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theavidreaderandbibliophile's review
3.0
A Hold On Me by Pat Esden is an interesting paranormal novel. Annie Freemont is twenty years old and has just been accepted into the Sotheby’s summer program. However, her father’s health has been declining and Annie will have to refuse. Annie’s father, James has been acting odd and seems to have the beginning of dementia. Her father’s illness started when they were in an old church buying antiques. They opened a hidden space and a dark shadow came out. Does it have anything to do with her father’s condition? Annie wants to take care of him, but then her Aunt Kate takes her to court. Aunt Kate wins custody of Annie’s father. Annie is forced to take him to Moonhill, the families ancestral home (and a place they left fifteen years previously after the death of Annie’s mother) in Port St. Claire, Maine. Upon arrival Annie and her father are separated and Annie is kept from seeing him. What is going on in this home? Annie is being told lies and she wants the truth. What secrets is the family keeping from Annie? Is she ready for the truth and can her father be helped?
A Hold On Me is an interesting book, but it was not great. Annie comes across as flighty, obsessed with guys (I guess that could be any twenty years old), paranoid, and she over reacts to everything. Annie has severe trust issues (paranoia). Annie’s fear of darkness is mentioned repeatedly in the book. Annie acts more like a sixteen-year-old than a twenty-year-old (just how she came across to me). The book contains a lot of Annie’s thinking (over thinking) which was not enjoyable. There is mild foul language and sex in the book (just letting you know). I liked the paranormal elements in the book (one of the reasons I picked the book) and the mystery. I did not like the ending. The novel is left with an incomplete ending (and we have to wait for the next book). I give A Hold on Me 3 out of 5 stars.
I received a complimentary copy of A Hold on Me from NetGalley in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel.
A Hold On Me is an interesting book, but it was not great. Annie comes across as flighty, obsessed with guys (I guess that could be any twenty years old), paranoid, and she over reacts to everything. Annie has severe trust issues (paranoia). Annie’s fear of darkness is mentioned repeatedly in the book. Annie acts more like a sixteen-year-old than a twenty-year-old (just how she came across to me). The book contains a lot of Annie’s thinking (over thinking) which was not enjoyable. There is mild foul language and sex in the book (just letting you know). I liked the paranormal elements in the book (one of the reasons I picked the book) and the mystery. I did not like the ending. The novel is left with an incomplete ending (and we have to wait for the next book). I give A Hold on Me 3 out of 5 stars.
I received a complimentary copy of A Hold on Me from NetGalley in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel.
ambeesbookishpages's review against another edition
4.0
The full review + more can be found at The Book Bratz
I don't think I realized what I was getting myself into when I requested this book. Not that it was bad, it was the opposite of bad. But it is complicated. The good kind, but also the kind that is very difficult to explain. Just keep in mind when you read this book that: IT ALL MAKES SENSE IN TIME.
In the first few pages of this book I was reminded of the show, American Pickers. Annie and her father travel around buying artifacts and then reselling them. That is until Annie's father becomes ill with Dementia. Or what they all thought was dementia. Returning to Moonhill, the place of her mother's death is the last thing Annie wants to do, but her father's care wasn't left to her. With no other choice Annie moves to Moonhill, knowing as soon as her father is well enough again she was leaving and never looking back.
A Hold on Me had a very interesting set of characters. They weren't flat, and each played a vital role to how to story would play out. You get introduced to a lot of people at once, but soon it is easy to decipher who is who, and who is actually related to Annie. Chase was one of my favorite characters, for most of the book he remained dark and mysterious, saying and doing strange things that raised eyebrows. But when you get down to the grit of it all your heart breaks for the life he use to have and the demons that he hides.
The paranormal aspect is where is gets tricky. Possessions. Evil spirits. Other dimensions. Genies. Poison rings. Take your pick. There is so much going on, and it is so interesting to read. There was not a dull moment in the book. Esden made sure her readers were full immersed into this world from cover to cover. I won't talk much about the romance because I didn't find there to be much of one. But it was there, just not the main focus of the book. (Though, reading the teaser of book two has me really hopeful for the romance)
In the end, I am content with A Hold on Me, I can't wait until book two (August of 2016) to learn what is going to happen next!
I don't think I realized what I was getting myself into when I requested this book. Not that it was bad, it was the opposite of bad. But it is complicated. The good kind, but also the kind that is very difficult to explain. Just keep in mind when you read this book that: IT ALL MAKES SENSE IN TIME.
