What do you think?
Rate this book
Luminescence #1
Luminescence
Brianna Morgan’s life hasn’t always been a walk in the park. Losing both parents in a tragic car accident was not easy to deal with for a seventeen-year-old. But she’s adjusted well considering, that is until a new guy at school stirs things up.
Gavin Mason is wickedly hot, and his stormy sapphire eyes are shrouded with mystery and secrets. Brianna is drawn to him, but he isn’t the guy who captivates her. Lukas Devine looks like the boy next door and it’s his sunny face that heats up her unusual dreams.
Brianna never felt normal. But when Gavin reveals things that could change her world forever, opening her eyes to impossibilities, Brianna is forced to face her destiny. Will she embrace what is hers by birthright?
Gavin Mason is wickedly hot, and his stormy sapphire eyes are shrouded with mystery and secrets. Brianna is drawn to him, but he isn’t the guy who captivates her. Lukas Devine looks like the boy next door and it’s his sunny face that heats up her unusual dreams.
Brianna never felt normal. But when Gavin reveals things that could change her world forever, opening her eyes to impossibilities, Brianna is forced to face her destiny. Will she embrace what is hers by birthright?
214 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 20, 2012
782 people are currently reading
1501 people want to read
About the author
J.L. Weil
100 books1,713 followersUSA TODAY Bestselling author J.L. Weil lives in Illinois where she writes Teen & New Adult Paranormal Romances about spunky, smart mouth girls who always wind up in dire situations. For every sassy girl, there is an equally mouthwatering, overprotective guy. Of course, there is lots of kissing. And stuff.
An admitted addict to Love Pink clothes, raspberry mochas from Starbucks, and Jensen Ackles. She loves gushing about books and Supernatural with her readers.
She is the author of the International Bestselling Raven & Divisa series.
www.jlweil.com
An admitted addict to Love Pink clothes, raspberry mochas from Starbucks, and Jensen Ackles. She loves gushing about books and Supernatural with her readers.
She is the author of the International Bestselling Raven & Divisa series.
www.jlweil.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
February 24, 2020
Entertaining
I'm sure Brianna wasn't expecting what she's learning but witches are a surprise to her. This was a good start.
I'm sure Brianna wasn't expecting what she's learning but witches are a surprise to her. This was a good start.
August 16, 2012
Beneath the Moon and Stars review
This wasn't what I was expecting at all. It reminded me a lot of Twilight but witches instead of vampires. Once I got into it I never wanted to put it down. The storyline was great and I loved the characters. It left me wanting more. I can't wait for the sequel.
I really liked Brianna. I liked how accepting she was. She didn't give anything a second thought, she just went with it. Of course when it came to herself she didn't handle it as well. I still thought she was easy to relate too. I'm glad by the end she accepted who she was and really came into herself. I loved Gavin. He's not really the type of guy I normally like. He's the bad boy. Even though he was the bad boy, he was still pretty sweet. He had a good personality. His family was what reminded me of Twilight. I liked his family a lot. I like how they all played their own little part. I didn't really understand Lukas. I felt like he should have played a bigger part. I have a feeling that will come up later in the series. I also have a feeling I wont like him very much because he could cause a love triangle.
This was very hard to put down. It wasn't incredibly fast paced but it didn't bore me. I loved all the magic. I felt like the author put a lot of creativity into the magical aspect of the story. One thing that could use a little work was, there was a few spelling and grammar errors. It could use a good look through. Other than that I really enjoyed this. Everything seemed very well done. I'm excited to see where this story is going to go and I highly recommend.
This wasn't what I was expecting at all. It reminded me a lot of Twilight but witches instead of vampires. Once I got into it I never wanted to put it down. The storyline was great and I loved the characters. It left me wanting more. I can't wait for the sequel.
I really liked Brianna. I liked how accepting she was. She didn't give anything a second thought, she just went with it. Of course when it came to herself she didn't handle it as well. I still thought she was easy to relate too. I'm glad by the end she accepted who she was and really came into herself. I loved Gavin. He's not really the type of guy I normally like. He's the bad boy. Even though he was the bad boy, he was still pretty sweet. He had a good personality. His family was what reminded me of Twilight. I liked his family a lot. I like how they all played their own little part. I didn't really understand Lukas. I felt like he should have played a bigger part. I have a feeling that will come up later in the series. I also have a feeling I wont like him very much because he could cause a love triangle.
This was very hard to put down. It wasn't incredibly fast paced but it didn't bore me. I loved all the magic. I felt like the author put a lot of creativity into the magical aspect of the story. One thing that could use a little work was, there was a few spelling and grammar errors. It could use a good look through. Other than that I really enjoyed this. Everything seemed very well done. I'm excited to see where this story is going to go and I highly recommend.
December 5, 2019
It is blatantly obvious that the inspiration for this book was Twilight.
That is not a reason why I decided to stop reading this at a 42% mark.
The reason is - this book is bad.
Maybe if I was 12 yo. No, my 12 yo self was a high brow reader..maybe 15 yo that was a perfect time for all the cliches...
It reminds me of Fallen and
Unearthly so maybe if you loved those books you will enjoy this one too...
That is not a reason why I decided to stop reading this at a 42% mark.
The reason is - this book is bad.
Maybe if I was 12 yo. No, my 12 yo self was a high brow reader..maybe 15 yo that was a perfect time for all the cliches...
It reminds me of Fallen and
Unearthly so maybe if you loved those books you will enjoy this one too...
June 29, 2014
This book just made me cringe.
A lot.
It seems like the author was following the typical YA supernatural model - as proven with the awful stereotypes and plot devices that never fail to rear their ugly heads within this genre.
Firstly, it was ridiculously clichéd. Sickeningly so. The book begins with this protagonist, Brianna, who is an unpopular, "socially awkward" high school girl who captures the attention of a hot new guy. Because this happens in real life? Ever?
If I was Gavin, I wouldn't give her the time of day. Brianna has a horrible superiority complex and is pretty rude to anyone who isn't within her immediate circle or exactly like her. As shown when she talks to a fellow student in her workplace, judging her for not being intelligent and attending homecoming.
