Living Violet

The Cambion Chronicles #1

by Jaime Reed

Book 1 of The Cambion Chronicles

He's persuasive, charming, and way too mysterious. And for Samara Marshall, her co-worker is everything she wants most--and everything she most fears. . .

Samara Marshall is determined to make the summer before her senior year the best ever. Her enjoy downtime with friends and work to save up cash for her dream car. Summer romance is not on her to-do list, but uncovering the truth about her flirtatious co-worker, Caleb Baker, is. From the peculiar glow to his eyes to the unfortunate events that befall the girls who pine after him, Samara is the only one to sense danger behind his smile.

But Caleb's secrets are drawing Samara into a world where the laws of attraction are a means of survival. And as a sinister power closes in on those she loves, Samara must take a risk that will change her life forever. . .or consume it.

"Jaime Reed breathes fresh life into paranormal romance. I loved it!" --Lee Nichols, author of the Haunting Emma series

Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Demons, Interracial Romance

322 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Author of young adult paranormal series The Cambion Chronicles.

About Me:

I’m a self-proclaimed movie and music snob with a playlist for every occasion in life. I’m freakishly tall with large feet, and I have a slight obsession with the gym, cool 80’s references, and orange soda. My weapon of choice: sarcasm.

Teen fiction always captured my interest and I appreciate the newness of that time, and well, I get nostalgic. Right now I’m on a serious paranormal/ fantasy kick. I’m all about the weird and my stories explore cool mythical creatures not many people have heard about. I try to create characters who are people of color. There aren’t enough of them in young fiction and there should be more heroines of different backgrounds battling the forces of evil. Let’s face it, the extraordinary can happen to anyone.

Reviews

[The FountainPenDiva, Old school geek chick and lover of teddy bears · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Love indulged the masochist. Truer words have never been spoken, if I do say so myself. It's a philosophy that has kept me sane for as long as I can remember and helped me survive the weirdest summer of my life. On the flip side, it's very entertaining what love will make people do. It's a great way to spend your lunch break."

This wry and witty observation opens up the amazing first novel by Jaime Reed, Living Violet and explains why it deserves more than a measly five stars. Samara Marshall, the narrator and author of the above excerpt is the kind of heroine many of us who love YA and who miss the intelligent and take-charge type have sorely missed. The YA genre seems to have gone out of its way to turn the clock back on strong and self-sufficient heroines, opting instead for weak, vacillating and co-dependent girls who have no reason to exist save as a foil for the attendant mysterious-hawt-boy-du-jour. Thankfully Samara is smart, funny, wry and tough as all get-out. Her behavior bears this observation out. Samara speaks her mind, yet sometimes overanalyzes things. Whenever she's uncomfortable or trying to be funny she tends to speak Elizabethan, quoting Shakespeare (so cool). She has goals beyond becoming the love interest of the mysterious-hawt-boy-stalker-du-jour. She also has a circle of quirky friends who actually look like the rest of the world.

For Samara it's summer, which means days spent working at Buncha Books, saving up for a new car, babysitting for her demon-step-siblings, dealing with her single mother who's jumping into the dating pool once again while scaring Samara and her friends to death with Dateline episodes about stalkers and predators while also watching best friend Mia and her boyfriend Dougie square off yet again in another lover's quarrel. For Samara, love is just not worth all the attendant drama, though she gets a huge kick out of observing what she and a few others consider better than reality television.

Of course, such an idyllic summer comes to a screeching halt with the introduction of the mysteriously violet-eyed Caleb Baker, an somewhat shaggy emo boy with an almost unhealthy sugar kick and a knack for women throwing themselves at him for no good reason. Samara is totally put off by his weirdness and it certainly doesn't help matters when she catches him lip-locking a girl in the magazine aisle. It also doesn't help matters when she notices his violet eyes glowing and some kind of rays coming from his fingers. Now this is the moment most authors in this genre toss out all good sense and throw their heroines under the bus. Suddenly everything that was good about the heroine goes to hell and it suddenly becomes all about the mysterious-hot-boy-du-jour. Not Samara. After a date or two and some very scary happenings centered around Caleb, she realizes in spite of his arrogance, his sweet tooth and the fact that women tend to have heart attacks after kissing him, that she likes him.

"I often wondered why girls were attracted to dangerous, mysterious men. The answer was simple. It's exciting and provactive. They're constantly on edge, nothing's ever boring, and danger is a turn-on."

Yes. I can get behind this, but again, Samara doesn't lose all common sense. When her well-ordered world starts running amok, she doesn't get all weepy and dependent upon hot-guy-du-jour to save her life. Samara doesn't get mad. She gets mad AND even.

Outside of Samara, one of the most engaging characters was Nadine, a Polish exchange student too beautiful for words but who nursed a definite streak of sarcasm. You know those t-shirts that read: Sarcasm. Just One of the Many Services I Offer? I could easily envison her wearing one:

"I hate those Elmo goth kids," she griped. "What self-respecting sociopath drinks chai anyway? What do they know about real torment? Let them survive a concentration camp and then they can complain."

"It's called 'emo'" I corrected her. "And your grandparents didn't even get to the camp before the U.S. troops came in."

Nadine moved to the back counter and checked the timers on the coffeepots. "It's still torment. And if you say 'emo', I say 'Elmo' because they are equally childish."

Okay, so I haven't said much about Caleb. That's not because he's not likeable and sympathetic. He is. Something about him goes above and beyond that mysterious-hawt-boy-stalker-du-jour, and it's not his paranormal origins. Even without them, he's still a fully-fleshed character. He's open (to a point), honest and self-depreciating. This is a guy who can laugh at himself and the absurdity of his situation. He's also strong enough to protect Samara and wise enough to know when to back the hell off and let her handle herself. I like that. Unlike a lot of so-called paranormal "heroes", he's not watching her sleep or messing with the engine of her car to "keep her from harm".

In spite of this being a paranormal YA romance, Ms. Reed gleefully and cheerfully skewers many of its conventions, including a not-so-subtle (and well-deseved) dig at the Twilight books and its attendant (and scary) fanbase. Those of us who absoutely loathed those books and the rash of copycats will sympathize with Samara, Nicole, Caleb and the rest of the Buncha Books staff who have to suffer through the slavish devotion such dreck has engendered not just amongst teen girls, but their moms.

The other big reasons for five stars: it's an interracial YA romance, something there isn't enough of. Samara and Caleb are a couple I liked reading about because they felt real, in spite of the paranormal elements. The other reason is No Cover Fail. Yes, Virginia, that's actually a black girl on the cover of the book with a white boy. Take that all you mainstream publishers who think whitewashing covers is a good business model!

In short, if you're a YA reader who's been waiting for a heroine worth the name, then Samara Marshall is your girl and Living Violet is the book. Come on Ms. Reed, hurry up with volume 2!

