Disclaimer: I purchased the copy I reviewed.
Setting: Paranormal in a contemporary setting.
Synopsis: Vincent is a half-breed gargoyle (half human/half gargoyle) assigned to protect a young witch who goes by the name of Noir. Vincent is not fully accepted by the gargoyle clan to which is father used to belong, and he's forbidden from having any contact with the witch he's assigned to protect. Noir's family was killed by demons when she was around 15. Her brother may still be alive in the underworld, so she spends her days (or rather nights) hunting demons and trying to find her brother, as she refuses to believe he's dead.
Characters: The story has two parallel love stories: that of Vincent and Noir and the second one involving a young angel by the name of Kara and the demon she falls for, Ash. Ash was formerly an Archangel, but he broke the rules and the other Archangels decided to teach him a lesson.
Both male leads were very appealing. Vincent as pretty much an outcast, rejected by the gargoyles, and the only reason why he was not outright shunning was because of Kara, who was the guardian angel of the gargoyles. Ash was a demon and he did quite a number of horrible things as one, but he never completely turned evil.
Kara was a somewhat naive and very sexy angel. Later on the reader finds out why she seems to so different from what an angel is supposed to be. Noir is your standard kick-ass and take names type of heroine. She's a demon hunter with magic powers, which make her a rather formidable opponent.
Impressions: "Hearts of Stone" is the first of Inka Loreen Minden's books that I've ever read. She's a German author, with quite a number of books published. Researching her name a bit, most of what I found is, understandably, in her native German. I have to say that I hope she decides to issue more of her work in English, some of her other stories seem interesting, but I digress.
When I first started reading the book I wasn't expecting to find two romance stories. Having two romances means that she did have to change perspective from one set of characters, to the other. Though it was not badly done, it proved a bit distracting at times. There were some grammar/vocabulary hiccups, but not enough to make those irritating or overly distracting (unless you are a grammar nerd).
The characters were attractive and sympathetic. Ash was a demon, but the reader couldn't but feel for him. Vincent was just adorable and completely lovable in his insecurities. Noir and Kara were more than just well-paired to these heroes. I am the sort of reader that needs to like the characters and, thankfully, I liked all of them.
I am hoping that the author will continue the series and have it translated into English. I am quite interested in reading more stories belonging to this universe she started.