace, and Vine. Their mission is to protect Nicole (“Nikki”) Youngblood, a beautiful and exceptional 17-year-old girl, and so the guys enroll in her high school. For some reason that none of them can yet figure out, Nikki is the focus of an attack from the Underworld.
As the boys struggle to save Nikki from external demons, they also struggle with their own internal ones: Mace and Raven both fall for Nikki, and falling for a human is considered to be a sin. Moreover, they must also battle their own heritage, coming from falling angels and having seeds of rebellion and darkness planted in their souls. They can choose to give in to the dark side, or they can choose to conduct themselves with nobility and honor.
And what about Nikki? She too, is caught in the middle: she is attracted to both the “angelic” Mace and the “bad boy” Raven.
But she knows that if she is not strong and if she gives in to either boy by having a relationship with him, she will damn him for all eternity. Furthermore, she has to figure out if she wants to participate actively in the difficult mission of the angels or take an easier road: (As Will says of humans, harking back to Doubting Thomas: “They’re at a huge disadvantage, not being born with eyes to see the spiritual battle. Yet they still must choose a side. And it’s their faith alone that equips them to make that choice.”) And finally, there’s the little matter of being chased by demons and hellhounds and having her life in danger, when she doesn’t even know why….
Evaluation: This is a nicely done series that combines spiritual concerns with “hotness” and with danger, ensuring a broad appeal. Given the premise, I thought it would be silly, but it’s really not at all, and has a poignancy pervading it over the sad fate of the “lost boys.” It also has a more religious message than most books of this ilk. (I have to say, though, that I really don't like the girl on the cover, who reminds me too much of Bella from "The Twilight Series.") show less
Traditionally, young adult literature is said to offer a window through which teens can examine their lives and the rarified world they inhabit. Modern-day issues are discussed in contemporary language, and whether invoking fantasy or a “problem,” usually young love or “coming of age” show more is woven into the story. If there is a moral, or message, the goal is for it to be subtle, and not browbeaten into the reader.
Angels struggling to keep focused on their heavenly mission while being tempted by humanity is the perfect way, it seems to me, to accomplish both browbeating and subtlety all at the same time. Halflings does a particularly nice job of that, because this is a story about angels who are not totally divine or irreparably fallen; rather, they are in between.
“Halflings” or “lost boys” (although there are a few females) are half fallen angel and half human. They cannot be admitted to heaven, but they can stay out of hell by fighting on the side of good. When not on a mission from God, they hang out in “the midplane,” which is an intermediary supernatural realm. Small groups of Halflings are assigned to a caretaker, who receives communications from Heaven about their missions. Will is the caretaker of the three “lost boys” who are the novel’s main protagonists: Raven, Mace, and Vine. Their mission is to protect Nicole (“Nikki”) Youngblood, a beautiful and exceptional 17-year-old girl, and so the guys enroll in her high school. For some reason that none of them can yet figure out, Nikki is the focus of an attack from the Underworld.
As the boys struggle to save Nikki from external demons, they also struggle with their own internal ones: Mace and Raven both fall for Nikki, and falling for a human is considered to be a sin. Moreover, they must also battle their own heritage, coming from falling angels and having seeds of rebellion and darkness planted in their souls. They can choose to give in to the dark side, or they can choose to conduct themselves with nobility and honor.
And what about Nikki? She too, is caught in the middle: she is attracted to both the “angelic” Mace and the “bad boy” Raven.
But she knows that if she is not strong and if she gives in to either boy by having a relationship with him, she will damn him for all eternity. Furthermore, she has to figure out if she wants to participate actively in the difficult mission of the angels or take an easier road: (As Will says of humans, harking back to Doubting Thomas: “They’re at a huge disadvantage, not being born with eyes to see the spiritual battle. Yet they still must choose a side. And it’s their faith alone that equips them to make that choice.”) And finally, there’s the little matter of being chased by demons and hellhounds and having her life in danger, when she doesn’t even know why….