[Amy Lignor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before you ask…no, not one vampire in sight! I would say, ‘YAY!’ but I’m afraid my house might get burned down. This is a fantastically fun YA paranormal that is a truly exciting debut for this author.

Samara Marshall is fun, entertaining, sarcastic, and spends a great deal of her time watching her best friend, Mia, beat the heck out of her boyfriend, Dougie. In fact, that’s exactly what she’s doing when our story opens, sitting on the hood of a car downing a Big Gulp and watching the action. Samara works inside Buncha Books at the Cuppa-Joe coffee shop that’s located in the back of the bookstore. Nadine, a polish exchange student, is the manager and seriously funny. Another co-worker of Samara’s is Caleb Baker, and he is more than a bit odd. It seems that every time Samara looks at the guy there’s some girl locked to his lips. And this is not exactly a drool-worthy dude. He’s cute, but nothing to write home about in Samara’s mind. The only thing he does have going for him are these deep purplish-blue eyes that seem to stun every girl on the planet and make them swoon.

One day, Samara notices yet another young woman attached to Caleb’s face, and then later notices that she is being pulled into an ambulance right outside in the parking lot. The girl had a heart attack, and she is far too young to even think of having one.

Samara also has a pretty fun home life. Mom and Dad are divorced and Dad is remarried with twin girls, but the parents still seem to get along quite well. The only thing that’s a bit negative is that Mom believes that she will never find another man, and is more than a bit lonely.

As this humorous tale moves forward, through various circumstances, Samara and Caleb end up on a date. Caleb, who is always shoving sugary foods into his mouth and offering one-liners to the women who drop at his feet, seems to really like Samara. Perhaps it’s because she wouldn’t swoon over him if he paid her to. Of course, when Samara finds out what, exactly, Caleb really is and the secret he‘s been hiding, swooning is definitely out. For many people, screaming and running to the police would be in, but as Samara learns more and more about Caleb’s particular situation, an odd type of feeling seems to come over her. Could it be love? After all…is it even possible to love a…?

Nope. Not gonna’ tell, guys and gals. This is such a fun read that I’m going to leave it all up to you to find out Caleb’s secret. Being the first book in this new series, there is far more to come, but my advice is that you must definitely give this one a shot!

Until Next Time,
Amy

[♡Meme♡Reads love♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yay!!! another Y/A I/R novel!!!!This was soooooooooooo goooooooood!!!! I'm not kidding around here. I. loved. this. book. I have never read a book about Succubus or Incubus's or Cambions this was a good way to get me hooked on them. I loved every minute of reading this. These characters just jumped off the page and into my lap as I read about them on my kindle I was succubused in lol! I couldn't put it down read it in a day then went on to the second book and finished that the next day! Every character was easy to love. Samara(Sam) was like the best y/a heroine I have ever read she took no mess. Her voice in this was a dead given that if I knew her in High school (way back in the day lol) we would have been kindred spirits. Ms. Reed brought her to life to me she was so real.

I love creative ways people put words together Sam does a lot of that she was so witty. I love how she would described some of her peeps she knows in school this on in particularly was my fav
Davenport was the textbook definition of a Chad.
Chad [chad]—noun.
A young Anglo-American male with athletic build, typically named Chad, who is very popular with the opposite sex, and usually the alpha male of a social group. Chads are often found in fraternities, tailgate parties, sporting events, and anywhere within the vicinity of a light-beer kegger. Staple attire consists of the following: baseball cap, wife-beater undershirt or T-shirt with ironic slogan, cargo shorts, and leather sandals. Prone to utter inappropriate phrases like, “What’s up, bro?” or “Yo, dog.” That was HIlarious!!!

Then theres Caleb(Cake Boy) the guy she first sees as a man whore then gets to know him and his issues with the (roommate) as she calls it that lives inside him sucking all female energy by mouth. Caleb is so sweet and was a young man of worth I really liked his character the way he cared about her and watched her for so long was bitter sweet. I love how they took there time to get to know each other. When he had the talk with her dad and had this to say to her when she asked what happen
“He was pretty concerned about our age difference. He called me a cradle robber and a few other names that I didn’t understand. Then he said something about you, and then I was completely lost. What exactly is a ten-deroni?” I just about peed laughing so hard. He is so effin cute. :) gosh I could go and on about these two this was such a mind blowing mind stimulating read I couldn't get enough. Oh and I mention it was an I/R right? My fav genre So good to see more and more coming out.

Heres my Caleb and Samara Happy Reading and you will be happy once you read this. :) Song: Locked out of Heaven by Bruno Mars... (minus the sex)

[SoWrongItsRANDI {Bell, Book & Candle} · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recently participated in a giveaway and won this book as a result. It's a few years old, but I figured, "What the heck? I'll read and review it anyways." Interesting enough, I actually came across this book back in 2012 when I was looking for something new to read, and for reasons unknown (or forgotten), I decided not to buy and read it. It's a decision I regret, as this book wasn't half bad.


Dougie's body went stiff and on high alert. "Did he try something?"

I turned to him. "Relax. He hasn't done anything. Don't strain yourself; I'd hate to have you bust some of your stitches."


I think what I liked most about this book was the diverse cultural backgrounds of the lead characters. I seldom see paranormal romance stories that have a protagonist who is of a different ethnicity other than Caucasian; in addition to a story that is well written and lacks the ever present cheese-fest so many novels of the romance genre possess.


Chad [ chad ]---noun.

A young Anglo-American male

with athletic build, typically named Chad, who is very popular with the opposite sex, and usually the alpha male of a social group. Chad ate often found in fraternities, tailgate parties, sporting events, and anywhere in the vicinity of a light-beer kegger. Staple attire consists of the following: baseball cap, wife-beater undershirt or T- shirt with ironic slogan, cargo shorts, and leather sandals. Prone to utter inappropriate phrases like, "What's up, bro?" or "Yo, dog."


I'm a sucker for great humor and some witty remarks. For some reason, I find that it endears the characters to me. Sam, our POV character and heroine, seems to be the heavyweight champion in that department. Samara, or Sam, comes from a mixed parentage. I disliked her constant complaints of her ethnicity; there's nothing more unpleasant than reading from the point of view of a character who hates her/himself. She clearly has some "racial programming" going on. But it was great to see Sam be more of a challenge and not immediately fall at Caleb's feet and profess her undying love, like some love sick puppy. Despite Caleb, our hero and Sam's love interest, being a bit "supernatural" he's not your stereotypical guy. He's not the uber hot, dark and brooding dude like you'll see in Vampire Diaries or God forbid, Twilight- but that is probably an unfair comparison as they are vampires and Caleb is something else entirely. Never the less he is still a really cool guy.

For some reason, I though of that Valtrex commercial where the couple skips along the beach, despite the fact that one of them has a highly contagious, incurable disease. I imagined Caleb and me in that situation.

We're holding hands and he looks at the camera an have a demonic parasite."

"And I don't," I say with a smile.


