Sunday, March 31, 2013

Angel


Angel
5 of 5 stars false
Since the loss of his lively, charming wife to cancer six years ago, minister Paul Tobit has been operating on autopilot, performing his religious duties by rote. Everything changes the day he enters the church lobby and encounters a radiant, luminous being lit from behind, breathtakingly beautiful and glowing with life. An angel. For a moment Paul is so moved by his vision that he is tempted to fall on his knees and pray.
Even after he regains his focus and realizes he simply met a flesh-and-blood young man, Paul cannot shake his sense of awe and wonder. He feels an instant and overwhelming attraction for the young man, which puzzles him even as it fills his thoughts and fires his feelings. Paul has no doubt that God has spoken to him through this vision, and Paul must determine what God is calling him to do.
Thus begins a journey that will inspire Paul’s ministry but put him at odds with his church as he is forced to examine his deeply held beliefs and assumptions about himself, his community, and the nature of love.


Review

****This book was part of a blog tour I received a copy for my honest review****

What a shame it would be to stay away because you were afraid it would end. What a shame it would be to miss so much beauty.... touching words to finish a stunning book.

Laura Lee, has written a book that will challenge your thoughts on homosexuality within the Christian religion. It is based around Paul, a 42 year old widow that lost his wife 6 years ago to cancer. Since then he has lived a shell of a life and although he is a minister in a church he really feels no inspiration to live.

Ian is a 24 year old very troubled young man, he is an alcoholic who struggles with the belief that he is unlovable and unworthy of time because he is gay.

Paul comes across Ian, who is on his way to his AA meeting, and mistakes him for an angel, a sign from god. This moment is a life changer for Paul who sets out to save Ian because he is drawn to him. He struggles with his new feelings for this young man, especially trying to reconcile his feelings with the views of the church. A secret relationship follows to which these two really form what they both feel is a”blessed union of souls”, no matter what anyone else thinks.

He sat with his head down, letting the emotions wash over him in waves of anger, sadness, shame, and fear. He was the same person he had always been. How could one choice make him seem suddenly different to the world?

I don't want to give this story away. I want you to read it, because it is worthy of people experiencing it with an open mind and ready to see it for themselves without my views on what happens. I will say that this was a highly emotional book for me and affected me very deeply. I loved how easy it was to read for something that had such a real and meaningful message within. I loved how it dealt with the very relevant issues within its pages. I loved how the relationship between the couple seemed like a real relationship with the normal ups and downs but also the underlying tension of the very real problems they faced. You will feel a multitude of things, rage, indignant, righteous, sad, validated, happy, deep sorrow... I felt all of these things. To me that is a sign of a great book, to have been moved and provoked into thought. I will leave you with another quote from this book, because it made me smile and I think it outlines these two characters and their relationship perfectly. Once again, please read, it is a great book that will stay with me for a while.
Ian unwrapped one of the fortune cookies and cracked it open. “‘Everything has beauty’,” he read, “‘but not everyone sees it.’” He shrugged and set the slip of paper down next to the used chopsticks. “What does yours say?” Paul cracked open his cookie. He read the fortune to himself and chuckled at its appropriateness. “Well?” Ian asked. “What’s it say?” “‘Never regret anything that made you smile.”

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Hunter 18+

 The following review is for 18+ readers.
Hunter
4 of 5 stars false
This can’t be happening to her. A random break down…an isolated mountain road, a seemingly chance meeting with a hotter-than-hot stranger. Tatyana is a modern gal who can handle any crisis, but before she knows what’s hit her, she’s sensing a hideous threat, not to her but to this man who draws her like a moth to flame. Hunter.
“I know things…I saw it.”
When the attack comes, she is his protection from a diabolical enemy, even as he initiates her into a startling world of magic, sorcery and sensuality. For in a moment of terrifying danger a spark has been struck, and neither can escape the erotic fire to come…

Review

***I received this arc from Netgalley for my honest review***
Hunter Finn has is the Sentinel of the Willow Coven and after 10 years of self imposed isolation, he has been called home. But when he arrives he finds out he has a new "brother" within the coven, Dimitri Petrova, and their is unknown coven reeking havoc and attacking his sisters.
Tatyana Petrova is one of 13 siblings, but she has always been very close to her brother Dimitri. Recently Dimitri has been awol,claiming he has found a new family and distancing himself from her. She senses something is not quite right so she sets off to find him, in the middle of nowhere, to get some answers and give him a piece of her mind. Unfortunately things do not go to plan, her car breaks down, it storms and she has to set off on foot.
When she arrives she immediately feels a connection to the lovely witches within the Willow Coven home, definitely an attraction to Hunter Finn. However things become serious when they are all attacked, Tatyana is thrust into a world she had never really experienced, although her family is steeped in magical legends,she finds out fast that she is a witch and becomes blood bound to Hunter. This act saving her from a fate a slave/familiar to an evil warlock.
The evil warlock attacking the coven is intent on destroying them through any means, rape, torture,murder and planting malicious thoughts/ plots to tear them up from the inside. Everyone has to work together to beat the enemy before he rips them all apart.
I enjoyed the suspenseful, magical ride that was Hunter.Meeting all the members of the coven, the personalities varying as much as their powers and positions.
Hunter, himself, was an interesting character who had his fair share of demons that needed to be exercised. Lucky for him he meets the equally endearing, feisty Tatyana. I loved the connection between the two, the battle for each of them to withhold their feelings for one another. The tension between the two was electric which led to some very steamy scenes.
I found the villain of this book to be very scary, any sexual predator is and that is exactly what he is, preying on the woman of the coven to break them. I always like when the villain is a good one.
This was very easy to read and paced extremely well. The story was an interesting one and it was good to have a story fixed on witches rather than vampires and werewolves for a change. I am really keen for the rest of the characters in this book to get their own stories, so I really hope we get more of this magical group in the future.
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