Evaluation: This is a nicely done series that combines spiritual concerns with “hotness” and with danger, ensuring a broad appeal. Given the premise, I thought it would be silly, but it’s really not at all, and has a poignancy pervading it over the sad fate of the “lost boys.” It also has a more religious message than most books of this ilk. (I have to say, though, that I really don't like the girl on the cover, who reminds me too much of Bella from "The Twilight Series.") show less
After being inexplicably targeted by an evil intent on harming her at any cost, seventeen-year-old Nikki finds herself under the watchful guardianship of three mysterious young men who call themselves Halflings. Sworn to defend her, misfits Mace, Raven, and Vine battle to keep Nikki safe while hiding their deepest secret-and the wings that come with it.
A growing attraction between Nikki and two of her protectors presents a whole other danger. While she risks a broken heart, Mace and Raven show more could lose everything, including their souls. As the mysteries behind the boys' powers, as well as her role in a scientist's dark plan, unfold, Nikki is faced with choices that will affect the future of an entire race of heavenly beings, as well as the precarious equilibrium of the earthly world (summary courtesy publisher via NetGalley).
This book left me scratching my head, for a variety of reasons. Not one single question put forth in this book was answered at the end. Usually when a book gives you some type of mystery or question to be explored and answered, even if sequels are planned, the author will give you some answers. I knew about as much when I finished the book as I did when I started it. Too many things were left unexplored and unanswered. Another thing I had a difficult time with was the occasional slip from third person to first person. The first couple of times it happened, I assumed it was because I was reading an ARC and it was simply a mistake. But it kept happening. I finally realized about half way through the book that those occasional slips were actually the characters thinking to themselves. To me, it just looked like an editing mistake. Quotations marks or a simple “she thought” would have fixed that problem. Sometimes, the story line was a bit difficult to follow because time didn’t flow consistently throughout the story. It would jump forward and back in time, leaving me stumped as to what exactly was happening. A lot of this could have been solved with editing.
I also found it difficult to connect with any of the characters. The boys and their personalities were built solely on their looks. Every time any of them appeared in the story, the reader heard about “muscles under shirts, muscles flexing, and muscles rippling” or their hair and how it flowed around them. The one character I felt had the most potential to be interesting was never given any other characterization other than a description of what his long, blond hair was doing while he fought, or walked, or ran. Oh, and he liked candy. After about ten chapters, I was beyond tired of hearing the boys being described. I know what they look like, move on! The main character Nikki, was really hard to figure out. Sometimes she seemed confident and put-together, other times she seemed wishy-washy. Other times, she came across as a petulant brat. Burch seemed to put action before characterization, which was disappointing. A little bit of character-building could have gone a long way toward making this a better book.
Unfortunately, I had a bigger issue with this book than some unanswered questions, editing issues and lack of character development. Let’s just say that I have read this book before. Only that time, its title was Twilight. Maybe this book should have been called Twilight 2.0—The Angel Version. I thought maybe I was just imagining things, but then I decided to jot down the similarities I found between the two. It was definitely not my imagination. Similarities to Twilight (*may contain spoilers*):
• Paranormal boy(s)
• Girl that needs protecting
• Boy breaks the rules to see the girl.
• They are “inexplicably drawn to each other.”
• The boys are gorgeous, often referred to as “Greek Gods.”
• The boys move with unnatural speed,
• One of the boys can “pick up a thought or two.”
• Almost a direct quote from Twilight (and one of the most famous): “…there was a tiny part and she wasn’t sure how powerful that part was…”
• The boys can drive really fast because their reflexes are better than a humans.
• The girl feels “a gaping, empty hole” in her chest after a break-up, clutches her chest to keep the pain in.
• The boys have fantastic hearing, can hear things others can’t.
• The boys move faster than the eye can see, they even say “You can’t outrun us.”
• One of the boys struggles to achieve goodness despite what he is.
• Girl loves both boys.
Do you see what I mean? I’m sure it’s flattering to Stephenie Meyer that so many authors copy her, but we as readers want to see something new. Halflings is definitely not that something new.