Nadine is the secondary character and also Sam's best friend, who surprisingly has something suspiciously strange about her...you'll have to read to find out. I will say that Nadine naming her pet "Lilith" garnered a serious head shake and side eye from me. My first reaction was to say "really?", how apt that name is.

"Do I look like a Happy Meal to you? He's not feeding off me." - Sam

I really do wish I had read this before, but it is what it is. Decent writing and some interesting plot twists. I might read the next book in the series, so check back with me later. Happy reading all!

[Tabea Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok so this was definitely not a great book but it was exactly what I needed.
I honestly don‘t know if the writing was so forced or if the problem was the translation. Because a lot was translated quite literally when it really doesn‘t work in german. So I‘m thinking maybe the english original is better. Anyway, I got what I wanted and I had a lot if fun!

[Lyn Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living Violet is a fun and invigorating new paranormal book from Jaime Reed. It tells the story of a teenage girl named Sam who works at a bookstore where mysterious things have begun to happen! Her co-worker, Caleb, is strangely alluring and she finds herself inexplicably drawn to his tempting violet-colored eyes. But could he be dangerous? All signs point to yes. Every girl he is seen with happens to become victim to all kinds of unfortunate events. But Sam just can't stay away...

With lovely prose and a quick pace, the author takes us through a new and inventive paranormal world. Sam's perspective is witty, exciting, and compulsively page-turning. Every character stands on their own with Reed's rich character development. Priceless comedy flows from the pages, leaving tons of laughs to be discovered. The world-building is easy to follow and the storyline is expertly crafted.

This is recommended for those who'd love to read a funny and more insidious version of recent YA paranormal books. If you love to laugh and discover new mythologies, than this might be the book you've been looking for!

Review from FreshFiction.com

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, fast reading, not the best out there, but great when you are bored. Don't expect much from it, but rather try to read it with open mind

2.5/5 Stars

[Savannah (Books With Bite) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was fantastic! It was not what I was expecting but it gave me a big smile on my face. Whenever I read book about a succubus it's always about a girl. Not in this book. We have a boy succubus who is struggling with who and what he is. And that folks makes for an awesome read!

Like I said before, this book is so cool! I am so happy that I got to read the story of this young mans life and his struggles. One thing I enjoyed about this book is the great tale of what he is and how he came to be. I loved the back round history that Ms. Reed creates for her readers. I love a good back round history to characters cause it gives them character. I like the rules that are set in the world. Caleb's is learning to deal with his succubus side without it causing err... death. I love the Samara. She is spitfire girl who is awesome! They way that she took Caleb by his ear forcing her help on him Caleb made me what to scream."You go girl!"

Now the love interest in this story is so deep that I fell right into the rabbit hole. I adored this characters and watching them fall in love with such animosity going round them left me reeling for more. Samara and Caleb's fight for each other and their families is soo good! I like that Ms. Reed created the characters to be likable. There wasn't an overdone amount of supernatural that left out the real life that they have. These characters still do every day real stuff and THAT I loved. Reading a story of the paranormal but not overriding the life's is great.

So you wanna read a story about a male succubus? Read this one! It contains real life situations laced with the right amount of supernatural that is gives you a great read!

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was AMAZING!!! I loved every minute of this story and can't wait for the second book! I love Samara. She's smart, funny, caring, and pretty badass! She doesn't let people boss her around and she stands up for what she believes in. You can't ask for more in heroine than Samara. Caleb is funny and you can tell he cares a lot for Samara. I love that Jamie Reed didn't make Caleb your typical "Hottest most perfect guy in the world" like a lot of YA books do. I like that she made him seem like your average guy in the looks department at least to Samara. I also liked how Jamie Reed made Sam and Caleb's relationship proceed at a normal rate and not love at first sight. It just felt a little more real. I love that Samara had a Filipino best friend and that Samara herself is biracial. You don't really find that in YA books and it's refreshing to read a book where you can relate to the characters culture. So all in all I'm a HUGE fan of this Series and Jamie Reed and I can't wait until book 2!! June can't come soon enough!!!!

[Jessica (Goldenfurpro) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This and other reviews can be found on The Psychotic Nerd

MY THOUGHTS
This just wasn't my kind of book. I kind of knew that after reading the synopsis, but I decided to give this book a chance for three reasons. 1. The book has a high average rating and very positive reviews. 2. The MC is biracial and that is so rarely seen in paranormal YA (even rarer at the time of this book's publication) 3. I owned copies of the entire series. Unfortunately, I wasn't a fan of this book.

Samara, or Sam, is a bit suspicious of her coworker, Caleb. He has a revolving door of ladies and when Sam catches him making up with a customer in the shelves, she's not surprised. But then the woman turns up dead. She wants to get to the bottom of this and she ends up sort-of going on a date with Caleb. When more women turn up dead and Sam starts noticing how oddly women act around Caleb, she starts finding up that there is more going on.

I downloaded this ebook in 2012. In 2012, I was still devouring YA paranormal. I don't read much in YA paranormal anymore, and if I do, I am looking for unique ideas. Maybe with some spookiness, and I am not so much interested in the romance. This book starts with the plotline that I've seen so many times, in which the main girl meets a guy who is secretly a paranormal being. As I said, so many things about the synopsis were off-putting to me. I don't like it when a synopsis makes it clear that a boy is changing a girl's life. It bothers me when it pays certain attention to the guy's eyes and how women are so attracted to him. "From the peculiar glow to his eyes to the unfortunate events that befall the girls who pine after him". Caleb's eye color turns out to be violet and, yeah, that's in the title, but I hate seeing violet eyes in books. For some reason, it's so common in paranormal YA and it's always used as a symbol for a character being special.

I will say that while the general premise (girl meets secret paranormal boy) is not new, there are new ideas here. The paranormal entity is this book is not one I've seen much of in YA and I do think Reed did a new take on it. But, not much seemed to happen in this book. Eventually, the plot picked up near the climax of the book, but looking back at the book now, not a whole lot happened. There is the progression of Caleb and Sam's relationship, and Sam figuring out Caleb's abilities, but most of the book felt like filler. For instance, both Sam and Caleb work at a bookstore and the bookstore employees meet every so often to pick a staff pick. Staff members summarize a (fictional) book and give their opinions on it so everyone can vote. We see two of these meetings and there was no reason for it. I'm not kidding, we hear full plot summaries for books that don't even exist. The only reason we see these sessions is because the author wanted to make fun of Twilight. One of the staff loves a YA paranormal book similar to Twilight, which Sam makes fun of. I don't like Twilight, but it didn't sit well with me that this was put into the book. I think it was supposed to be funny that Sam hates this Twilight-esque book when she is involved with a paranormal boy, but it didn't come across as funny to me. It also bothered me that she makes fun of adults who read YA books.