In the first few pages of this book I was reminded of the show, American Pickers. Annie and her father travel around buying artifacts and then reselling them. That is until Annie's father becomes ill with Dementia. Or what they all thought was dementia. Returning to Moonhill, the place of her mother's death is the last thing Annie wants to do, but her father's care wasn't left to her. With no other choice Annie moves to Moonhill, knowing as soon as her father is well enough again she was leaving and never looking back.
A Hold on Me had a very interesting set of characters. They weren't flat, and each played a vital role to how to story would play out. You get introduced to a lot of people at once, but soon it is easy to decipher who is who, and who is actually related to Annie. Chase was one of my favorite characters, for most of the book he remained dark and mysterious, saying and doing strange things that raised eyebrows. But when you get down to the grit of it all your heart breaks for the life he use to have and the demons that he hides.
The paranormal aspect is where is gets tricky. Possessions. Evil spirits. Other dimensions. Genies. Poison rings. Take your pick. There is so much going on, and it is so interesting to read. There was not a dull moment in the book. Esden made sure her readers were full immersed into this world from cover to cover. I won't talk much about the romance because I didn't find there to be much of one. But it was there, just not the main focus of the book. (Though, reading the teaser of book two has me really hopeful for the romance)
In the end, I am content with A Hold on Me, I can't wait until book two (August of 2016) to learn what is going to happen next!
karen_hallam's review against another edition
4.0
A HOLD ON ME by Pat Esden
Giveaway on my blog Monday Nov. 2. watch for it.
Annie Freemont and her father, spend their lives on the road scouring for antiques, and encountering mysteries, and make quite the bargaining pair. Until his illness sends them back to a past, his past, the place her mother died: The family home of Moonhill. The last place her father wants to go.
Annie wants nothing more than to leave Moonhill, after meeting the strange sorts: her aunt, grandfather, and the cousins, especially when she discovers that someone drew a pentacle of salt under her bed. But when her aunt hides her father away, without explanation, Annie’s on the hunt and getting angrier. She soon learns that her mother died under mysterious circumstances, and when she next sees her father, he’s changed. His illness has rapidly progressed, but the methods her aunt and grandfather use to help him are unorthodox to say the least.
Annie questions everything. But Chase, the cute groundskeeper she tries to ignore and eventually can’t, warns her things aren’t what they seem. He’s not what he appears, nor are the others in her family. Plus they own him.
Annie, Chase, and newly aquatinted cousin, Selena join forces to help her father, but they soon discover they’re up against more than they could ever bargain for.
I loved the build up of this book. I didn’t think this was your typical paranormal thriller. The twist near the end gave the story such an exotic humor. An engrossing gothic read. I highly recommend it. I cannot wait to learn more about the Freemont family business in Book 2! Coming February 2016 from Kensington.
Giveaway on my blog Monday Nov. 2. watch for it.
Annie Freemont and her father, spend their lives on the road scouring for antiques, and encountering mysteries, and make quite the bargaining pair. Until his illness sends them back to a past, his past, the place her mother died: The family home of Moonhill. The last place her father wants to go.
Annie wants nothing more than to leave Moonhill, after meeting the strange sorts: her aunt, grandfather, and the cousins, especially when she discovers that someone drew a pentacle of salt under her bed. But when her aunt hides her father away, without explanation, Annie’s on the hunt and getting angrier. She soon learns that her mother died under mysterious circumstances, and when she next sees her father, he’s changed. His illness has rapidly progressed, but the methods her aunt and grandfather use to help him are unorthodox to say the least.
Annie questions everything. But Chase, the cute groundskeeper she tries to ignore and eventually can’t, warns her things aren’t what they seem. He’s not what he appears, nor are the others in her family. Plus they own him.
Annie, Chase, and newly aquatinted cousin, Selena join forces to help her father, but they soon discover they’re up against more than they could ever bargain for.
I loved the build up of this book. I didn’t think this was your typical paranormal thriller. The twist near the end gave the story such an exotic humor. An engrossing gothic read. I highly recommend it. I cannot wait to learn more about the Freemont family business in Book 2! Coming February 2016 from Kensington.
lyndsmarie321's review
3.0
3.5 stars** only because I was not expecting a fantasy-based plot. I am not much in to genies and mystical things happening. I guess it's good to change it up sometimes!
diana_sousa's review against another edition
5.0
“A Hold On Me” took a hold of my heart from the beginning. The setting is so interesting and intriguing, a great mixture between gothic and paranormal. This was always present on the tone of the book, the way the author describes the characters’ surroundings, the details that add to the mystery. I love how the author mixed mythology (no spoilers!) with a dark setting of her own, which becomes very unique, especially when describing the mansion where most of the action occurs.
