*Thank you Dark World Books for letting Breathe In BooKs take part in this tour! And a huge Thank You to Rebecca Hamilton for sending the review copy and for writing an amazing book!*
The Forever Girl
(The Forever Girl, #1: Sophia's Journey)
by Rebecca Hamilton
Publication Date: January 26, 2012
Published by: Immortal Ink Publishing
Formats Available: eBook, Paperback ~262 pages
Genre: NA Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy
Book Blurb:
“Whatever you do, fight.”
Sophia’s family has skeletons, but they aren’t in their graves.
At twenty-two, practicing Wiccan Sophia Parsons is scratching out a living waiting tables in her Rocky Mountain hometown, a pariah after a string of unsolved murders with only one thing in common: her.
Sophia can imagine lots of ways to improve her life, but she’d settle for just getting rid of the buzzing noise in her head. When the spell she casts goes wrong, the static turns into voices. Her personal demons get company, and the newcomers are dangerous.
One of them is a man named Charles, who Sophia falls for despite her better judgment. He has connections that might help her unveil the mystery surrounding her ancestor’s hanging, but she gets more than she bargains for when she finally decides to trust him.
Survival in his world, she learns, means not asking questions and staying out of the immortal council’s way. It’s a line she crossed long ago. If Sophia wants to survive the council and save the people she loves, she must accept who she is, perform dark magic, and fight to the death for her freedom.
Forever Girl will appeal to lovers of paranormal fantasy, mystery, romance, and horror.
I have been wanting to read this book since I first saw it on Amazon over six months ago and saw all the hype surrounding the book. I even bought my own copy, but never quite got around to reading it, so I jumped at the chance to do the book tour. The first thing that caught my eye was that is was about a Wiccan girl. I love books about Wicca, witches, and magic in general and I was not disappointed with Hamilton's The Forever Girl. And the cover - or covers - as this is the revised version, were both beautifully Gothic and I am a sucker for pretty covers.
Sophia Parsons is a pretty normal girl for a 22 year old who just graduated college and moved back home. That is unless you count the fact that she is a Wiccan in a town full of Christian zealots who keep harassing her - one of whom is her own mother- and the fact that she hears a constant buzzing/hissing sound that may or may not be part of a family curse, yeah completely normal. After trying to banish the incessant noise in her head with a spell that went wrong, she now hears whispers and sometimes clear voices. Hoping to get rid of the affliction she goes to a club with her friend Ivory in hopes of meeting a guy that might have a book that has a spell that will help. What she finds however, is more trouble than she even knew existed.
The characters were all interesting and each had their own story to tell. Even Sophia's mother, albeit not my favorite person, had a history and issues that made her human. Ivory is a particularly notable character. There is so much to her and there is a whole chapter telling the reader her past which is beautiful yet painful. Sophia is a conundrum. She is able to keep her cool in the face of evil Mrs. Franklin and the constant ostracism and has a peace about her that fits well with her Wiccan beliefs. On the other hand, she is constantly doubting herself and sometimes is downright lost. She is haunted by her past and present and can't seem to find her foothold in this new world.
Now for the romance. Charles, the love interest, started out as a real jerk. But he turned out to be an okay guy and really hot! The relationship between Sophia and Charles is one that is not rushed. Their intimacy is slow-building and they are not codependent as so many literary couples are. I like that they allow each other to be who they are and make their own choices. However, I will say that it was nerve wracking to see whether or not they would finally really get together as a couple and give in to their feelings for each other. I wanted to see more romance and it was very modest and restrained.
I applaud the author for her world building skills. While this is fiction, the author obviously did a lot of research to create authentic histories and believable story lines. The traditional paranormal creatures have been given a makeover and she has given a different view on what it means to be an Immortal. Vampires, shape-shifters, and witches all have a very unique history that involves the basic elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit. I also love symbolism used in The Forever Girl, especially the tie-in to the Salem Witch Trials and how it mirrors Sophia's experiences in modern times. I liked how Ms. Hamilton handled religion, and its abuses, while still maintaining the idea that everyone has the right to their own beliefs and not painting all of one belief systems bad because of the abusers.
Overall, I loved The Forever Girl and am excited to see the progression of the story. Ms. Hamilton's writing is beautiful and descriptive and puts you right into Sophia's shoes. I can't wait to read the next book which will be from another character's perspective. I do have the short novella, Her Sweetest Downfall, up next on my Kindle though! Ms. Hamilton is a talented writer and I found the book very readable without any errors that I could find. This book is a must read for fans of Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy.
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| Five forever buring candles! |
FTC Advisory: I was given a copy of this book from the author for an honest review as part of a blog tour. No backroom deals or whispered promises were made. *Note: I also purchased my own copy.
Official Trailer for The Forever Girl
Rebecca Hamilton writes Paranormal Fantasy, Horror, and Literary Fiction. She lives in Florida with her husband and three kids, along with multiple writing personalities that range from morbid to literary. She enjoys dancing with her kids to television show theme songs and would love the beach if it weren’t for the sand. Having a child diagnosed with autism has inspired her to illuminate the world through the eyes of characters who see things differently. To learn more about Autism Spectrum Disorder, please visit: http://www.autisticadvocacy.org
Blog – Facebook – Twitter – Goodreads
Purchase Links:
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Her Sweetest Downfall
A Forever Girl Journal
(The Forever Girl, #1.5: Ophelia's Journey)
Release Date: July, 2012
Book Blurb:
Ophelia's been successful at hiding her true identity, until the mark of the serpent appears on her neck—a death sentence, should it be seen by anyone in her town. Hiding the mark might save her from falling victim to the witch hunts of her era, but the scorching sensation it carries can’t be ignored.
When the mysterious Ethan is sent to collect her for a life of something more, she learns concealing the mark is the least of her concerns. She’s destined to do a new task—to join a dark, supernatural world and protect the future of people she may never meet. What she doesn’t know—what she learns too late—is that her initiation won’t be complete until she kills the man who’s captured her heart.
Official Trailer for Her Sweetest Downfall
Come the Dark
(The Forever Girl, #2)
Release Date: TBA
Book Blurb:
Rose was just a teenage girl carrying her father’s baby.
A teenage girl who desperately wanted to escape.
Womanhood in Salem, Massachusetts 1692 wasn’t what she had in mind.
Lovely review of a lovely book. I loved it!
ReplyDeleteWonderful review Krista. Isn't funny how we let some books just sit in our tbr pile for no reasons. I actually have this on my nook or the kindle app...LOL
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