Review: Lost in Starlight (Starlight Saga #1) by Sherry Soule

Author: Sherry Soule

Series: Starlight Saga

Pages: 350

Publisher: Disenchanted Publishing

Release date: 26^th June 2014

Amazon

Synopsis. (Goodreads) High school reporter Sloane Masterson knows she has one helluva story when she witnesses hottie Hayden Lancaster bending forks with his mind. Like any good journalist, Sloane sets out to uncover the truth, even if it includes a little stalking. When the superhuman feats start to pile up and the undeniable heat rises between them, Hayden has no choice but to reveal his secret: he’s an alien hybrid. They’re as different as night and day—she’s a curvy, purple-haired, horror junkie and he’s a smoking hot, antisocial, brainiac—yet the intense fascination between them refuses to go away. Even at Hayden’s insistence that dating each other is “off limits” and crazy dangerous, their fiery attraction threatens to go supernova. Now Sloane’s dealing with creepy government agents, über snobby extraterrestrials, and a psycho alien ex-girlfriend out for revenge. After a crash course on the rules of interstellar dating, Sloane must decide if their star-crossed romance is worth risking her own life..

Review: 3 out of 5 stars

I am a big fan of the sci-fi genre so I was super excited about reading Lost in Starlight and despite a few small issues, it was quite entertaining and a nice start to the series.

For some reason when I was reading this book I would often think of Twilight, there were a few similarities where I couldn’t help but compare but it also had its own unique story-line as well, we are dealing with aliens here rather than vamps.

Our main protagonist is Sloane Masterson, just a regular girl investigating the popular ‘bad boy’ for the school paper; she was a character that I liked but didn’t love, she was believable in her actions and reactions but she was also a little slow when it came to a few obvious little details that we as a reader were able to work out quite early on in the book.

Our love interest is broody Hayden Lancaster, a likable enough character, protective and secretive; I was keen to learn more about him but I do feel he wasn’t as developed as Sloane but I’m sure we’ll find out more about him in the next installment.

The plot initially focused on Sloane researching Hayden for the school newspaper and then as the book progressed we find out more about who and what Hayden is, I liked the details we were given on the hybrids and zetas; we get small amounts of action throughout and I’m keen to see where the author takes the story. You can tell a lot of thought was put in to the world-building but I feel there were certain tidbits that were lacking such as background particulars on the hybrids, family, rules and hierarchy so hopefully we will learn more. I felt that this was more of a character driven book.

The romance was done well and I enjoyed the forbidden aspect, a few parts were cheesy and it felt a little rushed but overall I liked it.

Sherry Soule’s writing is engaging and I liked the way she blended the suspense, mystery, and action sequences with a sweet budding romance; it made for an entertaining read.

I mostly enjoyed this book, as a first in the series it was interesting but it did end on a cliff-hanger so I am eager to see where the author takes it in the sequel.

Thank you to the author Sherry Soule, for providing me with a copy of Lost in Starlight to read and review.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20707942-lost-to-starlight

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Starlight-Saga-Sherry-Soule/dp/0692224424

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Starlight-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B00L89JAB2

Barnes and Noble: *not yet available

All Romance eBooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-lostinstarlight-1556267-143.html

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/lost-in-starlight

About the author: Award-winning author, Sherry Soule currently lives with her family and one very spoiled black cat in California’s San Francisco Bay Area. She writes thrilling tales of romance and suspense, often mingled with a dash of the mystical and a splash of trendy fashion. Her published novels do not include any graphic sex, explicit violence, or excessive profanity, so that all of her novels can be read and enjoyed by both teens and adults. Sherry’s debut novel, “Beautifully Broken” was nominated for Best Paranormal Romance in the 2011 Wizard and Witch/Sorcery category by The Romance Reviews (TRR). Her adult PNR novel, “Immortal Eclipse” is a *TOP PICK* by Night Owl Romance Reviews.

Review: Moonlight Mayhem (Spellbound #2) by Sherry Soule

 

Author: Sherry Soule

Series: Spellbound

Pages: eBook

Genre: YA

Publisher: Moonlight Publishing

Buy links: Amazon Paperback - Amazon Kindle - Nook

Contact Sherry: Blog - Twitter - Website - Goodreads - Amazon

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Otherworldly Creatures. Dazzling Magic. Fiery Romance.

Shiloh Ravenwolf thought she was getting used to the strange events in Whispering Pines, until the full moon brings another surge of supernatural threats to her coastal town. Ferocious wolves, deadly necromancers, and shambling zombies have descended upon the neighborhood, so Shiloh needs to gain control of her magical abilities—fast!

It sucks that she has a crippling fear of the dark, which for a demon hunter can be an epic problem. But she spends so much time wallowing in the darkness, how can she not become a part of it?

When her classmates are attacked by a mysterious creature and her father is murdered, Shiloh vows vengeance. Forcing her phobias aside, she forms an unlikely coven of supernaturally gifted teens to help her eradicate this menace. Except that’s not all Shiloh has to worry about. She’s battling a different monster within herself and struggling not to become the very thing she fights: evil.

But with demon blood inside her—anything can happen…

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

Moonlight Mayhem by Sherry Soule is the second book in the Spellbound series and was kindly provided to me by the author in exchange for my honest review.

Shiloh Ravenwolf is still trying to control the magical abilities she wields as a heritage witch - she can see auras and the echoes of souls which reveal a person or demons true nature and has been chosen by an ancient prophecy to defend Whispering Pines against evil.

