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Imagine discovering that your boyfriend was out to kill you—and that the annoying boy from school was your guardian angel.

Rae Davenport has already lost her mother. The only thing keeping her sane is her new boyfriend, Andrei—that is, until she finds out that he wants to kill her. Andrei is a devil, and he wants to use Rae as a sacrifice to get back into Heaven. The only one who can save her is Logan, her guardian angel. He’s only annoyed her in the past, but now he will be her savior.

376 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 15, 2011

3 people are currently reading
176 people want to read

About the author

Brea Essex

10 books29 followers
Official Bio

Brea Essex was born in Gilroy, California, called the “Garlic Capital of the World”. She graduated college with a degree in Medical Assisting. She lives near San Jose, CA with her husband, their dog and three cats, and enough books to start a library.

Un-official bio

I’ve been telling stories since I could talk. I was ten when I decided I wanted to be an author. I moved around a lot as a child, living all over Northern California, and also a brief stay in Montana. Growing up, my father always told me that I would be a good lawyer because I liked to argue. I didn’t exactly like the idea of being in a courtroom all the time, so naturally I chose another path.

I graduated from college with a degree in Medical Assisting. I decided eventually that a medical career wasn’t for me after all, and began writing my first YA novel, Foreshadow, in 2009, inspired by my favorite city of the multitude I’ve lived in, Capitola, California.

I currently live near San Jose, California, where I’m working on my next book.

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5 stars
25 (31%)
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20 (25%)
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17 (21%)
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11 (13%)
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7 (8%)
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
Profile Image for P.A. Warren.
Author 7 books69 followers
August 23, 2013
-Possible Spoilers-
This I believe is Brea Essex's first book.Dont quote me on that though.Loved it.Could not put it down.I loved the characters Rae and Logan.I wish I had known more of their backstory a bit more though..I guess I wanted to know more at first about why she didnt like Logan at first other then his arrogance.I would have liked a bit more fun in the book with the two of them but since this is book 1 im hoping there might be more of that in book two...mainly not wanting the book to end.All in All a great read..it sucks you in and takes you on an adventure that you dont want to end.While reading the book it goes back and forth between characters in the chapters and unlike some books that can be confusing this is not.Excellent Work Brea Essex!This is a must read!
Profile Image for Blakely.
Author 10 books54 followers
February 17, 2021
Okay, I have a few peeves. The first thing that stood out was the characters’ names: Raena (MC), Tanis (foster sister), Andrei (psycho stalker), Genevra (foster mom), Cady (a friend), Nuada (the cat). Even simple names had odd spelling twists. A rule of thumb: it’s okay to funk out with a name or two, but try to tame the rest or readers get confused. Genevra's name was a constant mind-slipper. And Rae's cat? I mentally renamed her Fluffball The Oracle.

(BEWARE, SPOILERS)

I am also not a fan of the POV shifts. Every so often I would end up in Logan’s head. Turns out, not much in there. Even after he sprouted wings and realized that he could fly, there were no real revelations. He didn’t even panic. Most teens would totally flip out and wonder if they accidentally ingested PCP. But not Logan. The shift was the perfect opportunity to give him that touch of realism/boy-next-door quality, to let us see inside of his heart. But nothing was offered that we hadn’t learned through Rae first.

And Rae’s choices in actions were odd for a teenage girl. Rae is being stalked by guy A, so she just runs off to a neighboring city with guy B (who she doesn’t really know all that well) to hide out? And her foster parents think this is appropriate while they are holed up in a local hotel with Fluffy McPain-In-The-Ass? And boy B’s parents are fine with him charging expensive hotel rooms, room service, and shopping sprees to their credit cards, all in the name of helping a cute girl he hated last week? It pushes the bounds of believability. Had the timeframe been a few months as opposed to a few days, that would have helped.

But please don’t think that I’m upset or let down by Foreshadow. Though a few things peeved me, I was still very drawn to the character of Rae. I wanted to see her happy. Essex captures the essence of this young girl and her world effortlessly. And I love that Rae is not easily pushed around by Andrei. She doesn’t stand for being bullied, and she definitely thinks for herself. These are fabulous qualities that more YA heroines need.

However, Foreshadow’s downfall -for me- was the “good boy” to “bad boy” face time ratio.

“Good boy” lovers, this book’s for you.

