Book Blurb:
When eighteen-year-old orphan, Crystal Valdez, accepts an invitation to the small town of Blacksville, West Virginia, she hopes to have a summer to remember and a chance to learn more about her parents, to also get to know the family she never knew existed.
But the Lockes begin to act strange and erratic; eerie movements in the night fuel her vivid and gruesome nightmares. To complicate her summer further, she becomes attracted to the menacing yet handsome Cray Locke: her none blood related cousin.
He seems determined to keep his distance. The only bonus to her trip seems to be the housekeeper and gardener.
And when a local informs Crystal of the secrets buried at Thorncrest Manor, the kind consisting of a forbidden relationship and a war between hidden worlds, and witchcraft, she must decide whom to trust. Even if it means leaving behind those she has come to love.
My Review:
2 Out Of 5 Stars
Genre: Another-World, Faeries, Mystery, Romance, Supernatural--
Crystal is surprised to find a long lost relative waiting to see her at work one day, especially since she thought she was all alone. When the woman invites her to come visit her family’s estate, Crystal is excited at the opportunity to learn more about her parents. Once there, nothing is as she expected, and it does not really seem as if she is wanted. The only positive is her distant relative, Cray, whom she is drawn to regardless of his attempt to reject her. Crystal has no idea what is going on but hopes to find some truths.
I had no expectations going into this book, keeping an open mind and hoping for something different. Unfortunately, this book was not a read that I enjoyed. This review will be fairly short since I am not a huge fan of being negative, but I will be very truthful about why I did not care for the book. Honestly, I guess this would be a paranormal romance book but this almost felt like Twilight fan-fiction to me, just on how the romance progressed and the characterizations (which could also be why I did not like the book because I am not a Twilight fan).
My biggest problem with the story was Crystal. It's almost a guarantee that if I don't like the main character, it is very unlikely that I will like the book. Crystal drove me insane almost from when I first met her. She was an odd girl, which I am completely fine with, but I meant this in a negative way. She was full of contradictions, such as saying she won't ever chase a boy and then ten seconds later that is all she is doing (the entire book was her pursuing him!). She threw herself at a guy who insulted her in every way with no regard for self worth or dignity. Everyone knew her feelings towards him, so much so that it made me uncomfortable for her while reading. And by the way, the fact they were related (sort of) did not deter her in the slightest. I HATED her relationship (if you can call it that) with Cray, the book would have been better in my opinion if he/the relationship did not exist. Also, she was so needy and emotional all the time, I would think that somebody who was an abandoned orphan would have much thicker skin, but nope.
I also had a problem with the format/editing of the book. I spent a majority of the story being confused. Seriously, I was on page 250 out of 360ish and I was still unsure of what was going on. I am not sure if it was intentional (for some unknown reason) by the author, but the writing was really choppy. It felt like things were missing while I was reading, such as transitions or sentences… I don’t really know, it just wasn’t cohesive. There were times that editing was needed (at least I felt so), like her potential love interest in Utah was referenced as being a high school sophomore, which struck me as odd since Crystal was in college. There were other inconsistencies all over the place with words and descriptions that distracted me from point of the book.
Based on how many positive reviews there are on Goodreads, I am sure that somebody else will really enjoy the story. I am also pretty sure that this is the first in a series with the end of the story left hanging like it was.
I received this book from the author in return for my honest review.
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