~ BOOK REVIEW ~ Guarding Eden ~ by Cameo Renae

Title: Guarding Eden (A Midway Novel)

Author: Cameo Renae

Genre: YA Fantasy

Publisher: CHBB

Cover Designer: Stefanie Saw

Edited by: Victoria Schmitz - Crimson Tide Editorial

Hosted by: Lady Amber's PR

Blurb:

***The Midway Novels are spin-offs of the Hidden Wings Series, but each book can be read as a standalone.***

Tucked away at an upscale, private boarding school in Brindle Hollow, Washington, seventeen-year-old Eden East comes face to face with a hideous creature on her walk back to her dorm. Shaken to her core, she's left questioning the world around her, and soon finds herself entering a friendship with a hot, new student named Alexander.

Little does she know, Alex is a Guardian Angel, sent from Midway to protect her from those dangerous creatures—known as Darkling—lurking in the forest outside Brindle Hall. It isn’t long before Alex learns this is no ordinary assignment. Eden’s existence holds a secret; something hidden from even herself.

Eden is thrust into a world where Fallen angels and creatures of the Underworld will stop at nothing to catch her. With Alex at her side and a little help from some of his old friends, they form a formidable front against the enemy.

 Hopefully, it’s not too little, too late.

2 days.  I read this book in 2 days.  The only reason it took me that long was because things like ‘sleep’ and ‘responsibility’ kept getting in my way.  As a huge Hidden Wings fan, I majorly had my hopes up about this book, and KNEW I would not be disappointed. Cameo Renae does not write bad books.  It’s the easiest decision in the world which book to pick up if one of those choices is her book.

I was super curious to find out how the Hidden Wings world would continue, yet this new series could also be read as a standalone. I was very happy and very impressed with how she worked all of that out.  As someone who had never read the Hidden Wings series, she wrote just enough to explain the basics of how her world was built, yet at the same time, it wasn’t too much explaining for those of us that have already read the Hidden Wings series. As a new reader, or a reader familiar with the previous series, I assure you that you will be equally sucked in.

Her world building and character building are always so smooth and perfect, and it takes no time to feel like you’ve been with these people forever, and they’re all your good friends.  And speaking of these friends, before Alex showed up, Eden already had a pretty awesome group of good ones that she had been going to her private school with for 4 years by this point.  I can’t even begin to tell you how much I LOVED one of her best friends, Sebastian!  His personality and humor stood out like no other, and I couldn’t get enough of him.  I would love to see a book – even just a novella – where he and Dom (who also makes a few appearances in the book only in the way Dom can) have to work together for some reason.  I’m sure it would be a book I’d be laughing all the way through!

As for Alex and Eden, they have the absolute sweetest relationship.  It has to be really hard for an author to write about two people that meet -- one of them getting thrown into a world that they thought was nothing more than fairytale just a few days before -- and then have them build a relationship of trust in such a short period of time.  As a guardian angel, it’s Alex’s job to build trust, but he usually has more than a few weeks. He certainly wasn’t expecting it to go as well as it did.  Not only that, it was fully believable as a reader.  I have no idea how Cameo Renae does it!  I’m usually so incredibly skeptical of quick relationship and/or trust building, but it worked so well. Eden quickly trusted Alex, his old friends, and everything he said about what was happening to her – and it all felt completely natural to the reader.  And as a girl that grew up without a father, she even ends up finding out who he is through all of this.  I’m not sure if it was more emotional for her, or for those of us reading it!

I’m so, so very happy Cameo Renae started her new series based on a story about Alex and Eden. This was definitely the perfect choice.  I can’t wait to see who’s next, and what challenges they will face.  Hopefully we’ll get to see a glimpse of what our new friends from this book are up to as well. 

2016 Young Adult Author of the Year - Penned Con

2013 Break Out Author by Young Adult & Teen Readers

2013 Book of the Year (Hidden Wings)

Cameo Renae was born in San Francisco, raised in Maui, Hawaii, and recently moved with her husband and children to Alaska.

She's a daydreamer and a caffeine and peppermint addict who loves to laugh, loves to read, and loves to escape reality. One of her greatest joys is creating fantasy worlds filled with adventure and romance and sharing it with others.

One day she hopes to find her own magic wardrobe and ride away on her magical unicorn. Until then...she'll keep writing!

HAPPY READING!

Author Links:

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Blog: http://cameorenae.blogspot.com/

Website: 

http://cameorenae.com 

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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4794993.Cameo_Renae

Buy Link:

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