"Kiss by a Dark Prince" by Felicity Heaton was, I believe, the first tale this reader had read by the author, and I wanted to really enjoy it. Unfortunately, I didn't and I understand it may be unfair to judge this book harshly after finishing a series by another writer that really resonated with me. However, because I did read it immediately afterwards, my problems were likely more along the lines of personal taste than anything else. The story felt too long to me, protagonist Olivia too wishy washy which made lovve-interest, elf prince Loren very wishy washy. I was unable to connect to either main character and root for either of them, so I doubt I will continue with the series. I kind of-sort of liked secondary character, Sable, and according to the excerpt included with this book, the next one is about Sable... I just didn't like her enough to consider paying - anything - for the book and am unsure I would accept a copy even if it was free. There was some minor spelling, grammar and punctuation errors, but not enough to toss me from the world - simply irritate me a tad bit. Dialogue seemed stilted and off-putting at times, but remained authentic to the speaking character. Physical and setting descriptions were detailed enough to allow this reader to easily visualize and imagine - with her own creativity, but that's okay and can be fun at times, and by story's end, character or personality traits had changed or grown enough to show some character growth, making them fully developed three dimensional characters. Much of this tale was told, versus being shown, and often what was being told was highly repetitious, especially concerning Olivia's wishy-washiness. Because of this more than anything, is why this reader never developed a feeling of empathy for or with any character, as she was too busy fighting her boredom with the tale. This is a shame because the description blurb really caught my attention but the story itself did not live up to that promise. While Heaton has an okay writing style, it simply does not speak to this reader, and I am an avid paranormal romance reader and always looking for new-to-me writer's to add to my personal bookshelves, to sit next to my favorites: Gena Showalter, Karen Marie Moning, Lynsay Sands, and Michelle Bard, to name a few. Heaton did not earn a spot on this reader's bookshelf, and she's truly unsure if she could even recommend the author after reading this book. Wow, no wonder it felt like a really long book. I was so bored it took me three whole days to read it! That's highly unusual for me.... ** Review originally posted to Amazon reviews on July 14, 2017 and on Goodreads on the same date. **
