Her Sweetest Downfall

(Review of an ARC of Her Sweetest Downfall )

Reading this novella solidified Rebecca Hamilton on my list of top ten authors. With her debut novel, The Forever Girl: Sophia’s Journey, I had a feeling I’d enjoy reading more of Hamilton’s writing. I was right. Her Sweetest Downfall blew me away.

I was very pleased with the way this novella played out. For those who haven’t read book one in the series, I feel that they can still read this novella. I think that’s a great advantage Her Sweetest Downfall has. If a reader doesn’t have the time for a full length novel, but would like to check out Hamilton’s writing, this can be a great start.

The world of The Forever Girl is introduced here in a somewhat simpler way, which may even show more help in reading the more detailed explanations in The Forever Girl.

I am a reader who has read and loved The Forever Girl, so I already knew the overview of the creatures encountered here. I knew some of the story behind some of the characters as well…but the main character, Ophelia, I barely knew a thing about. I wanted to know. The Forever Girl made me want more. I was completely satisfied with what I learned. The reader follows along as she the mystery of her life, and destiny, unfolds in front of her eyes. Even though I know what her ultimate goal is, the journey to get there is filled with unexpected elements. I also enjoyed the new characters that came into play. Ethan was a great male lead. I admired his dedication to his job, even when his mission was threatened by the feelings of his heart.

One of the best things for me, was making connections to characters from The Forever Girl. I’m always a sucker for having “aha” moments. I’ll be reading a passage, then something clicks. It’s great when an author does Hamilton does this. In no way does it feel like she has altered or forced the story to connect in places. Some authors can attempt to make a connection work, but it just doesn’t seem natural for the story. This is not the case. I look forward to finding other connections like this throughout the series. When there is a series of seven books (plus however many novellas are to come out) it is probably difficult to create the interlocking points. From what I know this isn’t a series that follows just one main character, or even a timeline for that matter, so these points of connection will be necessary. I feel confident that I’ll have many more “aha” moments in future books.

By the end of this series, just like with this novella, Hamilton will have written a beautiful set of books. I feel confident in saying that. show less

I'm so happy we finally get to learn a little bit about Ophelia. When we met her in Forever Girl, she was full of this mysterious past. But it's not mysterious anymore. ;)

The plot was very carried out very quickly. Ophelia finds herself thrown into this world she doesn't completely believe is real. Ophelia comes to terms fast with what her mark means pretty fast. One day she's completely against it, and the next she's like "Let's do this." My only complaint is her feelings toward Ethan were extremely strong even after they had just met. I do, however, like their loyalty to each other. Ethan will do whatever possible in order to make sure Ophelia completes her task.

Also on Callista. I knew she was vindictive, but wow! I was glad we got show more that little snippet of who she really is. Just sayin'. I was not expecting that. This is a great novella in the Forever Girl series. It adds more knowledge, and I always think that's a great thing. Ophelia learns some truths to finally put her thoughts about her mother to rest. show less

(Review of an ARC )

This would be my first time receiving an ARC, and I was beyond excited. A fan of The Forever Girl since I first read it last Feb, like any other fan of any awesome book series.. I was just waiting for the next. Thanks to the novella - I'll survive the wait till the next in the series is out.
It's short and you will be able to finish it in one sitting. In book #1, when you meet this mysterious woman Ophelia who helps Sophia, you begin to have this strong urge to know more about her- who is this stranger who comes and help Sophia at the near end, what’s her story? And why did she help Sophia?, and grabbing 'Her Sweetest Downfall' is a perfect way to know this lady.
The story begins with Ophelia, an ordinary girl show more working for Lady Karina and then as if discovering the ouroboros mark wasn’t something to be worried about, she gets kidnapped by a stranger while on her way to deliver a letter for Lady Karina. The stranger introduces himself as Ethan, a man who would tell her she is no ordinary and what that serpent mark on her really means and what her mission should be, little did he know that his bound SO strong towards his duty would come in conflict with the matter of his heart. I loved how he is strongly determined on his duty/mission and not letting love come in between. So is Ophelia once her mind is set. Aww.. I don’t wanna say more and spoil the fun for other readers. Just GO, grab it !!

Her Sweetest Downfall takes you to another side of the world of The Forever Girl… here you get to learn more of the dual-breeds. It was a pleasure to meet Lenore and Queen Callista again…. I could never get enough of them. That’s the thing about Rebecca’s writing- you fall in love with EVERY character. Learning more about the world of the elementals through the eyes of Ophelia, and how each dual-bred has to be what they are, was so fun. I absolutely enjoyed reading Her Sweetest Downfall, it just kept me wanting for more, how I wish it was a full-length one instead of a novella.

And yes, just like the other reviewers mention, if you want to have a glimpse of the world of The Forever Girl and still not ready for a full-length novel, this novella is just the right one for you.

All I can say right now is – I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE NEXT INSTALLMENT and marking the dates on my calendar.
(Note: It is true that I own an ARC, but it doesn’t affect my review in any ways. The thoughts are my own) show less

When I started this story I didn't realize that it is part of a series. This novella is the perfect length to introduce you to the Forever Girl, and leave you wanting more. I loved Hamilton's writing style. I felt the characters had a lot of depth to them, and they were very realistic. It is rare to see this done so well in a novella.

Her Sweetest downfall begins with a girl named Ophelia, who discovers a strange ouroboros (a snake eating it's own tail) mark on her neck. She is then kidnapped by a strange man named Ethan. He introduces her to a different world, including "dual-breeds". He explains what the universe has called her to do, and that denying it means death. The story ends a bit early, but it only made me want more! I would show more recommend this to readers who enjoy historical paranormal-romance! show less

I didn't realize this book was part of a series when I began reading it and now I will have to hunt down the series so I can read them as well. This book is the perfect length and grabbed me from the first page and held my attention throughout the entire story. The author of course left me hanging, which I both love and hate at the same time. This was definitely a good way to get into the series and I can't wait to read more from this author. There were a few grammatical errors, which always bother me, but other than that, I feel the story was well written and I enjoyed the characters. I am looking forward to reading more about these characters and will spread the word to my "reader friends" about this one.

This novella is a nice addition to the first novel in the Forever Girl series. It fills in some history and mythology while also providing an interesting and entertaining story unto itself. Rebecca Hamilton has a flair for creating a tale that grabs the reader and keeps their interest from start to finish.

If I had to pick something that I didn't particularly care for in this story, I'd have to say that the romance element was a bit much for my taste at times, but only a bit. Of course, since I'm not exactly in the target audience for this series (or the genre for that matter) and I still rather enjoyed the story and writing style, I'd consider that a very minor quibble indeed.

I would recommend this to any fans of paranormal fantasy or show more those who would like to give the genre or this author s first try. I think that this novella would stand up fairly well on its own without giving too much of the first one away if the reader so chose to go that route. show less

4.5 Stars
I thought Rebecca Hamilton did a fantastic job with this novella! It was such a sweet love story, and I was so sad that it ended so soon! I could have read about Ophelia and Ethan until I was blue in the face. I don't really remember Ophelia's part in the Forever Girl, but this novella was good enough to stand alone. With her vivid scenery, and hot romance scenes, Rebecca Hamilton is becoming one of my favorite authors. I can't wait on the second installment of The Forever Girl!!