Rhapsodic (The Bargainer) (Volume 1)

I have just found my new favourite author! I honestly can't wait to read another one of her books. Unfortunately it won't be the next instalment in this series, I will have to wait for that, but I am keen to try her other works.

I really enjoyed this book. The story was great. The quirky little one liners and the witty little quirks, oh my lord!!! There were quite a few little re-reads, like, OMG did she really just say THAT, oh wow she did *blush!* Wow! Loved it.

I have just finished this book and honestly, I'm just feeling all loved up! I really enjoyed this. Thank you to my Goodreads friends for recommending, you guys rock!

The story is very slow and very repetitive. When it does start to move forward it is pretty good, then bam! back to repeat mode. I don't mind flashbacks to move a story along, except when it's the same thing I read eight other times prior, an endless loop. To top it off, Callie and her see-saw "I want you, go away, no wait, I want you, no, go away" is very, very tedious. Des' hot/cold actions/reactions are annoying. Just tell the story and stop with the bipolar feelings. If I weren't so near the end of the book, I'd delete it and move on, but I must be a glutton for punishment, hoping that so many five star reviews might come to light in the end.

After being in a little book slump I was fortunate to read this one! It is a fantasy, but mostly romance.

Callie is a human, but she is also a siren. She can glamour people into doing things against their will and she uses that in her PI business she runs with her best friend. Then one day she is surprised to find The Bargainer in her bedroom. The Bargainer, Desmond Flynn, whom she has not seen for 7 years and who is collecting on her massive debt (322 beads on her bracelet).

Every chapter has a flashback to 7/8 years ago, when Callie was 16 years old. In a time of need she called for The Bargainer and he helped her out for no charge. But then she calls him again and again, as she is lonely and has a crush on him. And Des keeps showing up and a strange friendship grows (plus the amount of debt-beads on her bracelet). Until one day he leaves her to not return for 7 years. So where was he? Why did he stay away? Why is he back now?

At first I disliked the flashbacks as they kept interrupting the story, but the flashbacks are necessary to tell the whole story. Plus it was endearing to read about the friendship between a damaged teenager and The King of the Night. And she is only 16 in the flashbacks so it was just that nothing happened between them.

'You have day of the week panties,' Des says. 'That means you're too young for me to stay over.'.

I was totally in love with this book. Yes, there are some minor issues I have with the plot (the case Des and Callie are solving but I won't spoil anything) but I enjoyed the story overall and everything Des/Callie!
Only 40% in I went to look for the next book in the trilogy and wanted to pre-order.

The story ARC is not complete and will continue in the next, but it does not end on a real cliffhanger. I absolutely look forward to the rest of the series.

Wow! What an unbelievably fantastic book! This is what I look for in a romance. This is a true romance, with open door smex towards the end, and not romantic erotica.

The H is a super delicious, super bad Fae King who is feared by everyone. He is "The Bargaineer". People call him to make bargains and when they do, they agree to owe him a favor that they are magically compelled to do. He dotes on no one, yet he dotes on the h. I loved how he treated her. I loved the way he cared for her. She was his world and yet again he was this merciless, powerful, totally hot guy.

I love the relationship building in this book. Here, Ms. Thalassa artfully crafted a story that wove from past to present skillfully weaving the two timelines together. We learn bit by bit the details of their past relationship (& let me say again - wow the H was so awesome to the h!) until finally we learn why the H left the h for 7 years. I was blown away. I read a lot of romances and didn't expect that! The love between the H and h was believeable and felt real and when they got together the smex was hot. It took a long time to get to the smex but I didn't mind because the story, the relationship building between the H and h was that good.

As far as triggers go there were things that happened to the h in her past - the h's step father raped her for years prior to her killing him - but nothing within the parameters of the book. There's no cheating, though the h does have relationships during the 7 year separation between the H and h. Also, the book ends on a HFN. The relationship between the H and h is resolved but the overall story of the missing women is not resolved and will continue in book 2.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves romance. Period.

I have just found my new favourite author! I honestly can't wait to read another one of her books. Unfortunately it won't be the next instalment in this series, I will have to wait for that, but I am keen to try her other works.

I really enjoyed this book. The story was great. The quirky little one liners and the witty little quirks, oh my lord!!! There were quite a few little re-reads, like, OMG did she really just say THAT, oh wow she did *blush!* Wow! Loved it.

