Mary Lindsey (1)

**Review May Contain Spoilers!!**
***Trigger Warnings for SA, Suicide, Domestic Violence, Mental Illness, and Alcoholism***
Lenzi hears voices and sees visions. She is terrified that she is showing symptoms of schizophrenia like her father, but it turns out, she's a reincarnated Speaker- someone who can speak with and help lost souls, and the boy, Alden, she thought she hallucinated in the cemetery is actually her reincarnated Protector.
I tried to like this book, I really did. I managed to show more read it all the way through though just to make sure, but it just didn't get any better. I REALLY didn't like her boyfriend Zak. The author never addresses the fact that he was extremely abusive, an alcoholic, possessive and controlling, and IMO a total psycho, and Lenzi is just completely oblivious to the fact that she should never be treated that way. This is never addressed, and while she does end up leaving him, he literally tries to kill her and afterward she just thinks that he was the best friend she had after the drama with her father committing suicide and being seen as the town crazy.
I also just really was annoyed by Lenzi's immature and whiny narrative, always acting like she can’t do anything on her own. She needs a guy in her life in order to function, her self worth was completely dependant on others, no matter how controlling or abusive, and I was desperately waiting for that moment when she realizes how strong she is herself and becomes the strong badass female lead character we need, but no, it just…doesn't happen. She continues to be whiny and willfully ignorant and attempts to reject the truth of everything in front of her face, all while folding endless paper origami. REALLY?! Random obsessive talent of origami seems like the author was trying too hard to give the character a signature ‘quirk’ for the reader to relate to, but it just makes no sense in light of who the character is, other than a random nervous habit. Overall, I do not recommend it. So much potential, but it goes very downhill very quickly. show less

Shattered Souls isn't just a book that you read, it's a book that you experience. I'm going to start out with that. Honestly, from page one I was completely hooked into Lenzi's struggle, her world, and everything going on. This is a haunting tale, with so much suspense that it sinks it's teeth into you and carries you along as things develop. What I'm saying is that this is a book that you need to read. It's addictive.

We meet Lenzi, a troubled girl who isn't quite sure what is going on in show more her life. She keeps hearing voices, seeing visions, and the pills just aren't working. However Lenzi isn't the type to back down. I loved that her character was so deep and realistic. No matter how much fear she feels, she is willing to admit it and move forward anyway. It helps, of course, that she has Zak, her sweet and broken boyfriend, to keep her grounded. I fell in love with him almost instantly, despite his cracked interior. The two of them are really sweet together, until cocky and charming Alden comes along. In fact, the more time Lenzi spends around Alden the tougher things get. Do you sense a love triangle? If you do, you are correct. I'm generally not a huge fan of them but honestly? This one is done perfectly and it's delicious (and addictive) to read!

This is a book that will really keep you on your toes as you read. All the emotions in this book are palpable, and I found it so easy to feel what Lenzi was feeling. The emotional aspect of the writing in this book is done so gorgeously, that it just bleeds off the page and into your heart. Although the basic plot of Shattered Souls is rather simple, Mary Lindsey adds in her own twists that will keep you reading well into the night. There are so many beautifully executed clues peppered into the story. By the time I was halfway through I was completely enamored and engaged with the book. There is something for everyone in here. Wit, twists, anger, a slight creep factor. It's all here.

What killed me (and I loved) at the same time, was the ending. I won't spoil it one bit. This is a story you'll need to experience for yourself. I will say that the climax to this book leaves nothing wanting. Except perhaps that you'll want another book. A wonderfully written debut, Shattered Souls is a book that I would (and will once I get my own copy) read a hundred times over. show less

First of all, super huge thanks to Mary Lindsey and Rockstar Book Tours for providing me with an ARC for review. It's one that I've been DYING for, and when I got this chance, you better believe I jumped on it!

I can sum up my experience with this book in a few words: Gorgeous. Haunting. Breathtaking. Cruel. Hopeless. Shattering. Hopeful.