Sam was an okay character. She does have some witty lines, but sometimes it rubbed me the wrong way. Like her sarcastic comments at the adults liking YA, or the fact that she used the word "retarded". She is a strong character in spirit, standing up for others at times. I also like how the book tried to showcase her family life and her interactions with her family. Sometimes I feel like parents get pushed around in YA paranormal. Sam is shown as a bit special and different, though. She's not as susceptible to Caleb's charms. This is explained that it's because she is closed off and is a virgin.

I wasn't really a big fan of the romance. I'm really picky about romance in books and I don't really go for romance in books anymore. The romance in this book made me cringe. I admit it was sweet at times, but the romance was very quick. Sam went from being annoyed with Caleb, to liking Caleb very quickly. I love hate-to-love romances, but it has to be a slow one. I also don't like lust-based romances and because of Caleb's abilities, there was more lust involved in the storyline. I mentioned how I don't like books featuring love interests that every other girl wants. In other books it makes me sick because it shows girls as only wanting a boyfriend and competing with eachother. Thankfully, this book didn't do that. It did not read as very toxic examples as girls and it's explained that the "attraction" is due to Caleb's abilities, not any uber-hotness. Still, I thought it was odd that every girl would be interested (besides Sam).

IN CONCLUSION
Overall, this wasn't my cup of tea. I should have known that before reading it, but I was hopeful. There wasn't anything really new in YA paranormal to me, the romance made me cringe, and not enough happened in the story. I think there are people who may enjoy this series, as evident from the ratings, but it was disappointing for me. I won't be continuing the series.

[TinaNoir · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

After reading a slew of duds, I felt like this book gave me life!

There was so much right about this book that I don't know where to begin praising it.

The writing was sharp and it crackled. Samara, the heroine killed with wry observations and snarky yet whip-smart one-liners. Caleb the hero is not completely human and his non-human part of himself creates some awkward situations. He could have been some smirky jerk, but instead was heartbreaking in his characterization and his need for Sam.

The characters were beautifully defined and added so much color and texture to the story. And I am not just talking about Sam and Caleb the main characters.

I am talking about Sam's mother who is the type of mother who makes her daughter and daughter's best friend watch all those 'To Catch a Predator' shows. And who cautions before Sam has to take a fairly long drive:

"Lock all your doors and watch your speed. If a cop flashes you make sure you stop at a public place, with plenty of people. There was a story on the news about this man impersonating police by using one of those party lights in his car. Anyway, you don't wanna know what happened to the poor woman he stopped."

I am talking about her best friend Mia and Mia's boyfriend Dougie whose bickering-breakups-and-makeups are the stuff of school legend. They are like the modern-day teenaged, yet funnier versions of George and Martha from Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf.

I am talking about Nadine, Sam and Caleb's co-worker and friend, who is an enigmatic sexy Polish girl who writes so-bad-it's-good poetry and can give a 1,000 mile death-stare to any loser who tries to come on to her.

I am talking about the book-store that sounds an awful like Barnes & Noble where Caleb, Nadine and Sam work and have to meet each month to discuss a book they read in order to recommend to patrons. The meetings are hilarious and the book plots range from the awful to the awesome. I especially love the good-natured send-up of a Twilight-esque book series complete with a spot-on characterization of the fans both young and old.

I found Sam's response to Caleb's particular paranormal quality to be perfect. Not to beat a dead horse, but she is the anti Bella Swan. Sam's defining quality is her cynicism and her skepticism. They hold her in good stead even as she begins to fall in love with Caleb despite his super-humanness. And later how she handles some pretty overwhelming consequences to her relationship with Caleb.

There were also some wonderfully funny scenes where Sam is determined to "train" Caleb into accepting the part of himself he is intent on rejecting. She is logical and thorough, complete with index cards and a plan of action. The scenes where she enlists Dougie to help teach Caleb how to fight off aggressive woman (who better to help than a guy who is always fighting with a girl) are hysterical.

I knock off a half star because I was not thrilled with the ending. Yes, it was incredibly poignant and opens up a whole hot of possibilities for the upcoming books but I still wish things did not end up the way they did.

On the whole, though, this book was simply stellar!

[Wanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've seen this book floating around goodreads for quite some time and it looked so good, I just had to read it. Though I love books about vampires, werewolves and witches, this one doesn't have one. And I must say I'm not disappointed. This was refreshing and completely different. Plus it's not often when you read a paranormal book in which you can relate a bit with the character on a personality level. The main character had a real spunky, funny, sarcastic attitude. I loved her personality.

I like that Reed incorporated the real way teens (and some adults) talk these days. That's what makes the characters more realistic and interesting. I loved Samara's humor. She had me laughing quite a few times throughout the book. I love the reality of her situation, her having to work and earn things she wanted. Her personality and attitude was the best part of the whole book if you ask me.

I can seriously go on, on how much I liked this book. But let me point out what I didn't like. Here's what I didn't buy. Though Samara at first showed hesitance with Caleb, she quickly let it go because he seemed to intrigue her. To me, Caleb wasn't the "jump his bones" kind of guy. I felt she didn't really consider too much of the dangers in Caleb's lifestyle. So for Samara to just jump right into it feet first wasn't a win for me.

Overall Living Violet is a definite page turner. I'm happy I was given the chance to read and review and I will definitely be following this series through. I hope that Samara continues to grow throughout the series. I'm looking forward to see where Reed will go with the relationship between Samara and Caleb. I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars and I consider this book a Good Choice for Reading!

[Willa McAllister · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 3.5

I had a hard time with this book. I alternated between loving it and hating it.

Initially, I was pulled in by Reed's characters, especially Samara and Nadine. It was good to see strong female characters that weren't falling all over themselves for a man. In fact, Reed made is screamingly obvious that Samara wasn't interested in finding love and that her relationship with Caleb was something she had thought about and was valid, not a hormone induced craze. I also appreciated Nadine because of her no nonsense attitude towards men and her scariness, but at the same time balanced life - she worked, went to school, and volunteered, while maintaining a social life. Reed also mocked the Twilight series, which by itself is not so cool, but it signaled to me that she wasn't going to repeat Meyer's mistakes. And while I admit that Reed's writing surpasses Meyers', Reed followed the same basic plot line and replicated the age old story of the girl falling in love with the monster. Which is what started the internal war between my liking of the book and my dislike of the book. If Reed had omitted that part, the amount of problems I had with this book would have been significantly less.

Samara, ultimately, is what saved this book. Her character's strength and unwillingness to compromise on her safety and the safety of her loved ones made this book a worthwhile read.

[Has · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four and half stars - and full review to be posted soon:

I have to say I was getting pretty much burned out on YA PNR especially with the mysterious boy trope. But Living Violet does.not.do.emo but what it does offer is a snarky and sardonic heroine and the mysterious boy who is honestly refreshing.