I tried to enjoy Halflings, I really did. I tried to ignore the fact that it was really just a blatant rip-off of one of my favorite books. Unfortunately, I couldn’t overlook it. Writing a book that follows a formula (Paranormal Hot Guy + Girl Who Needs Protection = Bestseller) is not entertaining or original. As readers, we’ve been there and done that. We want originality, not a re-worked version of a previous bestseller. Sadly, Burch doesn’t give us that originality. I wish she had. show less
A growing attraction between Nikki and two of her protectors presents a whole other danger. While she risks a broken heart, Mace and Raven show more could lose everything, including their souls. As the mysteries behind the boys' powers, as well as her role in a scientist's dark plan, unfold, Nikki is faced with choices that will affect the future of an entire race of heavenly beings, as well as the precarious equilibrium of the earthly world (summary courtesy publisher via NetGalley).
This book left me scratching my head, for a variety of reasons. Not one single question put forth in this book was answered at the end. Usually when a book gives you some type of mystery or question to be explored and answered, even if sequels are planned, the author will give you some answers. I knew about as much when I finished the book as I did when I started it. Too many things were left unexplored and unanswered. Another thing I had a difficult time with was the occasional slip from third person to first person. The first couple of times it happened, I assumed it was because I was reading an ARC and it was simply a mistake. But it kept happening. I finally realized about half way through the book that those occasional slips were actually the characters thinking to themselves. To me, it just looked like an editing mistake. Quotations marks or a simple “she thought” would have fixed that problem. Sometimes, the story line was a bit difficult to follow because time didn’t flow consistently throughout the story. It would jump forward and back in time, leaving me stumped as to what exactly was happening. A lot of this could have been solved with editing.
I also found it difficult to connect with any of the characters. The boys and their personalities were built solely on their looks. Every time any of them appeared in the story, the reader heard about “muscles under shirts, muscles flexing, and muscles rippling” or their hair and how it flowed around them. The one character I felt had the most potential to be interesting was never given any other characterization other than a description of what his long, blond hair was doing while he fought, or walked, or ran. Oh, and he liked candy. After about ten chapters, I was beyond tired of hearing the boys being described. I know what they look like, move on! The main character Nikki, was really hard to figure out. Sometimes she seemed confident and put-together, other times she seemed wishy-washy. Other times, she came across as a petulant brat. Burch seemed to put action before characterization, which was disappointing. A little bit of character-building could have gone a long way toward making this a better book.
Unfortunately, I had a bigger issue with this book than some unanswered questions, editing issues and lack of character development. Let’s just say that I have read this book before. Only that time, its title was Twilight. Maybe this book should have been called Twilight 2.0—The Angel Version. I thought maybe I was just imagining things, but then I decided to jot down the similarities I found between the two. It was definitely not my imagination. Similarities to Twilight (*may contain spoilers*):
• Paranormal boy(s)
• Girl that needs protecting
• Boy breaks the rules to see the girl.
• They are “inexplicably drawn to each other.”
• The boys are gorgeous, often referred to as “Greek Gods.”
• The boys move with unnatural speed,
• One of the boys can “pick up a thought or two.”
• Almost a direct quote from Twilight (and one of the most famous): “…there was a tiny part and she wasn’t sure how powerful that part was…”
• The boys can drive really fast because their reflexes are better than a humans.
• The girl feels “a gaping, empty hole” in her chest after a break-up, clutches her chest to keep the pain in.
• The boys have fantastic hearing, can hear things others can’t.
• The boys move faster than the eye can see, they even say “You can’t outrun us.”
• One of the boys struggles to achieve goodness despite what he is.
• Girl loves both boys.
Do you see what I mean? I’m sure it’s flattering to Stephenie Meyer that so many authors copy her, but we as readers want to see something new. Halflings is definitely not that something new.
I tried to enjoy Halflings, I really did. I tried to ignore the fact that it was really just a blatant rip-off of one of my favorite books. Unfortunately, I couldn’t overlook it. Writing a book that follows a formula (Paranormal Hot Guy + Girl Who Needs Protection = Bestseller) is not entertaining or original. As readers, we’ve been there and done that. We want originality, not a re-worked version of a previous bestseller. Sadly, Burch doesn’t give us that originality. I wish she had. show less
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