Official Review: Crystal Dreams by Karen J Hicks

[Kaylee Elmer]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Crystal Dreams" by Karen J Hicks.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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"A fair skinned maiden's knees cling to the bare sides of a galloping white stallion; her arms encircle the bare waist of the Hopi who holds the reins with warm, strong hands. She buries her head in the bronze ripples of the man's shoulders as they fly across the desert, his long black hair dancing with her floating blonde strands."

This is the beginning of a recurring dream Brynn becomes obsessed with in Crystal Dreams, by Karen J. Hicks. Brynn Mcalister works for public relations firm Dunn and Didd in Tennessee. She and her best friend, Karen, are tasked with saving the television show Robert Manning, MD, as its ratings have been declining. Before starting the job, Brynn decides to take a quick vacation to a ski chalet to focus on herself and forget about men. She can't get her dream out of her head. Her plans to avoid men quickly change when she meets mysterious cowboy Charlie Wayne.

Canaan Pierce is the star of Robert Manning, MD, and is tired of the direction the show is going in. It used to be a family-friendly show. He decides to disguise himself and escape for a while. What will happen when Brynn and Canaan cross paths?

The thing I liked most about this book is the secondary characters. Brynn and Canaan were great, but the other characters really added to the story. I loved the relationship between Brynn and Karen. They were always there for each other. Karen was there to listen to Brynn's problems and give advice. May and Mabelle were eighty-year-old twins at the same chalet as Brynn and Canaan. They offered comic relief. They argued with each other and got drunk. They flirted with young men and always seemed to pop up at the worst times. They were hilarious. Debbi was Canaan's costar who starts out having a huge crush on him. However, as the story went on, her feelings changed, and she became a great pal.

There were a few small things I disliked about this book. First off, one of the characters was racist. He referred to Canaan, who was part Hopi, as “Injun” and "Tonto." Most of the characters didn't react negatively to it either. Parts of the book were incredibly cheesy, as well. Canaan's "manhood" was referred to continuously, and phrases like "her breasts craved his touch" were used. I think that's common in the romance genre, but to me, it made some scenes funny instead of romantic. Lastly, the book had lots of errors, mostly capitalization issues, and could use another round of editing.

This book is written for an adult audience. There is some foul language. There are tons of sex scenes, which is to be expected in a romance novel. That being said, those who don't usually read romance novels wouldn't enjoy this book. They would probably find it silly. But, this book is perfect for romance lovers. It follows a somewhat predictable sequence of events, but it does have a few twists thrown in. Also, it focuses a lot on Native American culture, healing, and crystals, which was interesting to read about.

I would rate Crystal Dreams 3 out of 4 stars. I can't give it a 4 because there were too many errors in it. I wouldn't give it any lower, though, because I loved the majority of the characters and cared about what happened to them. In a scene where I knew two characters were about to break up, I felt physically nervous for them. I wanted them to be happy!

I would recommend Crystal Dreams to anyone who enjoys romance novels and wants to read something they don't have to think about too much. It's a quick read and was a nice distraction from everything going on in the world today.

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Crystal Dreams
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[Harty Muli]

I like the discussion about Native American culture and the romance. Thanks for the informative review.

[Elvis Best]

May and Mabelle are my favorite characters already. I always enjoy comic relief in a book. Thanks for this insightful review.

[Ben97]

I relish reading romance novels and from your review, it is a book worth reading in the future.

[Carennkemdiala]

This is a lovely review. I’m a lover of romance novels and will definitely read it. I also loved that part where you mentioned that the book is a quick read, this is because verbose books bore me and could eventually make me lose interest or give up.

[Usma Khann]

Looks like a fun, casual romantic read. The characterization seems to be very efficient. Appreciate the insightful review.

[kljrox]

Your review is wonderful. I truly enjoy characters like May and Mabelle, and I see there is also a character to not like as well. The book sounds like a nice diversion from reality right about now. Thank you for an informative and honest review.

[Joseph_ngaruiya]

Wow, it sounds so captivating. I like the book cover and the flow of the story. I appreciate your detailed review.

[Nicolesmith327]

Great review! There is a horse on the cover and it sounds like a quick “mindless” read, so right up my ally! During these times with all the stress going on, it’s nice to sit and read something entertaining that doesn’t make you think a ton. I will have to check this one out!

[Kenesha Latoya Fowler]

I do like to curl up from time to time with a light romance book that reads quickly. Great characterisation is one of my favourite features in a book, so I imagine I can look forward to that part if I pick this one up. Thank you for this lovely review.