Fantasy&Education

Review: 
                                    Transcendence by Shay Savage

Synopsis:

It's said that women and men are from two different planets when it comes to communication, but how can they overcome the obstacles of prehistoric times when one of them simply doesn't have the ability to comprehend language?


Ehd's a caveman living on his own in a harsh wilderness. He's strong and intelligent, but completely alone. When he finds a beautiful young woman in his pit trap, it's obvious to him that she is meant to be his mate. He doesn't know where she came from, she's wearing some pretty odd clothing, and she makes a lot of noises with her mouth that give him headache. Still, he' determined to fulfill his purpose in life- provide for her, protect her, and put a baby in her.


Elizabeth doesn't know where she is or exactly how she got there. She's confused and distressed by her predicament, and there's a caveman hauling her back to his cavehome. She's not at all interested in Ehd's primitive advances, and she just can't seem to get him to listen. No matter what she tries, getting her point across to this primitive but beautiful man is a constant- and often hilarious- struggle.


With only each other for company, they must rely on one another to fight the dangers of the wild and prepare for the winters months. As they struggle to coexist, theirs becomes a love story that transcends language and time.

Review:


Transcendence by Shay Savage will likely go down as one of the more unique and delightfully heart-warming books that I have ever read. This book will also be one of those books that stays with me....forever.  Ms. Savage has created a story that not only captured an epic and beautiful journey of love, but she also wrote a tale that resonated deeply with my heart and probably with all the reader's heart.



Transcendence tells the story of Ehd, a caveman in prehistoric times living on his own since the death of his entire tribe, who discovers a woman in strange clothing in one of his pit traps. Upon this amazing encounter, Ehd is certain that this beautiful young woman is destined to be his mate. She may be wearing strange clothing and makes constant weird noises that give him a headache, but Ehd is determined to keep her. He wants nothing more than to protect and provide for his mate. That has now become Ehd’s purpose in life, one that he will happily fulfill. Oh...and to also put a baby in the belly of his new mate. Again, he will happily go about accomplishing his new duties.




Elizabeth or called “Beh” by our caveman suddenly finds herself in prehistoric times, the Paleolithic Era to be exact, with no recollection as to how she got there. She is terrified and completely out of her element not fully understanding how she ended up staring into the beautiful green eyes of a caveman with messy reddish-brown hair. Beh soon finds herself being hauled to a cave which she assumes is the home of her caveman rescuer. Her attempts at communication are met with confusion as it suddenly seems like Mr. Caveman is now willing to happily play house with her. Somewhere along the journey, she falls deeply in love with him and when the truth comes out, at least for her, and all the pieces of this great puzzle starts to make sense for her, she's in shock and for some time, Ehd's starts to think that he really doesn't have not a single shot to won her and... of course, fulfill his purpose in life. But, here's the thing- now she knows how her destiny will be if she stays with him and let's him fulfill his purpose. It's an ugly, ugly place to be, especially if you fall for the caveman...


As Edh and Beh slowly begin to work together and start to communicate in their own way, they learn how to live harmoniously as they prepare for the upcoming winter months. They struggle to comprehend one another but the beauty of this entire story is in their inability to communicate using modern language. Ehd strains to grasp Beh’s ways of thinking and doing things and their constant misunderstandings provide for some hilarious and also tender moments between the pair.  Their relationship becomes so much more than a simple coexistence to survive, because in this simplistic and primitive world where Ehd and Beh’s focus can only be on survival and on one another and their family, their story becomes one of profound love and acceptance that simply transcends all understanding.



This entire novel is told from Ehd’s point of view. The lack of any real dialogues and verbal exchanges is ingenious. For me, it was made this book truly beautiful and original, more than anything else, Ehd’s unsophisticated nature and innocent demeanor won me over immediately. Being inside his head, experiencing his frustrations and eventually deep love for his mate was a truly moving journey that had me clutching at my heart by the end. I loved the fact that because there was no verbal communication between Ehd and Beh and they had to learn how to understand each other’s body language and expressions, and let me tell you that everything written in this book is methodically constructed in such a way to effectively show the reader what was required for them to understand.

Characters:

Ehd- our lovely storyteller and caveman, he's hilarious, endearing, lovely and you simply can't help yourself to not fall head over heals for him. He had a dramatic past and now he's desperate to find a new family, to find his place in the world. And let's face it- who doesn't want that?
Okay, not all of us will think automatically that plan, and I'm NOT suggesting to find a husband on the street and have his baby...

