Lyla Oweds

This is a rewrite of the original book, Origins, which I did read and enjoyed. So, to say that I was curious what the author had done now is an understatement. I tread into the first pages, a little skeptical, but came out enjoying it all over again.

Bianca see ghosts, which she ignores until she agrees to housesit for her professor and is teased by a spiritual entity every night. Her best and only friend refuses to listen to her pleas for a little help, which sends her off to seek out his brother, who is supposedly into paranormal stuff. But when she arrives at the door, she's greeted by four guys, who are anything but normal, and although they might be able to help her, she's stumbled across a world that will turn everything she knows upside down.

This is a fun read, and while it does involve a freshman in college, it works fine for older YAers, too. The thing which makes this read fun is the characters. They pack tons of over-the-top personality, which borders on too much but keeps it right at the level where it's fun. Bianca, to put it mildly, is a hot mess. She's been locked out from the world around her and has the oddest way of viewing things. It's not necessarily realistic, and that's awesome. She's all over the place, but there's something endearing about it, too, which makes her addictive. The guys are a bit cliche, at times, but only at times. Each of them is a mystery for itself. Between all of them, it's a humorous back and forth in unpredictable directions.

Then, there's the dark side. The threats are deadly, and the secrets thick. Bianca is in danger and has a foggy past with uncertain players still heavily involved. The stakes are high, letting it veer into the area of horror. This thrown together with the humor above makes for an original and quirky mix...which I enjoyed completely.

There is the reverse harem romance...for all of those fans out there. But while there is tons and tons of flirting and silliness in these pages, that is not the main thrust. It's also slow burn, and considering Bianca's state, nothing else would work.

I'm looking forward to seeing what the author does next. I received a DRC and enjoyed every page.… (lisätietoja)

I'm glad I got to read all these at once! The characters had a great depth to them, and Bianca is easily my favorite. She's unique, with a rough backstory, and some things to work through, but that doesn't mean she isn't strong. The boys are a little overprotective, but they're coming from a good place. The story is engaging, with great pacing. I blew through one book in each sitting, and I look forward to reading more about Bianca and company in the future. I'm definitely curious about Bianca's past. The perfect reverse harem, magic-packed story to curl up with a glass of wine at night.… (lisätietoja)

I was excited to dive into this one after reading the first in the series, and I wasn't disappointed.

While the first book built up the entire situation and characters, this one goes more in depth into each one. It isn't as fast-paced as the last one but sinks more into the relationships and psyche. Of course, the mystery surrounding the main character's powers and her background grow, but this switches into a slightly lower gear as we get to learn more about each of the guys, and her connection with each one grows.

This is by no means a quick romance or even steamy in any way. It's clean, very slow-burn, and really concentrates on these characters learning to know each other. And yes, it did leave me wanting to grab up the next book right away, too.… (lisätietoja)

Magic, mystery, paranormal and romance meet a character with tons of heart and a very quirky personality to create a gripping and yet easy read.

Bianca has lived an extremely sheltered life, has one very-best friend, and isn't exactly a people-person, anyway. When her best friend refuses to listen to her request for help, she's not sure what to do. She knows he won't help her, since he believes the ghosts she claims to see are part of her psychological issues...she's been on medication, after all, for years. But this ghost is trying to kill her. Since she's her him mention that his brother has an interest in the paranormal, she steps way out of her comfort zone and seeks him out. She never expects that this small move will flip her life upside down and then some.

I picked up this one simply due to the title...and half-reading the surmise...and completely enjoyed it. While I expected ghosts, magic and romance, I did not expect the lightness this tale holds. The main character isn't only super-extreme naive, her thought processes are all over the place. I'd compare it to a imagination in hyper-drive with way too many TV shows or books used as the basis. Her logic is through the roof, her reactions all over the place...and it makes her very endearing in the quirkiest of ways. And yet, the ghosts are not humorous, but really pose a threat.

There are all sorts of secrets, evil agendas and impossible to guess secrets. Little by little things start to come to light, but just as many more layers are added to the intrigue. It makes it hard to put the book down. Unfortunately, this is one of those books, which doesn't wrap things up at the end, but left me wanting to dive right into the next one to see what happens next.

Now, to the romance. This does slide into the reverse harem category...and it's super cute. Of course, the guys are gorgeous, muscular, and her perfect protectors. But they are quirky in their own ways. They definitely have more logic behind their actions and build the logic and grit, where she flows through the clouds. The cliches reign, and it's exactly what works. This is very slow burn with nothing to worry about on that end for young adult readers. Not even close. With this main character, flirting kind of bounces right off, and leaves lovely frustration for the other parties behind. It's simply a fun read with just enough darkness to grab and hold… (lisätietoja)