The cast of characters and the chemistry they share is fantastic and I really like the paranormal aspect and how that tied into the story. I also loved that Samara doesn't go all moon eyed over the hero and in fact is pretty suspicious and savvy about him. This was so so refreshing. I will definitely be following the rest of this series. But honestly - if you are sick of the Twilightesque emo tortured hero and wallpaper heroines - Get this book! Snarky, fun and filled with characters who are very real. Delicious!

[Kimm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have so much I want to say about this book, but I need to keep it short so I can start book two...like right NOW! I loved the main characters in this book. I actually FINALLY found a heroine that resembled me as a 17 year old. Her sarcasm, and attitude about life really range true for me. I was so fortunate to see this book listed on my public library's ebook site. I am purchasing the rest of the series as soon as I am done typing.

Ms. Reed did a wonderful job of giving us heart pounding actions,as well as witty exchanges between characters that i found to be natural and not forced. The romance aspect was handled in a way that I absolutely loved. It was not cloying and unbelievable.

I am looking forward to the next book, and I can't believe that I am JUST finding out about this series, but I am so glad that I have.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Samara works in a book store serving coffee. A guy called Caleb also works in the store but in a different section. He takes an interest in Sam but wherever he goes, females suffer heart attacks. He confesses to Sam that he has a "demon" living inside him & explains things to her. Sam is pretty freaked out but gradually learns to accept it & (with a little help from co-worker Nadine) she helps Caleb accept his Demon too. There is also trouble with Caleb's father & brothers but you will have to read the book as I don't like writing reviews with spoilers!
I really enjoyed Living Violet. It kept me engrossed with each & every page & I am excited for the next in this series to be released.

[Rai · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was awesome! I don't even know where to begin.

Samara

Samara Marshall is the BEST heroine so far. She isn't an airhead and doesn't fall for a boy just because he's cute. She is an independent woman and her weirdness makes her incredibly realistic. She is biracial (her mother is white and her father is black), and her main squeeze in the novel is white, so right there Jaime Reed is already breaking barriers and adding some depth to her book. Samara has so many real life problems to worry about, like saving up for a new car, dealing with an annoying stepmom, being biracial, and her mother's loneliness, but through it all Samara remains strong. When things start to go wrong Samara doesn't completely break down and have her hot boyfriend lead her around like a puppy. Instead she grieves like a normal person would and works to resolve the issue. One thing I really loved about Samara was the fact that she didn't jump for joy when she learned about Caleb's supernatural abilities. She reacted like a sane person and was wary and wasn't sure about a relationship right away. Samara was a very likable character and I can not wait to read more about her in the next book.

Caleb

Caleb Baker was a very likable character as well. Unlike most supernatural hotties, he is not described as having appearances rivaling a god. Instead he is described as a normal boy with a great personality and violet eyes. I like the fact that Reed didn't take it upon herself to make him amazing in every way. Just like Samara, Caleb has other problems besides being supernatural. He has some major daddy problems and his mother is no longer around. He is out in the world on his own, living far away far away from everyone in his family. Despite all his issues, both normal and supernatural, Caleb finds a way to smile and move on. He isn't constantly hating on himself and knows that there's a time to be serious and a time to have fun.

Plot

I really don't want to give to much away so I'll do my very best to keep this spoiler free. The plot of this story was incredibly different and not at all normal. Reed found a supernatural being that I don't often read about and that made the book very interesting.

Romance❤

I found the romance between Samara and Caleb to be quite realistic. Reed created two characters so realistic it's impossible not to feel their love for each other. However, while their love is strong and pronounced, it is not overdone. They aren't professing their love for each other in the obvious ways that are normally used and I found that to be refreshing. Reed actually gave Samara and Caleb time to get to know one another, so when the L-word was finally said It felt genuine. This book really lived up to my expectations, especially on the romance.

Supporting Characters

The supporting characters were so entertaining. Reed gave them enough face time for me to feel like they were apart of the story and not just added to say there were supporting characters. They all had very unique personalities and were all pretty well developed. Reed made some characters likable and others incredibly annoying, but each character brought out some kind of emotion so I guess she did her job.

Extras

There were a bunch of extra things I loved about this book, but I can only remember 3 at the moment:

1. Reed picked Twilight apart and exposed all of the stupidity within that book in a classy way. That alone got her three stars no questions asked.

2. Reed is obviously someone that read Harry Potter and she acknowledges its awesomeness with a few small references.

3. Whenever Samara gets mad or uncomfortable she talks in Elizabethan English, and for some weird reason I find it entertaining.

This book was amazing and went above and beyond my expectations. I found this book at a public library and I am heading to the store to purchase this book and it's sequel after I finish this review. My advice: Read this book if you want to read something good and not sappy for a change.

[Leslie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot:

I initially picked up this book because of the cover. There is a biracial girl on the cover, and in the world of urban fantasy it’s so rare to find any people of colour being written about. So I was pretty excited and optimistic.

The book is about Samara (the biracial girl) who falls for a guy who is a sort of incubus (they call themselves Cambions). He feeds off the emotions, and lust of others. His father is an old power-hungry Cambion who has gone mad since his wife’s death and chooses Samara and her mother to unleash his pain on. I like the idea of the story. It actually got better as it went on, especially towards the end. The dialogue just ruined it for me. I understand that this is a YA novel, so I am not exactly the target audience but I have read many YA’s which I feel can be enjoyed by any age—and didn’t have me constantly rolling my eyes.


Problem #1:

While reading this book the words of my journalism teachers kept ringing in my head. Say/write what you mean. Speak to people in a way they will understand, don’t talk over their heads, or use nonsensical mumbo jumbo. Seems simple enough right? Not for Jaime Reed the author of this book. Her goal seems to be to see how many words she can add into one sentence to give a scene “deep meaning.”


Bare with me but here are some examples:

-Caleb certainly held an air of enchantment, a shadowy aura that prickled my arms, but never broke the skin. (What does this mean?)

-Dejection shadowed his eyes as he battled with some unmet necessity that raged within, a call that he fought to ignore. (Really? You can tell all that by looking at him?)

-“Too late for that.” He dragged a hand over my cheek, his eyes half-mast, rejoicing in the smallest of touches. (I guess she can read his mind)

-Caleb pushed back and increased the distance between us while his hooded gaze targeted me as helpless prey. (ok)

-He seemed to morph before my eyes like some great revelation finally coming to light, a beast of innate sensuality rousing from its sleep. Then there was the way he would look at me, how he could disrobe and deflower me with his eyes yet still look innocent. (disrobe and deflower , wow.)

-I sat in the backseat with my legs on his lap. He massaged my calves, enthralled by the texture and earthly material from which they were made. (what!?)

-He looked distant, almost complacent, like a servant who had accepted his fate. (He was taking off her sock, and this is what he is supposedly thinking. Really now?)

-Surrounded by God’s crayon box, I lay across the marble bench and watched the night make its debut. (The damn sun had set. All she had to say is the sun went down.)

