"Save me and I'll save you..."~ Review: Nocte by Courtney Cole

Author: Courtney Cole

Publisher: Lakehouse Press, Inc.

Publication Date: November 3, 2014

Genre: Mystery

Source: Purchased via Amazon

~Synopsis~

Save me and I'll save you...

My name is Calla Price. I’m eighteen years old, and I’m one half of a whole. 
My other half-- my twin brother, my Finn-- is crazy. 

I love him. More than life, more than anything. And even though I’m terrified he’ll suck me down with him, no one can save him but me.

I’m doing all I can to stay afloat in a sea of insanity, but I’m drowning more and more each day. So I reach out for a lifeline. 

Dare DuBray. 

He’s my savior and my anti-Christ. His arms are where I feel safe, where I’m afraid, where I belong, where I’m lost. He will heal me, break me, love me and hate me. 

He has the power to destroy me. 

Maybe that’s ok. Because I can’t seem to save Finn and love Dare without everyone getting hurt. 

Why? Because of a secret. 

A secret I’m so busy trying to figure out, that I never see it coming. 

You won’t either.

~Review~

Holy crap! This book blew me out of the water. I love Courtney Cole; she is a talented writer who has proved to me that she can cross any genre and slay it. Nocte was so much different than anything I have read from her and I was enchanted. I couldn't put this book down; I couldn't stop until I hit the very end. I have been awakened, brought out of my new adult/romance hole and enlightened to how much I truly enjoy a good thriller/mystery.

Calla and Finn are twins. They have that connection that only twins can understand and they do anything and everything together. But Finn suffers. Finn fights the voices in his head. Finn needs Calla. In the wake of a tragedy, Calla struggles with guilt and fear. She knows Finn is slipping and she isn't sure how to save him. When Calla meets Dare, she is instantly drawn to him. She knows he is drawn to her too but he fights it. He is hiding something, something that clearly has to do with her. However, for the first time in her life, she feels free; she feels like her own person. Finn loves Calla and he doesn't want to hold her back but he also feels jealousy. He needs her and Dare will take her away. The louder the voices get, the more secrets are revealed. Finn's hiding something and when Calla finds out, it changes everything.

This book is a total mind twist. It is unpredictable and full of mystery. I wanted to keep reading simply to find out what the hell everyone is hiding. Dare has secrets. Finn has secrets and I want to know them all. I felt Calla's desperation and Finn's loss of control as if they were my own. Courtney Cole pulls you into the story, makes you the characters and drives you mad until the very end. The writing was incredible, the plot was thick and well developed. There is a cliff hanger and while I hate them, I can't be mad at Courtney for it because this is a mystery series and she has to keep us on our toes. Verum comes out in 62 days (yes, I'm counting) and I'm impatiently waiting.

PURCHASE LINKS:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

Blog Tour: Saving Rain by Karen Ann Stewart ~ Review & Giveaway

I am super excited to have the Saving Rain Tour on my blog today hosted by Irresistible Reads Blog Tours. This was a wonderful book and I can't wait to share my review with you. Check it out and enter the giveaway!
To follow the rest of the tour, click on the tour banner above.

Saving Rain

The Rain Trilogy #1

Author: Karen Anne Stewart

Pulisher: Authorhouse

Publication Date:January 31, 2013

~Synopsis~

Raina has tried to forget her past, forget the pain, but when she finds herself staring straight into the fury blazing in her ex-boyfriend's eyes, her dark past comes rushing back. Furious with herself for actually having chosen someone like her father, she uses that anger to her advantage and fights for her life...and for her future that she prays will involve the man she can't seem to get out of her head. Kas is a natural leader, a fierce fighter, the type of man you send in when you need to get the job done. He is a courageous hero who is used to risking his own life to save others, but can he save the one who has captured his heart from her horrific past and the men who are hell-bent on destroying her? As Kas and Raina try to navigate through the twists and turns of a deviously intelligent human trafficking group, they find solace in each other's arms. Can they infiltrate the trafficker's tight ring, saving the innocent lives from imminent danger before it's too late?