I mean, OF COURSE homecoming is not Brianna's thing. Of course her parents died in another damn car crash. Of course her best friend is a overly camp gay guy*.
*sighs heavily*
If you value good writing, you won't read this book. Not only was it horribly flawed plot-and-character wise, it was also pretty badly written in the grammatical sense. In the nicest way, I think this was an attempt at writing teen fiction using twilight as on of the only inspirational sources.
I really had to struggle through this book.
I didn't finish.
*fyi, I have no problem with overly camp gay guys. Being on the lgbtqia+ spectrum myself, I wouldn't dream of discriminating a brother in such a petty fashion.
The problem arises, however, when the only purpose of the overly camp gay best friend is to be an overly camp gay guy. This friend, like many others of the same identity, doesn't really have a personality outside of his gayness. I can't even count on two fingers how many books I've read with anything other than cisgender gay males as representatives of the LGBTQIA++ spectrum in YA fiction.
And GOD FORBID a queer female ever feature in a book such as this. Oh, but if there is one, make sure she's attracted to the main female character.
*SIGHS EVEN MORE HEAVILY*
*BANGS HEAD AGAINST WALL*
Don't read this book.
A lot.
It seems like the author was following the typical YA supernatural model - as proven with the awful stereotypes and plot devices that never fail to rear their ugly heads within this genre.
Firstly, it was ridiculously clichéd. Sickeningly so. The book begins with this protagonist, Brianna, who is an unpopular, "socially awkward" high school girl who captures the attention of a hot new guy. Because this happens in real life? Ever?
If I was Gavin, I wouldn't give her the time of day. Brianna has a horrible superiority complex and is pretty rude to anyone who isn't within her immediate circle or exactly like her. As shown when she talks to a fellow student in her workplace, judging her for not being intelligent and attending homecoming.
I mean, OF COURSE homecoming is not Brianna's thing. Of course her parents died in another damn car crash. Of course her best friend is a overly camp gay guy*.
*sighs heavily*
If you value good writing, you won't read this book. Not only was it horribly flawed plot-and-character wise, it was also pretty badly written in the grammatical sense. In the nicest way, I think this was an attempt at writing teen fiction using twilight as on of the only inspirational sources.
I really had to struggle through this book.
I didn't finish.
*fyi, I have no problem with overly camp gay guys. Being on the lgbtqia+ spectrum myself, I wouldn't dream of discriminating a brother in such a petty fashion.
The problem arises, however, when the only purpose of the overly camp gay best friend is to be an overly camp gay guy. This friend, like many others of the same identity, doesn't really have a personality outside of his gayness. I can't even count on two fingers how many books I've read with anything other than cisgender gay males as representatives of the LGBTQIA++ spectrum in YA fiction.
And GOD FORBID a queer female ever feature in a book such as this. Oh, but if there is one, make sure she's attracted to the main female character.
*SIGHS EVEN MORE HEAVILY*
*BANGS HEAD AGAINST WALL*
Don't read this book.
November 5, 2012
Luminescence is a fast past fantasy romance. I Loved the character and the romance! Bri is different we find out in the begining of the book! and then you get the HOT guys! Lukas the golden hair prep! and Gavin the dark bad boy! The story was great and I really enjoyed it! All in all J.L Weil has done a great job! The cliff hanger was a killer! (which I love)! I would recommend this book to anyone! I cant wait to see where this series goes!!
July 22, 2012
super love this book! such a very well written story, and the romance was an epic! if you're a fan of a witch story this was highly recommended.i'm inlove with the smooth flow of the story and the cliff hanger was a total killer! JL Weil was brilliant for writing this one! i'm craving for more! at first i thought i'd be on Lukas side, but now i'm team Gavin all the way!
November 8, 2012
I received this book free from the author through my Goodreads book club, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. All thoughts and conclusions are my own.
Brianna is an awkward teen who doesn't really fit in at her school, but who has two good friends that she relies on - Tori and Austin. The three are inseparable until the new hot guy Gavin shows up. The feelings that Brianna has for Gavin are very strong, and she finds herself irresistably drawn to him. She feels that there is something 'off' with him, however, and when she discovers what his secret is, it completely changes her world.
I gave this book 2 stars ("it was OK"), but if I were able to give half-stars I would bump it up to 2.5 stars. There were parts of the story that were beautifully told, and very visual. And then there were gaps, and unexplained storylines that just didn't make sense, and conflicts that arose that were never completed. I don't normally take grammar/punctuation errors into account when reviewing a book, unless those errors take place so often that they are distracting...in this case, they were distracting. The misspellings were comical at times ("Now that I wasn't so enamel by his eyes..."), and at other times it took me a couple read-throughs before I could figure out what the author had intended to say (..."only to hear the quick fear of my short pants.") <-- OK, this one made me giggle, just because I pictured the character Bobby Hill (from 'King of the Hill') in his short pants. It wasn't a incorrect sentence, per se, it was just awkward. I had to read it a couple of times before I understood the idea the author wanted to convey.
In the first scene of the book, we witness Brianna coming to her friend Austin's defense as a school bully torments him. She grabs the bully's arm and leaves burnmarks. OK - that sounds promising, can't wait to find out where THIS is going. But it stops right there -- this incident is only brought up one more time in the story, and it's at the end of the book, with still no explanation given. Where was the completion of that conflict?
Brianna feels an evil ghostly presence while watching movies with Tori and Austin, and gets so freaked out that she leaves and calls Gavin to calm her down. All right -- now we've got something, I like where this is headed! And then, nothing. She asks Gavin if there are ghosts, he says yes, and then they trip off into the sunset. I really felt that this part could have been drawn out more and expanded upon to make a really creepy twist. Once again, I was left wanting.
There were a lot of 'Twilight' vibes throughout, which seems to be the measuring stick to which new stories are held to. Hot, mysterious guy picks the quirky but non-prom-queen girl...she has no self-esteem and doesn't know what he sees in her, but he can't believe she doesn't know how beautiful she is, yet he still keeps her at a distance because he doesn't want to hurt her... The storyline isn't bad, it is just expected.
