Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Review: The Willows: Haven by Hope Collier

The Willows: Haven by Hope Collier

***I received this (digital copy) book in exchange for an honest review and participation in the blog tour.

Goodreads description:
When tragedy strikes, seventeen year-old Ashton Blake sets out on a cross-country road trip, leaving the comforts of Malibu for the mountains of Kentucky. Along the way, she encounters Gabe Willoughby—the mysterious drifter with eyes like the sea and a knowing smile. Getting to know Gabe raises questions about her past. But no secret can be buried forever, and Ashton soon finders herself in a world where water is air and myth becomes reality.

Just as Ashton comes to accept her newfound heritage, she’s summoned to fulfill a treaty laid down centuries before — a treaty that will divide her love and test her loyalty. In the end, her future isn’t her biggest concern, her humanity is. To run may mean war, but is she strong enough to stay?



My thoughts:
This was a marvelous read!  Sat down to read a couple pages and then suddenly the book was ending!  Read cover to cover in one sitting.
Fabulous characters!  
     Ashton - spoiled, selfish and rich.  She is forced to rethink a great many things about her family, her life and herself.  I was thrilled to watch as she grew tremendously throughout the course of the book.  With the insight of some of the other wonderfully created characters, she was able to make great strides in an attempt to be the person she decided she wanted to be.  
       Gabe - mysterious, confident, caring and of course perfect! He has a job to do - you must read the book to get more about that - and my heart went out to him as he struggled to do the "right" thing.  
     Kevin - (Ashton's boyfriend) - obviously entitled, wealthy, and not used to having things NOT go his way.  He is easy to dislike from the go.   
     Kyle - Ashton's best friend and Kevin's brother - he is the guy we all want to know!  
The rest of the supporting characters are all just as well made and easy to invest in.


There is a little bit of love triangle going on as well as a little bit of the "it's all about what you want because everyone loves you" kind of thing - but none of it is over the top!  I usually get unhappy about all the men in a book being willing to die for the main female character, but this is pretty well done and vital to the story as a whole.


Hope has created a world I haven't seen before.  Fantasy is my favorite genre and I was thrilled with her creative, original world building.


The plot is thick with mystery, secrets, and twists.  Who is really who and what they say they are was a phrase I found myself contemplating throughout the story.


This story is well written, smoothly paced, and action packed with a little adventure, a little romance, a little mystery, a little fear, and a bit of mythology all mixed together!  I can't wait for the sequel!

Read-a-thon Wrap up post!

Hosted by On a Book Bender Bout of Books read-a-thon has ended!
Here is what I read:
True Believer by Nicholas Sparks
Vampire Curse by S.J. Wright
Burden of Blood by Wenona Hulsey
The Raie Chaelia by Melisaa Douthit
Hidden by Blood by Laurie London
Picture Perfect by Deena Remiel
The Willows: Haven by Hope Collier

Coming soon....from Ami Blackwelder!

Paranormal and SciFi Author Ami Blackwelder will have new books out soon! 
The Invasion of 2020, the first book in the Shifter Evolutions series is scheduled to be released Sept 1st 2011, (Books 1-5 are out now) The Invasion of 2020 is the prequel to Shifters of 2040. The Shifter Evolutions begins with the middle book, The Shifters of 2040, and gives the reader the choice for the past or future. This release of the first book in the series, The Invasion of 2020, will allow readers to engage the series chronologically also.  Readers will enjoying finding out more about Uri Petrov and Dr. Samantha Croon as they discover what exactly brought the shifters to Earth and what sparked human fears. Who was the young Marn and young Raul and what molded them into who they became?
Ami Blackwelder is a forbidden romance writer in the paranormal and historical romance genre. Growing up in Florida, she went to UCf and in 1997 received her BA in English and teaching credentials. She travelled overseas to teach in Thailand, Nepal, Tibet, China and Korea. Thailand is considered her second home now. She has always loved writing and wrote poems and short stores since childhood; however, her novels began when she was in Thailand.

Having won the Best Fiction Award from the University of Central Florida (Yes, The Blair Witch Project University;), her fiction From Joy We Come, Unto Joy We Return was published in the on campus literary magazine: Cypress Dome and remains to this day in University libraries around the country. Later, she achieved the Semi-Finals in a Laurel Hemingway contest and published a few poems in the Thailand’s Expat magazine, and an article in the Thailand’s People newspaper. Additionally, she has published poetry in the Korea’s AIM magazine, the American Poetic Monthly magazine and Twisted Dreams Magazine.
Find out more about her and her books at http://amiblackwelder.blogspot.com 
You can read my review of  Shifters 2040 if you click HERE.

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