Reviewed by kimbacaffeinate on
The tale begins when we meet Ember McWilliams; at first glance she is a responsible daughter, taking care of her five year old sister Olivia. We quickly learn there is so much more to this story. Ember’s Dad died in a horrific car accident almost two years ago and oh yeah so did Ember. Except, Olivia her gifted sister touched her and brought her back from the dead. This would be awesome, if everything Ember touched didn't die. She has scars from the accident, and wears long sleeves and gloves all year long. She was once a cheerleader and popular girl at school, now she is just known as “the freak”. When a strange, handsome boy named Hayden Cromwell shows up at school and the library she is intrigued. When he claims her curse is a gift, she is fearful. The tale that unfolds was romantic, mysterious, and humorous.
This novel has some interesting characters. I connected with Ember, and despite the cards she has been dealt, she tries to do all the right things and keep it together for Olivia. Olivia is as cute as any five year old, and I thought the author captured her emotions and mannerism beautifully. Hayden is swoon-worthy, mysterious and carries a heavy weight on his shoulders. He is fascinated, intrigued and in awe of how Ember has handled things. I did find his tendency to shelter her from things annoying as did Ember. Hayden’s family was very mysterious and his Father's smug, "these are my rules you will obey or else", made me nervous about his intentions. The children are all special like Olivia and each was taken in and adopted. They added to the suspense and I found myself wanting to know more about Parker, Phoebe and Gabe. Hayden’s dad and the other adults gave off mixed singles, creating suspense as I debated on whether to trust them or not.
The world-building was both delightful and frustrating. I loved the idea behind Ember’s curse and the other children’s abilities. The Cromwell’s safe house and the mention of a mysterious research center where children are cruelly taught to manage their abilities had me drooling for more details. Dead animals, death threats and secrets kept me turning the pages. The romance was sweet, but at times I wavered on whether I trusted Hayden. I was delighted that their relationship developed slowly and I enjoyed watching it unfold. There were a few awe moments, that should have romantic swooning. While the tale ended on a high note, I was left wanting more. I will be seriously frustrated if a second book isn't forth coming as this tale is not nearly complete.
Fans of Armentrout; for you Cursed is a must read and I am sure you will be delighted. If you haven’t read her books but enjoy paranormal romances with suspense this is a great book to pick up. I have this author on my auto-buy list and look forward to her next novel.
I want to thank Spencer Hill Press for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.
Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 6 September, 2012: Finished reading
- 6 September, 2012: Reviewed