I know that this is just book 1 in the series, and I hope that the answers to a lot of my questions will be revealed in the future installments. This book has promise, but it needs polish.
Brianna is an awkward teen who doesn't really fit in at her school, but who has two good friends that she relies on - Tori and Austin. The three are inseparable until the new hot guy Gavin shows up. The feelings that Brianna has for Gavin are very strong, and she finds herself irresistably drawn to him. She feels that there is something 'off' with him, however, and when she discovers what his secret is, it completely changes her world.
I gave this book 2 stars ("it was OK"), but if I were able to give half-stars I would bump it up to 2.5 stars. There were parts of the story that were beautifully told, and very visual. And then there were gaps, and unexplained storylines that just didn't make sense, and conflicts that arose that were never completed. I don't normally take grammar/punctuation errors into account when reviewing a book, unless those errors take place so often that they are distracting...in this case, they were distracting. The misspellings were comical at times ("Now that I wasn't so enamel by his eyes..."), and at other times it took me a couple read-throughs before I could figure out what the author had intended to say (..."only to hear the quick fear of my short pants.") <-- OK, this one made me giggle, just because I pictured the character Bobby Hill (from 'King of the Hill') in his short pants. It wasn't a incorrect sentence, per se, it was just awkward. I had to read it a couple of times before I understood the idea the author wanted to convey.
In the first scene of the book, we witness Brianna coming to her friend Austin's defense as a school bully torments him. She grabs the bully's arm and leaves burnmarks. OK - that sounds promising, can't wait to find out where THIS is going. But it stops right there -- this incident is only brought up one more time in the story, and it's at the end of the book, with still no explanation given. Where was the completion of that conflict?
Brianna feels an evil ghostly presence while watching movies with Tori and Austin, and gets so freaked out that she leaves and calls Gavin to calm her down. All right -- now we've got something, I like where this is headed! And then, nothing. She asks Gavin if there are ghosts, he says yes, and then they trip off into the sunset. I really felt that this part could have been drawn out more and expanded upon to make a really creepy twist. Once again, I was left wanting.
There were a lot of 'Twilight' vibes throughout, which seems to be the measuring stick to which new stories are held to. Hot, mysterious guy picks the quirky but non-prom-queen girl...she has no self-esteem and doesn't know what he sees in her, but he can't believe she doesn't know how beautiful she is, yet he still keeps her at a distance because he doesn't want to hurt her... The storyline isn't bad, it is just expected.
I know that this is just book 1 in the series, and I hope that the answers to a lot of my questions will be revealed in the future installments. This book has promise, but it needs polish.
November 10, 2012
I have given this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 Stars I think someone that likes YA PR this is a good one. :D
Yes. 3.5 Stars, i think that is fitting! And here is why :)
It was clear to me that this book is not a final draft- yet. There were quite a lot of spelling/word usage/ grammatical errors through out this book. Enough that sometimes I would get a bit confused and have to go back and re read the sentence to figure it out. Sometimes the word was just completely wrong or words were just left out of a sentence so I kind of just had to fill in the blanks.
I also saw quite a few similarities between this book and Twilight. I'm not going to say that's a bad thing (per se) because i think it's natural for authors to adopt certain ideas from other books they have read. So this is really why I gave it a 3.5, I'm just pointing it out lol.
A problem i did have with this book- I wanted to see more of the relationship between the mains character, Bri and her friends. At the beginning her anger takes over her because of how upset she is by someone mistreating her best friend Austin- yet I dont really feel them being all that close in this book. We really dont get to know those characters at all. I wish we did.
I also felt there needed to be more dialogue. Now, the dialogue started picking up near he end of the book but I would have liked to see more in the first half as well- I think it just builds the characters more.
What did I like?
The story is such a cool idea! I am so intrigued to see just how special Bri's powers are!!! I want to know what the relation between her and Morgana is! I want to know what's holding Gavin back from going all in in the relationship... And of course I want to know the deal with Lukas! Is Bri's powers more on the dark side?
I'm just really excited to found out all of those answers in the next book!
So J.L. Weil if you are reading this- thank you for providing this book- i really enjoyed it! But when does the next one come out!!!!??? :)
3.5 Stars I think someone that likes YA PR this is a good one. :D
Yes. 3.5 Stars, i think that is fitting! And here is why :)
It was clear to me that this book is not a final draft- yet. There were quite a lot of spelling/word usage/ grammatical errors through out this book. Enough that sometimes I would get a bit confused and have to go back and re read the sentence to figure it out. Sometimes the word was just completely wrong or words were just left out of a sentence so I kind of just had to fill in the blanks.
I also saw quite a few similarities between this book and Twilight. I'm not going to say that's a bad thing (per se) because i think it's natural for authors to adopt certain ideas from other books they have read. So this is really why I gave it a 3.5, I'm just pointing it out lol.
A problem i did have with this book- I wanted to see more of the relationship between the mains character, Bri and her friends. At the beginning her anger takes over her because of how upset she is by someone mistreating her best friend Austin- yet I dont really feel them being all that close in this book. We really dont get to know those characters at all. I wish we did.
I also felt there needed to be more dialogue. Now, the dialogue started picking up near he end of the book but I would have liked to see more in the first half as well- I think it just builds the characters more.
What did I like?
The story is such a cool idea! I am so intrigued to see just how special Bri's powers are!!! I want to know what the relation between her and Morgana is! I want to know what's holding Gavin back from going all in in the relationship... And of course I want to know the deal with Lukas! Is Bri's powers more on the dark side?
I'm just really excited to found out all of those answers in the next book!
So J.L. Weil if you are reading this- thank you for providing this book- i really enjoyed it! But when does the next one come out!!!!??? :)
April 24, 2018
The Good: This read was great and unique. I loved the concept and the story never lagged. It was a fun read and I loved the characters. I can't wait to get to know them better in the second book. The mysteries unfolded at just the right time and I was very intrigued.
