Leigh Bridger (2)

Soul catcher was intriguing on many levels - starting with a prologue that drops the f-bomb right up front. Caught my attention, that's for sure!

Interesting take on angels and demons, also. Livia is a soul-catcher, with the power to banish demons and "banes" (demon-lites), whose own soul keeps returning to banish a real big-bad demon from her past. On her side are a host of returning souls, as well as angelic assistants - classic good vs. evil with a very gritty twist.

While interesting and a show more good read, it was a very gritty story. Livia is not an easy person to like, with a lot of psychological hang-ups (go figure, though), a mouth that would make the stereotypical trucker proud, and a gigantic chip on her shoulder. I found myself liking the secondary characters a whole lot more. But Livia kind of grows on you, and I'd like to see if the story continues. show less

I won this during BBAW from Bell Bridge Books and just never got around to reading it until now. It was the perfect vacation read - fast-paced and thrilling. It kept me entranced, slightly horrified and totally nervous from page to page. Livia is the ultimate ass-kicker, very reminiscent of Buffy. She has the same vulnerability and fear by her mission that you found in Buffy season after season but which made it so compelling a series. Livia Belane is just as compelling a heroine.

The idea of show more souls finding each other from one lifetime to the next is equally fascinating and oddly comforting. I have panic attacks at the thought of my death, but Ms. Bridger gives us the idea that we never truly die. It reminds me of the idea of reincarnation. There are other similarities to Hinduism, namely in the idea that everything, including rocks, have souls. While I was born and raised Catholic, I also find the idea of this oneness with nature very comforting.

The demons themselves are not necessarily scary. I found Livia's indecision and fears to be the scariest part of the story. Again, this could be considered a metaphor for life - our fears and indecision in life is more frightening than whatever life actually throws our way. I was captivated by Livia's struggles to accept her path and to make the difficult decisions, knowing that a part of her symbolizes my own struggles to accept my path.

Ian and Livia - hot, hot, hot! Their love is beautiful and reassuring in that when they say that they will love each other forever, they truly mean it. That, to me, is the ultimate in romance. However, their love is very refreshing in that they struggle to find happiness and have to work at their relationship as much as we do in real life. The idea of souls searching for each other may not be exactly normal, but souls bickering and arguing certainly is normal!

Overall, I found this an amazing book. The entire premise was intriguing and, as I've mentioned more than once, comforting. The overall idea that every soul has a mission reinforces the idea that our life has purpose. For one who struggles to determine her place in life, this is a profound idea. I look forward to reading the second book in the series to see what else Livia and Ian must overcome! show less

Soul Catcher by Leigh Bridger
Genre: Sci-fi, Romance
ISBN: 9780982175682
Rating: 4

Livia hasn't had a perfect life—in fact she hasn't even had a good life. It all started when her father died when she was young, then got worse when her mother and baby brother died in a fire that she may or may not have started. She also starts painting pictures of evil horrible demons in her sleep, and is forced to burn the pictures and ban them… but one demon escapes, and comes for her.

She finds out that he show more had been pursuing her in every life—she's been reincarnated? what?—and has killed her every time for the past 200+ years. She also finds out that she has a soul mate, (who jumped into the body that the demon had used to hurt her, and now she can't look at him without getting sick) but has hidden herself from him in almost every life, subconsciously, because of something that happened in the past. She and Ian set off to find answers and to kill the pig-faced demon… for good this time. But this time ends up being the most dangerous life she's ever lived.

Soul Catcher was an addicting read. I would have read it in one sitting if I'd been allowed. It actually stuck with me all night and I'm pretty sure I dreamed about it.

I liked the philosophy of the world that Livia lived in. There were soul jumpers, like Ian and Dante, who could jump into any body he needed to be in at the time. There were soul catchers like her, who could banish dark spirits and talk to the light ones. The plot itself was very complex, and every chapter added something new to the story. One thing that made Soul Catcher stand out was how Livia and Ian's love grew. It wasn't immediate you're-my-soul-mate-you're-perfect-for-me kind of love. It was a lot more real than that. Livia starts by trying to avoid him at all costs, but ends up having to go on a trip with him to find out about their pasts. You could say they "bonded," or you could say that Ian finally got to her—even while he was in the body she hated passionately—either way, their love was real enough to be believable.

I really liked Livia, even though she had her downfalls and her insecurities. She was definitely the bad-ass heroine we know and love: slightly sarcastic, very obnoxious, stubborn as an ox, and head over heels in love but unwilling to admit it because she sees it as a weakness. Ian was a great character: he'd have to be to put up with Livia. He'd do anything for her, is dying for her to love him, thinks she is the most beautiful girl in the world—and even bends so low as to trick her into kissing him (she didn't appreciate that.). But he's all light-hearted, fun to be around, with a sexy Irish accent.

I really liked the ending. The whole story had good humor and good comic relief, but the ending was sweet, cute, and funny. It pulled everything together nicely, and left you with a smirk on your face. I say take it to the beach with an umbrella and lemonade. Or whatever other drink you like best.

Content/recommendation: some sex and sexual references, heavy language, ages 18+
~ Haleyknitz show less

I finished reading the ARC I received of Soul Catcher by Leigh Bridger. The copy I had was a bound uncorrected galley, so I'm not going to comment on typos and such. I hope those will be corrected by the time the book goes to print.

In Soul Catcher Bridger has created a world where demons do exist along with angels and assorted otherwordly creatures. Her protagonist is Livia. Livia is an old soul, although she can't remember her previous lives. She's also a Soul Catcher in that she has the show more power to vanquish demons and other nasty beasties.

To help her on this quest she's assisted by some friends from previous lives that make arrangements with host bodies to move in. The process there is left a little murky as to how the transferrence occurs.

In this particular incarnation Livia must fight what she calls the pig faced demon. To help her she also summons Ian, the soul of her long lost husband.

Bridger leads off with a prolog that is entirely unnecessary for the book. It doesn't really add any needed info, and I hope gets dropped by the time the book is published.

Livia is a very disagreeable heroine. She's crude and crass with very few redeeming qualities. It's difficult at first to see how any of these other characters would put their lives on the line for such a "friend," but by the second half of the book Bridger has redeemed her heroine at least bringing her some semblance of humanity that the reader can more easily identify with.

In my opinion the strongest parts of this book come from the exploration of the previous lives of Livia and Ian. It gives the characters a strong history together, showing how uniquely bonded Livia is not only to Ian, but to the other characters that appear to help her.

The general pacing of the book is rather slow in the beginning. There's a lot of world building to go through, but there were times when the story seemed to stagnate a bit. It did pick up towards the end though. Overall it was an interesting story competently told. I hope that if Ms. Bridger decides to continue with this world, the books will improve in the areas of pacing as she no longer will have to be building the world. show less