And finally this quote that actually describes my feelings towards this book

-I skimmed down the page, singling out random passages. The girl in me giggled over the corny dialogue and profession of undying love.

Problem #2 Unrealistic situations:

Samara’s boyfriend has been a Cambion since birth, and because he can’t stop women from constantly hitting on him she decides he needs to learn how to fight. So he should beat the girls off of him? Hmm. Anyways, she gets him into karate and gets her friends boyfriend Dougie to “teach him to fight” his expertise being scraps with his own girlfriend.

Overall: Like I said the idea was good, the ending actually got me interested in reading the next book but I just couldn’t deal with how this book was written. I have never rolled my eyes or sighed so much in my life.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a free ARC of this book through Goodreads First Reads.*

I don’t know about you, but it’s rare for me to find supernatural books for teens that deviate from the standard middle-class, thin, perfect, white-girl heroine. Maybe I’m not looking in the right places, but my latest read, an ARC I received recently, found it’s way to me, and it provided a somewhat refreshing change from the typical paranormal romance. The girl in Living Violet, the first book in The Cambion Chronicles by Jaime Reed, is a tough, no-nonsense, biracial girl who is careful with her heart and won’t give it away easily to anyone. At least, not yet…

Samara is not like most of the girls around her. She respects her parents (most of the time, anyway), she’s a loyal friend, she expects people to accept her just as she is, she’s a hard worker…and she isn’t drooling over Caleb, the mysterious guy with the violet eyes who works with her at Buncha Books. Caleb’s not even all that hot, but he can’t keep the women off of him. Samara gets that his eyes may be kind of cool, but girls don’t usually go stark-raving mad because a guy has pretty eyes. What is it about him? And why has he suddenly decided that chasing Samara, the one girl who can resist him, is a great idea?

Soon, Samara’s curiosity gets the best of her, and she and Caleb strike up an unlikely friendship. Samara is driven by her need to know more about the enigma that is Caleb…particularly why the girls he “cavorts” with tend to end up in the hospital with heart failure. As Caleb slowly reveals his secrets to Samara, she is both repulsed and intrigued.

Samara wants to know more about Caleb’s “condition” and how she can possibly help him fight the demon within. Will she be able to help him without losing herself? When someone from Caleb’s past enters the picture and threatens everything and everyone Samara holds dear, will Samara and Caleb, who are just figuring out their feelings for each other, be strong enough to fight something determined to tear them apart? Read Living Violet, the first book in Jaime Reed’s Cambion Chronicles, to find out!

Living Violet is a nice first book in what promises to be an interesting series. This was a fairly quick read that will appeal to females, especially those who don’t really feel represented in standard YA paranormal fiction. A biracial girl living in the South has very different experiences than, say, a pasty white girl who moves to Washington. (This is coming from a pasty white girl who lives in the South.)

Since I received an uncorrected proof of this book, there were some glaring grammatical errors that distracted me a bit, but I’m sure those have been corrected for the final printing. All in all, though, I liked this book, and I would recommend it to any high school or young adult library collection.

Living Violet is currently available wherever books are sold, and the sequel, Burning Emerald (a spectacular title givin the way the first book ended), is set for a June 2012 release. If you’d like more information about The Cambion Chronicles or author Jaime Reed, visit http://jreedwriteordie.blogspot.com/.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review can also be found on Living for the Books

Going into this book I was expecting the usual paranormal stuff and the usual romance where the guy saves the girl and they end up falling in love or the dreaded instant love. Well I was pleasantly surprised! Living Violet isn't really like any other paranormal book I've read.

The whole Cambion concept was basically new to me. When incubus were mentioned I had this vague sense of knowing what was being talked about before it was explained but I don't exactly know where I know that word from and that is going to drive me crazy for the rest of the day.

The main character Samara Marshall was great. She didn't drool over Caleb like everyone else. She even thought he was weird and he is so a round of applause for her. It actually took her awhile to warm up to Caleb and she had actual reasons for liking him. Basically she's curious why women are dropping like flies after they make out with him and that's why she want to find out more about him. I mean wouldn't you be curious too?

I loved reading about Samara no matter what was happening. She was sarcastic and strong so she didn't like to get bossed around and most of the time she was the one bossing Caleb around. I found some things completely ridiculous though. Like Dougie teaching Caleb how to defend himself and he gets beat up by an eight year old (I think that was how old the girl was). The relationship between Samara's parents was also really strange to me. How is her dad's wife ok with him spending time with Samara's mom? Wouldn't she be the tiniest bit worried about that since Samara's mom seems to have a hard time getting over the fact that Samara's dad married someone else.

Anyway I think my favorite part of this book was the romance between Samara and Caleb. Sam isn't exactly sure what to do about her feelings for Caleb. This is probably because of what happened to her parents. She's not really sure if she wants a serious relationship and even though Caleb is he doesn't push her. You can actually read about their relationship developing. I just love reading about that.

It was also pretty obvious that there was something paranormal going on with Caleb and there were some other obvious things but I never saw the ending coming! So basically I really liked this book. It was a nice change from the usual paranormal.

*I received this book from the author. Thank you!

[Brenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Living Violet doesn't conform to typical YA stereotypes with an interesting premise and realistic cast characters. The unique paranormal aspect was one of the coolest ideas I've read in a long time, and readers who are getting tired of reading the same old paranormal YA will appreciate.

Reasons to Read:

1.Flawed, diverse characters:
Living Violet gets bonus points for not having a ridiculously good-looking, god-like male love interest. Major bonus points. Caleb's interesting, but only because of what makes him so unique. He's far from perfect though, and regardless of what the back cover says I didn't find him nearly as charming or ideal as he was made out to be. And there was something truly refreshing about that. Samara is an interesting character as well, and I love that Jaime wove in some discussion on race as well, and I liked Sam's independent, determined attitude towards everything live threw at her.

SUPER EXTRA BONUS POINTS: Samara's parents love her, and that love and affection shines through in so much they do and how they act with her. Their relationship with Samara, and with each other, was something to make this one stand out from other YA books. I liked this, it mixed things up a bit from what I'm used to reading.

2.New kind of paranormal:
Living Violet shares some similarities with the ideas behind X-Men and even seems to have some inspiration stemming from mythology (I thought of sirens personally), but makes all of it its own to come up with something completely different.

I really wasn't the biggest fan of the writing style; most of the time it felt overly descriptive and unnecessary, and at times those descriptions were way too much. There ended up being a few times where I was laughing at something that really wasn't supposed to be funny. There were too many times when I just couldn't take the writing seriously, and I found it distracting from the overall storyline.

"I took a shower, hoping to wash away the past twenty-four hours. I'd never delved into such spirituality before, but this tilted cubicle became my temple, a place of peace with healing waters of absolution."

Besides that interesting depiction of taking a shower (among other similar paragraphs), I found this to be a fresh take on YA paranormal that defeats most existing stereotypes of the genre.