Logan is super good. Crazy, wamalamadingdong good, in fact. Ex: helps wrap a present, carries Rae’s books EVERY DAY at school from class to class, is emotionally there for her while she deals with Andrei the stalker, talks to her in the middle of the night when he should be sleeping, just to name a few. But I am absolutely a “bad boy” supporter. I don’t really want said "bad boy" to win, but I want to get to know him throughout the book. Andrei was the force behind Rae’s actions, though readers never really get to see more than a few snippets until the last part of the book. What are his motives for stalking Rae? Why does he want her so badly? Nothing comes to light until the last third of the book. That’s too long pining for another glimpse of Andrei, who was super cute and had an accent. Instead of POV shifts to Logan, Essex should have used Andrei the entire time. It would have made perfect sense, and it would have appeased that terrible yearning to walk on the wild side while rooting for good to prevail.

WHAT THIS BOOK HAS:
-A realistic heroine
-An interesting plot
-Heart

WHAT THIS BOOK NEEDS:
-To delve into the deep end of the dark side sooner. Good turns sour when there isn’t enough evil to keep it sweet.

In the end, I deducted stars because I wanted more of Essex's well-written antihero.
3,415 reviews24 followers
December 1, 2013
Setting: hospital and house in Las Vegas; house, school, beach, pier, coffee shop, park at Capitola, CA; pricey Fairmont hotel in San Jose; Shadow Imperium - home of the devils – portal under pier;

Theme:
Fighting to not be a Pawn for another; finding own power; finding the true heart;

Characters:
Raena ‘Rae’ Davenport: 16 years old; mother dies of cancer; she is taken in by ex-neighbors who already have one foster teen daughter – but requires that she move to California;

Genevra and Shane Deville: her foster parents; they are quite sure what to make of her independent spirit, but are determined to do their best;

Tanis / Cadence Nicholls and Tristan Emerson: her foster sister, and two friends made in school… though she maintains a bit of an emotional distance from them;

Logan Conner: nephilium, son of a Watcher, fallen angel and human female; part angel; a divine creature created with a diving purpose – to save Raena – though he doesn’t know this until Rae is in trouble; they have all classes together, and he finds himself teasing her, pissing her off… until he realizes he’s being juvenile, and he likes her – spurned by her dating Andrei; a good son;

Nuada: names means protection; cat she found on her mother’s doorstep; cats hisses when Andrei comes around;

Andrei: a devil, who plans to manipulate Rae into helping him get into heaven… he must have her agreement, and tries to woo her first – charmingly meeting her at the coffee shop, and taking her out to a nice restaurant – and then the next day to the beach… but when he shows his impatience with her, she starts to turn away from him…. He threatens her family, finds her in her dreams, and kidnaps her, taking her to the imperium until she gives into him;

Summary:
Logan and Rae are special, angelic backgrounds… and join together to counter Andrei, and to learn what they are… she gets taken into the imperium… and Logan rescues her, finding her via dreams… and rescues her, defeating Andrei… ahhh

Memorable scenes:
“… help but feel like something huge loomed on the horizon. I had gotten the same feeling when m mother had come out of remission…”


This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Sara Elizabeth.
Author 4 books3 followers
August 4, 2012
This book had me at “angels”. Ever since I read Hush, Hush, I've been addicted to angel series. This novel is written in two point of views, the first being Rae Davenport. She is a teenager, who in the beginning of the story, loses her mother to cancer. Rae is heartbroken by this, and she finds herself living with her mom's best friends and their foster child. Everyone gets along just fine, but Rae is still coping with the loss of her mother. One day she meets a boy named Andrei who works at the local coffee shop. Despite being forward and asking her out the very same day they meet, he appears genuine and sweet. Meanwhile, at school Rae is dealing with her irritation towards a boy in class, named Logan. At points in the story, it is told from Logan's POV. I felt this brought a wonderful balance to the novel, and I really enjoyed it.
Everything seems to be going great, however, Rae has been having nightmares filled with fog and being rescued by a light. One day when Rae doesn't answer her phone at school, a new side of Andrei comes to surface. This side is controlling and hateful --- he was furious she didn't answer her phone, gripping her wrist so tightly he leaves bruises.
There is a sense of suspense and mystery to the book. I thought I had it all figured out, but then there was another twist and turn. The only thing that I wish had been explained in further detail were Logan's emotions at the discovery of his powers. It seemed he merely accepted them, when I'd imagine anyone else would be traumatized. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this story. Way more than I enjoyed Fallen by Lauren Kate, that's for sure!
The characters were perfect as was their development. This is a wonderfully written story and I couldn't get enough of it. I can't wait to read the second one in the series!
Profile Image for Alexis Villery.
225 reviews11 followers
October 16, 2012
After her mother's death, Rae moves in with her foster family. Soon she meets and goes on a date with Andrei. When he begins to act possessive she tries to get out of the relationship. To her dismay, Andrei will not leave her alone. Logan, a classmate who usually teases and annoys her becomes her shoulder to lean on as they try to get away from Andrei.