The Sexy: I loved the concept of the guy of her dreams and the guy of her reality. Is Lukas real? I am dying to find out more sexiness in the next book. Two dreamy guys, whom to choose? The lip and eyebrow ring on Gavin is hot!
Overall: I really enjoyed the book. The book finished off with a lot of loose ends and I'm dying to get a hold of book two! I hope it's coming out soon..lol. Seriously though, it had a great story blooming. I give this fun read four stars only because of the editing. It was fabulous!
The Sexy: I loved the concept of the guy of her dreams and the guy of her reality. Is Lukas real? I am dying to find out more sexiness in the next book. Two dreamy guys, whom to choose? The lip and eyebrow ring on Gavin is hot!
Overall: I really enjoyed the book. The book finished off with a lot of loose ends and I'm dying to get a hold of book two! I hope it's coming out soon..lol. Seriously though, it had a great story blooming. I give this fun read four stars only because of the editing. It was fabulous!
September 26, 2012
The story itself was captivating and well thought out. There were unfortunately grammatical errors that were difficult to ignore and I feel they detracted from my ability to enjoy the story. With a bit more editing throughout I would have given a much higher rating because I enjoyed the characters and the premise of the story quite a bit.
May 13, 2012
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a well-written love fantasy. This fast-paced book will stop you from putting it down until it’s finished, and you’ll definitely left wanting to know what happens next.
Fantastic story!
Fantastic story!
September 11, 2012
I've been reading a lot of witch books lately. I never get tired of them. This one was no exception. Full review soon on blog.
November 17, 2012
Well, I was expecting a quick, easy read, and that was exactly what I got. There were no empty promises of originality or greatness in the summary, so I tried not to get my hopes up.
There really isn't all that much to say about Luminescence, since it truly was a quick read. Literally.
It took me, more or less, 2/2.5 hours to get through this. Not that that's a minus, since it wasn't really mind-blowing.
Brianna is a boring girl, which I expected. Small-town girl, overly modest, constantly bringing herself down. Doesn't freak out when her boyfriend tells her he's some paranormal creature, no parents. (Talking about no parents, another car crash? You'd think there were no other ways to die. Or perhaps it's a parent-thing.)
Or, as I like to call it, the Bella Swan Syndrome.
To tell the truth, it was basically Twilight re-told, but with some slight changes like the second guy, who's part of the love triangle, shows up in her dreams instead of being a wolf, and her boyfriend and his family are witches instead of vampires.
Though Jared is a shifter, which kind of means he's strong, too, which means Emmett.
Sophie can see the future, which is, obviously, Alice-y.
And Mom (I forgot her name) is sweet and loving, like Esmee.
Then there were things like 'I can't figure you out' and 'What are you?' which are so incredibly over-used and cliché.
And 'You're a natural'. This, too, I've seen used before in books like these, and it has always annoyed me. She's a fucking WITCH. Of course she's a natural, she was born like that.
And then there's the whole freak-out because she's a witch.
Witches exist? Whatever.
My boyfriend is one? Whatever.
My sister-in-law can see the future? Whatever.
My brother-in-law can turn into a dog? Whatever.
Ghosts exist? Whatever.
I'm a witch too? OH MY F-ING GAWD NO IT CAN'T BE, IT'S NOT TRUE DESPITE ALL THE PROOF, MY BF IS LYING NO WAY OMGOMGOMG
Bitch please.
And then there were all the friggin grammar and spelling mistakes.
The entire book was full of things like 'to' instead of 'too' and 'you're' instead of 'your'.
Sometimes she also wrote entire words wrong, or replaced them with an entirely different word.
Didn't J.L., or the editor, or the publisher read it before actually publishing?
If it weren't for the many mistakes and the Twilight alikeness (?), I woul've given it 3, maybe even 4 stars, but since this was the case, I sadly have to give it only 2 stars.
Oh, and what exactly did the title have to do with the book? As far as I know, it's only been used once.
There really isn't all that much to say about Luminescence, since it truly was a quick read. Literally.
It took me, more or less, 2/2.5 hours to get through this. Not that that's a minus, since it wasn't really mind-blowing.
Brianna is a boring girl, which I expected. Small-town girl, overly modest, constantly bringing herself down. Doesn't freak out when her boyfriend tells her he's some paranormal creature, no parents. (Talking about no parents, another car crash? You'd think there were no other ways to die. Or perhaps it's a parent-thing.)
Or, as I like to call it, the Bella Swan Syndrome.
To tell the truth, it was basically Twilight re-told, but with some slight changes like the second guy, who's part of the love triangle, shows up in her dreams instead of being a wolf, and her boyfriend and his family are witches instead of vampires.
Though Jared is a shifter, which kind of means he's strong, too, which means Emmett.
Sophie can see the future, which is, obviously, Alice-y.
And Mom (I forgot her name) is sweet and loving, like Esmee.
Then there were things like 'I can't figure you out' and 'What are you?' which are so incredibly over-used and cliché.
And 'You're a natural'. This, too, I've seen used before in books like these, and it has always annoyed me. She's a fucking WITCH. Of course she's a natural, she was born like that.
And then there's the whole freak-out because she's a witch.
Witches exist? Whatever.
My boyfriend is one? Whatever.
My sister-in-law can see the future? Whatever.
My brother-in-law can turn into a dog? Whatever.
Ghosts exist? Whatever.
I'm a witch too? OH MY F-ING GAWD NO IT CAN'T BE, IT'S NOT TRUE DESPITE ALL THE PROOF, MY BF IS LYING NO WAY OMGOMGOMG
Bitch please.
And then there were all the friggin grammar and spelling mistakes.
The entire book was full of things like 'to' instead of 'too' and 'you're' instead of 'your'.
Sometimes she also wrote entire words wrong, or replaced them with an entirely different word.
Didn't J.L., or the editor, or the publisher read it before actually publishing?
If it weren't for the many mistakes and the Twilight alikeness (?), I woul've given it 3, maybe even 4 stars, but since this was the case, I sadly have to give it only 2 stars.
