Brina Courtney

This is a difficult review for me to write. I have many conflicted feelings about this book. I was back and forth with how to rate this and review it.

This book starts out extremely slow. It took me a really long time to truly get into it. Once I did, it evokes some emotion. There is a large sense of loss and love. A girl trying to move forward.

Once things got going for me, the book took a bit of a dive. It got good, then it was over. It left me feeling like I missed something. I wondered show more where the rest of the book was.

Don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad book. It just isn't fully developed. It has the bones to be a good book. Just the meat and potatoes of the story seem to have been lost in the shuffle. Some have raved about it. I can see where it is loved. However, it just didn't do it for me. I needed more from the writing than what I got. show less

Brina Courtney has some good ideas. Every time I see one of her books and read the description I think "that's cool, I'd really like to read that." The problem comes in Courtney's writing. Not her writing style, because that's fine, but in the way she skims the top of the tale. She writes as if she's telling a story to someone. This happened, then that happened, then that. And that's great for verbally telling your friends what happened. But in a book, I want description; I want atmosphere. show more

I think Courtney could use a good writing group to help her develop her talents. I think she has a great deal of potential but she isn't living up to it.

(Provided by publisher) show less

I received a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. Teagen has had an extremely rough year. Her boyfriend vanishes into thin air, the guy she thought she’d spend the rest of forever with. Her heart broken, she falls into a deep depression. Her grandmother, getting up in age can no longer live alone. Teagen seeing this as a chance for a fresh start, packs her things and moves from New York to her grandmother’s mansion in Salem, Massachusetts. Right away she gets a fantastic show more opportunity at a Gallery to sell pieces and display her own work. Life finally begins to feel normal; until Lark and Teagen come across the body of a murdered young woman having a striking resemblance to Teagen. Suddenly Teagen has the “irrational” fear that the murderer was after her. Then she sees a young man that looks very much like Jason, her lost love. On the brink of a breakdown she goes in search for answers. Will Teagen be able to handle the truth? This was an amazing story, it had everything needed to keep my interest. The only part I had trouble with was the character Jason, why he was Celine’s patsy and did he or didn’t he ever love Teagen. I’m hoping book two of this series clears that up for us.

Visit my Book Review Blog: http://inspirationsbysimone.blogspot.com/2012/11/summer-in-salem-book-tour.html show less

The more she writes, the more Courtney's writing is improving. One of my major criticisms of her past works is that she doesn't adequately describe the setting and atmosphere, but in this book she does. She gives the reader a good idea of who the main character is via her surroundings and interactions with others.

This is a serial short, so it's not very satisfying on its own, but read as part of the entire serial I have high hopes for it. (Provided by publisher)