The engrossing plot is definitely one of my favorite things about this book, Shiloh’s classmates are being targeted by a mysterious supernatural creature and her father has been murdered so rather than sit back and wallow she seeks vengeance but she is also fighting against an inner evil – the darkness of her demon blood. I absolutely loved her determination and her kick-butt go forward attitude and snark.

On-again, off-again boyfriend Trent was a surprise to me, the something ‘more’ about him was a nice spin and I enjoyed his persistence when it came to Shiloh. I loved the combat training scenes between them and their interactions are wonderful, I’m glad the romance picked up in this book.

Moonlight Mayhem has a great combination of all the paranormal creatures I have come to love and enjoy – a zombie, lycans and fallen angels and I am thinking we may have a Fae amongst them as well! Ms. Soule has written each character perfectly and I look forward to reading more about each of them, Shiloh has gained some great allies and friends.

The world-building and character developments were another thing I liked, we still get the creepy vibe in Moonlight Mayhem as we did in Beautifully Broken which made the story all the more mysterious, Whispering Pines is certainly a town filled with unbelievable secrets which I have enjoyed watching unravel.

Moonlight Mayhem is a book filled with action, intrigue and characters you can’t help but adore. Ms. Soule’s writing is engaging and the plot and pacing flowed well, there was never a dull moment.

There are a few loose ends which I am hoping we receive answers to in the next installment, Destiny Disrupted.

Thank-you to Sherry Soule for providing me with a copy of Moonlight Mayhem.

REVIEW: Beautifully Broken (Spellbound #1) by Sherry Soule

Author: Sherry Soule

Series: Spellbound

Pages: 328

Genre: YA - Paranormal

Publisher: Moonlight Publishing

AMAZON: Beautifully Broken (Spellbound Series)

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Thirteenth daughter. Heritage witch. Demon slayer.

They say every town has its secrets, but that doesn’t even begin to describe Whispering Pines. The townsfolk are a superstitious lot and the mystical disappearance of a local teen has everyone murmuring about a centuries old witch’s curse.

Sixteen-year-old Shiloh Ravenwolf is a heritage witch from the Broussard family, a family both destined and cursed. When she takes a summer job at Ravenhurst Manor, she discovers a ghost with an agenda. That’s where she meets the new town hottie, Trent Donovan, and immediately becomes spellbound by his charms. Yet she is determined to discover the connection between them before it’s too late.

Finally, Shiloh's met someone who is supercute and totally into her, but Trent may be the next victim on the supernatural hit list. And Shiloh is the only person with the power to save him. Complicated much?

It sucks to have a destiny, especially since Shiloh would rather spend her summer being a normal girl who worries about clothes and boys, not the supernatural. But she’s never been
normal and the stranger things become the more her own magical senses awaken.

With cryptic messages from a pesky wraith, she will begin to understand the mysterious significance of the strange mark branded on her wrist, and decide how much she's willing to sacrifice to protect the other teenagers in town.

Unfortunately, for Shiloh, not all ghosts want help crossing over. Some want vengeance

REVIEW: 4 out of 5 stars

Beautifully Broken is the first book in the Spellbound series by author Sherry Soule and the beautiful cover and detailed and intriguing synopsis is what originally drew me to this novel.

Shiloh Ravenwolf is 16 years-old and starting to understand the powers she holds as a heritage witch, she can see auras, echoes of souls which reveal a person or demons true nature. She lives in the small town of Whispering Pines where she is unfortunately known as a ‘weirdo’.

When Trent Donovan arrives in town, they have an instant attraction and when a job comes up at Ravenhurst Manor, Trent’s home, Shiloh sees it as an opportunity to gain experience for her chosen career choice in architecture as well as get to know the gorgeous town bad boy with an interesting family history of his own.

I enjoyed the detailed plot; when Shiloh starts to see a demon ‘Shadow Man’ and receive cryptic messages from a wraith who appears to be everywhere, she begins to understand the mark she has branded on her wrist and how an old legend foretold the coming of a girl who could break the town curse – Shiloh being this girl.

When a few teens begin to go missing and thinking Trent may be next, Shiloh believes she may be the person able to help, but uncovering the secrets of Ravenhurst may also reveal the hidden secrets of those within the gloomy town.

I enjoyed watching Shiloh grow as a person and learn to accept her gifts, she has no real support system and is learning as she goes; I felt sorry for the distance her mother has placed between them, her abrasive attitude towards Shiloh was at times hurtful.

I enjoyed the secondary characters and especially the relationship Shiloh shared with each of her friends; they had a supportive and close bond that was missing from her home life. The connection Trent and Shiloh shared was sweet and realistic and even though there were a few problems to come between them they were quickly resolved.

What I didn’t like: Just a minor gripe, the voice of Shiloh came across as quite immature at times, even in her job interview she was using slang like ‘yep, nope and no prob’; I know she is only 16 years-old and maybe I am just showing my age but I found this at times to be annoying.

I liked Ms Soule’s descriptive writing and attention to detail, especially of the wicca, the apparitions and of hauntingly eerie Ravenhurst Manor. I enjoyed the suspense, mystery and intrigue in Beautifully Broken; it had a spooky element to it that I enjoyed.

All in all, Ms Soule has written a wonderful story. The world-building and character developments were enjoyable and the relationship between Trent and Shiloh believable.

I look forward to reading book 2 in this series, Beautifully Haunted.