Oh, and what exactly did the title have to do with the book? As far as I know, it's only been used once.
November 8, 2012
3.5 stars
Gavin might be dark and dreamy, but he wasn’t the guy in my dreams. Lukas Devine looks like the boy next door, and it’s his sunny face that heats up my unusual dreams, and the closer I get to Gavin, the crazier they become. Then the unexpected happens, Gavin literally freezes an object mid-air saving my ass.
Turns out Gavin’s a witch, and he’s not the only one around…
I really enjoyed this book. It started out a little slow, but once it got going, I couldn’t put it down. The plot is well developed as well as the characters. The romance was slow and felt natural, not the ‘I can’t breathe without you, even though I just met you’ kind. I also liked that even though she dreams of Lukas, you really didn’t feel the angst of a love triangle. Some authors really play up this angle ‘til it becomes the bulk of their plot, where as Weil maintains it as a subtle possibility in the background. Brianna herself passes off her feelings toward Lukas as ‘only a dream so it can't be real, can it?’.
Of course every good book has an antagonist, and this story isn’t without. The closer Brianna gets to Gavin, the more strange things start to happen to her. She also can’t shake the feeling that someone is watching her. After Gavin needs to save her life twice, she starts to wonder if this is going to be a new trend.
Unfortunately, I must address the ‘elephant in the room’ concerning this book. There are a lot of typos and grammatical errors. Normally I would try to stay away from such unedited formats, but in this case, I think it would be a huge mistake for you to walk away from Luminescence for this reason alone. Once you look past this, the story is really well worth it.
I don’t want to reveal too much, but Weil wonderfully teases you with all the possibilities of what’s to come with her cliff hanger ending. There are definitely enough mysteries left to keep you coming back for the second book. I know I will be looking forward to it.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
Gavin might be dark and dreamy, but he wasn’t the guy in my dreams. Lukas Devine looks like the boy next door, and it’s his sunny face that heats up my unusual dreams, and the closer I get to Gavin, the crazier they become. Then the unexpected happens, Gavin literally freezes an object mid-air saving my ass.
Turns out Gavin’s a witch, and he’s not the only one around…
I really enjoyed this book. It started out a little slow, but once it got going, I couldn’t put it down. The plot is well developed as well as the characters. The romance was slow and felt natural, not the ‘I can’t breathe without you, even though I just met you’ kind. I also liked that even though she dreams of Lukas, you really didn’t feel the angst of a love triangle. Some authors really play up this angle ‘til it becomes the bulk of their plot, where as Weil maintains it as a subtle possibility in the background. Brianna herself passes off her feelings toward Lukas as ‘only a dream so it can't be real, can it?’.
Of course every good book has an antagonist, and this story isn’t without. The closer Brianna gets to Gavin, the more strange things start to happen to her. She also can’t shake the feeling that someone is watching her. After Gavin needs to save her life twice, she starts to wonder if this is going to be a new trend.
Unfortunately, I must address the ‘elephant in the room’ concerning this book. There are a lot of typos and grammatical errors. Normally I would try to stay away from such unedited formats, but in this case, I think it would be a huge mistake for you to walk away from Luminescence for this reason alone. Once you look past this, the story is really well worth it.
I don’t want to reveal too much, but Weil wonderfully teases you with all the possibilities of what’s to come with her cliff hanger ending. There are definitely enough mysteries left to keep you coming back for the second book. I know I will be looking forward to it.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 29, 2012
First, let me say that this book is in some serious need of proofreading. There are several misspellings; incorrect usage of words; incorrect grammar; etc. It was enough that it made it difficult to read through. At times, I had to read a sentence 2 or 3 times to understand the meaning. The lack of proofreading does detract some from the book.
That being said, on a positive note, the plot and character development was excellent! The story-line keeps me engaged throughout the book. The cliff-hanger was absolutely stunning, and definitely not what I expected! The story centers around the main character, Brianna, who lost her parents at an early age and lives with her aunt. Gavin, and his sister Sophie, as well as their family helps Brianna learn who she really is - that she is a witch, and she struggles with this knowledge. The story starts with the day that Brianna meets Gavin, and continues through the development of their relationship and through Brianna's struggle to adjust to her life. The relationship between the characters is very
strongly developed, and the plot itself is a new and refreshing twist to what many "magic" stories are. I absolutely cannot wait to read the next book in the series!! It definitely left me wanting more!!!
DISCLAIMER: This book was gifted to me by the author (through the Goodreads) website in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own, and no money or other compensation was provided for this review.
That being said, on a positive note, the plot and character development was excellent! The story-line keeps me engaged throughout the book. The cliff-hanger was absolutely stunning, and definitely not what I expected! The story centers around the main character, Brianna, who lost her parents at an early age and lives with her aunt. Gavin, and his sister Sophie, as well as their family helps Brianna learn who she really is - that she is a witch, and she struggles with this knowledge. The story starts with the day that Brianna meets Gavin, and continues through the development of their relationship and through Brianna's struggle to adjust to her life. The relationship between the characters is very
strongly developed, and the plot itself is a new and refreshing twist to what many "magic" stories are. I absolutely cannot wait to read the next book in the series!! It definitely left me wanting more!!!
DISCLAIMER: This book was gifted to me by the author (through the Goodreads) website in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own, and no money or other compensation was provided for this review.
June 26, 2017
I would like to thank the author for giving me this book in exchange for an honest review.
I found Luminescence to be a great story with much more potential in a sequel. It is about Brianna who has a mystery about her that is brought out by her temper. She has no idea why this is. She also has had dreams about a cute blond named Lukas for most of her life. This is a mystery all on its own that I am excited for in the next book. Then one day in her senior year of high school, she runs into Gavin. Things begin to change for her after that, and the mystery of what she is begins to unravel. With the help of Gavin and his family she starts to learn about her powers and that she may be a super powerful witch. I really loved Gavin, and he was my favorite.
