~REVIEW AND EXCERPT BLITZ with GIVEAWAY~ Midnight Rose ~ By Dani Hart
Midnight Rose
(Midnight series, #1)
By Dani Hart
Blurb:
My grandfather had once told me that life was an
unpredictable beast—one moment calm with a full belly and heavy eyes, and the
next, digging its paws in the dirt, snarling just before it took down its next
victim. Until recently, I would argue with that notion, listing all the reasons
why my life was as predictable as the tides coming and going. While I listened,
I was young and never put much thought into a lot of the things my grandfather
told me, but all that changed when the Hunters moved back to Sandpoint. More
specifically, Wes Hunter. That was when the impossible became possible and the
predictable became unpredictable.
As Abigail Rose looked down on her new world, she
couldn’t deny the things she had seen and all the things she had learned. There
were days she wished she could go back to her old life, but she had changed.
Evolved. She was no longer a love-struck seventeen year old. She was a chosen
leader and her path was undeniable. The black and white was fading to gray, and
the only thing between mortals and immortals was her.
My Review:
~5 out of 5 Stars~
I absolutely LOVED how this book was written. I would definitely say that the thing that
stands out most to me, that kept me on the edge of my seat the most, was that
the entire book was written from Abigail’s point of view. Sometimes, even in cases of alternating
points of view, things are given away too much because you know what everyone
is thinking, and often feel like you’re one step ahead as the reader. In this case, you are just as confused,
scared, sad, happy, shocked, etc. as Abigail, at the same TIME as Abigail. Not only is the story an incredible ride itself,
but it’s also an incredible emotional rollercoaster through a seventeen year
old’s eyes.
I really want to give very little away about this book in
this review, because the new discoveries practically every time you turned a
page were what I loved about this book so much.
I really try to figure out what will happen next when I read books, and
am sometimes disappointed when I’m right.
In the case of this book, if I guess an event, or what would happen to
someone, it was more of a prayer that I was right – not that it was obvious.
There are several characters in this book that come into
Abigail’s life, and some will have obvious effects on her, some will be
characters you’re sure are bad/good/boring/important/etc, and I can assure you
that 90% of the time you will be wrong. As she herself is told a few times,
trust nothing and no one.
Down to the very last word of the very last page, you are
shocked at every revelation. I love
being kept on my toes with a book that has a very original story line and
original characters. I most certainly
found that in this book! I have to warn
you there IS a sort of cliffhanger, but not a killer one…just one that really
leaves you looking forward to what happens next. And I can’t wait until I find out!
Excerpt
“Did you get the soup?” Wes’
voice encircled me, catching my breath in my chest. He was only a foot away
from me, his eyes glowing under the soft patio lights. Words escaped me, and my
lungs ceased to function. Even my knees weakened. In seconds, I had transformed
into a pathetic teenage girl hopelessly in love.
He
dipped his head slowly, his eyes peering up, inviting me into his enchanting
world, the upturn of his lips teasing me.
“I—How
did you know?” A familiar comfort floated between us.
He
took a step closer and sank his head in the space between my ear and my
shoulder, grazing his lips back and forth, taking in a deep breath. Dizziness
swirled around me, my mouth falling open as I took in labored breaths, my hands
planted to the wall for support.
“I
know everything about you, Abigail Rose,” he whispered into my ear as his lips
traveled up my neck, his warm breath leaving a trail of goose bumps in its
wake. “I know your favorite soup.” His nose explored my hair. “I know what
shampoo you use.”
I
was losing myself in him, the will to stay still collapsing.
He
continued, “I know that you tie your hair up when you are uncomfortable.” One
of his hands planted on the wall next to my head, the other glided through my
hair, wrapping around locks and tugging lightly. A soft murmur escaped my mouth
as his mouth explored my jawline. “I know what I feel when I’m around you.”
With that, my paralyzed limbs awoke and my
fingers twisted in his hair. His hands cradled my face, pulling my lips to his.
“Wes.”
A harsh demand reached us from the shadows, pulling us apart. Ben stepped into
the light, glaring at his brother, his eyes vicious and his body rigid.
Wes turned to me, regret
confronting me for just a moment before he left in the opposite direction of
his older sibling. Ben focused his fury on me then, causing me to stumble back
into the bistro.
Finishing my shift proved
difficult, my thoughts racing between Wes’ confession and Ben’s obvious and
inexplicable rage. My life was quickly spinning out of control, and I wasn’t in
the driver’s seat anymore. I felt Mr. Hunter’s eyes on me as I grabbed my bag
and ran out to my car where my dad was waiting. He hopped out, taking the
passenger seat position. I was surprised
when we arrived home. I was on autopilot these days.