But... that's prehistoric times, when men and women all over the planet thought that's their only hope of surviving, and in some way it really was, so his plan it's not something out of place or crazy. Not at all! But, for Beh, that's suicide- all her life is wasted in this damned place and she's without friends, communication, net (yes! I would die if I can't verify my facebook) and most importantly of all, her father, her family...

Beh- like I said, she's a human young girl, lost in this prehistoric times, without anyone's help and with a caveman  who thinks she's his woman. He's delusional! And it's all crazy, right! It simply can't be happening...

The sad truth? It's all real and now he's all she has...



Final Verdict-All in all, Transcendence is an unbelievably touching love story about a primitive man with only the desire to please, protect and love his mate and care for their family and a woman who sacrifices it all to experience such undying devotion., it's a story about overcoming insurmountable obstacles with the power of love that is brilliantly written.



Quotes:


“I will provide for her. I will protect her. I will give her anything she wants.” 

“Elizabeth."
I feel my smile on my face as I understand what she is doing. Though it's a strange one, she has a name-sound just like I do, and she's telling me what it is. I try to make the same sounds.
"Ehh..beh." I frown. Why is her name-sound so difficult and so long?
She frowns right back at me and says it again. "Elizabeth."
"Beh-tah-babaa."
She sighs and her forehead wrinkles.
"Elizabeth. Eeee-lizzzz-ahh-beth."
"Laahh...baaay."
She taps her chest again.
"Beth!"
The sound is shorter but still very odd.
"Beh-bet."
"Beth," she repeats.
I've had enough. I reach out and touch her should.
"Beh."
"Beth."
I tap her a little harder and growl.
"Beh", I repeat. I tap her again. "BEH!"
Her eyes widen a bit, and she inhales sharply. A moment later, her shoulders drop and she sighs.
"Beh," she says quietly.” 

“In the darkness of the cave, there is a light inside her eyes that makes my heart beat faster. I know the emotions I see there are also reflected in my own gaze though I have never felt this way before. Beh softly repeats the same three sounds, followed by my name-sound.” 

“I wonder what I will do if she doesn't wake up, and I don't have an answer. As I lie back down next to her and pull her into my arms, my stomach growls, and suddenly I know exactly what I will do. If she doesn't wake up, then I will just lie with her until I don't wake up either.” 
“My life with Beh was beautiful, transcending everything that set us apart from each other.”

“I don't care if she ever makes a basket that can hold grain, but I want her to be here with me. I want her to be close to me as I work or fish, and I want her to lie next to me in the furs at night. In my mind, she is with me always and forever.
Finally, its clear to me that I want her for more than children.”

“I definitely like it--lips and mouths and tongues together. When my tongue runs over my own lips, I can taste her there, and it's as if she's laid claim to me.”

                                                 The Opposite of Wild
                                                 Book One Clover Park Series
                                                 By: Kylie Gilmore
                                                 Released Jan 16th, 2014


Blurb

Unleash the wild woman…?

Ex-cop Ryan O'Hare takes one look at buttoned-up control freak Liz Garner and just itches to loosen the woman up. Not that he’s into her. Because a woman like that comes with way too many expectations. Not to mention, she practically works for him, and he didn’t hire Liz to watch after his beloved Harley-stealing Gran so he could turn Liz loose in his bed. Still, there’s something about her, a hidden wild side, that makes him wonder what it would take.

Liz must be crazy to work for the insensitive, arrogant, horribly…hot man she's avoided for years. Unfortunately, she needs the money and Ryan's grandmother needs a keeper. (Midnight tango lessons and ziplines with Gran, anyone?) Ryan's rare smile and swaggering confidence have Liz torn between throwing her favorite pinot grigio at his head or throwing herself at him. Can this control freak find a way to let loose with the tough, no-strings guy who once broke her heart?


Review:


So... I tried to think how to start this review, but even if we have Ryan in the first scene, what I really liked in the first place and made me extremely curious was Ryan's Grandma, she's a 'little' old, but don't let her hear you  saying it, she'll kill you! I'm joking, people! Ryan's Gran or Maggie is a really interesting character- seriously she was like the cherry on top of the wedding cake, but let's not going there ... yet!
The story presents Ryan, ex-cop, now private investigator who works for rich woman and cheating husbands, well not exactly  for the cheating spouses, but you got my drift, so on day he's receiving an call from his brother, Travis about Gran and how she was stealing his beloved Harvey and now, because life's a bitch, she's implicated in an accident,but after the other accident (yes, yes, another one), an accident that changed her life and the manner she's living it. Now, she wants to live and be happy, but her happiness is not like her grandson imagine it. Now, he needs someone to look after his beloved Gran, someone like...

