First, a little about the book up for review today:
Title: Shadows of Jane (The Shadows Trilogy - Book One)
Author: Amy Hale
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance
Length: 151 printed pages
Buy Link: Amazon Paperback
Blurb:Colt Henderson is a man who lives for the moment. His past has taught him that life is unpredictable and often disappointing. A confirmed bachelor, he believes that love only exists in fairy tales.
She’s lost, scared, and can’t remember a thing about her past or her identity. She senses all is not as it should be, but without her memory, how does she know what to fear and what to trust? Because of her status as a Jane Doe, she names herself Jane and works to put her life back together. In the process she learns that she possesses unique abilities that certain people will kill for.
Fate throws Colt and Jane together, but they both have a lot to learn about forgiveness and acceptance. Colt’s determination and Jane’s remarkable gifts will send them on a journey they never expected. To survive they will need each other, but sometimes facts are scarier than fiction, and the truth is better left unknown.
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Now, let's get to the good stuff!
I picked this paperback up at an event where I got to meet the author, and I'm now kicking myself for not buying the whole series at once. I wanted the next one as soon as I finished the first (reader problems). Yeah, it was that good. What really gripped me about the story is the way Ms. Hale built her characters from the first page to the last. There was great development. But enough high-level, let's get into the details.
From a Reader's Perspective:
I loved the main characters, Jane and Colt. They were always at odds with one another, but you could tell they wanted to be together from the first time they met. Their reactions were typical for people going through what they were, and I was genuinely invested in the outcome because I liked them both so much. I wanted Colt to get over himself at the same time I wanted Jane to realize what she had in him. It was a nice juxtaposition of personalities. Story flowed well from beginning to end, and there was never a time I felt lost or jarred by the action happening. Details were spot on. Just enough to allow me to build the scenes in my own mind rather than being told that the curtains were just so or the couch had a small tear in the arm. I read this in one day.
Only one thing was a bit jarring: The sudden jolt from one POV to another. It was clear the author tried to scene/POV break, but then the prose would leap to the POV of another person in the room. That threw me out of the story a couple times, and it forced me to read back to make sure I didn't miss something.
From an Editor's Perspective:
Overall, the editing was good. There weren't a ton of errors, and nothing that took away from the story itself. I'm leaving the POV leaps to the reader part of the review, because I believe that's reading preference rather than a true editing error.
Rating:
1 Star for giving me characters I could root for
1 Star for not bogging me down with unnecessary description
1 Star for flow/pacing
1 Star for editing
-1 Star for the POV jumps
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars! A highly recommended read that will go quickly and keep you engaged.
What do you think? Will you pick it up?
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
