Jamie Magee

I must say, I was rather surprised by this read. I thoroughly enjoyed the worlds she created. Infante (as this dimension is known) is wholly recognizable as today's society and it was interesting to see it positioned as the youngest amongst those explored. Chara is certainly a place that I would love to visit. The culture and beliefs...all peace and love...how could one resist! I mean to have your true soul mate be found as an actual reality not a fantasy, the ability to use your insight for show more the good of others, and the chance to live in a land so beautiful in every way, what's not to love? Now Esterious is another story altogether and though it is dark and loathsome, there is a reason for it becoming that way that is revealed late in the text...but still, it's a land to be traveled around as opposed to through whenever possible. Moving forward....

The characters were varied and numerous. Seriously, you may need to take notes on more than one occasion to keep track of just who everyone is and their connections to each other, but that doesn't mean there aren't a few rough patches as well. There is no doubt that her dream boy is well....dreamy. Looks and attitude make a wonderful package indeed. The boy from her nightmares is equally memorable for several reasons but certainly not least on that list is the malice he emanates when push comes to shove. Perodine, on the other hand, remains a mystery till the final pages. She appears in a dream sequence that Willow has and although it seemed she was there to answer a few questions, she really only served to confuse the issues further. Also, when Landen is following his "beacon" to find his soul mate, it sort of just happens in the blink of an eye. One second he's searching and the next *POOF* she's there. I understand that the past events of the story play into the scenario that unfolds but it still felt sort of sudden when it actually happened. On the other hand...

The talents, or insights, that they each have (including Willow) cover a range of fascinating areas, one of the most predominate ones being that of the traveler as they are able to see the "strings" through which they can travel to the other dimensions or worlds. This is especially useful in aiding other travelers in their search for their soul mates. I loved the fact that the drive to find that one person that completed them was more of a given than a "group activity". The many insights encountered are explored throughout their adventure but never so much as to over shadow the story at the heart of it all.

In short, a magical yet realistic journey awaits all those willing to enter the "string"....and who knows, you may even find a bookish version of your soul mate. Recommended for Young Adult fans of all ages. There is not a hint of foul language nor are there any scenes that go beyond demure anticipation. Happy reading.... show less

Hot, hot , hot! I loved this book, both the plot and the characters sizzled for me. Harley and Wyatt are both well written and intriguing characters. I am so glad I read this book and even more glad that there are more books by this author for me to enjoy.

There was so much wrong with this book, I really struggled to finish it and was quite disappointed.

The premise was interesting and the world had potential. The ideas of different dimensions joined together by a 'string' seemed intriguing but unfortunately it falls flat, quite literally. The different dimensions aren't described in enough detail, I didn't understand why Chara was such an amazing place. The dimensions didn't have much character of their own, and far too much of the show more information was just dumped and told rather than being shown and discovered by the characters.

Willow was an incredibly wet main character, she barely ever does anything for herself and once she's found Landen, the love of her life, she can barely bear to not be touching him. Again, she gushes about how amazing he is, but there isn't really much evidence showing that he is. Originally, I was relieved that there wasn't a love triangle with her, Dane and Landen, but then Drake comes along. Despite her hatred for Drake a love triangle is created, and she has to 'choose' between them. It's a completely arbitrary choice, considering how much she's gone on about how much she loves Landen and hates Drake.

The whole pace of the book was far too slow, they spent far too long sitting around talking and there were whole chunks where nothing happened at all. I got incredibly bored with all the information being dumped and history being explained, it was all far too repetitive and not enough of Willow actually discovering or doing anything herself.

I found all the emotional manipulation and memory wiping quite problematic, it didn't seem right to me to do that to your friends. If you wipe away all someone's negative emotions then it doesn't actually help them deal with them and willow is only planting a false happiness and calm projected from her own life experiences. It seemed terrible to remove what happened to willow's friends on the boat, it would be terribly confusing for them, I felt they deserved more of an explanation.

The idea of searching out your soul mate seemed a cute idea in theory, but in practice it was just quite weird. As soon as they meet, they 'know' and are immediately in love, and everything is perfect. It felt too good to be true, and I kept wondering if some of the characters like Felicity were secretly unhappy with how they were treated.

I thought there were far too many characters who didn't really play much of a role. Landen has a lot of relatives that weren't entirely necessary. It probably would have been better with fewer, better developed characters.

I did enjoy the plot twist at the end, that surprised me a little and I thought that it was an interesting ending, but it wasn't enough to sway it to more than one star. show less

How is it, I have never heard of this author before? That was the first question that came to mind when this book came on my radar. I was intrigued by the blurb, which prompted me to sign up for the book tour. I had no idea what I would be getting myself into but I went in with an open mind. This book delivered all that I was expecting.The StoryThe story, which is told in the 3rd person alternate POV, started out slow but then by the second half of the book the pace increased. In the first show more half of the book, the focus of the story was on the lives of Declan and Justice from their childhood to teen years. It dealt with the issues they had faced in the past and the plans they had for the future. This method worked for me, as it allowed me to establish a connection with them. The story was well written, although there were a few editorial issues, which I suspect is due to the fact that this is not the final publication.The second half of the story was quite emotional. The pain, joys, and sorrow that the characters experienced permeated the pages of the book. It was gripping and it held my attention to the very end. Although I was eager to see how the story unfolded, I didn’t want it to end. I just could not get enough of the brooding alpha male and his feisty and independent counterpart.The CharactersJustice’s childhood was filled with pain and anguish. Abandoned by her mom and abused by her dad. The only comfort she ever had was when she was being raised by her grandparents, but then that came to an end and she was forced to live with her dad who used her for his personal punching bag. Despite the trials she faced from such an early age, she was a fighter. Her actions and attitude demonstrated that even though life may deal us a heavy hand, we can rise above that challenge if we have faith and are willing to fight for what we want.Declan is the type of person who sees everything in black and white. For him, there was no middle ground. He likes challenges and was not afraid to face them head on. He is very protective, especially of Justice and his family. He will fight to protect what is his even if it means sacrificing his freedom.The secondary characters added to the flavour of the story. There were some I loved, for example, Declan’s brothers, and some not so much. I disliked Justice’s father, but the character that really rubbed me the wrong way was Murdock, who happened to be Declan’s nemesis. He is always looking to pick a fight with the Rawlings brothers and he was determined to get his hooks into Justice. I found him to be pathetic and a coward.The Romance:Declan and Justice loved each other since they were kids, however, they each never knew how the other really felt. As they got older their feelings intensified and it was not until Declan was scheduled to graduate and leave for training camp that they discovered their feelings were reciprocated. At this point, their love got tested from both inside and outside forces. There were times when they both frustrated me with their behaviour, but eventually, they got it right. What I like was that they were not willing to give up on each other no matter what. Their love was the real deal.ConclusionBased on the way the story ended it evident that there will be a second book. In addition, there were some incidents that needed further clarification. I can’t wait to see what next the author has in store where the Rawlings brothers are concerned. show less