I honestly write this review with a heavy heart. I started off intrigued and it really let me down as the story went along. My biggest problem with Foreshadow is the description and the summary that I gave is the gist of the story. I might have actually given some things away. It lacked development. The conversations between the characters were one dimensional and felt contrived and unreal, the conflict became too dramatic too soon and without any real reason, and the resolution was unsatisfactory. So many things just didn't ring true. I just can't believe that a relationship starts after two dates within two days where neither one states the status of the relationship. I also find it hard to believe that one would need time to get over such a relationship when it ends the next day (or a couple days afterward). Or that one wouldn't blink when their body is capable of doing really strange things. I also believe that a person doesn't run screaming from a birthday party when they receive a text message from a person inquiring about their location. I understand where the story was supposed to go and what the reader was supposed to feel but the development just didn't get me there. Lastly, the conversations between characters just seemed like filler that neither added to the plot or the characters development. This one just didn't work for me.
Profile Image for Cass.
53 reviews
December 30, 2011
I had the privilege and pleasure getting an ARC (advanced readers copy) of Foreshadow some months ago and I can't wait to re-read Foreshadow with it's GORGEOUS cover and final edits!
Review:
You can't help but feel for Raena as you discover she tragically lost her mom and is thrown into a ready made family who isn't all that great at helping her adjust to her new life. Thank God for her constant companion Nuada, her cat, the one thing she has left of her mom. Logan is a hottie, but a pain in her side, with his unstopping jokes and jabs. Enter mega hottie Andrei. He is perfect and interested in her!
Okay so that's my mini synopsis, here's my ARC review; Some of the story may have changed as I read it before final edits were made, but I couldn't help falling in love with this story. Brea gives just the right amount of descriptive writing, I can't stand it when an author goes into to much detail! She makes you picture and drool over Andrei and be charmed by Logan and all his smokin' hotness. You empathize with Raena and find yourself tensed up waiting to see what happens on the next page.
You won't be disappointed in Foreshadow, I can't wait to read my new e-book copy!
Profile Image for Erin Danzer.
Author 19 books44 followers
January 17, 2012
This was an amazing way to start off my reading list of 2012. I LOVED this book!

There are so many aspects of this book that appealed to me. The way Logan goes from the annoying guy in all of Rae's classes to the one person who can save her from a fate worse than death (because I think what could happen to her would be a lot worse than dying). Even the bad guy had what he thought was a good motive for doing what he was doing, though I was a little surprised by his anger issues so early in the "relationship".

The characters were well defined and spoke to me as real people. I understood Rae's pain at losing her mother, Tanis's snottiness, and Genevra and Shane's love for her. Every character served their purpose beautifully.

I've only read a few angel books and there a lot more out there that I can't wait to read. I found FORESHADOW to be a refreshing take on an older than time theme, despite how much it follows traditional thinking on the matter. I can't wait to see what happens in the rest of the trilogy. This was a great novel by a great debut author! I highly recommend it to anyone who loves to read!
Profile Image for Blackravens Reviews.
571 reviews21 followers
April 15, 2013
Brea Essex has penned an amazing book with genuine characters who are full of life. The action is fast-paced, the danger is imminent, the dialogue is crisp, the setting is captivating, and the plot is intriguing. Although Foreshadow is 376 pages, I read it in one sitting because of Ms. Essex’s ability to draw the reader into her compelling story of good versus evil, which is a testament to her wonderful writing skills. I was engrossed from page one and couldn’t wait to find out what happens next. If you’re looking for a young adult, paranormal story that encompasses a sweet romance and will entertain your teenager, then look no further. Foreshadow and The Shadow Imperium series by Brea Essex are definitely what you need to pick up. I’d highly recommend this book to my friends and young adults who are between the ages of 13 and up. Read More...
Profile Image for Carien.
1,291 reviews31 followers
February 1, 2012
This is an entertaining story.