I have just finished this book and honestly, I'm just feeling all loved up! I really enjoyed this. Thank you to my Goodreads friends for recommending, you guys rock!

The story is very slow and very repetitive. When it does start to move forward it is pretty good, then bam! back to repeat mode. I don't mind flashbacks to move a story along, except when it's the same thing I read eight other times prior, an endless loop. To top it off, Callie and her see-saw "I want you, go away, no wait, I want you, no, go away" is very, very tedious. Des' hot/cold actions/reactions are annoying. Just tell the story and stop with the bipolar feelings. If I weren't so near the end of the book, I'd delete it and move on, but I must be a glutton for punishment, hoping that so many five star reviews might come to light in the end.

After being in a little book slump I was fortunate to read this one! It is a fantasy, but mostly romance.

Callie is a human, but she is also a siren. She can glamour people into doing things against their will and she uses that in her PI business she runs with her best friend. Then one day she is surprised to find The Bargainer in her bedroom. The Bargainer, Desmond Flynn, whom she has not seen for 7 years and who is collecting on her massive debt (322 beads on her bracelet).

Every chapter has a flashback to 7/8 years ago, when Callie was 16 years old. In a time of need she called for The Bargainer and he helped her out for no charge. But then she calls him again and again, as she is lonely and has a crush on him. And Des keeps showing up and a strange friendship grows (plus the amount of debt-beads on her bracelet). Until one day he leaves her to not return for 7 years. So where was he? Why did he stay away? Why is he back now?

At first I disliked the flashbacks as they kept interrupting the story, but the flashbacks are necessary to tell the whole story. Plus it was endearing to read about the friendship between a damaged teenager and The King of the Night. And she is only 16 in the flashbacks so it was just that nothing happened between them.

'You have day of the week panties,' Des says. 'That means you're too young for me to stay over.'.

I was totally in love with this book. Yes, there are some minor issues I have with the plot (the case Des and Callie are solving but I won't spoil anything) but I enjoyed the story overall and everything Des/Callie!
Only 40% in I went to look for the next book in the trilogy and wanted to pre-order.

The story ARC is not complete and will continue in the next, but it does not end on a real cliffhanger. I absolutely look forward to the rest of the series.

Wow! What an unbelievably fantastic book! This is what I look for in a romance. This is a true romance, with open door smex towards the end, and not romantic erotica.

The H is a super delicious, super bad Fae King who is feared by everyone. He is "The Bargaineer". People call him to make bargains and when they do, they agree to owe him a favor that they are magically compelled to do. He dotes on no one, yet he dotes on the h. I loved how he treated her. I loved the way he cared for her. She was his world and yet again he was this merciless, powerful, totally hot guy.

I love the relationship building in this book. Here, Ms. Thalassa artfully crafted a story that wove from past to present skillfully weaving the two timelines together. We learn bit by bit the details of their past relationship (& let me say again - wow the H was so awesome to the h!) until finally we learn why the H left the h for 7 years. I was blown away. I read a lot of romances and didn't expect that! The love between the H and h was believeable and felt real and when they got together the smex was hot. It took a long time to get to the smex but I didn't mind because the story, the relationship building between the H and h was that good.

As far as triggers go there were things that happened to the h in her past - the h's step father raped her for years prior to her killing him - but nothing within the parameters of the book. There's no cheating, though the h does have relationships during the 7 year separation between the H and h. Also, the book ends on a HFN. The relationship between the H and h is resolved but the overall story of the missing women is not resolved and will continue in book 2.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves romance. Period.

“Rhapsodic” is a paranormal/romance/fantasy. I enjoyed and loved reading the first book of the trilogy. It was full of surprises and was written in good pace. It was not rushed nor dull it was great. I loved the way the writer could flash back memories from history to current time. Without confusing the reader. This helped tremendously when understanding the scenes between the bargainer and the siren Callypso. It was indeed nicely done.
The story involves Callypso, who needs help due to a tragedy that occurred in her life. The only person she knew best to call for help was the bargainer. He is a man that you call for favors and he makes things happen. But everything comes with a price, and when he is ready to collect, one must be ready to pay. The only thing is that Callypso, he has yet to collect, he has not asked for nothing in return but has given her a bracelet of black beads of IOUs for the favors she has received.
The bargainer who is he really? What does the King of the Night want from her? Could it be that he is ready to finally love her and she him?
There is also danger lurking in the Fae world, will the King be able to stop the evil that is terrifying his kingdom, or will he lose his people including Callypso in the process?
I am now waiting patiently for the next series of the book, which is set to come out in May 2017.