“I think you’re ready for your
test Monday. How do you feel?”
I killed the engine and looked
down at the steering wheel, avoiding eye contact.
“Good,” I replied with a small smile.
How could I concentrate on such mundane things when suddenly I was surrounded
by chaos?
“I’m going to miss driving around
with you,” he confessed and then jumped out of the Jeep. “You coming?”
“Yeah, in a minute.”
He looked at me oddly. “Okay.”
He shut the door and went inside.
I flipped on my iPod playlist and leaned my seat back, closing my eyes, visions
of Wes so close to me vividly replaying in my mind. Suddenly, an overwhelming sensation of being
watched came over me.
I shot up quickly, startled by
Wes standing outside the passenger door. Unforgiving tension passed between us
as the seconds turned into minutes until time no longer existed. The storm that
had rolled in during my shift had exchanged a light drizzle for an unexpected
downpour, soaking Wes, who stood unfazed, studying me.
The click of the handle sent my
heart racing for cover as he slid in, the water rolling off his body and
settling into the leather. The cold followed him inside, but as I was reaching
to turn the engine on, Wes placed his hand around mine, stopping me, the soft
touch reminding me of so many times his hand had touched mine. I sucked in a
shallow breath, closing my eyes as the water from his hand dripped onto mine.
Only when he pulled it away did I look over, meeting his pained expression.
“What?” I asked quietly.
He twisted his hands tightly on
his lap.
“My father told me to stay away
from you, but I don’t know how to do this.” His knuckles turned white as he
squeezed them tighter together.
“Do
what?” My voice was shaky now.
He shook his head slowly. “Be around you
without...” He lifted his head, untangling his hands, and leaned into me. His
finger hooked under my chin, holding my gaze to his. I was under his spell once
again, entranced by his beauty.
“Without
what?” I asked breathlessly.
His eyes reached out and took
hold of my soul, absolving pain’s past. Then without warning, he dropped his
hand and sat back in his seat, securing his hands together once again.
Tears welled in my eyes, the
familiar disappointment lingering. “You can’t keep doing this to me.” My words
broke as I choked back humiliation.
“I know,” he said regretfully.
“Then,
why?” I was begging for answers, pleading for closure before my broken heart
was irreparable.
“Because
I don’t know how to live without you either.” He gritted his teeth, the truth
setting him free, but also defeating him.
“Then
don’t,” I pleaded. “Don’t push me away, Wes. Please.” My heart ached.
His
iridescent eyes faded, replaced with a terrifying darkness as he pushed my hair
away from my neck and leaned into me.
“Your
eyes,” my voice quaked.
“Are
you afraid of me, Abby?” His voice was steady.
I
shook my head slowly. “No,” I whispered.
He
took my wrist roughly in his hand. “Are you afraid now?”
Tears
rushed down my cheeks as I shook my head more quickly this time. “No.” I was
holding onto the trust we had built over the years.
He
pulled my face closer to him, his nose gliding over my swollen eyes and
dampened cheeks.
“What
about now?” he whispered.
“Never.”
Why was he doing this to me? I felt completely decimated, and it was my fault
because I was letting him break me.
His
eyes lifted to mine, the onyx melting away to perfect iridescence again.
Without warning, he jumped out of the Jeep into the storm and into the forest,
his silhouette visible among the trees as lightning flashed across the forest.
I’m not the one you need to be afraid of.
I was stunned into disbelief.
Believing in the unbelievable had shifted my sense of stability, forcing me to
face all things out of the realm of possibility no longer trapped in the
fantasy books of my childhood. The stories ran rampant around me no longer
hidden in make believe. They were right in front of me all along. The veil had
been lifted. Wes wasn’t like me. He wasn’t like anyone. He was something else
entirely.
About The
Author
I have always been drawn to words. They have this
enchanting magic to touch my soul when I need it the most, whether through
reading or writing. My love for writing started as most little girl's with a
diary. It evolved into a big girl journal and then transformed into a notebook
of poetry during the dark days of high school. I followed my dream to USC
(University of Southern California) to study theatre, creative writing, and screenwriting.
Finally, I understood how to take the stories in my head and commit them to
paper. I was fortunate enough to sell my first professional script during
college and have been writing ever since. In 2013 I took to self-publishing. I
realized quickly that my passion resonated across many genres, so currently I
have published young adult, fantasy, paranormal, dystopian, new adult, and
women’s fiction. With both of my kids in school full-time now I am able to
immerse myself in my passion more and when I’m not writing I’m enjoying the
short time I have with my babies and my husband.
“I write what my heart sings.”
You can find Dani at
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