ARC received from Kensington Teen via Twitter giveaway; no other compensation was received.

[Violette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Via Goodreads, I received an opportunity to read an advance copy of "Living Violet." I was really interested in the plot and the book drew me in from the start. While I thought the premise was original (as original as you can be in the ever-growing paranormal YA genre), there were a few issues that I had which made this a 3.5 (or 4, since you can't have half ratings) read for me.

Let me begin by saying I totally hate this cover. I hate HATE that Caleb is pictured because well...I don't find this cover boy cute at all and it totally threw me off when reading the book since I was just picturing THAT dude as Caleb instead of some imagined hottie, and it made the plot a little unbelievable. Since I know that authors rarely even have a say in what their covers look like, I'm not going to detract any stars for this point. It's a personal pet peeve and I wanted to mention it because it made the book a little harder for me to read.

When I did finally get into the book, one thing I really enjoyed was Jaime Reed's writing style. It was really easygoing and fun and Samara was a character who really bounced off the pages. She was realistic, and realistic is good. I also really appreciated that she wasn't a "Bella Swan" - meek and quiet and far too subtle for my tastes. While I can see where Sam would come off as being a little annoying, I really think that in this case, there was enough sass without it coming across as forced or bratty.

Another thing that really made the book for me was the actual premise. I liked the supernatural beings featured, and I really liked Reed's explanations of how they work. The supporting characters in the book really helped move and shape the story and I really enjoyed getting to know them all.

Now, the one thing that I did NOT like (and I kinda mentioned above) was Caleb. Again, maybe this was because of my cover bias but he just DID NOT come off to me like the likeable, tempting guy that Samara is into. At the beginning, he comes off a little skeevy and really, does not make up for it for the rest of the book. He just did not work for me as the male lead, and do sorta wish he had been written differently.

Overall, I decided to rate the book up to 4 stars because I did enjoy reading it, issues aside. I also am curious to read the 2nd book in the series, because it seems like it would focus more on Samara than on Caleb and Samara's relationship. I'd recommend this book to all fans of paranormal YA.

[Currer Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was thoroughly surprised by this book and I am tremendously glad that I liked it seeing as I am also a black female writer from Vriginia. This book was a very quick read (or maybe I just saw it that way because I really enjoyed reading it and wouldn't put it down) with very likable characters and a very interesting plot. This bok is very YA with our protagonist Samara Marshall being a spoiled inly child with a sarcastic edge to cover up her lack of emotional confidence seeing as saying the words 'I love you' is a very hard thing for her to do. I like how normal this book feels, how the characters are full and there isn't a gaggle of sock puppets, just friends who are comfortably carrying on their own stories yet fit pefectly in the plot.
This book had me laughing at quite a few scenes with unexpected twists and protagonist whose dialogue is actually funny opposed to over dramatic and flowery. Samara is a confident girl who has found her own voice that is both funny and rational yet she does have her moments of weakness where she on wishes to have her normal life back. (Completely understandable after what happens to this chick!) The romance is real, actually unfolding in a refreshing way that most YA novels forsake these days. Caleb is a sturdy male character who is hot and smart and into Euro-electronic (totally hot!), yet he is also primal and dark making the reader feel that at any moment he would reach out and attack- ans you want hi, to take every last drop of you. I strongly recommend this book to girl of all races because Samara is strong and a good role model for girls who believe that the world doesn't have to hurt you without you hurting bcak, but also for black girls who want to see someone of their complexion running through the woods like delicious heroine of horror. I'm glad this book is out there and I hope that more books with black heroines find their way into stardom. I would definatley check them out but I am a book snob so they'll have to hit me in the first paragraph (yes that's how bad I am!).
The only problem that I have with this book is the same problem that I have with all YA book, I wish that there was a little bit more of a back story, letting us see these two characters berfore they got into each other's orbit. Thats's all. Really. And if that's the only complaint a book gets out of me then it is definately something to check out. This is definately a must read.

[CJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is really likeable book. I liked the characters, the plot, the easy writing style, and the flow of the story. I wanted to know what would happen next, there was great snappy dialogue between characters, and just enough mystery and romance to balance each other out. For a paranormal YA book a couple of things really stood out. The main character, Samara (Sam), has loving parents, who care about her, and friends who are nice (this isn't that normal in YA), and let's not forget she is biracial. Sure Sam has issues (don't we all?), but she doesn't let these get her down, she gets on with life and works with them. Sam is a great lead character, who is realistic and well developed. But the main thing that stands out about this for a paranormal YA romance is that the two leads, Sam and Caleb, know each other, build a friendship, before they get together. It was sweet (but not in a sickly sweet way). There is a nice amount of tension, between Sam and Caleb, enough for you to want them to get together, but there is no major hostilely, just witty barbs, which is refreshing.

The paranormal part of Caleb was intriguing, without giving away what he is/has, all I will say is I have read other YA characters with this power/condition, but none where the character isn't off having sex with anything that moves, and the male lead thinking this is ok. In this case Caleb isn't. That makes this a nice change, and also a YA that can actually be read by anyone. That's not to say that Caleb is a saint, he is far from it, he is witty, sly and sexy.

All the characters in this book are well developed and interesting, even the secondary characters in this book are written well. They have substance rather than just being another bit of the book. There are other clever parts of this book, like the fact they work in a book shop, and clever little digs are made about people thinking a character in a book is sexy and then `falling in love' people who are not real. Added to all this is an ending that surprised me. Yep, I like them. This book does have an end, but you also know where the next one is likely to go. Read it, you will not be disappointed.
Will I read it again? Yes

[Truly Bookish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read lots of paranormal books and while I love them, I'm always looking for something different to shake up my reading routine. I was very pleasantly surprised and rewarded by Living Violet because there is nothing cookie cutter about this book. There is no high school angst, no love triangle and absolutely no insta-love. Living Violet is original, well paced and a completely enjoyable read.

I'm a character driven reader and Samara is an awesome main character. The book is told from her perspective and she is very likable. Jamie Reed writes relationships well and I love how she portrays Samara’s relationships with her parents and friends. Samara is a smart, responsible, take-no-nonsense kind of girl and her personality stays true throughout the book.

By far, my favorite part of the book is Samara’s voice. She is witty, funny and sarcastic. Samara is the kind of girl I would want to be friends with, and as a matter of fact, her honest (and humorous) outlook on life’s situations reminds me of some of my own friends.

I also love how Caleb’s character is developed. We are not sure about Caleb at first. We know there is something different about him but we don’t know if he is a good or bad guy. I love the unique paranormal elements of the story and the big reveal was worth the wait. I don’t think I have read another YA book about this subject before.

Living Violet exceeded my expectations and with its diverse and interesting cast of characters, it’s the perfect book to kick-off the Multi-Cultural Book Challenge. I raced through this book and I am dying for the sequel, Burning Emerald, which comes out in May.