Saving Rain is intended for readers 18 and older.

~Prelude~

When I was asked to be on the blog tour for Saving Rain, I read the synopsis and immediately agreed. I love a book that mixes romance with mystery. It is a fabulous combination and this book didn’t let me down in that department. Here are my thoughts.

~Review~

The writing in Saving Rain reminds me a lot of Sandra Brown, who is one of my favorite authors, so I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style in this book. It also had a great mix of romance and mystery which was very intriguing.

Raina has a lot of mystery surrounding her. It is obvious that she has been through some sort of abuse and she doesn’t trust men easily. She has spent several years gaining confidence and self-sufficiency. She is really smart and dedicated to her education. She never wants to rely on a man and I really respected that about her. She is so confused about the feelings that Kas brings out in her and she can totally see herself getting lost in him. She is really good at putting up barriers and not letting him know how she feels because she would be devastated if he didn’t feel the same.

“Every fiber of her being wants Kas, needs him. Her heart, her body, and her soul cry out for his love.”

Kas is a genuinely good guy and he was attracted to Raina from the moment they met. He is so good at reading her and he knows that she has suffered from something terrible in her past and he desperately wants to know what it is so he can help her heal. He wants nothing more than to protect Raina and he is definitely more obvious about his feelings for her, though he doesn’t tell her right away because he, too, is afraid of rejection. He could be a little overbearing and bossy at times but it was only to keep Raina safe.

I loved the dual plot of this novel, which was the growing relationship between Raina and Kas and the sex trafficking case they are working together. Kas is an FBI agent and Raina is consulting on the case while she works on her doctorate. She speaks multiple languages and is a huge help on the case to translate for the girls involved. In the very beginning, Kas saves Raina from a dangerous situation and she is immediately enraptured with Kas. He makes her nervous because she can tell that he is the one man that could break down her barriers and that scares her. Kas is very determined and wants to break her barriers. When Kas learns what really happened to Raina, he is even more determined to help her heal and prove to her that not all men are like the ones from her past.

I was super intrigued about the sex trafficking case and who the “Ghost” was. As they get closer and closer, Kas puts himself in more danger and I was on pins and needles hoping that nothing would happen to him. I also enjoyed the sexual tension that built up between Kas and Raina after they admitted to each other how they felt. When Raina is confronted by someone from her past and she runs from Kas, I wanted to scream. Kas won’t give up on her and it makes me love him even more. The ending was a definite cliffhanger and I was left wanting more.

“Oh, I bet you can teach me all sorts of things, her mind wanders into sexual fantasies of Kas teaching her exactly what he knows, over and over again.”

Overall, I really enjoyed Saving Rain. The plot was intriguing and well-paced. I liked the characters and the growth they experienced together. This is the first book in a trilogy and I can’t wait to see what will happen to Kas and Raina and find out if my suspicions about the “Ghost” are right. I guess I’ll just have to keep speculating until the next book comes along.

~IPOD Picks~

“Try” by Pink

“You Make it Real” by James Morrison
“Chasing the Light” by Matt Kearney

About the Author:

I am a new author and have recently discovered that I am now addicted to writing. My first novel, Saving Rain, was originally going to be a single novel, but it quickly turned into a trilogy. I fell in love with the characters and had to continue with the story. Saving Rain is a new adult contemporary romance meant for readers 18 and older.

I live in the mountains with my family, and I love to read, hike, and travel when I am not writing. I am a sucker for romance, especially a book with a strong alpha male who has a sensitive side. I also enjoy a good mystery and thrillers. My favorite author is James Patterson, he is an amazing writer. With being a newbie, I am just learning all the ropes, but I'm loving the wild ride. I plan on writing for as long as my fingers have dexterity.

Website: http://www.karen-annestewart.com/

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*An eBook copy of this book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts expressed in this review are my own, unbiased opinions.*