Book Review - The Final Omen

Happy Tuesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I bring you yet another Indie book review. This one is for Final Omen, book four (and the last) of the Second Sight series by Heather Topham Wood. Grab your coffee (or tea, for those of you in the UK), pull up a chair, and let's get going!

First, a little about the book I'm writing this review for:

Title: The Final Omen - Second Sight Book Four
Author: Heather Topham Wood
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance
Length: Approx 185 printed pages
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle $3.99 B&N Nook $3.99 Smashwords $3.99

Description:
Psychic Kate Edwards had seen her death in a premonition. She was given the opportunity to stop her murder from happening and finally reconnect with her love Detective Jared Corbett. However, fate had different ideas…

Kate finds herself trapped between life and death. Her only companion is Rose Corbett, Jared’s long dead mother. Rose offers answers to many of Kate’s long-awaited questions and alludes to what the future could hold. However, before Kate can finally be happy, she must complete a seemingly impossible task: save Jared from his own tragic fate.

The Final Omen concludes the thrilling Second Sight series.
New Adult Paranormal Romance-Ages 17+ due to language and sexual situations.

I just love the covers on these books. I do wish the author's name weren't vertical, but that's my designer brain kicking in. You know, that old "all type should be one way or another" thing. I do appreciate that there are only two fonts. I see too many designers mixing more than two (or two of the same family serif or sans-serif) which just looks like a mistake.

On to the good stuff!

I was the proofreader for this book so I got to see it before anyone else. Of course, I still ran out and picked up a copy when it was released so I'd never ever lose it. I read the first three books in the Second Sight series and fell in love with them. This one blew me away. Ms. Wood has really pulled out all the stops to make it both terrifying and sweet. Let's get to the review!

From a reader's perspective:
I love, love, love Kate and Jared! He's such a sweet guy. I adore the sweet guys and haven't ever really been into the "bad boy" who breaks girls' hearts and is a callous jerk. Enter Declan. He's a player to the Nth degree. I was glad when he finally accepted his lot in the last book and decided to leave Kate alone. In this installment, he's working with Jared as they try to solve Kate's murder. That was a twist in and of itself. *NOTE* This won't ruin the story because the boys teaming up happens in the first few pages of the book. I'm not about spoilers. Kate has always been a character I could root for. She's no different in this book. I was quite the strange kid growing up and didn't bask in the limelight so I can identify with her insecurities and social withdrawal. When I found out who the killer was, I choked. I totally didn't expect the twist and it left me horrified (which is GOOD). The Final Omen isn't bogged down with a ton of description and gives a lot of the meat and potatoes we all love. It was a wonderful and satisfying conclusion to the series.

From an editor's perspective:
The story had great flow, few errors, an awesome twist that wasn't foreshadowed at all, and a wonderful premise. Top marks!

My rating:
1 Star for showing me a damaged girl who learns to love herself
1 Star for a brilliant story
1 Star for pacing and a wonderful ending
1 Star for giving me an awesome twist
1 Star for quality of writing
Overall, 5 out of 5 stars. Ms. Wood's best book in this series! I would recommend to anyone who loves a sappy romance tinged with murder mystery, action, and a great story to hold it all up.

I do hope you pick up a copy of The Final Omen. You won't regret it.

Have you read the series? What do you think?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review: Dark Premonitions by Heather Topham Wood

Happy Thursday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I'm writing up a review for my Indie Fever Reading Challenge! This makes the third book I've written a review for so far (I'm behind schedule) but oh, what a glorious read it is! So, strap in and let me take you on a little journey!

Title: Dark Premonitions - Second Sight Book Three
Author: Heather Topham Wood
Genre: Paranormal
Length (paperback): 272 pages
Amazon links: Paperback $9.99 Kindle $3.49

Synopsis: Psychic Kate Edwards had her first premonition—a vision of her own murder by a faceless attacker. With very few clues to go on, she has to use her psychic gifts to uncover who wants her dead. Paranoia sets in and Kate wonders if there’s anybody she can trust. As Kate fears her impending death, she’s desperate to seek comfort with her ex-boyfriend Jared Corbett. As she tries to win him over once again, she worries that he’ll never forgive her for the mistakes she has made in the past. Kate questions whether fate will give her a chance to be with Jared again before her existence is ended. Meanwhile, a sixteen-year-old girl has gone missing. The police and her family insist the girl is a troubled runaway, but Kate suspects there’s more to the story. Kate is frantic to locate the girl before her own time runs out. Dark Premonitions is the third book in the Second Sight series.

Not to appear in my review elsewhere: I love this book's cover. The author let the readers vote in a poll on her website and this one caught my eye nicely. It fits well with the first two books and gives off a slightly creepy vibe; perfect for this installment.

If you're a regular follower of my reviews, you know I read, enjoyed, and reviewed the first two books in the Second Sight series. Dark Premonitions was very different. It was won by me in a giveaway held by the author, Ms. Heather Topham Wood. Without any more babbling, I give you my review:

From a reader's perspective: Kate, the main character, is still rash and young. She has a tendency to act before she thinks and those characteristics fit someone who's gone through what she has. I was glad to see her relationship with Declan, the bad boy psychic, come down from its high in the last book. Kate using her psychic powers again was something I was happy to see. What I loved most about this installment is the way I couldn't tell who was coming to kill Kate or when it would happen. I adored the ending as well, it left me wanting the next book right now instead of waiting for it to be published sometime later this year. What was really different about this installment was the constant wondering about when Kate would be offed. This vision is the opener of the book and leaves you hunting for the incident while reading. I laughed, gasped, and was pulled to the edge of my seat, chewing my nails, while reading this one.

From an editor's perspective: Pronouns still needed some work. An example: Kate turned her attention back to Julie as her best friend emerged from the dressing room. Should read: Kate turned her attention back to Julie as she emerged from the dressing room. I caught a number of these throughout the book, but they weren't so bad as to pull me out of the story. There were also a few common phrases that were misused and some places where things were described  that the person narrating couldn't have seen yet. But, all in all, the story flowed well and had a captivating line; keeping me engaged.

My rating:
1 star for giving me more of Kate and Jared and showing me more of her personality.
1 star for making me laugh out loud a number of times.
1 star for making me cringe.
1 star for an excellent storyline.
-1 star for the need for an editor.
Overall, 4 out of 5 stars and a highly recommended read for anyone who loves delving into the paranormal.

I do hope you'll consider giving this book a read. It was wonderful. Beware the cliffhanger at the end; it's a doozy.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo