Thursday, July 12, 2012

Review & Giveaway: Lonely Souls

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Lonely Souls
Karice Bolton
Series: The Witch Avenue Series, #1
Release date: June 29th 2012
by Bulldog Press

 

It’s two weeks before Triss turns 18, and her world is about to change into the most magical one imaginable as she readies herself to enter The Witch Avenue Order… that is until her mother’s disappearance. Instead of celebrating her transformation, she finds herself spreading rose petals into her mother’s empty grave.

When Logan, her best friend from junior high, moves back to town for college, he vows to help her find the answers she so desperately seeks surrounding her mother’s disappearance. As they begin uncovering clues, it becomes apparent that the life of white magic they both grew up loving is not what the majority practices, and their lives are in danger.

With a haunting feeling that her mother may still be alive, she begins to hear a call to the wilderness. Triss realizes that in order to find the answers she needs, she must learn the ways of her ancestors and become the hunter, not the hunted before it’s too late, and she becomes part of the lonely souls.

*A copy was provided by Karice Bolton for review purposes*

Lonely Souls first attracted me by its gorgeous cover, even moreso by its mention of witches. I love witches and all their potential. I love spells, magic, and how books on the subject can be fun, fierce, and original. Even though I wish there would have been more “witchiness”, Lonely Souls has an intriguing premise with great characters and a sweet romance.

When her mother disappears, Triss will not accept that she’s dead. And if her mother’s disappearance wasn’t enough stress on her shoulders, she has to deal with evil beings that are appearing, and a less than welcoming coven. Intelligent and caring, Triss is a fun character that doesn’t let people walk all over her, nor does she let a crush on a boy take over her smarts. I really enjoyed her and Logan’s relationship throughout. They’re lifelong friends who are obviously attracted to each other, but the romance is kept slow and sweet. I was pleased by how they don’t let lack of communication get in the way. They talk and discuss how they feel. I thought this made it all very mature and, in consequence, a relationship that I could easily root for. Logan himself is definitely swoon-worthy. He knows when to say the right things, he is incredibly sweet and understanding; he’s just an all around great guy – though not unrealistically so.

With a fast start, we’re thrown into a very intriguing premise of witches, secrets, and magic. I was easily caught up in the plot, excited to find out what it would lead to. Soon, however, it turns into a more romantic paranormal story, concentrating on Triss and Logan’s relationship. As I mentioned, the romance is wonderful. Nonetheless, I was hoping for a bit more development in the plot itself. I felt as if it didn’t advance very much at all. There are some good battle scenes and a few secrets revealed, but there are also a lot of plot deviations – dinner dates and repeat conversations – which keeps it from progressing. I was also expecting a broader view of the witch lore – their coven, background, abilities, etc. In general, I anticipated a lot more to happen. What we did perceive of the plot is very interesting and this could end up being an overall amazing series. So in no way was I dissatisfied with it, just maybe a tad underwhelmed.

It’s romantic and it’s sweet; Lonely Souls is perfect for those who love paranormal YA novels with a strong romantic subplot, an original premise, and an easily likeable protagonist.

3 Hot Espressos

 Karice’s Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

 Karice Bolton is a paranormal romance/urban fantasy author living in the Pacific Northwest. All three books in The Watchers Trilogy are available now, Awakening, Legions, and Cataclysm. Lonely Souls, which is the first book in her new series Witch Avenue, released June 2012. Karice married the love of her life who she met in high school, and she still can’t get over how cute and funny he is. They have two English Bulldogs that are the cutest bullies in the world, and they use their cuteness to get what they want. Karice loves the snow and gravitates towards the stuff as often as possible! She enjoys skiing and tries really hard to snowboard, but often makes a nice little area to sit while everyone zips by on their board. She enjoys writing, and she also loves to read just about anything with print.

This post was a part of:
Giveaway
The giveaway consists of THREE winners:
1st prize
*paperback copy of Lonely Souls
    * $15Amazon Card

2nd prize
    *paperback copy of Lonely Souls
    * $10 Amazon Card

Grand Prize

* Arrowhead Necklace (pic here)
    * $50 Amazon card
    * paperback of Lonely Souls
Open internationally
Giveaway ends July 18th, 2012
Use the Rafflecopter below to enter

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Giselle

Canadian blogger, wife, mother, coffee lover, and sarcastic at heart! She has had a love for all things bookish since before Amazon and eReaders existed *le gasp*. You can also find her organizing tours and other fun things at Xpresso Book Tours.