The characters’ voices are authentic, and it was easy to follow along from Annie’s perspective. Every character has their own moments and depth, and none of their decisions or actions sounded strange or unsupported.
Throughout the story their secrets are revealed, their intentions, and you see that no one is left undeveloped.
The pacing is great, always the right amount of suspense that pressures you to keep reading to find out what will happen and what is hiding in the shadows. I found myself forgetting to do other things while I was reading this book, and I think that is one of the best things a writer can do with a story.
All in all, I really loved “A Hold On Me”, and I can’t wait to see what comes next!
The characters’ voices are authentic, and it was easy to follow along from Annie’s perspective. Every character has their own moments and depth, and none of their decisions or actions sounded strange or unsupported.
Throughout the story their secrets are revealed, their intentions, and you see that no one is left undeveloped.
The pacing is great, always the right amount of suspense that pressures you to keep reading to find out what will happen and what is hiding in the shadows. I found myself forgetting to do other things while I was reading this book, and I think that is one of the best things a writer can do with a story.
All in all, I really loved “A Hold On Me”, and I can’t wait to see what comes next!
booksandladders's review
4.0
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Actual Rating: 3.5*
You can see my full review tomorrow on Books and Ladders!
Actual Rating: 3.5*
You can see my full review tomorrow on Books and Ladders!
raeanne's review
1.0
Won from Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
The Good:
+Genies haven't been done to death. Yet.
+Literal black sleep
+Liked Annie's trick at the end
The Bad & The Other:
-No sense of history or flavor with the genies, just plain evil.
-Annie = annoying
-Chase = typical blah
-Plot = predictable
-Atmosphere killed by Annie
A Hold on Me follows Annie as her father's dementia causes them to move back into his family's sprawling Maine home. She's very suspicious of them with good cause and touts her skills being able to handle it. Yet...
We find out immediately how she screwed up a sale and landed them all in this mess in the first place. Then she gets outmaneuvered by her once-estranged family. If her lackluster follow through wasn't enough, she flip-flops throughout the book on every topic imaginable.
http://giphy.com/gifs/gotham-26tOW2rFXxIT3BPeE
She's annoying. And sloooooow. I couldn't stand her whatsoever and she killed the book completely.
The only thing I liked about her was how her father let her be an adult and handle her own relationships. It's a sharp contrast to her cousin's rebellion of her strict parents. Finally, no virgin versus whore!
Too bad I can't root for this romance. Annie and Chase are only tropes with no life in them. Chase's is indistinguishable from other romance interests so I don't care and Annie, again, is annoying. Going back & forth so quick between suspicion of Chase and berating herself for being "crazy" was unbearable. Plus, she goes off on a sexual fantasy mentally while surrounded by people when she should have been focusing on a lecture that could help her. Argh.
And that moment with him at the beach party? That was fucking creepy. I don't know how that doesn't alarm every woman reading it. Chase pressures and plies Annie with drink and when Annie gets caught dumping it out...I swear my heart stopped. That is so NOT a laughing, light-hearted moment.
Chase was the genius, mysterious, sexy bad boy that avoids making connections with women. There's not much to say about him. I saw his "surprise" background coming from a mile away and he was just another insta-love protector.
Her cousin was solid throughout the story and I liked how she stepped up. Annie needs to shape up or move over for her to take over the narrative. And I say that as someone who doesn’t usually care for the boy-obsessed fashionistas.
It was clearly trying for a creepy, Gothic atmosphere but that died a quick death with Annie at the helm. She wouldn't shut up and feel it so I could too. She quickly ruled out that she was imagining things. She's not an unreliable narrator, so it’s paranormal! Duh. Now stop yanking my damn chain.
But leaving all that aside, I still have a hard time buying into the underlying events. Why didn't they tell Annie about her father and mother? Why didn't they tell him the truth about his wife? Why did she have him for a lover?
http://giphy.com/gifs/things-annoying-ace3dytIL9Fcc
It's not hard or complicated, it just doesn't make sense. If they want Annie in the fold again...If they wanted Annie and her father to stay...If they were so madly in love...
http://giphy.com/gifs/pikachu-meowth-pika-lwtrzaEiyCFUs
Yeah, sure it could all be explained by the prophecy blah blah blah, but right now? NO. And it hurts A Hold On Me because of it.
