Book Review ~ Awaken (The Soulkeepers #2) by Lori Adams

Awaken 

(The Soulkeepers #2)

by Lori Adams

Expected publication: July 15th 2014 by Flirt

The thrills continue in Lori Adams’s addictive New Adult series of paranormal romance—the Soulkeepers—featuring the hottest love triangle in this life . . . or the next.

Sophia St. James has every reason to be happy: she survived the kiss of death from the seductive Demon Knight Dante and is free to be with Michael, her sexy Guardian Angel. She eagerly begins her Awakening to become a Spirit Walker and help lost souls cross over. But her training is fraught with setbacks, and Michael begs her to stop. The life of a Spirit Walker is far too dangerous, and he won’t be able to protect her.

Then Dante returns, threatening to drag Sophia to Hell so they can finally be together. Terrified of losing everything she has worked for, Sophia turns the tables on Dante, luring him into a deception that may get them both killed. The stakes climb even higher when Dante’s ally, Wolfgang, emerges from Hell with one order: kill Sophia. Will Michael once again be Sophia’s saving grace or will the Awakening give her the power she needs to save herself?

First off, I want to thank Random House Publishing and NetGalley for providing me the opportunity to review this awesome book!

Second, take a look at that cover!  I absolutely LOVE the cover!  It is so beautiful and practically begs you to open the book and continue the Soulkeeper journey!

Now, on to my thoughts.

Sophia survived the 'kiss of death' from Damon and is eagerly waiting to begin her Awakening so that she can become Spirit Walker, helping lost souls cross over.  This is something that she really wants to do, but Michael puts a damper on things and tells Sophia that he does not want her to continue, declaring that it is far too dangerous.  Sophia is having none of that nonsense and continues with her training with her awesome and funny spiritual trainer, Rama.  She really is determined to become a Spirit Walker and she's not going to let anyone stand in her way to accomplish her goal.  There was one point in the story where she was having a difficult time keeping up with her school work and her training, so she and Bailey come up with an idea to help in the matter.  Not a good idea.  Not. At. All!  Nothing good will come from this action and I believed at the time that it would bite her in the butt later on, and if I'm right, it did.  Of course with the cliffhanger ending, I guess we won't know until the next book.  But despite all of that, Sophia's character has really shown some growth since book one.

Michael has been selected as a candidate for the Halos, so he is spending most of his time in the story training for the trials.  The trials are tough and grueling, but Michael really shows he can kick some major butt.   I am really frustrated with his character because he really changed, becoming controlling and possessive toward Sophia.  I realized he is under a lot of pressure competing in the trials, but really that is no excuse to be angry and bossy toward Sophia.  I am just torn right now about this sudden change.  I really do believe he still loves Sophia, but his actions just suck.

And then there's Damon.  After his failure in the first book, he has been subjected to horrible punishments and has endured a lot of pain in Hell's version of jail.  Still determined to reclaim the soul of his lost love, he, along with Vaughn, escape from the depths of hell so that he can bring Sophia back with him to live forever in Hell.  He only has limited time to accomplish this and he is doing everything in his power to draw Sophia to him.  I really do like Damon and at this point I hope that he succeeds, but, and that is a big but, he needs to find a way to stay in a non-hell like environment so Sophia does not have to endure his hellish home.  And let's be honest, Sophia and Michael can't ever be a couple unless they find a loophole or something, so I think Damon is perfect for her.  I know, I'm crazy, but Damon is so sexy and so sweet when he wants to be. Can you tell I'm Team Damon?

Lori Adams has done the impossible - perfected perfection.  I thought that Forbidden was amazing, but Awaken is so much better.  More action, more romance and well, just more everything I love in a paranormal romance.  Everything about the story flowed so smoothly and so effortlessly.  From page one I was sucked into this amazing story of angels and demons and forbidden love, and before I knew it, I was at the end.  The cliffhanger at the end (and yes, it is a HUGE cliffhanger) left me begging for the next book immediately!  I will be eagerly and not so patiently waiting for its release.

If you are looking for an amazing and unique paranormal romance that never has a dull moment, has an intense love-triangle, fabulous characters and a captivating, action-filled plot, then look no further than this highly addictive series.

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Lori Adams is the author of the Soulkeepers series: Forbidden and the upcoming Awaken and Unforgiven. She wrote her first book—about scary sharks—at the age of eight. Now she writes New Adult, young adult, and middle-grade fiction. Originally from Oklahoma, Adams lives in Southern California with her husband and two daughters. ~ Random House

Review ~ Don't Fear the Reaper by Michelle Muto

Don't Fear the Reaper

by Michelle Muto

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Haunted by memories of her murdered twin, Keely Morrison is convinced suicide is her only ticket to eternal peace. 
But in death, she discovers the afterlife is nothing like she expected. Instead of peaceful oblivion or a joyful reunion with her sister, Keely is trapped in a netherworld on Earth with only a bounty-hunting reaper and a sarcastic demon to show her the ropes.
When the demon offers Keely her ultimate temptation--revenge on her sister's killer--she must determine who she can trust. Because, as Keely soon learns, the reaper and demon have been keeping secrets and she fears the worst is true--that her every decision changes how, and with whom, she spends eternity. 

My Review:

4 out of 5 stars

Although this is a work of fiction, it touches on a very real life issue......suicide. After losing her twin sister to a brutal murder and missing her terribly, Keely does the unthinkable...she take her own life so she can find her sister.  After her passing, Keely meets up with a reaper named Banning and a demon named Daniel. Because she committed suicide, she is not able to go immediately to Heaven. She must stay in Purgatory and must pass a test in order to go through the Pearly Gates. If she fails, she gets a one-way ticket to Hell. While she waits for her funeral and her test, she finds that taking her own life really affects her loved ones and friends more than she could have ever know.

The characters are so awesome. I fell in love with Banning. You can really tell that he really cared for Keely and would have done anything to make her transition better.  And when I found out when and why he decided to become a reaper, I loved him even more.  Daniel. Oh,Daniel. So much to like about this demon. He is funny, witty and sarcastic.  He really is the comedian in this story. I really wished I could have learned more of Daniel's past and why he became a demon, because really, I don't understand how he landed such a crappy job. Maybe we find out in a sequel?  I really hope so!

This is one of those books that made me laugh and it made me cry. This was such a beautiful well-written story that is very powerful and thought provoking. Ms. Muto really has outdone herself with this novel.  She has really captured the heartbreaking toll that suicide has on the family and friends that are left behind. 

This one is suitable for all age groups.  No sex, no romance, just a really good down-to-earth story that everyone should read!