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by Pat Esden
The Dark Heart Series Book 1
February 23, 2016
She never wanted to return.
He wants nothing more than for her to leave.
But the fire between them is as strong as the past that haunts them.
Annie Freemont grew up on the road, immersed in the romance of rare things, cultivating an eye for artifacts and a spirit for bargaining. It's a freewheeling life she loves and plans to continue--until her dad is diagnosed with dementia. His illness forces them to return to Moonhill, their ancestral home on the coast of Maine--and to the family they left behind fifteen years ago, after Annie's mother died in a suspicious accident.
Once at Moonhill, Annie is shocked when her aunt separates her from her father. The next time Annie sees him, he's a bizarre, violent shadow of his former self. Confused, she turns to an unlikely ally for support--Chase, the dangerously seductive young groundskeeper. With his dark good looks and powerful presence, Chase has an air of mystery that Annie is irresistibly drawn to. But she also senses that behind his penetrating eyes are secrets she can't even begin to imagine. Secrets that hold the key to the past, to Annie's own longings--and to all of their futures. Now, to unlock them, she'll have to face her greatest fears and embrace her legacy…
About the Author
PAT ESDEN would love to say she spent her childhood in intellectual pursuits. The truth is she was fonder of exploring abandoned houses and old cemeteries. When not out on her own adventures, she can be found in her northern Vermont home writing stories about brave, smart women and the men who capture their hearts. An antique-dealing florist by trade, she’s also a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and the League of Vermont Writers. Her short stories have appeared in a number of publications, including Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, the Mythopoeic Society’s Mythic Circle literary magazine, and George H. Scither’s anthology Cat Tales.
Author links:
http://patesden.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14035666.Pat_Esden
https://www.facebook.com/PatEsdenAuthor
https://twitter.com/PatEsden
Review
Rating: 3 stars
Annie is taking her father back to his home where his sister and father await to help care for him. After years of being on their own, traveling the world and picking out artifacts, coming back to a family she knows her father hates will be hard. When the shadows on the walls point out a more sinister past, Annie begins to investigate what is going on with her father and the past that stole her mother from her when she was young.A Hold on Me was not at all what I expected, while I had an idea there would be some fantasy paranormal to it, I definitely didn't expect the extent. Pat Esden does a phenomenal job of setting the scene with the spooky location, the mythological history, and the strange secondary characters. The concept, without giving anything away, was very unique for me and I really enjoyed the arabian themes mixed with witchcraft. I enjoyed Annie as a character, though at times I was annoyed with her. She was caring of her father, intrigued by her unknown family, and dedicated to her future and her current hobby of knowing artifacts. The secondary characters stole the show for me, from Chase the groundsman to Kate the suspicious aunt, and even the secretive cousins, all brought a lot more to the story than the main character did. I felt like we saw glimpses of the story over time, but none of it ever gave away the twists. The themes of loyalty and good versus evil were very prominent and I enjoyed the impact they made on Annie as a character.
While A Hold on Me was well-paced and included all the details for a perfect paranormal novel, I felt like some of the plot lines could have been more explored. At times Annie seemed fine with receiving very little information and other times demanded more, and as a reader what Annie was told was all we were told as well. I didn't feel the chemistry between Annie and Chase either, which makes for a huge part of the book. I think it was just personal feelings though and others would definitely get behind them. While their histories were well developed, they didn't mesh for me and Annie's fear from her past I would think would play a huge part in who she dates in her future and Chase just wasn't it for me.
A Hold on Me is a unique book in the new adult paranormal genre, with mixes of horror and suspense, this one will grab your attention and hold on tight. If you're anything like me, you'll want to read it with the light on. There are tons of twists and it was impossible to guess what was coming next.
Giveaway
This sounds like a fun read and unique, too! Glad you liked it, Carlene!
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting A HOLD ON ME and for the review. I really appreciate it!
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