Posts Tagged: Taryn Browning

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Review: Whispering Hills by Taryn Browning

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Whispering Hills
Taryn Browning
Series: Whispering Hills, #1
Release date: March 19th, 2012

Goodreads / Purchase

Life and death, love and hate, friends and enemies…

For as long as she can remember, 17-year-old Alexis Forbes can hear the thoughts of others. Most recently, she is disturbed by the dark, unfamiliar voice of a frightening killer: callous, cunning, charismatic…and dead.

She hears his every sinister thought. But she can’t tell anyone. No one would believe her. Alexis is suddenly being haunted by a terrifying past she doesn’t remember, and a ghost with a serious score to settle. Even Chance, the gorgeous new guy she’s falling for, has his own ghostly secret. He’s definitely not like any guy she’s ever met. Alexis soon discovers she has a connection to the dead and it runs much deeper than she could ever imagine. And if the sociopathic entity has his way, she’ll finally be sentenced to the fate she escaped thirteen years ago.

*A copy was provided by Taryn Browning for review purposes*

Whispering Hills’ plot which involves ghosts, witches, and telepathy is a sure way to lure me in, especially after having previously enjoyed Taryn’s work in Dark Seeker. It’s vastly different from her other series, however, and even though I never grew very fond of the characters in this novel, I was easily kept entertained by its suspense and mystery that are aplenty.

The characters are honestly the only reason that this novel failed to get me glued to its pages. The protagonist, Alexis, can come off as being a bit too naive for my taste: easily falling prey to traps and believing obvious lies. Then we’ve got Chance, the love interest, who is intriguing and mysterious, but his and Alexis’ romance never claimed my heart. There isn’t enough build up or natural progression to their relationship for me to have gotten a feel of their attraction. They start throwing the L word around after a mere few weeks and also seem to be a tad awkward with each other. Furthermore, we’ve got the villain, who is supposed to be terrifyingly powerful, not to mention evil, but only amounted to irritate me with his high and mighty attitude and embarrassingly weak jokes. I did, however, really click with Summer. I found her to be the most complex character. Her being a witch instantly pulled me in, but her cynical, yet caring attitude makes her compelling.

As far as the plot goes, it’s exciting with a creative approach to ghosts; touching base with fate and the order of things. It’s filled with twists that I never would have predicted, dramatic chapter cliffhangers that refuse to let you go, closing off with a chilling ending. It does take a couple of chapters to get a hint of what type of book we’re getting into. After this, though, it doesn’t take long for the action to begin for a non stop thrill ride to the end. The ghost story itself is very well crafted; both refreshing and original. The abilities also play a big part in the story: Witches with epic powers, and mind-reading – which is a very bittersweet ability to possess if you stop to think about it; Taryn makes use of these brilliantly, presenting them as equally creepy and enticing.

Whispering Hills, unique and action-packed, is perfect for readers who enjoy ghost stories with an extra paranormal punch. I was hoping for a bit more substance when it came to character building, but the captivating plot-line and fluid writing makes it easy to get caught up it the story regardless. 

3 Hot Espressos

Cover Reveal: Shadows, Exposed, Dark Return & Unbreak My Heart

Posted by on 12/24/2011 • 7 Comments

Shadows (Lux, 0.5) Jennifer L. Armentrout Release date: February, 2012 by Entangled Publishing Add it to your Goodreads

The last thing Dawson Black expected was Bethany Williams. As a Luxen, an alien life form on Earth, human girls are…well, fun. But since the Luxen have to keep their true identities a secret, falling for one would be insane. Dangerous. Tempting. Undeniable.

Bethany can’t deny the immediate connection between her and Dawson. And even though boys aren’t a complication she wants, she can’t stay away from him. Still, whenever they lock eyes, she’s drawn in. Captivated. Lured. Loved.

Dawson is keeping a secret that will change her existence…and put her life in jeopardy. But even he can’t stop risking everything for one human girl. Or from a fate that is as unavoidable as…

Review: Dark Seeker by Taryn Browning

Posted by on 12/12/2011 • 24 Comments

Dark SeekerTaryn BrowningReleased September 27th, 2011

Goodreads / Purchase

For 17-year-old Seeker, Janie Grey, ridding the Baltimore streets of the undead is an inherited duty passed down from her Cherokee ancestors. Seeker Training Lesson #1: Never trust the undead. After her father’s tragic death, Janie creates her own life lesson: Love isn’t worth the risk. Both lessons are easy to follow until she encounters the flawed Kai Sterdam. At first, she believes he is the hybrid she is trained to hunt. But, when he has human traits, she determines she doesn’t know what he is. As Janie’s intrigue over who Kai is pushes her deeper into his mysterious past, she discovers a shocking truth that is even more harrowing than the evil they are up against. It’s a secret Kai…

Dark Seeker Tour Stop

Posted by on 12/08/2011 • 27 Comments

Today, I am happy to have the Dark Seeker blog tour, hosted by The Magic Attic, drop by Xpresso Reads to give you a teasing excerpt as well as a chance to win a copy!

What is Dark Seeker? Take a look:

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Dark SeekerTaryn Browning

Goodreads / Purchase

For 17-year-old Seeker, Janie Grey, ridding the Baltimore streets of the undead is an inherited duty passed down from her Cherokee ancestors. Seeker Training Lesson #1: Never trust the undead. After her father’s tragic death, Janie creates her own life lesson: Love isn’t worth the risk. Both lessons are easy to follow until she encounters the flawed Kai Sterdam. At first, she believes he is the hybrid she is trained to hunt. But, when he has human traits, she…