....Liz- she's 'uptight',  a control freak, a good girl, a buttoned-up kind of woman, with dreams of a loving husband, children and living the' happily ever after'. Well, Ryan is not a boyfriend material and of course, he doesn't want to be a husband or a father- but in his defense, he has his personal demons to battle, issues about his father- and Liz knows that, well almost all that. Let's not forget this little fact about how he needs a keeper for his Gran.

What I loved the most about this series is the humor that appears in every context, like how his Gran wants to buy a motorcycle, or his Gran's marriage with the dance instructor, or the ' Daisy Problem'- a little problem that involves a baby and the paternity of said baby. And let's not forget about Ryan's brothers, Travis (it reminds me of Travis in the 'Beautiful' series by Jamie McGuire) and Shane, brother that could not be more different because while Trav is a trouble maker boy, Shane is your cute next door boy, and Ryan is the responsible one, with a wild side tight contained. A wild side that responds to Liz's uptight one.

So... begins a mating game, that no one, Liz or Ryan, accepts to lose and Liz find the perfect solution- a no-string attached kind of affair, with no obligations from the parts and Ryan is more then fine with this compromise, but little by little the situation gets serious and one little incident puts the couple face to face with one big dilemma- to continue this affair or give up?

Characters

Liz- beautiful, even if she doesn't admit it, uptight, smart and a control freak is one of the story tellers in this book and also Ryan's love interest. Because of her nature she loves control , more so because of her irresponsible, but endearing sister, Daisy and because of her insecurities as a teen. She needs to obtain a large payment because of her sister and to be Ryan's Gran keeper seems the perfect solution- it really isn't if we keep in mind their history and her little teen crush.

Ryan- responsible, no non-sense  kind of guy, not a boyfriend material and ex-cop is the other story teller and also Liz's crush. A very jealous guy if you know his weakness and Liz is his weakness, even if he doesn't want to admit it . He had trouble growing up because of the suicide of his mother an his problems with his father and because of that he's overprotective with his little brothers and his old grandma, and partly he's right to be this way...

Maggie, Ryan's Gran, Shane, Trav, Daisy, Rachel , Jorge and all the others I'll let you find more about them reading the book because it's worth every cent- it has humor, drama, love, friendship and is a really beautiful story about family and the sacrifices this notion implies it.

Final Verdict- Read it because you won't regret it. Personally, I can't wait to read Trav's story- the bad boy, because I held hope that him and Daisy will be together and even if not, well I would love it because it's his history. And Shane's story, well something tells me that the heroine will find a way to loosen him up.

Happy Reading!

 Rating: 6/5

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Link to Follow Tour: http://tastybooktours.blogspot.com/2013/12/now-booking-tasty-review-tour-for_4.html
Kylie Gilmore was lucky enough to discover romance novels at a young age as they were strewn all over the house (thanks, Mom!). She writes quirky, tender romance with a solid dose of humor. Her first book in the Clover Park series, The Opposite of Wild, will launch in January 2014 featuring the oldest of three brothers and his lady love. The next two books in the series give each brother his dream girl (eventually).
Kylie lives in New York with her family, two cats, and a nutso dog. When she's not writing, wrangling kids, or dutifully taking notes at writing conferences, you can find her flexing her muscles all the way to the high cabinet for her secret chocolate stash.

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Teaser

Ryan just stood there, his sharp eyes studying her. "You're a puzzle, Liz."
"I am?"
He reached out and smoothed a lock of hair behind her ear, and her heart caught in her throat at the gentle gesture. "You seem so…uptight," he said. She stiffened and took a step back. "But I know you were checking me out when I was mowing."
She flushed, but rallied quickly. "I was only bringing you water." She crossed her arms and said primly, "You surprised me when you dumped the water on your head. I was merely looking to see if you were going to do any other…surprising things."
His lips twitched. "You're like a librarian just waiting to let loose."
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" she bristled, hands on her hips.
"There it is." He smiled and stepped close, crowding her space. She drew in a quick breath, but held her ground. "The puzzle—fire and ice."
She put both hands on his solid chest and pushed him out the door. "Next time, mail the check." She shut the door in his face, turned and leaned against it. "Urgh!"
"That's what I'm talking about," he said through the door.
She ripped open the door. "Go away."
His head cocked to the side while he bit back a smile. "Is that any way to talk to your employer?"
"Gah!" She slammed the door and locked it. She heard his low laugh as he walked away.