Title: Haven
Author: Mary Lindsey
Publication Date: November 7, 2017
Genre: YA Paranormal
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Blurb:
"We all hold a beast inside. The only difference is what form it takes when freed."Rain Ryland has never belonged anywhere. He's used to people judging him for his rough background, his intimidating size, and now, his orphan status. He's always been on the outside, looking in, and he's fine with that. Until he moves to New Wurzburg and meets Friederike Burkhart.
Freddie isn't like normal teen girls, though. And someone wants her dead for it. Freddie warns he'd better stay far away if he wants to stay alive, but Rain's never been good at running from trouble. For the first time, Rain has something worth fighting for, worth living for. Worth dying for.
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Goodreads:
My Review:
Haven sucked me in right away. First, it was written entirely in a male POV, which is unusual for YA romance and was a fun change of pace. And how cool is the name Rain for a guy? Loved it. The story started out, keeping me on edge with Rain living this rough, urban lifestyle, running from the police. It made for a stark contrast when he ended up moving to a small town to live with his aunt who, ironically is a police officer. His transformation in this story, both inner and outer, was riveting to watch. The story was fast-paced and dangerous and kept me glued to the pages the entire time. The mystery of watching the secrets in this small town unfold and the romance between Rain and Freddie made for an addicting read.
My only issue with the story is that it felt hard to connect with the characters, mostly Freddie. Their romance seemed to lack emotional intimacy and it felt that it was mostly built on survival and lust. I didn't see a true friendship forming between the characters. Most of the focus was on the action and suspense and less on the character development. It made it harder to care what was going to happen to the characters.
Other than that it was great. The world-building was fun and the tension was spot on.
My only issue with the story is that it felt hard to connect with the characters, mostly Freddie. Their romance seemed to lack emotional intimacy and it felt that it was mostly built on survival and lust. I didn't see a true friendship forming between the characters. Most of the focus was on the action and suspense and less on the character development. It made it harder to care what was going to happen to the characters.
Other than that it was great. The world-building was fun and the tension was spot on.
**Four Stars**
About the Author:
Mary Lindsey is a multi-award-winning, RITA® nominated author of romance for adults and teens. She lives on an island in the middle of a river. Seriously, she does. When not writing, she wrangles her rowdy pack of three teens, two Cairn Terriers, and one husband. Inexplicably, her favorite animal is the giant anteater and at one point, she had over 200 "pet" Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches. The roaches are a long story involving three science-crazed kids and a soft spot for rescue animals. The good news is, the "pet" roaches found a home... somewhere else.
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