Review: Liquid Lies by Hanna Martine

Title: Liquid Lies
Series: The Elementals, #1
Author: Hanna Martine
Published: July 3, 2012
Pages: 368
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Source: Publisher (Berkley)
Rating: C+
Reviewed by: Ellie

Favorite quote: “It means ‘lies’ in Latin. Did you know that? You’re selling liquid lies. And there’s more than one lie in that bottle, other than how it’s made.”


summary from Goodreads
Magic is corporate America’s best-kept secret, and Gwen Carroway is superior at selling it ...

Gwen possesses the unique ability to pick up any language in an instant—a power that will globally expand the profitable family business. As dutiful future leader of her race of water elementals, she'll do anything to protect her people's secrets and bloodlines—including enter an arranged marriage. Inside, however, she yearns for forbidden human men.

Reed is a mercenary addicted to the money and adrenaline rush of his work. After he inadvertently saves Gwen's life, he ignites her taboo desire for men without magic—and with bodies of gods. Just as things heat up, Reed discovers that Gwen is exactly who he’s been hired to kidnap. He resolves to put work before lust, yet her luscious beauty and fiery spirit unravel him…

But there is a terrible truth behind Gwen’s family business—and now, caught between the kinsmen she no longer trusts and an enemy bent on vengeance, the only ally she has is her abductor…

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Ellie's thoughts:
Reed Scott is known as the Retriever and he find anything or anyone for just the right price. On a new job in San Francisco, Reed comes across a woman being attacked in an alley and he swoops in to rescue her. The sparks between Reed and the woman are electric and he’s pleasantly surprised to run into her again while meeting his contacts for his new job. Reed never imagined the beautiful woman who knocked his socks off is his next gig and it will take every ounce of strength he has to keep his feeling and work separate.

Gwen Carroway is an Ofarian, a being that landed on Earth in the late 1800’s and has the ability shift water with her mind and body. Gwen is the first translator born in generations to her people and she has the ability to pick up languages in minutes and she uses this gift to help the company that provides for her people. After a work transaction gone bad, Gwen is saved by a handsome stranger who sparks the Allure which is highly dangerous for her people. The Allure can make an Ofarian forget everything and only focus on one person and the pleasure they can give them. Gwen is shocked to learn her mystery man is now her kidnapper and soon both of their worlds are turned upside down.

Liquid Lies is the first in a new series by Hanna Martine called The Elementals. Liquid Lies is more science fiction romance than paranormal romance but I really enjoyed how different it was from anything that I’ve read in a really long time. Mrs. Martine introduces us to the world of the Ofarian and their golden child Gwen who also happens to be the daughter of the Chairman who heads the board. The board and the Chairman run and control every detail of their company that financially supports their people with the development and sale of Mendacia. Mendacia can create an illusion for anyone who can pay the enormous price tag and it’s Gwen’s job to sell it to wealthy clients all around the world.

I found the world of the Ofarian fascinating and I wish that I could have gotten more information about them and their culture. The Ofarian are painted as both good and evil in this book and at times I found it had to figure out who I was rooting against. I really enjoyed Gwen and she is an amazing heroine who isn’t afraid to challenge things that are wrong and to try to make things better for not just her people but everyone she comes in contact with. I wish that we could have learned more about her sister and what their relationship was like, along with her relationship with her mother before she died. I liked Gwen but I never felt that I really knew her and I was always wanting more information then I was being give.

As i mentioned it was very hard to know who to hate and who to cheer on which was a pleasant surprise in my opinion. There is a lot going on in this book and it seemed to take a little while for things to get moving. I think it was a little slow at the beginning which made it very hard to get into but halfway through things were happening left and right especially with Gwen and Reed. I had a hard time with Reed and as much as I wanted to like him I just didn’t. I found it hard to believe that he would stick around to make sure Gwen was okay when he is the one who put her in the situation where she might be hurt or killed just for a paycheck. I never felt that his intentions were good and he just rubbed me the wrong way for most of the book.

I wasn’t blown away by this book but I didn’t hate it and found it getting much better towards the end. I hope the momentum can be carried over to the sequel which comes out in December and tells Xavier’s story. I’m very interested to get to know him better and I think his book is going to be much better than Liquid Lies. I really hope we get to see some of the characters we were introduced to like Griffin who I really hope gets his own book in the future. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next in the crazy world of aliens, primaries and secondaries we’ve been introduced to.