Despite this being labeled as fantasy I believe this story is more of a romance although there was excellent representation of modern magical creatures.

There are some very minor typos but I don’t think many people will even notice. Also, I would have liked to have seen an ending that was not so predictable.

However, I really enjoyed the book and look forward to reading other books by this author. The author Laura Thalassa does a great job telling two stories (why the bargainer left and what is Callie’s fate). Both stories are told from the point of the main character Callie (a Siren) who does not see her own fate and therefore makes decision based on this. Although I don’t normally read romances, I enjoyed turning the as the author developed the two main characters in this story. There is some sex however, it very sexy and well written and did not feel like it was sleazy or cheap. There is also some violence (rape and murder) but from my view it part of the story and not over done.

Great book and I would recommend it to anyone who likes a good story.

I love the worlds that Laura spins. The main characters are well thought out and have depth that other writers often don't delve into. This story is creative. It is hard to put a good book down just to sleep :).
The author did a good job weaving the story together, weaving the past and present. Which is often confusing to the point that the story line is so back and forth that it loses the reader.
The love story is definitely well thought out, it's nice when the leads have a distinct connection and the humor and dialogue between them heightens that connection. Great character development as well.
I love to read romance for the romance and not for the super smolder erotica that detracts from the book. I usually just skip it anyway, as I enjoy the story and the romance between characters and not how descriptive the sex scenes can get. As for the book, the author did amazing!

I was really surprised how much I enjoyed this book, even started right back over to read again. The concept of the story and plot were truly unique (and I read a lot). It draws out every element of emotion and while not a comedy book, the humor had me in stitches. The lead characters Des and 'Cherub' have about one of the best 'book chemistry' I've come across in a long long time. By the end I wish I had an armful of beads as well. Looking forward to more of this series as this book made it to my top 20 favorites and I've read many hundreds of books. Not many books have made me want to start all over and reread it again because I enjoyed and loved it so much. Kudos to the author Laura Thalassa because it's a huge compliment when you make me want to jump right back into the story because I wasn't ready to leave these amazing characters.

Better than I expected. Story jumps back and forth between past and present but is clearly written and easy to follow. Paranormal plot doesn't make unexplained or unreasonable leaps. I liked that the magic was totally woven in but wasn't jarring and wasn't used to "fix" any plot missteps. Overall good but wish the mystery would have been solved in this book instead of bleeding over to a second.

Although this wasn't entirely original, it was very entertaining- just not enough for me to warrant buying the sequel. I did love the Fallen World trilogy by this author though, and this one does have the same strong writing & similar tough/resilient female main character.
The plot maybe just wasn't my jam, I'll admit I did one-click this baby on a whim.
Either way, the characters had great chemistry, there was a dollop of diversity, & it went by quickly.
Anyone that was into True Blood, Harry Potter, Supernatural, or Twilight (before they knew any better) would enjoy this. However anyone with delicate triggers might want to hang back. Chances are if you're reading this, you're already feeling it. Even the mildly curious (like me) will walk away satisfied.

I have been holding off on buying this book. After thoroughly enjoying the Queen series, I was enthusiastic to read another from this author. Why hold off?? The promise of yet another cliffhanger with no finite date set for the second release. As far as we know, it could be another year... with that being said I was dreading it. BUT where the end of the story left an open ended invitation to continue and not a "holy hell I'm going to scratch my eyes out, how can you do this to me" drop off, I'm okay with the wait. Completely worth it! Buy it, enjoy it, patiently await the next installment!

One of my top reads for the year. Would definitely recommend, and plan on reading again!

What I liked: Everything. The writing was done well, and the characters had me hooked from the beginning, with their backstories as well as their personalities. The whole premise was thought out and executed well. The romance was not the insta-love like you find a lot in this genre, an actual relationship was built between the heroine and the Bargainer.

