2014, 316p, YA Paranormal Romance
My Rating=4 Stars
Source: Received copy from the author for an honest review
Malyn Reed has always been able to see spirits, but never thought she would fall in love with one...until she met Beau Brogan.
Even among the spirit world, Beau Brogan is different. He has the ability to interact with the living world in ways that are uncommon for most ghosts, drawing much unwanted attention of Takers, the inhabitants of the Darkness. When Beau realizes the secrets that are held within the Darkness, he will have to face one of the toughest decisions he has ever made, dead or alive...His decision could ultimately change everything, for him and Malyn.
Malyn Reed is not only fervently haunted by Beau, but she is also haunted by the decisions he makes, which could make her rethink everything that she has ever believed in. And when a freak accident turns Malyn's, and her best friends lives upside down, Malyn will have some decisions to make.
This is a hard review for me to write without giving away any spoilers so I'm going to keep it short and sweet. This is a series that must be read in order so it will make sense. The tone of this book felt quite different to me as we learn more about the Takers. There are revelations that make Beau seriously consider joining them, but it's risky.
The love triangle is still somewhat alive. Malyn has made a choice and she makes it clear to the other guy that they aren't together but he won't completely accept it and starts making some poor choices. Towards the end, something major happens and it will be interesting to see where book 3 goes from here.
I have definitely decided who I want Malyn to choose in the end. Quite a bit happens, though, and the ending left everything up in the air. Again, there is some content in this book, but overall I am enjoying this series and want to start reading book 3 right now!
Content: Mild swearing, underage drinking, sexual innuendo and intimacy, teen sex (with some detail).
Now it's time to learn more about Janae!
1. When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I used to write short stories when I was little, so looking back, I was a writer even then. However, I didn't consider myself an actual writer until I finished "For Always".
2. What inspired you to write this series?
I've always had a fascination with ghosts and the paranormal, especially after living in a house where unexplained things happened. After becoming a paranormal investigator, where I met other people in the field and learned more about it, I knew I wanted to write a story that incorporated it. I hadn't read any other books that involved a ghostly love story like the one that haunted my mind, so I decided to write my own, which became the For Always series.
3. Do you have a title for your third book and when are you expecting it to be released?
Book three will be titled "For Eternity" and will be the final installment in this series. I am almost finished with it, so hopefully it will be ready for release within the next few months. (I'm hurrying lol.)
4. Who was your favorite character to write and why?
Oh, my... that's a tough one; I love them all for different reasons. Beau is the all-american country boy that you can't help but love. I've put a lot of myself into Malyn, too, which makes her near and dear to my heart. But I think I'll have to go with Nellie. She's that wise, fun-loving grandmother who always gives the best advice. She's unique, yet simple, and I never know what she's gonna say or do next.
5. Is there anything else about your series that you'd like to share?
One of the things I love about this series is the small, historic town that it takes place in—Dandridge, TN. Some scenes in the book take place at actual locations in town, so I'll have local people ask me about them, wanting to know where a certain place is or if it's real because they couldn't find it. I like how I can sit on the same bench that one of my characters sat on in the book, and readers seem to like that, too.
6. What are some of your favorite books and what book are you reading now?
When Harry Potter first came out, my mom, who worked in a school library, told me about them and I was like, "A boy who takes a train to a magical school? Um, no." Needless to say, I finally broke down and read them and they are still my favorites, and probably always will be. I also like the Twilight series, which has gotten a lot of flak here lately, which I don't agree with. I love her take on 'sparkly' vampires, which is unique, and the entire story line, as well as her character development. I'm also a big fan of the Lux series by Jennifer Armentrout, which I didn't think I would like. And Colleen Hoover... oh, my word, I love too many books. I just started "The Watchers" by Lynnie Purcell.
7. What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Read, which is a given, I guess, and play tennis, which is the only sport I can (sometimes) beat my husband at. My family and I spend a lot of time on the lake, as well.
8. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
Yes! I've written some blog posts for aspiring authors (www.Janaeiswriting.blogspot.com) where I talk about not giving up and the process I went through to get published, as well as a post about piracy, which annoys the crap out of me, with links to help get books taken down.
9. Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?
I don't really think of myself as having fans, just readers. And if it weren't for them, there'd be no reason to write, so I guess you could say I'm a fan of readers.
Thanks, Janae! I'm glad to hear that you're working away on book 3. ;) I agree with you on Twilight. I still like it, but that might be because I liked it before all the hype and remember going to my local bookstore the day the third book came out and they had no idea what I was talking about. It's been fun getting to know you better!
Having grown up in an historical Dandridge home that was used as slave quarters during the Civil War, she experienced several things that couldn't be explained. Due to these events, she sought out and joined an investigative team called Eyewitness Paranormal. Her interest in ghosts and the unexplained, combined with her love for telling a story, made writing the For Always series inevitable.
Janae was born and raised in East Tennessee, where she currently resides with her husband, two children, and their hairless dog, Slick. In her spare time, she likes to read, play tennis, and spend time with her family on the lake.
2 comments:
These sound fantastic. Great review :)
They are! I think you'd really like them.
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