On a side note: I love that the author is lighthearted enough to poke a little fun at the YA paranormal romance genre with the Specter (a fictional novel mentioned in the book) references. There are more than a few lines in this book that made me laugh out loud, in a really good way.

Content: Some profanity, sexual discussions, attempted rape, kissing and violence.

[Sasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Living Violet is a fresh, interesting take on the whole “girl meets supernatural boy who can kill her, and yet they fall in love” YA storyline that seems to be in vogue at the moment. There’s no head-over-heels moment for the two protagonists, Sam and Caleb; it’s a constant struggle, against their better judgment and their own instincts, and this is ultimately what draws them closer to each other.

I liked Living Violet for several reasons. One, the snappy dialogue kept me entertained. I really liked the main character, Sam, and her witty narrative. I also really liked the characterization between Sam and her love interest, Caleb. They’re some of the more realistic YA characters I’ve read about. These two aren’t good looking. Sam often has self-image issues. And the mysterious supernatural love interest isn’t traffic-stopping handsome, either. Caleb, Sam observes several times throughout the book, is good-looking, especially with his brilliant violet eyes, but not enough to warrant the ridiculous amount of female attention he receives. As I was reading this, all I could think was, thank goodness! Finally, a book where not every single supernatural creature is some sort of otherworldly, gorgeous model-type.

The supernatural entity that Caleb happens to be (I won’t spoil it, but it’s pretty interesting) is described in a way that makes it unique to the mythology of the book. The “Big Bad” was the perfect combination of freaky and sympathetic, which made him all the more compelling an antagonist. It really seemed like nothing – or no one – would be able to stop him.

The pacing in this book was well-executed and kept me on my toes. The twist at the end caught me off guard (in a good way), and it establishes the path to a sequel quite nicely. Overall, I found Living Violet to be a great debut for Jaime Reed, and I am looking forward to reading the sequel, Burning Emerald.

[L.V. Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

So yeah, I've been looking for a good YA featuring a protag of color and Living Violet (The Cambion Chronicles, #1) definitely fit the bill. Samara (love, love, love that name btw), is a bi-racial girl who finds herself drawn to a violet-eyed white boy named Caleb, whom she categorizes as weird despite his ability to attract women who respond to him like bitches in heat. After she witnesses first-hand his lethal attraction which sends one such woman to the hospital, Samara, or Sam as she prefers to be called (why she wants to shorten such a beautiful name is beyond me, but hey), is determined to find out why a string of women are succumbing to heart attacks and strokes after locking lips with Mr. Too-Cool-For-School Caleb Baker. I found myself laughing hysterically at Samara's snark, and ditto for Caleb and Nadine. As the reader follows Samara on her quest to figure out Caleb's secret, they get to experience a girl who's been cautioned about boys all her life by a mother who had a child as a teenager, fall in love for the first time. I love how Jaime Reed performed this feat effortlessly, not rushing it, making Samara a bumbling idiot, or sacrificing her principles to do so.

Despite a few typos that were left undetected by the editing team, this was a perfect beginning for a paranormal YA romance with a main character as a young woman of color. These were so inconsequential it did not deter me from giving the story five stars, because it is just that good. I defy you to read it and find anything wrong with it. I don't think you will do anything except laugh your head off at some of the best one-liners I've heard in a long time. I'm going to buy the other two books because I'm convinced this series is a definite keeper.

Jaime Reed is queen of African American paranormal. I've found my fave author in this genre now!

[Akoss · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a while since I've read a book so fast, but also it's been a while since I read a good YA paranormal romance.
I fell in love with the characters in this book. Each one of them stood out even competing a bit with the main characters for a spot in my heart. Samara is fun, sarcastic, and oh so often realistic in her views and opinions of the world around her. I'm glad the entire story was told from her POV. I wasn't so much into Caleb at first but he kind of sort of redeemed himself a little. Mia and Doug are my favorite mayhem couple. I had a few chuckles while reading passages about them. All the other characters from the people working at the bookstore to Nadine's mother, all made memorable imprints in my mind. I hope to see most of them back in book 2.
Now onto the story itself. Don't let the slightly slow start discourage you from finishing. Halfway through the book I remembered thinking "this is just like any other paranormal romance out there. Where is my OMG twist of events?" Well let me tell you the twist FINALLY came and boy was it good. I'm still grinning thinking about it. I seriously hope book 2 is going to start off with some sort of bang because book 1 left me wanting more.
Jaime Reed's supernatural concept might seem like a deja vu but trust me she was able to make it her own and I can't tell you how because that would be major spoiler. If you have the chance or opportunity, buy a copy of pick up one at your local library. This was in the end one satisfying read. :)

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book immediately after reading The Goddess Test and there were many things that were similar to me.

This is a story about a girl named Sam who works in a bookstore with a girl named Nadine. Also working at the bookstore is a boy named Caleb, who Sam thinks is weird but yet, she finds him intriguing-especially because of his violet eyes.

One day Sam and Caleb have a small chat at work and out of nowhere Caleb kisses her. And this begins their 'hot and cold' relationship.

There are some women around town that have been either dying or hospitalized because of heart attacks and then there is Caleb, whom Sam thinks is acting strange.

Sam soon learns some secrets about Caleb and her friend Nadine and after that nothing is the same for her.

There is intrigue, mystery, who-dun-it and of course romance in this book also. The same elements that were in The Goddess Test.

I thought that the story was well written and the characters were well done, but the whole 'thing' that was going on, the paranormal aspect, I wasn't too excited about. It was very interesting, but I don't know. It was just missing something for me.

I do want to add that there is a lot of pop culture in this book and the dialogue has a decent amount of slang in it. I actually found it more appealing to me, but years down the road I am not sure how that will affect the story.

Not a bad book and I am sure it will end up being a favorite of many people this year.

[African Americans on the Move Book Club · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't ordinarily care for this type of book but i was in for a treat. A story set in a small town in Virginia opens up with teenager samara observing her friends argue. Typical behavior among teens and nothing that samara (Sam for short) hasn't witnessed between the two love birds before. What none of them realize is that this year is going to be different. Different than any year they've ever had while living in a tourist town. While working in a bookstore, Sam notices a guy named Caleb. The two strangest things she notices about him is the fact that women seem to swoon over him and his eyes are violet. Caleb becomes interested in Sam because she is not affected by the charismatic pull he has on the other women he comes into contact with. Weird things start to happen. Women having strange spell leaving them on the brink of death. Sam notices that Caleb has had contact with these women before these episodes. When she confronts him, she learns that what she knows and believes will be put to the test. Although she is becoming more intrigued by Caleb, she learns that he is not who he says he is. Everything that she has been taught will be questioned by her. Does she want to know the truth? Will she be able to handle it when she learns it? I think the reader will be interested from the beginning to the end. I hope that anyone reading this book will enjoy it as much as I did.

Zandra Barnes
AAMBC Reviewer