Hey everyone! That’s right, I implemented my new schedule, there was no post yesterday. It was pretty nice considering I was totally dead to the world after being in the car for a good chunk and picking one of my besties from the airport!
I was also reading the last bit of The Path Keeper as well! Funnily enough I got this one off NetGalley and then signed up for the tour forgetting I already had it on my tbr, so, this is doing double the job for me haha. Also thanks to BHC Press for the copy and to Anne Cater for letting me join the tour!
[Just in case, I received this eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.]
Synopsis:
What if our lives were mapped out before birth? Does anyone have the power to change their destiny?
Ella hates London. She misses her old life in Spain and is struggling to get over her past—until she meets Zac. He’s always loved her but isn’t meant to be part of her story. Not this time. Not ever. Little does she know that his secret is the one thing that will tear them apart and force her to live in a world that no longer makes sense. A world full of danger, lies and magic.
The Path Keeper is a passionate tale of first loves, second chances and the invisible threads that bind us. Can love ever be stronger than fate?
Book Information:
On-sale: May 28, 2019Imprint: BHC Press Formats: Hardcover/Trade Softcover/Ebook Page Count: 416 Hardcover/392 Softcover Library of Congress Number: 2018948480
Hardcover: $26.95 ISBN: 978-1-947727-80-9 Dimensions/Binding: 5.5 x 8.5/Dustjacket
Trade Softcover: $15.95 ISBN: 978-1-947727-81-6 Dimensions/Binding: 5.5 x 8.5/Perfect
Ebook: $7.99 ISBN: 978-1-947727-82-3 Ebook Formats: Epub/Mobi/PDF
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy/Romance Distribution: Ingram/Overdrive/Publisher Rights: Worldwide Author Resides: Netherlands & Spain
Media Contact: Joni Firestone Phone: 248-982-9069 Email: books@bhcpress.com
My Review
An enjoyable read that I was not expecting to be so engrossing! Oh sure I was intrigued but N.J. Simmonds knows how to build up to the end and she weaves multiple lives and pasts in such a great manner, the show of a talented storyteller in my opinion. Honestly, I found this a refreshing take on some old ideas. It’s not often that something makes me pause and think ‘ah, you know what, I really like the way they did that, it’s not something done a lot or at all!’ I’m not trying to gush but after a bit of a slow start I thought this really picked up the pace.
There’s reincarnation, hot mysterious boys, a girl with a pretty face and a ‘sailor’s mouth’ and layers to the lives depicted by the characters that Simmonds brings to life.
There are not enough flashbacks in my opinion because I think that’s where Simmonds shines the most in her writing skills, also I love how she describes Spain, it’s as if she’s painting a picture with her words and you can just close your eyes and imagine you’re there. The lore/mythology/religious knowledge she uses, she uses with a great personal twist. Like I said earlier it’s not often where someone gets me to go ‘yay’ with the reinvention of an old idea and I think Simmonds did this well and did her homework!
Not to mention I couldn’t get enough of the flashbacks and with an ending like that, I really can’t wait for the next book!
This was a solidly enjoyable read, the only reason I didn’t give it four stars is that I, unfortunately, was not a huge fan of Ella our MC, but I loved her background and I didn’t hate her, I just didn’t always find her believable, though I can say I liked her so much more at the end than I had the first 25% of the book. When we focus less on her being seen as a celebrity and more as herself. The Ella behind the superficial layers is someone I want to know more of. [And I found that I didn’t believe she could have been a celebrity but then I remember…Paris Hilton, so like, it’s not that far fetched really!]
It’s a rather steamy YA read! So if you like scenes like that, you’re in for a treat! I didn’t mind them but as usual, in my case, there are other things I look for in a book to make or break it for me.
Content warning necessary, and showed in the book’s picture, to expound upon it: Rape, sexual assault, attempted suicide.
About the Author
Natali Drake, who writes under the pen name of N.J. Simmonds, has written articles for various UK newspapers and online publications. In 2015 she co- founded the online magazine The Glass House Girls and is a regular contributor. Originally from north London, she now divides her time between her two homes in the Netherlands and Spain with her husband and two daughters.
Rest of the Tour Schedule