I enjoyed the potential romance and wish there had been more. With the little surprise at the end of the book, I know that the sequel will be exciting with the new twist, or threat. My only complaint is the editing! It was terrible, and I am not sure why half of the mistakes were even made. I think if the author would get a good editor it would really help the story out. There were just so many mistakes distracting from what I felt was a great start to a series. I highly recommend this book to all YA lovers, even with the mistakes.
I found Luminescence to be a great story with much more potential in a sequel. It is about Brianna who has a mystery about her that is brought out by her temper. She has no idea why this is. She also has had dreams about a cute blond named Lukas for most of her life. This is a mystery all on its own that I am excited for in the next book. Then one day in her senior year of high school, she runs into Gavin. Things begin to change for her after that, and the mystery of what she is begins to unravel. With the help of Gavin and his family she starts to learn about her powers and that she may be a super powerful witch. I really loved Gavin, and he was my favorite.
I enjoyed the potential romance and wish there had been more. With the little surprise at the end of the book, I know that the sequel will be exciting with the new twist, or threat. My only complaint is the editing! It was terrible, and I am not sure why half of the mistakes were even made. I think if the author would get a good editor it would really help the story out. There were just so many mistakes distracting from what I felt was a great start to a series. I highly recommend this book to all YA lovers, even with the mistakes.
November 5, 2012
First, I would like to thank the author, JL Weil, for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Second, I LOVED IT! I am totally ready for the next installment! Brianna is a fantastic main character. Having her "gift" go unnoticed by her for so long was a great twist. I suspected but wasn't completely sure.
I love her best friends, Tori and Austin, and hope that they play a bigger role in the next installment. Although, I totally understand why they got put on the back burner for a bit. Gavin sounds HOT, and any normal teenager would choose to spend more time with the hot new guy in their life instead of their best friends. I liked that Brianna felt guilty about not spending time with them though.
Luminescence was an easy read (a few minor typos), and I looked forward to picking it up everytime I had a few minutes to read!
I would most certainly recommend this book to my friends and other lovers of paranormal fiction!
Second, I LOVED IT! I am totally ready for the next installment! Brianna is a fantastic main character. Having her "gift" go unnoticed by her for so long was a great twist. I suspected but wasn't completely sure.
I love her best friends, Tori and Austin, and hope that they play a bigger role in the next installment. Although, I totally understand why they got put on the back burner for a bit. Gavin sounds HOT, and any normal teenager would choose to spend more time with the hot new guy in their life instead of their best friends. I liked that Brianna felt guilty about not spending time with them though.
Luminescence was an easy read (a few minor typos), and I looked forward to picking it up everytime I had a few minutes to read!
I would most certainly recommend this book to my friends and other lovers of paranormal fiction!
November 8, 2012
I recieved this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Luminescence is a very cute story, and I really did enjoy having the opportunity to read it. I was sucked in immediately, and felt a strong connection to Brianna. I thought Gavin was a strong character, and was very pleased that he didn't fall into the abusive style relationships in so many other YA novels these days. Overall, I liked the story, I haven't read as many witchcraft novels, so I might just have a fairly blank slate, but it was a creative story in my mind.
There were a few problems that made the book difficult to read. There were quite a few grammatical errors, punctuation errors, and the most annoying of all for me, misuse of words. This book definitely needs a good editor.
Once this book was edited properly, I would definitely recommend this book.
Luminescence is a very cute story, and I really did enjoy having the opportunity to read it. I was sucked in immediately, and felt a strong connection to Brianna. I thought Gavin was a strong character, and was very pleased that he didn't fall into the abusive style relationships in so many other YA novels these days. Overall, I liked the story, I haven't read as many witchcraft novels, so I might just have a fairly blank slate, but it was a creative story in my mind.
There were a few problems that made the book difficult to read. There were quite a few grammatical errors, punctuation errors, and the most annoying of all for me, misuse of words. This book definitely needs a good editor.
Once this book was edited properly, I would definitely recommend this book.
October 29, 2012
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
I am going to love this series. The flow of the subject and characters made this book one you can't put down until you are finished. You knew from the beginning that there was something different about Brianna. She has two dreamy guys in her life Gavin who is the raven haired bad boy and Lukas who is the golden haired angel. It is yet to be seen who the angel really is? Brianna is an outcast who is coming into her own and she is very powerful. I just kept waiting for Lukas to be real and just not in her dreams. I wonder if Aunt Clara know more than she is ready to divulge. This promises to be excellent future read. CAN'T WAIT. Thank you for this book.
I am going to love this series. The flow of the subject and characters made this book one you can't put down until you are finished. You knew from the beginning that there was something different about Brianna. She has two dreamy guys in her life Gavin who is the raven haired bad boy and Lukas who is the golden haired angel. It is yet to be seen who the angel really is? Brianna is an outcast who is coming into her own and she is very powerful. I just kept waiting for Lukas to be real and just not in her dreams. I wonder if Aunt Clara know more than she is ready to divulge. This promises to be excellent future read. CAN'T WAIT. Thank you for this book.
November 7, 2012
This book tore me in 2 - I completely loved it BUT it needs serious, serious editing work ASAP!!
The story hooked me in straight away. I quickly warmed to the central character, Brianna and I loved Gavin. It's an interesting story, although in a lot of respects this book seems to be setting the scene for the plot going forward,
The only downfall to this book is the editing - it's awful! Wrong words used, grammar mistakes and some fairly mangled sentences. I managed to ignore it but please, please do a re-edit so the form doesn't distract from this very enjoyable story.
The story hooked me in straight away. I quickly warmed to the central character, Brianna and I loved Gavin. It's an interesting story, although in a lot of respects this book seems to be setting the scene for the plot going forward,
The only downfall to this book is the editing - it's awful! Wrong words used, grammar mistakes and some fairly mangled sentences. I managed to ignore it but please, please do a re-edit so the form doesn't distract from this very enjoyable story.