I will not be continuing the series and I can't recommend it.
The Good:
+Genies haven't been done to death. Yet.
+Literal black sleep
+Liked Annie's trick at the end
The Bad & The Other:
-No sense of history or flavor with the genies, just plain evil.
-Annie = annoying
-Chase = typical blah
-Plot = predictable
-Atmosphere killed by Annie
A Hold on Me follows Annie as her father's dementia causes them to move back into his family's sprawling Maine home. She's very suspicious of them with good cause and touts her skills being able to handle it. Yet...
We find out immediately how she screwed up a sale and landed them all in this mess in the first place. Then she gets outmaneuvered by her once-estranged family. If her lackluster follow through wasn't enough, she flip-flops throughout the book on every topic imaginable.
http://giphy.com/gifs/gotham-26tOW2rFXxIT3BPeE
She's annoying. And sloooooow. I couldn't stand her whatsoever and she killed the book completely.
The only thing I liked about her was how her father let her be an adult and handle her own relationships. It's a sharp contrast to her cousin's rebellion of her strict parents. Finally, no virgin versus whore!
Too bad I can't root for this romance. Annie and Chase are only tropes with no life in them. Chase's is indistinguishable from other romance interests so I don't care and Annie, again, is annoying. Going back & forth so quick between suspicion of Chase and berating herself for being "crazy" was unbearable. Plus, she goes off on a sexual fantasy mentally while surrounded by people when she should have been focusing on a lecture that could help her. Argh.
And that moment with him at the beach party? That was fucking creepy. I don't know how that doesn't alarm every woman reading it. Chase pressures and plies Annie with drink and when Annie gets caught dumping it out...I swear my heart stopped. That is so NOT a laughing, light-hearted moment.
Chase was the genius, mysterious, sexy bad boy that avoids making connections with women. There's not much to say about him. I saw his "surprise" background coming from a mile away and he was just another insta-love protector.
Her cousin was solid throughout the story and I liked how she stepped up. Annie needs to shape up or move over for her to take over the narrative. And I say that as someone who doesn’t usually care for the boy-obsessed fashionistas.
It was clearly trying for a creepy, Gothic atmosphere but that died a quick death with Annie at the helm. She wouldn't shut up and feel it so I could too. She quickly ruled out that she was imagining things. She's not an unreliable narrator, so it’s paranormal! Duh. Now stop yanking my damn chain.
But leaving all that aside, I still have a hard time buying into the underlying events. Why didn't they tell Annie about her father and mother? Why didn't they tell him the truth about his wife? Why did she have him for a lover?
http://giphy.com/gifs/things-annoying-ace3dytIL9Fcc
It's not hard or complicated, it just doesn't make sense. If they want Annie in the fold again...If they wanted Annie and her father to stay...If they were so madly in love...
http://giphy.com/gifs/pikachu-meowth-pika-lwtrzaEiyCFUs
Yeah, sure it could all be explained by the prophecy blah blah blah, but right now? NO. And it hurts A Hold On Me because of it.
I will not be continuing the series and I can't recommend it.
bestofjess's review
3.0
Once I separated my expectation from the reality I really enjoyed it. The relationships were complex and often full of suspicion which I loved. Annie’s strength and perseverance were commendable.
Pat Esden did a fantastic job creating the paranormal element. It was different and nothing was what I expected. The historical nature she gave Moonhill was breathtaking. The little things that happened in the beginning and felt like nothing became something important later on and made so much sense that I started to wonder why I ever thought this wasn’t a paranormal book!
see more of this review at bestofjess.net
1/2
Pat Esden did a fantastic job creating the paranormal element. It was different and nothing was what I expected. The historical nature she gave Moonhill was breathtaking. The little things that happened in the beginning and felt like nothing became something important later on and made so much sense that I started to wonder why I ever thought this wasn’t a paranormal book!
see more of this review at bestofjess.net
1/2(This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review)
kblincoln's review
4.0
I received a copy of this through a Goodreads giveaway with the understanding I would review. Confession: Author Pat Esden and I have exchanged writerly critiques in the past, so it's possible this isn't the most objective of reviews.