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64 Responses to “Review & Giveaway: Lonely Souls”

  1. Nick

    I’ve seen tons of reviews for this book lately. I love witches too since they can be so fun with their magic and spells.
    Thank Goodness for no instant-love. I love romances that are slow or arise from friendships. It’s too bad that the romance took over the plot after some time though. I don’t like when that happens either. Still, I’m glad that the plot is interesting.
    Great review, Giselle ! 🙂

  2. Amy

    Glad you liked this one muffin!! It was refreshing to have a romance that was gradual and not “poof, we’re in love!!” It did take over the story a bit, but I found myself wrapped up in it. I think that there could have been more story progression too, but I am looking forward to more of this series. Hopefully we get some answers about the coven and abilities in the next book.

  4. Aa'Ishah

    I haven’t come across witch books that are particularly amazing, but I’m always on the lookout for one that might be. This looks intriguing, and I’m glad that Triss and Logan communicate well. Too often, misunderstandings take precedence. Great review, Gisell! 🙂

  5. Karen @ Book Light Graveyard

    Ooo, this one sounds pretty good! I love witches too, and Tris sounds like an awesome, strong character. I alternate between caring and not caring when the romance takes over (depends on my mood, I guess), so we’ll see how I feel about it in this one. Great review as always!

  10. Shane

    That was a wonderful review. I’ve read books where it starts out good but then it drifts too much into romance i think hemlock was like that. but nonetheless, great review.

  14. Danny

    Romantic and Sweet? And… you loved especially the romance! Seems like my kind of book!! I love love LOVE a good romance and this one sounds absolutely up my alley!

  19. Katie @ BlookGirl

    Great review, muffin. I’ve been curious about this one and was wondering how my friends would like it. I think I may borrow it from someone before deciding to buy, as I’m not sure about the non-advancing plot.

    That cover IS beautiful, though! 🙂

  21. Addie R.

    Great review! I’ve gotta admit, I haven’t seen the best reviews so far. They’re mostly 3 star reviews, but I’m still intrigued by this book! Hopefully I’ll like it more than everyone else does.
    Thanks for the giveaway!

  22. Beth

    Thanks- I hadn’t heard of this one before, but I’m also a fan of witch stories. And if you gave ot 3 espresso, I HAVE to check it out! 🙂

  23. bookworm105

    I love witches as well and this sounds like a good mystery which i also love. I need to check this out.

    Great review and thanks for sharing! =D

  27. Jennifer Messerschmidt

    The cover is gorgeous and I love witches. I thought the romance between Logan and Triss was very sweet and realistic. I was rooting for them. Some of the spells and actions scenes were great but I was hoping for a little more as well. I still enjoyed it and want to see more between them.

  28. Camille Picott

    Wow, what a gorgeous cover! I am a bit bored with YA romance right now, but the premise of the witches sounds terrific. Great review! Thanks for the giveaway!

  30. Candace

    I have seen this one around so I’m glad to see your review. I’m thinking that this might be one I would enjoy. Hopefully the world and stuff will be explored more in future books. I can handle the romance taking over as long as its good.

  31. Jenni @ Alluring Reads

    I like how you describe the MC in this one, someone who doesn’t let a crush take away her smarts is definitely something that I look for in books. It’s too bad you didn’t get all the “witchiness” you wanted, but this does sound like a solid read anyway. I’ll keep my eye out! Great review!

  34. Carl

    Thanks for the synopsis, the review, and this great chance to win Karice Bolton’s new book. I know that there are tons of people waiting for it. I’m hoping to be the lucky one.

  42. Mirjam

    Witches, romance, a search for a missing person, danger, a plot to get lost in… this sounds truly amazing! Definitely adding it to my list. Great review, Giselle!

  46. medinahusa

    Really this is a great giveaway! I haven’t read too many witch books, i’ve kind of strayed away from them but i’m willing to try this one out, and i’ll read it especially because there’s romance!

  47. Rebecca - Kindle Fever

    I definitely agree with you about wanting more from the plot. It became a bit too focused on their relationship in the end, even if I did love them together! Overall, I really enjoyed it though! 🙂

  50. Leanne Yang

    Thanks for the giveaway Giselle. I came here because I heard about you from Alluring Reads. And probably also because you’re Canadian as well !! (:

  51. Dian Aesha

    nive riview…and i love this cover..
    nice to know you karice..you are a new author from me..i cant wait to reading your books..

    thanks for the chance ^^

  56. Cristal

    Thanks for the giveaway! Lonely Souls seems to be a very intriguing read. I love the cover, and the premise of witches and mystery looks to be very uniquely woven!

  62. Neyra

    Great giveaway Giselle and love your review on Lonely Souls. I’ve seen this one around before and it piqued my interest 🙂