August 6, 2013
I seriously need to learn to wait until a trilogy is finished before I start reading it. I really do not like having to wait to finish any series.Lol . This author draws you in to having an attachment to the main characters. I'm a Happy ending kind of girl who loves knowing the ones I grow to care about have their happily ever after. Lol. Waiting.....again.... for Moondust. :)
June 11, 2021
I love the whole book. Yes there was grammar mistakes and other mistakes but it was still very good. It just needed a second time around with editing. I'm going onto the second book now.
What i like or loved about this book;
Bri
Gavin
Witches
What i didn't like about this book;
Not long enough
What i like or loved about this book;
Bri
Gavin
Witches
What i didn't like about this book;
Not long enough
November 2, 2012
I enjoyed this book, i just think it needs a good editing
May 17, 2019
Luminescence (Luminescence Trilogy) by J.L. Weil
First of all this book is a bit out of my genre it seems to be a paranormal romance. Well, on the other hand I seem to end up reading more of these than I used to. I liked this book. I'm not sure yet that I loved it. But we're close.
I usually give a caveat at some point for grammar and spelling problems but I'm also not sure yet because from what I could tell we have mostly style issues with this one. There were a few words that I had to look up because of usage but they really did work in at least one of the definitions given. They were just not words you normally see written in that way. The sentence structure was a bit odd at times and tended to slow things down. Again that's a style decision so those are in an area where you might make note but it's not necessarily going to greatly affect the overall story.
Brianna is far from an ordinary teenager and that's what the reader takes away right away. In the sleepy town of Holly Ridge, North Carolina-somewhere near the coast-she's doing her best to be normal. She lives with her aunt Clara and has two good friends in Austin who is gay and Tori who's family is rich and who is spoiled. And she has your token enemy Rianne who is the one who catapults her into a fit that leads to her meeting Gavin and Gavin's family who are destined to change her world. To be honest her world was never what she thought so Gavin and family have little to do with that, but he becomes her protector and that's what's important.
The story moves the reader slowly dancing around the plot for the first half and almost get's the reader to the point of saying-'just get to the point.' Even the romance seems to wind slowly up as it moves along. Finally near half way we start to see things take a turn as we discover that there be witches in Holly Ridge.
Brianna's character is well defined, but I would have liked to have seen more of Gavin's character other than to be the constant protector at one point. Also the romance seems at one point to hit an unlikely speed bump when Brianna seems unsure that Gavin loves her although as a reader I had no doubts and I was mostly seeing what she was seeing, so again not sure about the likelihood of her not figuring it out. Although there is some small bit of her character that might account for the thickness at that point.
This did have some good climatic points and leaves the reader with a number of unanswered questions because it is a trilogy.
Great fun for a YA Paranormal Romance Fan
Probably one of the better publication from the Nevermore presses.(I have not read them all.)
J.L. Dobias
First of all this book is a bit out of my genre it seems to be a paranormal romance. Well, on the other hand I seem to end up reading more of these than I used to. I liked this book. I'm not sure yet that I loved it. But we're close.
I usually give a caveat at some point for grammar and spelling problems but I'm also not sure yet because from what I could tell we have mostly style issues with this one. There were a few words that I had to look up because of usage but they really did work in at least one of the definitions given. They were just not words you normally see written in that way. The sentence structure was a bit odd at times and tended to slow things down. Again that's a style decision so those are in an area where you might make note but it's not necessarily going to greatly affect the overall story.
Brianna is far from an ordinary teenager and that's what the reader takes away right away. In the sleepy town of Holly Ridge, North Carolina-somewhere near the coast-she's doing her best to be normal. She lives with her aunt Clara and has two good friends in Austin who is gay and Tori who's family is rich and who is spoiled. And she has your token enemy Rianne who is the one who catapults her into a fit that leads to her meeting Gavin and Gavin's family who are destined to change her world. To be honest her world was never what she thought so Gavin and family have little to do with that, but he becomes her protector and that's what's important.
The story moves the reader slowly dancing around the plot for the first half and almost get's the reader to the point of saying-'just get to the point.' Even the romance seems to wind slowly up as it moves along. Finally near half way we start to see things take a turn as we discover that there be witches in Holly Ridge.
Brianna's character is well defined, but I would have liked to have seen more of Gavin's character other than to be the constant protector at one point. Also the romance seems at one point to hit an unlikely speed bump when Brianna seems unsure that Gavin loves her although as a reader I had no doubts and I was mostly seeing what she was seeing, so again not sure about the likelihood of her not figuring it out. Although there is some small bit of her character that might account for the thickness at that point.
This did have some good climatic points and leaves the reader with a number of unanswered questions because it is a trilogy.
Great fun for a YA Paranormal Romance Fan
Probably one of the better publication from the Nevermore presses.(I have not read them all.)
J.L. Dobias
August 26, 2021
**********Contains Spoilers**********
I‘ve been a fan of JL Weil for years. I enjoyed this book but I found the layout a bit hard to read but that’s a personal preference. I thought Bri and Gavin are great together. Bri meets the new mysterious guy Gavin when she literally runs into him when they’re both skipping. Gavin has just moved from Chicago with his family which he isn’t exactly pleased with the move and thinks that no one is going to be like him but he is pleasantly surprised when he feels the spark of another witch when she runs into him. He becomes friends with Bri and finds it odd that she never mentioned that she’s a witch as well and then he realised that she mustn’t know. After hanging out with Gavin and meeting his family Bri starts to notice his eyes glowing on multiple occasions but thinks it’s just her imagination but she finds out the truth that him and his family are witches when he uses magic to save Bri’s life. Gavin’s worried how she’ll take it but she takes it surprisingly well but when Gavin has to revel to her that she’s actually witch as well when she creates a massive storm when they were arguing so he thought it would be safer for her and everyone if she knew the truth and wow she completely freaks out and doesn’t really accept that it’s true. I loved Gavin’s sister Sophie and thought she was an awesome friend to Bri. I’m hoping that now Bri knows that Lukas, the boy she’d dreamed about most her life is actually real that she’ll tell Gavin. I totally think she should’ve mentioned him before now even if she just thought he was a figment of her imagination especially after she heard Gavin tell his family that Bri can dreamscape and that was how Gavin knew she was in trouble as he heard/felt Bri call out and showed up in her dream when the spirit of the most powerful witch in history was visiting her and she wasn’t too happy at Gavin’s interruption and tried to attack Gavin but Bri jumped in the way of the spell. I’m looking forward to reading the next book. I’d recommend this book, series and author to everyone.