What I didn't like: Nothing, this is one of those books I feel like people will either love or hate, and I definitely loved it. I just didn't know the second one wasn't out yet, and this one does kind of end in a cliff hanger. Some people are bothered by it but it doesn't bother me as much.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Fallen World series, and read this book with the hope I would enjoy it as well. I wasn't disappointed. It has a very different feel, but is also very hard to put down. No spoilers, but I'll say I enjoyed the depth of the characters and the complexity of the world created in this series. I'd recommend it highly, though I suspect it will appeal more to female readers (not that that's a bad thing.)

What would have given it 5 stars: There were a few minor editing mistakes. Also, the ending summed up rather abruptly. The book had the feel of an introduction. I hope the plot, characters and fictional world continue to unfold. For my tastes, a little more complexity would make it perfect.

Holy mackerel, this book is awesome! I loved, loved Callie. Her heart and her heartbreak. The slow blossoming of love and the gentle healing of a painful past. She is both fragile and strong, brave and afraid. The contradictions create tension, and the relationship that develops between her and the Bargainer is both intense and sweet. His character is also extremely well crafted, and any scene he was in was one of my favorites. If you loved A Court of Thorns & Roses or a Court of Mists & Fury, you will love this book, too. I can hardly wait to see where the author takes this story and its characters!

This was a good book. Funny, touching, thrilling at times, with just the right dose of romance. The writing is good, the pacing is steady, and the characters believable.

With one exception. Temper Darling.

At first I thought it was just a one-book quirk, but I recently purchased “The Unearthly” and ran into the same issue with Oliver. Thalassa doesn’t seem to know how to write black women or gay men. I say “men” specifically because she had no problem writing a queer woman in Rhapsodic. I’ll focus on Oliver in my Unearthly review, so let’s get to Temper.

When she’s first introduced, she seems interesting—mysterious abilities, a funny name, and I thought she might actually be a protagonist in one of Thalassa’s other series—

--until she began to talk, and it became clear that she’s a caricature. She’s the “black best friend” who says b***** (hi the store) every other word and just seems to be there to support Callie. Callie, meanwhile, always seems to forget her until she needs her.

This kind of stereotype isn’t interesting. I really don’t like it. The book can be better than this—Thalassa is an excellent writer, so why include such an obvious stereotype?

Removing two stars for this. It would otherwise be a five star book. If Temper continues to be a stereotype in the next book, I will not be purchasing.

It was a good fantasy romance book; however, the way it was presented was a distraction, in my opinion. After reading several pages we either jump to the past in a flashback or back to present time. I’m sure there are readers who like that whiplash style of writing, I’m just not one of them. That being said, the story was a good read. There are good strong characters that blend well with the plot and the finish is rather good. Another point on the positive side is that this author doesn’t fill up the pages with countless sex scenes. There really is a good story being presented here.

I really really enjoyed this book. She writes exceptionally well. I felt it tug at my heart during sad parts and I was smiling at the good. Her character development is excellent. Des and Callie have real chemistry.

I normally do not like flashbacks, but the flash backs in this book are short and flow right along with the story. It helps depict how the characters develop.

The romance felt real. And there is no stupid love triangle! Finally a fantasy/ sci-fi novel that isn't based around two dudes wanting to pounce one girl.

One thing I really liked is how Callie's depression is shown during her teenage years. It doesn't just show her being a self loathing teenager who wants to cry in the mirror. Some books tend to do that.
Callie has real depression. Real trauma. But not only that, the way Des handles her, as a teenager, is a breath of fresh air from some other (will remain nameless) popular novels. You can tell he cares for her, but he never uses her immaturity (as a teen) or self doubt to manipulate her. Because he truly cares for her. He wants her to get better.

The story, besides the romance, is equally as captivating. The Otherworld is beautiful and I cannot wait to read more about this place. The kingdoms are so fascinating. I want to know more.

Issues: 1) the editor needs to learn how to umm edit. Its not the writers fault and I could usually tell what she was trying to say, but some grammar and wording was way off.
2) Callie's stereotypical sassy black girl friend. I just wanted more depth to this character rather than "guuuuurl youuu craaaay" She is supposed to be smart and powerful yet all she brings to the table is "Sup B**ch". Hopefully we see more of her and she is a stronger character.

All in all this was a great read that I recommend for anyone who likes fantasy and/or romance.