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Review

I went into this really not knowing what to expect, but suspecting it would be one of those little hidden gems that are really great but, for some reason, don’t seem to get a lot of attention. I was right!

I’m going to be deliberately vague here so as not to give away spoilers, but this is an intriguing and original YA PNR that twists and turns and kept me on edge and guessing the whole way through the story.

The book begins with Scarlet waking up alone in the forest with no memory except her name. Flash to two years later and Scarlet is now 17 years old and has built a, somewhat sheltered, life for herself. While attending her town’s kissing festival (enabling some sensational jokes) she meets the gorgeous Gabriel, who is funny and charming, and really into her. The two of them hit it off straight away…

“Do you think it’s weird to kiss someone you barely know?”
No, it’s perfectly normal and gives us a fantastic excuse to make out. Kiss me!
“Totally weird,” she said, immediately wanting to slap herself.
He nodded slowly. “Me too.” Scarlet’s heart sank a little. Gabriel flashed his dimples. “I guess now I’ve got a good reason to get to know you, don’t I?”
Scarlet narrowed her eyes. “Who said I’d let you kiss me even if you got to know me?”
He nodded his head with a smile. “Challenge accepted.”

…and even though she knows that he is keeping secrets from her, a sweet romance develops between them. But everything changes for Scarlet when she accidentally meets Gabriel’s mysterious twin brother, Tristan, and he feels immediately familiar to her. It starts with an intensely strong physical reaction to him, even though he is dismissive of her, and when she demands answers and the two boys sit her down and reveal their secret, Scarlet’s whole world shifts.

This was a really well written story. Told from the POVs of the three main characters, the action moves along pretty quickly, with lots of humour – mainly from Scarlet’s hilarious best friend Heather, and bantering between the brothers. The introduction of their best friend, Nate, also brings some laughs. The romance is very YA and very sweet. There is a bit of a love triangle situation happening, but with supernatural elements involved, it’s not your standard love triangle, and I didn’t find myself getting annoyed by it at any point. On the contrary, I think it’s a fantastic twist, and I can’t wait to see how it’s all resolved.

The paranormal element is really original. As it all started to unfold, I was a little sceptical, but I love the way it all fit together, and the intricate ramifications of it all. Immortals, curses, love, death and sacrifice…. It’s all very clever.

Scarlet, Gabriel and Tristan are all really likable, and my heart broke for each of them as their stories unfolded, and we discover the complex bond that they share. I think I know where the story is going to go, but I’m really intrigued to see how it all comes about. The whole time I was reading I was desperate for answers, trying to think ahead and figure out what was happening, and how it was all going to end.

It all leads up to an absolutely nail biting finish that had me in tears more than once and ended on the most INSANE cliffhanger ever! Wow, that was brutal!