Scan barcode
A review by sandraselvas
Embrace by Jessica Shirvington
2.0
I liked this book and I hated this book.
I don't know how to properly express my feelings about this story without sounding like a contradictory fool, but I will try anyways.
Angel books and I have a weird, unhealthy relationship. Despite hating 95% of the angel books I've read, I keep coming back to them. Perhaps is the nagging hope that one might be different (i.e. [b:Angelfall|15863832|Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days, #1)|Susan Ee|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1381264956s/15863832.jpg|16435765], [b:Daughter of Smoke & Bone|8490112|Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, #1)|Laini Taylor|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1338613368s/8490112.jpg|13355552] and [b:Unearthly|7488244|Unearthly (Unearthly, #1)|Cynthia Hand|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1324782984s/7488244.jpg|9621771]) or maybe it's because I am a masochist reader... Who knows.
Our heroine, Violet Eden was complex and flawed. I liked the way she acted and reacted, and even though I disagreed with her sometimes, she was her own woman. I know she made some poor decisions, but who hasn't, right? Specially at seventeen. Her depiction was very accurate and I long to see how much will she change and grow in the next installments.
The plot was a bit confusing but very interesting and original. There were many aspects that I enjoyed learning about and I think the future books hold some promise, but sadly the plot was shadowed by the romance in this book.
Now, don't get me wrong, I love romances; especially between angsty teenagers but the relationships in this book were just weird. Our MC, Violet, is in love with his friend and trainer, Lincoln; I liked that she was already in love with him when the book started, instead of falling for him in the process, but they rarely got any time together as a new character and maybe love -or lust- interest came into the picture; Phoenix. Violet finds herself "torn" between two paranormal hot guys; her heart wants one but her body screams for the other...
Lincoln was attractive, nice and strong; but I wish he was given more depth. I didn't get the opportunity to fall in love with him, though I gotta admit he did make my heart melt in one scene. On the other hand, Phoenix was way more complex and interesting, but I couldn't fall in love with him either because he was creepy and stalkerish in an Edward Cullen kind of way.
And while I enjoyed the steamy parts of the book, I was baffled by some attitudes from Phoenix. Like, possessive much? It didn't take Sherlock to know that something was off with him, but our dear Violet never noticed and this is one of the things I hate the most in a book; when something is perfectly clear from the beginning and yet, the MC never notices and we have to endure hundreds of pages already knowing what is going to happen, which completely eliminates the shock factor when said discovery is made.... YAWN.
Anyways, I think that book two might be very interesting given the way this story ended and I seriously hope to get more badassery, intrigue and mystery and I also hope that Linc gets more character development!
Interesting premise but predictably executed, this book will appeal to those who adore love-triangles and sexy romances, but it might fail to enthrall those of us who look for the whole package (action, world building, plot, character development, amazing romance, shocking plot-twists, etc).
Proceed with caution.
[b:Enticed|9671126|Enticed (The Violet Eden Chapters, #2)|Jessica Shirvington|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344645627s/9671126.jpg|14558950], here I come!
I don't know how to properly express my feelings about this story without sounding like a contradictory fool, but I will try anyways.
Angel books and I have a weird, unhealthy relationship. Despite hating 95% of the angel books I've read, I keep coming back to them. Perhaps is the nagging hope that one might be different (i.e. [b:Angelfall|15863832|Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days, #1)|Susan Ee|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1381264956s/15863832.jpg|16435765], [b:Daughter of Smoke & Bone|8490112|Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, #1)|Laini Taylor|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1338613368s/8490112.jpg|13355552] and [b:Unearthly|7488244|Unearthly (Unearthly, #1)|Cynthia Hand|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1324782984s/7488244.jpg|9621771]) or maybe it's because I am a masochist reader... Who knows.
Our heroine, Violet Eden was complex and flawed. I liked the way she acted and reacted, and even though I disagreed with her sometimes, she was her own woman. I know she made some poor decisions, but who hasn't, right? Specially at seventeen. Her depiction was very accurate and I long to see how much will she change and grow in the next installments.
The plot was a bit confusing but very interesting and original. There were many aspects that I enjoyed learning about and I think the future books hold some promise, but sadly the plot was shadowed by the romance in this book.
Now, don't get me wrong, I love romances; especially between angsty teenagers but the relationships in this book were just weird. Our MC, Violet, is in love with his friend and trainer, Lincoln; I liked that she was already in love with him when the book started, instead of falling for him in the process, but they rarely got any time together as a new character and maybe love -or lust- interest came into the picture; Phoenix. Violet finds herself "torn" between two paranormal hot guys; her heart wants one but her body screams for the other...
Lincoln was attractive, nice and strong; but I wish he was given more depth. I didn't get the opportunity to fall in love with him, though I gotta admit he did make my heart melt in one scene. On the other hand, Phoenix was way more complex and interesting, but I couldn't fall in love with him either because he was creepy and stalkerish in an Edward Cullen kind of way.
And while I enjoyed the steamy parts of the book, I was baffled by some attitudes from Phoenix. Like, possessive much? It didn't take Sherlock to know that something was off with him, but our dear Violet never noticed and this is one of the things I hate the most in a book; when something is perfectly clear from the beginning and yet, the MC never notices and we have to endure hundreds of pages already knowing what is going to happen, which completely eliminates the shock factor when said discovery is made.... YAWN.
Anyways, I think that book two might be very interesting given the way this story ended and I seriously hope to get more badassery, intrigue and mystery and I also hope that Linc gets more character development!
Interesting premise but predictably executed, this book will appeal to those who adore love-triangles and sexy romances, but it might fail to enthrall those of us who look for the whole package (action, world building, plot, character development, amazing romance, shocking plot-twists, etc).
Proceed with caution.
[b:Enticed|9671126|Enticed (The Violet Eden Chapters, #2)|Jessica Shirvington|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344645627s/9671126.jpg|14558950], here I come!