There are a lot of things happening that I found rather unbelievable (yes, even for a paranormal story), but that put aside this is an enjoyable and fast paced read.

There's some cool intrigue, lots of action and a bit of romance. The writing is decent enough and the world building interesting. I think this story would have worked better if it had been longer and certain scenes/events would have been given more room, but that could just be my opinion.

The ending was very abrupt and kind of baffled me. I suppose the ending is to make people more eager to read book 2, but it just left me feeling frustrated.

I'm not sure if I will read the next book in this series. This first book was nice and had promise, so I might pick up the next book to see how this series developes from here.
Profile Image for Radiant.
1,179 reviews30 followers
October 16, 2012
Raena is coping from her mothers death.She moves in with her guardian's house away from all the memories of mother.Starting new was OK..and so is school but for Logan's annoying looks and comments..she doesn't get him and he irritates her more and more.

But what actually matters is the visions/dreams she gets in which darkness takes over her..whats happening to her?Is she dreaming or is it real..?

When she gets on a date with Andrei,who she meets at a coffee shop..she doesn't think he will stalk and wants to kill her,and Logan turns into her protector and she starts falling in love with him.

Apparently Andrei is devil and Logan is her guardian angel who has to save her.Can Logan save Rae before its too late?

Overall a nice read..could have been better but nice indeed.

Sri.
6 reviews
January 29, 2012
Reasons to read this book: The excitement and romance are palpable.

Who should read this book: Everyone, but especially fans of books like Twilight, The Immortals series by Alyson Noel, or Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick.

What makes this book different from all of those: The love interest, Logan. The guy doesn’t even know he’s an angel until halfway through the book. He’s not super angsty, and he doesn’t want to kill her (before he decides he loves her of course.) Logan just falls in love and wants to protect Rae with all his heart.
Profile Image for K.B. Miller.
Author 18 books311 followers
January 20, 2012
My Review~I have to say that Raena stole my heart from page one! The writing was superbly done. There was just enough desciption to let my imagination do the rest. I was cried and laughed and yes a time or two held my breath until the next page in anticipation of the coming events! I loved it! I can't wait for the next book in the series! Brea, if you need a beta reader for book 2, send it my way:)
5 Stars *****

Make sure that you get your copy today!
Profile Image for Tamar.
Author 39 books126 followers
January 4, 2012
Foreshadow is a captivating read that you just can't put down until you get to the end. It is clear that Essex has a very vivid imagination and clear vision for the trilogy. I really enjoyed the characters and felt that the main character was very relate-able. Overall, a great read that will leave you wanting for more.
Profile Image for Ruth Hartman.
Author 56 books203 followers
April 22, 2012
I read Foreshadow very quickly. What started out as a teenage romance, turned into a girl and her true love on the run from a killer. The story escallates, taking you on a ride you won't believe. Her dreams become her frightening reality, as the killer tries to overpower her. If you like paranormal fiction that's full of surprises, get this book!
Profile Image for ParaYourNormal.
51 reviews25 followers
June 13, 2012
Review by Gabryyl Pierce
4 of 5 stars


Overall the story is intriguing, the characters interesting and the plot works fairly well, though the ending feels a bit rushed. Definitely an enjoyable YA read.

Read the entire review at ParaYourNormal
Profile Image for Shianan.
10 reviews6 followers
December 9, 2011
I helped review the galleys of this book, so I'm ethically and morally bound to keep my thoughts on this book to myself until its released.
36 reviews
May 5, 2012
With out a doubt, worst book I have ever read! It gets one star because zero is not an option.
Profile Image for Bonnie Burcham.
19 reviews2 followers
October 26, 2018
I got 26 pages in before I had to stop. If you look at my reading history I rate most things as 5 star but the writing on this was not very good. I’m sorry to say that, but it was rushed there were a lot of small details that didn’t need to be there but no scene building. We don’t know what her surroundings look like or what the people around her look like.

The whole Genevra flying to get her but she leaves, flies out and makes it to the house in a few paragraphs seems really short. The MC goes from “I don’t want to talk to you social worker” to waxing sentimental to her with no change in relationship. Seems like inconsistent characterization.

Also, if she’s young enough to need a social worker why were her guardians not there while her mom was sick? Doesn’t sound like good friends to me.
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