I‘ve been a fan of JL Weil for years. I enjoyed this book but I found the layout a bit hard to read but that’s a personal preference. I thought Bri and Gavin are great together. Bri meets the new mysterious guy Gavin when she literally runs into him when they’re both skipping. Gavin has just moved from Chicago with his family which he isn’t exactly pleased with the move and thinks that no one is going to be like him but he is pleasantly surprised when he feels the spark of another witch when she runs into him. He becomes friends with Bri and finds it odd that she never mentioned that she’s a witch as well and then he realised that she mustn’t know. After hanging out with Gavin and meeting his family Bri starts to notice his eyes glowing on multiple occasions but thinks it’s just her imagination but she finds out the truth that him and his family are witches when he uses magic to save Bri’s life. Gavin’s worried how she’ll take it but she takes it surprisingly well but when Gavin has to revel to her that she’s actually witch as well when she creates a massive storm when they were arguing so he thought it would be safer for her and everyone if she knew the truth and wow she completely freaks out and doesn’t really accept that it’s true. I loved Gavin’s sister Sophie and thought she was an awesome friend to Bri. I’m hoping that now Bri knows that Lukas, the boy she’d dreamed about most her life is actually real that she’ll tell Gavin. I totally think she should’ve mentioned him before now even if she just thought he was a figment of her imagination especially after she heard Gavin tell his family that Bri can dreamscape and that was how Gavin knew she was in trouble as he heard/felt Bri call out and showed up in her dream when the spirit of the most powerful witch in history was visiting her and she wasn’t too happy at Gavin’s interruption and tried to attack Gavin but Bri jumped in the way of the spell. I’m looking forward to reading the next book. I’d recommend this book, series and author to everyone.
August 5, 2017
Sexy and Magical!
5 Stars of course! Its no surprise that I absolutely loved this story! All her books are just amazing and I'm always pulled into whatever fantastic world she has created! Its as if I'm pulled in and standing beside these amazing characters, watching their incredible stories unfold!
I love Bri! She's young and beautiful, but doesn't realize how truly special she is! She learns soon that she's not who she thought she was. Every tiny unexplainable thing that's ever happened to her suddenly makes since and its unbelievable.
Her friends are pretty awesome! They seem to genuinely care about her and her well-being. T
Gavin, the new hottie at her school is way more than he seems and they are more alike than she realizes, a little later than everyone else! Always late the facts party! Bri and Gavin become very close and I love them together!
5 Stars of course! Its no surprise that I absolutely loved this story! All her books are just amazing and I'm always pulled into whatever fantastic world she has created! Its as if I'm pulled in and standing beside these amazing characters, watching their incredible stories unfold!
I love Bri! She's young and beautiful, but doesn't realize how truly special she is! She learns soon that she's not who she thought she was. Every tiny unexplainable thing that's ever happened to her suddenly makes since and its unbelievable.
Her friends are pretty awesome! They seem to genuinely care about her and her well-being. T
Gavin, the new hottie at her school is way more than he seems and they are more alike than she realizes, a little later than everyone else! Always late the facts party! Bri and Gavin become very close and I love them together!
June 3, 2018
This was incredibly hard to read because of the writing errors, and it’s published, not an ARC, what a shame for the readers. It felt more like a draft than a finished work. There were way too many spelling/extra words/not enough words/word usage/ grammatical errors through the whole book to make for an enjoyable read. These mistakes pulled me out of the story trying to figure out what was meant by the author & hurt the flow badly. These mistakes seemed to be in every other paragraph thru the story, too.
The story itself was not unique & very predictable & definitely teenage angst driven. I wasn’t enamored with the main characters, Bri & Gavin, even Lukas, depending on how he ends up fitting into the story. They did not inspire me to want to read the next book.
The story itself was not unique & very predictable & definitely teenage angst driven. I wasn’t enamored with the main characters, Bri & Gavin, even Lukas, depending on how he ends up fitting into the story. They did not inspire me to want to read the next book.
December 16, 2018
I truly did enjoy reading (paperback book) and listening (audiobook) of the series. J.L. Weil's style of writing, I think, you just have to get use to. I did struggle once in awhile due to misspelled words, grammar, and improper use of vocabulary. This is similar to Twilight series but I am okay with any romantic paranormal fantasy. I guess, in that nature, I am a little bias. Overall, the love triangle gave enough attention for me to keep reading. It did have suspense, teen angst, & drama of being a witch. Also, a great cliff hangover! I will continue reading/listening this book series and hoping it gets better.
October 14, 2018
The story itself deserves 5 stars
Let me start by saying that I would have given the book 5 stars if it had been properly edited. The astounding number of errors in this book is what made me knock the rating down to 4 stars.
I adore the characters and am totally in love with Gavin. Is this not every nerd girl’s dream? Discover you’re actually a witch and get a hot boyfriend? Yes, please! The characters are well developed and the storyline is enticing! Looking forward to reading the next one.
Let me start by saying that I would have given the book 5 stars if it had been properly edited. The astounding number of errors in this book is what made me knock the rating down to 4 stars.
I adore the characters and am totally in love with Gavin. Is this not every nerd girl’s dream? Discover you’re actually a witch and get a hot boyfriend? Yes, please! The characters are well developed and the storyline is enticing! Looking forward to reading the next one.
January 21, 2019
I enjoyed the characters, and the storyline was slow but promising. However, I honestly don’t understand how something with this many grammatical errors and typos could be considered a final draft. It felt like the errors got worse as the book went on, or maybe my tolerance for them waned. By the end they were extremely distracting, with large sections having obnoxious mistakes on every single page. Part of me wants to give the next book a chance, but I don’t know if it’s worth the frustration.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews