Review: Pan’s Conquest

In between the space faring science fiction and epic fantasy, I like to read romance. I’m a sucker for Happy Ever Afters. Here, I review a fellow Entangled author. It’s always a little nerve-wracking to read an author from the same publisher. What if I don’t like the book! I had no such worries in this case.

Sparks are always going to fly between the goddess of chastity and the god of fertility. They are two edges of the same sword, two sides of the same coin. To say they have to meet in the middle sounds sort of obvious, but mythology is full of such tales.

Syrinx is the goddess of chastity and she’s being pursued by Pan, the god of fertility. She’s tempted and that’s the problem. She shouldn’t be, by her own estimation. So she makes a deal with a water nymph and hides out in the twenty-first century. There, she works as a florist, happily making things grow while keeping her chastity, er, belted.

Enter Parker Thomas, the breathtakingly handsome bachelor who needs five hundred roses for a gala. Syrinx finds herself tempted again, but given he is mortal, thinks she can handle the situation.

Parker is not mortal; he is Pan in disguise and has traveled through time in pursuit of the one maiden he must have. Through the judicious advice of a friend, however, he discovers the meaning of that old adage, the one about the journey being more important than the destination.

The god of fertility learns about romance rather than conquest and the goddess of chastity learns that she can make her own rules.

Pan’s Conquest is a really sweet romance. There are a lot of funny moments and more than a touch of sincerity. I liked both characters, but felt more drawn to Pan, particularly as he evolved into something other than a raging lust monster. Beneath the love story is a setting that showcases Aubrie Dionne’s interest in music and poetry, and an obvious fascination with mythology and nature.

The book could have been meatier, definitely. More plot and even more romance. But I didn’t mind that it was short. It felt like a quick interlude, a break from the every day, and I think that’s exactly what these sort of romances should be. Not heavy and thoughtful, but light and easy to read. Entangled Publishing’s Covet line is offered at such a low price, no reader is going to feel ripped off.

I quite enjoyed Pan’s Conquest and I’m inspired to look into some of Dionne’s other offerings, particularly her science-fiction romance.