Anyway. Knowing about Pat's expertise with antiques isn't necessary to fully jump into this story of antique dealer Annie and her dementia-stricken father's forced return to his family home of Moonhill. But the mentions of auction behavior, lovingly described antiques, and authentic take on dealing sure made me smile :)
Annie has lost the legal guardianship of her demented father when a customer, to whom she'd just sold a poison ring, blabs to Annie's estranged Aunt and Grandfather that her father is no longer quite in his right mind. She is forced to bring him to Moonhill, the seat of Freemont family, who have inhabited many of her father's wild tales about finding rare objects.
What follows is a spin on the old return-to-gothic-ancestral-home-and-find-ghosts kind of tale. Only this isn't quite your usual gothic, nor are the shadows Annie begins to see your usual ghosts. Annie finds a pentagram drawn with salt under her bed the first day, encounters a handsome servant--Chase--with a fondness for knives and sheep, and begins to see her father's strangeness might not actually be dementia at all.
This is not YA. There is an assumed sexual experience with twenty-something Annie as well as references to throbbing nether regions. Things get a bit hot and heavy between her and Mr. Love Interest, although it never teeters all the way into bodice-ripper territory. It's definitely in the territory of New Adult, as Annie is still finding her own identity.
Kudos to Pat for not giving away too much of Moonhill's secrets in the beginning. It took me a while to catch on to the nature of the shadows as well as what exactly the Aunt and Grandfather saved Chase from. The timeline of Annie's mother's death, etc, got a little fuzzy for me at the end of the book, and sometimes Selena seemed a bit erratic personality-wise, but Annie herself had a great mix of phobia, questioning, and moxie to pull off a great tale.
I enjoyed the book the most when Annie brought the sass to her inner thoughts:
"The last thing I needed right now was a romance-- especially with a hot, baffling guy who said scary shit, told half-truths, and had already sizzled his way into my fantasy life."
New adult returns to ancestral home and discovers secret family history and a hot love interest.
Anyway. Knowing about Pat's expertise with antiques isn't necessary to fully jump into this story of antique dealer Annie and her dementia-stricken father's forced return to his family home of Moonhill. But the mentions of auction behavior, lovingly described antiques, and authentic take on dealing sure made me smile :)
Annie has lost the legal guardianship of her demented father when a customer, to whom she'd just sold a poison ring, blabs to Annie's estranged Aunt and Grandfather that her father is no longer quite in his right mind. She is forced to bring him to Moonhill, the seat of Freemont family, who have inhabited many of her father's wild tales about finding rare objects.
What follows is a spin on the old return-to-gothic-ancestral-home-and-find-ghosts kind of tale. Only this isn't quite your usual gothic, nor are the shadows Annie begins to see your usual ghosts. Annie finds a pentagram drawn with salt under her bed the first day, encounters a handsome servant--Chase--with a fondness for knives and sheep, and begins to see her father's strangeness might not actually be dementia at all.
This is not YA. There is an assumed sexual experience with twenty-something Annie as well as references to throbbing nether regions. Things get a bit hot and heavy between her and Mr. Love Interest, although it never teeters all the way into bodice-ripper territory. It's definitely in the territory of New Adult, as Annie is still finding her own identity.
Kudos to Pat for not giving away too much of Moonhill's secrets in the beginning. It took me a while to catch on to the nature of the shadows as well as what exactly the Aunt and Grandfather saved Chase from. The timeline of Annie's mother's death, etc, got a little fuzzy for me at the end of the book, and sometimes Selena seemed a bit erratic personality-wise, but Annie herself had a great mix of phobia, questioning, and moxie to pull off a great tale.
I enjoyed the book the most when Annie brought the sass to her inner thoughts:
"The last thing I needed right now was a romance-- especially with a hot, baffling guy who said scary shit, told half-truths, and had already sizzled his way into my fantasy life."
New adult returns to ancestral home and discovers secret family history and a hot love interest.
lexicon1982's review
4.0
Got this book as a “blind date with a book” and this book was not what I was expecting at all but in an absolutely GREAT way! I loved that the story was different than most “supernatural” based books (which I wasn’t expecting from the synopsis), there was mystery and suspense, a little bit of romance ( not overdone) and all of the characters were interesting! Definitely a world I want to keep reading about, will be checking out the next in this series. Story keeps you interested throughout no lulls at all, a quick page turner! 4 stars!