Wait, it's both hopeless AND hopeful?! How does that even work?

I'll attempt to tell you. Be warned, there might be spoilers afoot if you aren't familiar with show more Poe's poem, Annabel Lee.

For those of you in the know, you're well aware that Poe's poem does not have a happy ending. Annabel Lee meets her end in tomb down by the sea. It's very chilling and heartbreaking and beautiful.

Lindsey's work follows many of the same lines, but with so much more. Yes, the book stays fairly true to the poem. Yes, it's devastating. Yes, it left me feeling completely bereft and unable to process anything more than a fluffy romance novel. (All this right on the heels of Siege and Storm...probably not the best idea!)

The thing is, there is SO MUCH HOPE in this novel. It's a beautiful tribute to true love and love conquering all and being together forever. It's about overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds and coming out the other side stronger and happier, even through the worst sort of hell imaginable. It's about being yourself, even when no one likes you and has old and unfair prejudices against you.

This book took pieces of me and destroyed them. I felt like I couldn't quite be the same afterwards, except that it then took those destroyed pieces and put them back together, stronger than before. With each new challenge that Liam and Anna faced, I gained a bit more hope in the outcome, even when I knew exactly what was going to happen.

See, the thing is, I DIDN'T know what was going to happen. I know Annabel Lee very well and I know how it all ends. I knew how this book was going to end. I was prepared. Except that I wasn't. I expected to be utterly devastated by the end and lose all faith and hope in true love and think that evil was always going to win. Because that's how Poe kind of makes you feel in the whole sepulcher by the sea bit.

Mary Lindsey takes that and makes it all happen down by the sea but then she ends the book with so much brightness and hope and wonder and faith. Holy cow. I was left feeling like the happiest girl alive.

How is that even possible with a Poe retelling?!

I have no idea, but Mary Lindsey did it. Brilliantly. Beautifully.

I can recommend this book without reservation to anyone who is a fan of paranormal romance, gothic horror, retellings, or pretty much books in general. NO RESERVATIONS, people! It's a beautiful book that NEEDS to be read.

I have a gorgeous signed ARC, which I am keeping because, SIGNED, but I'm also buying a hard copy. It's worth having in duplicate.

4.5 Eiffel Towers show less

Ashes on the Waves was a deliciously quick read. I was immediately drawn in by the way that Mary Lindsey manages to create such a chilling atmosphere. This story has it all. Tragic romance, Celtic lore, and the perfect amount of hope to even it all out. I loved this read from beginning to end!

Liam was born and raised on the remote island of Dochas. An accident at his birth, that resulted in the death of his mother, has surrounded him with suspicion and hatred. The villagers call him a demon, show more and he believes it. Liam stole my heart from the first moment I met him. He's sweet and more than a bit broken. His whole persona is just something that I gravitated to. I admit it, I have a crush on Liam MacGregor.

Then I met Annabel Leighton, and my love of this book soared even higher. The daughter of a wealthy family, Anna visited the island as a child. She grew up with Liam, and left him wistful for her company. I liked Anna's character a lot. She's impulsive, speaks her mind, and yet has a very kind heart. Paired with Liam, they are an odd, but gorgeous couple. I wasn't entirely convinced that they fell madly in love so quickly, but the Celtic lore here definitely helps push that idea. That, and the fact that these star crossed lovers have everyone against them. It's hard not to root for them.

Which brings me to what I loved most, the mix of Celtic lore and Edgar Allen Poe references that make this book so gothic! This makes the book so dark, so atmospheric, that the love between these two is really the only light. I loved that Ashes on the Waves moved so quickly, and kept me guessing at every turn. It was compelling, and I couldn't get enough.

If you enjoy tales of star-crossed lovers, broken pasts, and tenuous futures, this is a book for you. Pick up a copy of Ashes on the Waves and prepare to fall in love. show less